Entertainment
Hard Spell
Hard Spell takes word play to another level as children aged 11 to
14 compete to become Britain's best speller.
Spelling has never been so compelling in this nail-biting event, in
which addictive spelling tests become just as much fun to watch as they
are to play along with at home.
Presenter Eamonn Holmes says: "These kids are like
spelling athletes and I'm there to congratulate them when they cross
the finish line, or give them a pat on the back if they don't."
Viewers can watch the hopes, nerves and excitement of children across
the UK as they spell their way to the top of the class.
Each school's best young speller goes through to a regional heat in
October and then, hopefully, on to the final in London.
The TV cameras will be there to follow their journey from classroom
to nerve-wracking grand finale.
GJ/JA
Junior Mastermind
Ten and 11-year-olds dare to tread where many an adult has gone before,
as they take their place in the Mastermind black chair to face questions
from John Humphrys.
Contestants pit their wits against the clock as they answer questions
on subjects from the history of the Eurovision Song Contest to Albert
Einstein, from Harry Potter to the works of Jane Austen.
Set to be every bit as challenging as the adult series, the tension
mounts throughout five heats, with each contender battling for a place
in the final and the ultimate accolade of Junior Mastermind 2004.
HH
All About Me
Life has moved on for the Craddocks, as Jasper Carrott
and Nina Wadia return in the third series of All About
Me.
Brummie Colin has left the building site and is now running his own
architectural salvage business with his mate, Billy.
Colin's wife Rupinder is buying and selling Indian clothes from home,
as well as taking care of the Craddock brood, which includes her disabled
son, Raj, who now gives his own unique take on life, thanks to the arrival
of his communication aid.
Colin's eldest son, Peter, is enjoying a gap year, travelling, while
Sima has left school and is dealing with the grown-up trials and tribulations
of life as a temp.
Two new characters arrive in the shape of Charles and Miranda, the
Craddocks' well meaning but painfully politically correct neighbours.
What will they make of Colin and Rupinder's no-nonsense approach to
life?
Charles is played by Richard Lumsden and Miranda is
played by Amanda Root.
YD
French & Saunders
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders
are causing havoc at Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Television Centre with their first series in
six years.
The comedy duo have infiltrated the building and even managed to acquire
their own office.
With only one parking space between them, a show to make, celebrity
guests to cajole and a tough producer to please, Dawn and Jennifer are
battling with security, propping up the tea bar and hunting the corridors,
trying to acquire superstars for their show.
With any luck, they may even find time to write it!
With a mixture of their unique brand of humour, spoofs and sketches,
the show also includes Dawn and Jennifer's take on some recent blockbusters,
including Cold Mountain, The Passion Of The Christ and Girl With A Pearl
Earring.
EP
Friday Night With
Jonathan Ross
With his trademark blend of banter, humour and music, and his irreverent
approach to the art of interviewing, Jonathan Ross
is renowned for attracting an eclectic mix of A-list guests for music
and chat that makes his Friday night show essential viewing.
Guests from the last series included: Charlize Theron, Ben Stiller,
Morrissey, Will Young, Janet Jackson, Eddie Izzard, Gordon Ramsay, David
Duchovny, Supergrass, The Streets, Omar Sharif, Franz Ferdinand and
Jet.
JP
World Shut Your Mouth
An appetite for anarchy fuels the master prankster Dom Joly's
travels as, armed with a passport and a suitcase full of prosthetics,
he takes a surreal swipe at the irritating absurdities of life in the
21st century.
A human onion, a Colombian gigolo and Metal Man, a self-proclaimed
superhero, are just some of the newly created characters, set to wreak
havoc as they are unleashed onto an unsuspecting public.
There's nowhere to hide from the cameras waiting to capture prank phone
calls, public sketches and general mischief-making as World Shut Your
Mouth witnesses the birth of a global nuisance.
HT
The Crouches
Life for an extended family living under one roof can never be simple,
particularly in the Crouches household.
The upbeat down-to-earth situation comedy about the trials and traumas
of a family living in Walworth, London, is back later this year.
Bafta award-nominated producer Paulette Randall, whose credits include
Desmonds, Porkpie and Kerching!, brings her wealth of experience to
the second series, while Liselle Kayla heads up a new team of writers
guaranteed to shake things up in the Crouches household.
Liselle's credits include EastEnders, Rude Girls and Us Girls.
KC
Eyes Down
Hold onto your bingo cards - Ray's back from holiday and, despite sun,
sea, sangria and a Β£2,000 windfall, courtesy of a punter, he's still
as caustic as ever.
But then he does have rather a lot to contend with… While having to
deal with unwanted attention from local gangsters targeting the bingo
hall, and the amorous advances of horrendous regional manager Miss Grimes,
Ray's staff are still as apathetic as usual.
It seems as though Ray's numbers are up as Paul O'Grady
returns as the savage-tongued bingo caller, whose house is most definitely
not in order.
The cast also includes Sheridan Smith, Neil
Fitzmaurice, Tony Maudsley, Edna Dore
and Rosie Cavaliero.
PA/AW
Carrie And Barry
Neil Morrissey stars as part-time cabbie Barry, with
Claire Rushbrook as his beautician wife Carrie, in
this unapologetically rude comedy series.
The couple find themselves grappling with the challenges of keeping
the spice in their marriage and the fun in their day jobs - as well
as dealing with Barry's teenage daughter, Sinead, from his disastrous
first marriage.
Barry co-owns his black cab with his mate, Kirk (Mark Williams)
who does the night shift.
Michelle (Michelle Gomez) is Carrie's acid-tongued
best friend and fellow beautician.
Neil Morrissey is reunited with Beryl Vertue, Hartswood Films' writer
Simon Nye and director Martin Dennis, the team behind Men Behaving Badly,
which made Neil a household name.
AN
Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News For You returns for a new series to give its irreverent,
outspoken and witty perspective on the subjects and people making the
headlines.
Each week, politicians, actors and comedians sit alongside the regulars
joining in the fun while, at the same time, trying to dodge the embarrassing
reminders of their own experiences in the media spotlight.
Team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop
lead the assault.
Trying, and no doubt failing, to exert control over the proceedings
are guest hosts who take the hot seat on a weekly basis.
KC
The Royal Variety Performance
2004
Celebrities and artists from the worlds of music, television and entertainment
gather at London's Coliseum for the prestigious annual Royal Variety
Performance, in the presence of His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales.
This year, the Coliseum celebrates its centenary and re-opens after
undergoing a Β£41m restoration.
The Royal Variety Performance is a charity event in aid of the Entertainment
Artistes Benevolent Fund.
EP
My Dad's The Prime Minister
After celebrating a landslide victory in the children's press, as well
as gaining a clear majority with the national media, the critically
acclaimed My Dad's The Prime Minister returns to office for a second
term.
With a brand-new manifesto, Michael Phillip and his family are set
to win over many more seats in the House.
However, despite Phillip's popularity in the polls, things aren't quite
so positive at home.
His kids find him a total embarrassment, his mother prefers his brother,
Geoffrey, and though Phillip's spin-doctor may help his public image,
Packer is certainly no vote-winner with the family.
My Dad's The Prime Minister takes a non-partisan look at the family
life of an imaginary leader, told through the eyes of his children.
Robert Bathurst and Joe Prospero
return in the hugely popular comedy, written by Ian Hislop and Nick
Newman.
EP/AW
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