John Byrne takes a look at the telly choices for the week ahead including Atmospheric French drama, Chris Evans, Alan Sugar and Michael Emerson. Yep, it's another wonderful week in the TV world. (Dates covered: Mon Oct 12-Fri Oct 16)
Pick of the week
The Returned, Friday, Channel 4
At last, at long last, the second season of this supernatural French drama finally arrives, two years on from its achingly downbeat but utterly compelling first season. Set in a small French mountain town, the story revolves around dead people inexplicably coming back to life. And if you haven't seen it, sort that out immediately.
Set six months after the season one finale, the population has almost entirely deserted the town. Certain inhabitants have decided to stay on, in the hope of finding their loved ones who were taken. Still pregnant with Simon's baby, Adèle has a fainting spell and is taken to hospital, where the staff decide to induce labour.
Richard Berg, an expert tasked with finding the causes of the flood, crosses paths with Toni, who has returned from among the dead. His resurrection gives new-found hope to the survivors.
Star of the week
Chris Evans
TFI Friday, Friday, Channel 4
15 years ago he was the UK's highest-paid entertainer, but 2000 also signalled the beginning of Chris Evans' descent. The original TFI Friday was cancelled that year and he was sacked from Virgin Radio the following summer. More failure followed and he took some time out of the limelight before joining BBC Radio 2 in 2005.
Gradually, he also returned to TV and then in June this year he was announced as Jeremy Clarkson's replacement on Top Gear. A one-off, 20th anniversary episode of TFI Friday was broadcast on Channel 4 this summer and just days later the station announced that the show would be returning for a full run. And here it is.
Broadcasting from a new home in central London, this version of TFI Friday promises brand new features, raucous stunts and brilliant guests. It'll be interesting to see if it gets a big audience this time around.
First guests will include U2 and Take That. Nice work Chris!
Starting this week
Person of Interest, Monday, RTÉ2
Just like the characters in this show, Person of Interest has been pretty much under the radar but anyone I know who watches it is a devoted fan. Okay, that's about four people, but it really should be huge.
Certainly, the casting of Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel was inspired, as they work so well together. They play Harold Finch, a reclusive billionaire techie who teams up with borderline sociopath/former CIA agent John Reese, using Finch's computer programme called The Machine and Reese's muscle to prevent violent crimes.
In the fourth season premiere, the team must devise new ways to continue their work without being detected by rival AI Samaritan after they're forced to take on new identities. That, of course, is not going to last.
Also starting this week:
The Apprentice, Wednesday, BBC One
Alan Sugar and co – including Nick Hewitt’s replacement, Claude Littner - return once more with eighteen fresh new candidates battling it out to become Sugar's latest business partner.
The Walking Dead, Tuesday, Fox
Andrew Lincoln's post-apocalyptic Rick is back with his band of zombie-stomping survivors for the first of 16 season six episodes that, as usual, will be served up in two eight-episode batches.
Arrow, Wednesday, Sky 1
New villains emerge in the city as season four of the hit superhero drama starring Stephen Amell shoots back onto screens.
The Flash, Tuesday, Sky 1
Grant Gustin returns as the fastest man alive in a second offering of the comic-book drama.
Karl Pilkington: the Moaning of Life, Tuesday, Sky 1
Destinations include Iceland, India, Mexico and Germany, as Pilkington looks at a variety of life options, from drinking urine to dealing with pollution by diving into sewage in Mexico City.
Supernatural, Wednesday, E4
It's the tenth season of the US fantasy drama about brothers and demon hunters Sam and Dean Winchester. How did that happen?
Great Continental Railway Journeys, Friday, BBC Two
Michael Portillo travels through the Balkans and heads for Istanbul. Nice work etc.
Ending this Week
Apres Match of the Day, Monday, RTÉ2
The final programme in the series looks back the Republic of Ireland’s famous Lansdowne Road win over the Netherlands in 2001 on the road to World Cup 2002. For those who weren't there, it was like a mixture of last Thursday's win against Germany and The Alamo.
Here's the goal:
Music for Misfits, Friday, BBC Four
Episode three begins with the original independent labels struggling in the wake of acid house, allowing the major labels to move in on indie cool with Britpop, and the subsequent rise of early ‘90s heavyweights Blur and Oasis.
A Week to My Wedding, Thursday, RTÉ One
With a keen interest in musical theatre the final couple - former Rose of Tralee and New Jersey native Róisín Egenton and Galwegian Nicky Lawless - really push the boat out for their big day.
Hunted, Thursday, Channel 4
The last remaining fugitives must reach a pre-arranged extraction point to evade capture once and for all. But with seven days to go the hunters are ramping up their efforts to find them.
Drama of the week
River, Tuesday, BBC One
This could be a bit special. Written by Abi Morgan, whose CV includes Suffragette and excellent period drama The Hour, this hard-boiled crime drama stars Stellan Skarsgård as John River, a respected police officer haunted by the murder victims whose secrets he must uncover.
In this opening episode Rivers is struggling to come to terms with the recent loss of a close colleague, but further tragedy ensues when he chases a potential suspect across London. Calls for his dismissal grow due to his fragile mental state, and under intense scrutiny from the press and within the police force, River battles to keep his condition in check.
Meanwhile, the mother of a murdered teenager Erin Fielding is growing increasingly desperate - the boyfriend has confessed but no body has been found - and she blames River for failing to make good on his promise to find her daughter.
Comedy of the week
Cradle to Grave, Thursday, BBC Two
This enjoyable and upbeat 1970s-set sitcom based on Danny Baker's autobiography ends with back-to-back episodes as dad Spud is on the straight and narrow and Danny's passing himself off as David Essex's brother.
Documentary of the week
Ireland’s Sulky Racers: Reality Bites, Thursday, RTÉ2
Following a group of owners and drivers based in counties Dublin, Meath, Clare and Limerick, Ireland’s Sulky Racers shows the extremes that these individuals will go to in order to prepare their horses for race day.
The passionate horsemen race their light-weight traps, known as sulkies, at startling speeds. And it's all highly illegal. They take place on Sundays at dawn, on dual carriageways, and blocked off to other traffic.
Just look at the trailer. It's nuts!
On Demand
Ascension, from Thursday, Sky Box Sets
Although it ultimately failed to live up to its early promise, this is a quirky mix of period drama and sci-fi. Set in 1963, US President Kennedy is so convinced the Cold War is going to result in Earth's destruction, he sends 600 people out to space to find a new world to populate.
Actually, forget that. Go to Channel 4 online and root out season one of The Returned.
John Byrne
