Umm... what? So Doctor Who's finale on Saturday night climaxed with a stunning final sequence so top-secret that even The Great British Press (we're a bit like The Great Intelligence, only marginally less evil) weren't allowed to see it pre-broadcast.
Deep inside the Doctor's own timestream, viewers apparently met a version of the Time Lord we'd never before encountered in the show's 50-year run. But, despite what the on-screen billing would have you believe, is acting legend John Hurt *really* playing the Doctor? Or is the truth behind his character's identity more complex than that?
Join the Week in Geek for a journey of discovery - and rampant speculation - as we attempt to answer the question... Doctor Who The Hell Was That?!
The Case For - This seems to be the most popular fan theory floating about - that Hurt's Doctor is a previously unseen incarnation originating from the mysterious gap between Paul McGann's brief tenure and Christopher Eccleston's arrival in 2005's 'Rose'.
It'd mean a pretty big rewriting of Who history - knocking each Doctor up a spot so that the Matt Smith model is actually the *12th* take on the Time Lord - but this is the 50th anniversary year, so perhaps all bets are off?
Such a big reveal would certainly tie in with Steven Moffat's claims that the 50th special is "chapter one of a new story" for the show - and it's hard to ignore the fact that, in pictures that have circulated from the set of said special, Hurt appears to be wearing a leather jacket very similar to the one sported by Eccleston and a waistcoat very similar to the one worn by McGann, which would appear to lend credence to the 'in-between' idea.
The Case Against - But why would the Doctor bury his 'real' 9th incarnation deep in his subconscious? Many have speculated that it's because of the terrible crimes he committed during the Time War - but haven't we already seen our hero come to terms with those?
It's possible that there's still some terrible, unseen act which we're yet to be made aware of, but really... what could be worse than blowing up your home planet and (apparently) committing double genocide, wiping out your own race in the process?
May 19 2013, 17:30 BST | By Tom Eames, Entertainment Reporter
"There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things, isn't that the point?" - Pam Beesley
Back in 2004, it was announced that Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's award-winning BBC series The Office was to be remade in the US. Understandably, reaction among UK audiences was not great.
More often than not, American versions of UK shows have been complete and utter pants (Red Dwarf, Men Behaving Badly and Coupling are just some examples). However, some have also proved to be arguably even bigger than the originals (Sanford & Son and All in the Family, for example).
But how the hell were they going to pull off producing an American equivalent of a very British show, with very British humour, a show that embraced the mundanity of working in an office that sells paper? A show that was pretty much perfect as it was, and ended on a brilliant note, and was one of the most critically-acclaimed British shows for years.
Well, believe it or not - NBC managed to pull it off after all. With Gervais and Merchant helping out at the beginning, and with Simpsons and Saturday Night Live writer Greg Daniels at the helm, they managed to create one of the best US comedies of all time, that can proudly sit alongside the original series as a genuinely brilliant piece of TV.
After nine seasons and 200 episodes, The Office came to an end on Thursday (May 16). Digital Spy takes a look back at the series, and why UK audiences should give it a go.
Warning: Contains spoilers from the overall series and finale episode
Truth be told, The Office didn't get off to a great start. It arrived as a midseason replacement in March 2005, with a short run of six episodes. If you watch these first episodes having seen the whole 200, it is almost difficult to watch, as they are so different to what The Office became from season two onwards.
They are mostly rehashes of the original British episodes, that attempt to keep the subtle nature, but it didn't translate too well from Gervais, Martin Freeman and co. The characters are nothing like what they are to become, but these episodes were needed to set up the show, introduce the characters and the setting of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
It is actually quite amazing that it even got recomissioned, and a relief that NBC kept faith in the project, as it easily could have ended right then and there, and we would hold it in the same category as the Inbetweeners and Cold Feet remakes.
Once season two began, it slowly became clear that this version, while keeping several elements from the original, was a much different beast than the sitcom set in Wernham Hogg. The main difference was that it introduced us to the whole office, and not just focusing on the main four or five characters.
With many writers and producers working on the show, they were able to come up with many storylines and possibilities, and of course, many more episodes.
Steve Carell took on the mantle left by Ricky Gervais, playing boss Michael Scott, based on David Brent. However, as is the same with pretty much all of the characters, Michael became a brilliant character in his own right.
Carell was arguably the only relatively well-known castmember, which helped keep the original's feeling of its unknown castmembers portraying believable characters, rather than people we've already seen in many other roles.
Like Brent, Michael is someone who desperately tries to win appreciation from his colleagues, and to be best friends with as many people as possible. However, his desire to be the centre of attention often alienates people rather than embracing them, and he is capable of rather selfish and mean behaviour, despite being a decent person at heart.
He often unintentionally causes offence with his humour, especially the use of his favourite 'That's what she said' line, and feels his musical and screenwriting talents should not be ignored. Despite all this, he is actually a brilliant salesman, which landed him the top job at a young age.
Dwight Schrute - played excellently by Rainn Wilson - was based on Gareth (Mackenzie Crook), but became the show's breakout character, and a truly awesome one. The best salesman in the office, Dwight is also one of the strangest, and at times most self-centred.
At the beginning, he is desperate to be taken seriously by Michael and to eventually become manager of the branch, which he does in the penultimate episode of the series.
His rivalry-yet-strange-friendship with Jim (John Krasinski) and odd romance with Angela (Angela Kinsey) were great plot points throughout the entire run, as was his weird upbringing and family back at his beet farm, a subject which almost became a spinoff series. Dwight is also obsessed with weaponry, martial arts, espionage and justice, despite not necessarily being all that professionally skilled with any of them.
Jim and Pam (Jenna Fischer) arguably provide the heart and soul of the series, and bring back the 'will they-won't they' romance that was so brilliantly acted out by Tim and Dawn (Lucy Davis) in the original.
At the start, the pair were pretty much the same as their counterparts, with Pam a shy but lovely receptionist whose best friend in the office is Jim, a laid back, easy-going guy who only gets by because of Pam's presence.
Pam was engaged to Roy, a beefy guy from the warehouse who didn't show Pam the attention she deserves, and who clearly isn't right for her. Like the original series, one of the main reasons viewers kept tuning in for the first three seasons was to see Jim and Pam's relationship grow with each episode.
It culminated in a truly amazing piece of television when Jim admitted his feelings and kissed her. It felt so real and true to anyone who's ever been involved in that kind of relationship where you have longed for something to happen for so long.
They eventually did get together, and had one of the best TV weddings ever in season six. Despite losing the earlier seasons' passion, their relationship didn't get dull, and they remained a wonderful double act with excellent on-screen chemistry.
Ryan (writer BJ Novak) is an easy-going temp who briefly became a leading employee of the entire company, before epically crashing and burning and becoming a bit of a loose cannon, and having a weird on-off relationship with Kelly (writer Mindy Kaling), the office's gossip queen and classic 'mean girl'.
Accounting is led by Angela, a stuck-up, cat-obsessed, old-fashioned lady who eventually marries Dwight; Oscar (Oscar Nunez), a half-Mexican gay man who is one of the more rational presences in the office; and Kevin (Brian Baumgartner), a rotund and jolly individual, whose main love is food and isn't the brightest tool in the shed.
Sales is completed by Stanley (Leslie David Baker), an older, fiery gentleman who merely just wants to get through the day, and enjoys snacking and sleeping at his desk; and Phyllis (Phyllis Smith), a quiet, friendly and motherly figure of the office who often butts heads with Angela in their rivalry for the party planning committee chief role.
Creed (Creed Bratton) is a somewhat shifty character who seems to have no idea what's going on most of the time, yet has somehow managed to hold on to his job for over nine years.
Meredith (Kate Flannery) is an alcoholic and socially inappropriate livewire, and Toby (played by writer and showrunner Paul Lieberstein) is the lonely, timid, socially shy human resources rep that is utterly hated by Michael, despite being probably the nicest man in the office.
Darryl (Craig Robinson) is a warehouse employee whose good ideas and ambition led him to gain his own office upstairs, and provided some flair and glamour to the office, and some funny moments involving Michael trying to use made-up 'black phrases'.
Andy (Ed Helms) joined the show along with others later in the series, and started off as an angry sycophant and one of the show's most hated characters. However, he eventually grew a soft, caring and pleasant side and replaced Michael as boss for a season and a half, providing a great example of character development.
Erin (Ellie Kemper) also joined as receptionist, a very ditsy but well-meaning and excitable individual, becoming one of the most welcome new additions to the cast.
The Office's cast was so incredibly diverse, but most important of all, you really cared about the characters, which is always a hallmark of great ensemble-led television. Although Michael was the main character for most of the run, you needed every single character to make it work. When one episode was focusing on a main plot, there would often be sub-plots of silliness going on elsewhere.
The US Office would often use elements from the UK version and elevate them to a higher American-style degree. For instance, Tim's pranks on Gareth were heightened to epic proportions on a regular basis with Jim and Dwight. Notable examples include Jim covering all of Dwight's items, including his desk, in wrapping paper, hiring an Asian actor to pretend that Jim has actually been Asian the whole time, relocating Dwight's desk to the men's toilets, and tricking him into believing he was being recruited by the CIA.
Throughout the series, I always considered the documentary crew and talking head interviews as a kind of metaphorical way of hearing characters' thoughts and feelings about situations. However, in the final series, this was blown out of the water when the cameras pulled back to reveal the actual crewmembers themselves, and that the whole nine years was for a new documentary series about to air on PBS.
While it felt rather far-fetched that actual filmmakers were always around without getting in the way, and in situations where they wouldn't have fit (like a moving bus), it provided a reason for the show to come to an end, as the documentary was finally being aired.
It was also a truly shocking moment for Office fans when you saw the camera crew for the first time, like Dorothy meeting the man behind the curtain after all these years. Modern Family can now carry on my metaphor theory in the way they use the similar talking head interviews.
The finale itself was one big goodbye session, and that's usually what a fan wants from a show they've watched and loved for nine seasons. It was similar to the Christmas special of the UK Office, as it was set a year after the 'documentary' had aired, and the crew returned to catch up with how everyone was doing.
It was great to see pretty much every character having a rounded story and satisfying ending, and there was even a wonderful return of Michael. It also had plenty of tearjerking moments, but only happy ones.
There were many great final talking head interviews with each character, mostly about looking back at the time spent in that dull-looking building, realising how great things truly were, which is not a bad life lesson to make the most of here and now.
Andy said it best: "I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you've actually left them."
There was almost a Cheers-style 'turning out the lights' ending, but the characters will continue to carry on their lives at the office and elewhere. However, with the documentary crew gone, so are we.
It is always sad when a longrunning TV show comes to an end, especially if you have been watching it from the very beginning, and not doing a marathon viewing via a boxset. Nine years have passed since you started watching, and you can nostalgically be reminded of what you were doing, where you were living and who you were watching with each of the seasons.
It is strange when you start watching that last episode's opening credits, knowing this is the last time you will be experiencing a new episode, and will say goodbye to these characters you have grown to love. You know you are watching a truly great show when it presents you with these kinds of emotions, as soppy as that sounds.
Now that it has come to an end, I urge anyone who hasn't watched a single episode, especially UK readers who have (understandably) dismissed it without giving it a proper go. The series is almost unknown in the UK, apart from those who may watch Comedy Central, as the early seasons only got terrestrial airings on ITV2 several years ago, and that's about it.
It's actually quite baffling as to why the BBC, Sky1 or Channel 4 haven't picked it up. I've always found it a near-impossible task to get people to watch it, usually because they love the UK version so much, but I promise if you stick with it, it will not be a waste of your time, as it deserves to be considered as a brilliant, separate entity to the original. Just get through that first season.
Planning a few lazy nights on the sofa this week? If so, you've come to the right place, as we here at Tube Talk have once again gone over the schedules with a fine-toothed comb and plucked out the five best bits of telly in the next seven days.
As well as the great shows and documentaries listed below, there's also a chance to boogie in your living room to the likes of The Saturdays, Olly Murs, Little Mix and Rita Ora with Radio 1's Big Weekend, coming to you from Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Coverage begins Saturday, May 25 at 7pm on BBC Three.
Grey's Anatomy: Wednesday (May 22) at 10pm on Sky Living How could Grey's possibly top last season's terrifying and epic plane crash? Er... with rain! Lots of rain! Ah, we joke, but fans expecting another of the medical drama's traditional apocalyptic finales will not be disappointed, as a terrible storm knocks out Seattle Grace's power.
Naturally, this results in calamities such as exploding buses, life-threatening electrocutions and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) learning that her McBaby has to be delivered by caesarean section in the dark. Tense does not describe this closer to a season of Grey's Anatomy that has proved to be game-changing in so many ways.
Watch a teaser of the Grey's Anatomy finale below:
Scott & Bailey: Wednesday (May 22) / Thursday (May 23) at 9pm on ITV Could TV's favourite mumsy crime fighting duo be over for good? Scott (Lesley Sharp) & Bailey (Suranne Jones) aren't exactly in a good place after the latter's sexy betrayal of trust last episode, but there's no time for personal dramas when crimes need a-solving!
The last two episodes of series three have been smooshed together due to the football overunning last week, forming a two-part finale that begins with the discovery of an old man's body in a town centre and concludes with the grumpy detectives putting their differences aside to help rescue DCI Murray (Amelia Bullmore).
Watch a trailer for Scott & Bailey below:
Eddie Izzard's Mandela Marathons: Thursday (May 23) at 9pm on Sky1 We can't pinpoint exactly when Eddie Izzard swapped high heels for running shoes, but the funnyman has certainly established himself as a formidable athlete after completing 43 marathons in 51 days in 2009.
Now he's out to honour the great Nelson Mandela by running 27 marathons across South Africa, one for every year the revolutionary spent in jail, in as many days. Starting at Mandela's birthplace of Mvezo, he'll be taking in some of the most significant locations in the former president's life while panting his way across unforgiving terrain. With the injustice of Mandela's ordeal becoming the narrative of Izzard's physically agonising mission, we're expecting this two-part documentary to be both an emotional and frustrating experience.
Watch the trailer for Eddie Izzard's Mandela Marathons below:
The Voice UK: Saturday (May 25) at 7.10pm on BBC One Laughing in the face of that old saying about having too much of a good thing, The Voice UK returns from its Eurovision mini-break with a mammoth 130-minute episode (that's the same running time as Iron Man 3, fact fans) with nary an advert for relief.
If you think you're flagging by the end of it, spare a thought for coaches Jessie J, will.i.am, Danny O'Donoghue and Sir Tom Jones, who have to cut their 24 acts in half in the final Battle Rounds of the series. With will.i.am and Danny O'Donoghue still to use their steals and the brand new Knockout round looming, it's bound to be a tense episode - just make sure you go to the toilet beforehand.
Watch Matt Henry and Jordan Lee Davies battle on The Voice UK below:
David Bowie - Five Years: Saturday (May 25) at 9.20pm on BBC Two David Bowie stunned us all, when on his 66th birthday in January he burst out of a self-imposed exile from the music world to release his first new material in ten years.
It speaks volumes about the genius of Bowie that even though 2013 was when he managed to resurrect himself (almost literally, given how many people were convinced he was on death's door), it's still not considered worthy of this new documentary Five Years, charting five key periods in his gargantuan career. From the early days of Ziggy Stardust in 1971 to the global success of Let's Dance in 1983, Five Years celebrates Bowie's ability to reboot and mould the rock landscape to however he wanted. And we don't even need to tell you how good the soundtrack is!
Watch a promo for David Bowie - Five Years below:
What are you looking forward to watching this week? Leave your comments below!
If you're a jobbing actor working in US television and you're lucky, you might get a pilot picked up to series. If you're very lucky, that series might go on to become a long-running success. If you're very, very lucky, you might even land two hits shows in your time - nicely done, Bryan Cranston and Michael C Hall.
But some actors seem doomed to briefly taste success, only to have it snatched away from them time and time again. Here's an affectionate tribute to those US TV stars who just can't catch a break - bring on the show killers...
Summer Glau Miss Glau is a cult favourite, with a dedicated fanbase that some actors would kill for. So why do all of her shows get canned?
At two seasons, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was her most substantial hit, but The Cape, Dollhouse - on which she played a recurring role - and, of course, Firefly all bit the bullet. Why won't US telly bosses let Summer shine?
For some, the US TV upfronts is a time of celebration as they receive word that the pilots they've slaved over for months have been picked up to series...
But for others, it's bad news and back to square one - here's a look at the shows that won't be making their way to a television set near you any time soon - did any of this lot deserve a spot on the schedule?
Two of the most high profile pilots rejected by ABC this season are Doubt - we couldn't buy Steve Coogan as a private eye and apparently neither could the network brass - and supernatural drama Gothica - despite a strong cast, execs were reportedly unsatisfied with how the finished product looked.
A remake of Sky1 comedy Spy is also dead in the water, while after striking out with his Only Fools and Horses remake last year, poor John Leguizamo heads back to development for a second time, as his autobiographical sitcom gets a thumbs down.
McG's Romeo & Juliet update Westside, the pun-tastically titled Keep Calm and Karey On, and single camera sitcom Middle Age Rage won't be progressing to series either.
Kristen Schaal's 'Pulling' was thought too edgy for ABC
The bloodbath continues with Disney's Big Thunder - once thought to be a strong contender for a pick-up - plus mother-and-daughter detective drama Murder in Manhattan and comedy Divorce: A Love Story starring perennial show killer Andrea Anders of The Class, Joey and Mr Sunshine infamy.
Don't think we're ignoring you, Tube Talk Q&A fans, we hear your cries 'Gimme scoop, gimme teasers, gimme gimme gimme UK air-dates!'
As ever, we've obliged, so read on for the latest news on US shows heading to these shores and the fate of several homegrown series, including Cuckoo, Endeavour and Law & Order: UK...
Any news on if Sarah Chalke's new comedy show How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) will be aired in the UK?
It's not entirely outside the realms of possibility for Chalke's new show - which sees the Scrubs star play a single mother forced to move back in with her parents - to be picked up by a UK broadcaster, but we'd say it's pretty darn unlikely.
Having aired just six episodes in the US, the show has already been canned by ABC - it'll probably finish out its 13-episode run, but there'll be no more How to Live after that, and the odds of a channel over here shelling out for a show that flopped Stateside are very slim indeed.
I like the look of BBC One's new show The Musketeers - when will it air?
"Sometime next year" is as good as you'll get out of the BBC for the time being, but to make up for our failure in the TX date department, here's a little scoop on The Musketeers from star Peter Capaldi, who plays the unscrupulous Cardinal Richelieu...
"It's very swashbuckling!" the Thick of It star beamed. "I'm obviously the arch-enemy of the Musketeers - who are all very glamourous and young. I poison people and put people on the rack - it's great fun!"
Erm... we'll be honest, Cuckoo's fate is looking a little uncertain at the moment - we were assured by the Beeb back in February that the smash hit sitcom would be returning for a second series, but when we spoke to star Greg Davies recently, he seemed less certain about the show's future...
"I understand there's a will for it," said the comedian. "I hope there is a second series - I had the best time doing it and I hope there is another one. I'm well up for it."
The uncertainty possibly arises from the fact that Cuckoo himself - US comic Andy Samberg - has just had his Fox comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine picked up to series, so scheduling a shoot for series two of Cuckoo could well prove a logistical nightmare...
Any information on when the new series of Law & Order: UK starts? It was supposed to be May 2013, but I haven't seen any trailers, or found anything on ITV's website about it.
Paul Nicholls and Bradley Walsh on 'Law & Order: UK'
In the TV scheduling system, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups - the sources who provide hope by speculating on rough air-dates and the people like us who get confirmation. These are their stories...
We know that a few places on that there interweb have reported May 2013 as the return date for Law & Order: UK, but when we spoke to ITV they told us that the show is not scheduled to start this month and never was.
They did confirm for us a rough transmission date for series seven - which welcomes Peep Show's Paterson Joseph and ex-Corrie star Georgia Taylor, and will also see the departure of Paul Nicholls - but unfortunately we're not allowed to announce it at this stage. The good news though is you really don't have that long to wait... that original 'air-date' was not too far off the mark.
Any news on a potential second series of Endeavour? loved the recent series on ITV.
As did we, matey, as did we. And while we appreciate your passion for the Inspector Morse prequel, the fact of the matter is the first series has only just bloomin' ended (11 days ago to be exact) and things don't always move that fast in TV town.
We did check in with ITV just in case, but they confirmed that there is "no news on Endeavour presently". They did tell us to "please watch this space" though, so maaaaaybe there's an announcement coming soon - and if that happens, we at Digital Spy will make sure we keep you in the loop. You're basically our little Lewis-es.
Do you have any questions for the Tube Talk Q&A? Post them in the box below!
It's an exciting time of year for tellyheads, with the major US networks all announcing their 2013-14 TV schedules this week. So far, we've got a peek at what Fox and NBC have got planned for the rest of this year and beyond, with ABC, CBS and The CW to follow in the coming days.
With the first few trailers and clips from upcoming series starting to emerge, this week's Week in Geek is taking a look at those shows that fall under the 'Cult' banner and making a call - is it a potential hit or a flop-in-waiting?
The briefest of the new trails at just 30 seconds, ABC's S.H.I.E.L.D. promo still manages to pack in glimpses of Avengers favourites, plenty of explosive action and a dollop of typically Whedon-esque dialogue.
What's more, while I'm aware that a pilot generally has a larger budget than a standard episode of a series, it's exciting to see Agents of S.H.I.E.LD. appearing to match its big-screen Marvel counterparts in terms of production value.
The Week in Geek verdict - Excitement bordering on the unhealthy.
Almost Human
Airing - Mondays at 8/7c
In a very literal sense, Almost Human *looks* amazing - again, you'd probably have to adjust your expectations on a week-by-week basis, but the pilot's realisation of a high-tech future Earth is visually impressive.
Karl Urban and Michael Ealy also look strong as our two leads, but even in this 3-and-half-minute promo, there's some clunky dialogue and cringeworthy moments. Here's hoping that Almost Human isn't all style and no substance.
The Week in Geek verdict - Cautiously optimistic.
Sleepy Hollow
Airing - Mondays at 9/8c
I wasn't convinced by Sleepy Hollow's initial log-line, but this first trailer has gone some way towards changing my opinion.
Alright, so we've seen the 'priggish but good-hearted male hero teamed with sassy female partner' thing done a million times before, but the cast is solid and there's some genuinely creepy moments in this promo.
The Week in Geek verdict - Impressed, but not 100% convinced.
Dracula
Airing - Fridays at 10/9c
Bit of a mixed bag this - Jonathan Rhys Meyers is great casting in the title role and Nonso Anozie (Game of Thrones) makes for a unique but intriguing Renfield, while I'm excited to see what Merlin's Katie McGrath - who barely features in this first promo - will get up to as Lucy Westenra.
But Dracula looks more than a little melodramatic - it could be silly, escapist fun or an unbearable cheese-fest, depending on the execution. The fact that Carnivale's Daniel Knauf is attached is promising, though.
The Week in Geek verdict - Reserving final judgement.
What are your thoughts on US TV's new cult shows? Do they look like hits or disasters? Let us know below!
Are we about to find out the name of The Doctor in Doctor Who? Will the right person win American Idol? And will pretty boy Jamie Dornan be able to convince as a savage murderer in The Fall? These are all questions that will be answered if you follow Tube Talk's lead and tune into the top telly that's made it into this week's rundown.
Also, don't forget to crack open the bucks fizz and fly the Union Flag as Bonnie Tyler sings for the UK and Graham Norton snarks at the rest of Europe in this year's Eurovision Song Contest (Saturday, May 18 at 8pm on BBC One).
And that's not the only major event next weekend - star names from the likes of EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks will be out for the the British Soap Awards (Sunday, May 19 at 8pm on ITV). If David Witts doesn't win 'sexiest male', we're going to be really annoyed.
The Fall: Monday (May 13) at 9pm on BBC Two A woman is murdered in Belfast and it's up to the former Agent Scully, TV veteran Gillian Anderson, to solve the case in chilling crime series The Fall. Anderson is outstanding as DSI Stella Gibson, who's dragged down from London to help clear up the mystery, only to be constantly overruled by her superiors, but it's former Once Upon a Time hottie Jamie Dornan who's the biggest revelation as a family man/killer who may or may not be the culprit.
Many have already drawn parallels between The Fall and Scandi crime classic The Killing, and it even has echoes of that unstoppable dramatic juggernaut Homeland as Anderson's character finds herself alone in suspecting Dornan's character. Compliments don't get higher than that in TV land...
Watch a teaser of The Fall below:
Skint: Monday (May 13) at 9pm on Channel 4 An insight into Broken Britain that'll prove fascinating and enraging in equal measures, Channel 4 documentary Skint takes cameras to a Scunthorpe council estate and introduces us to the families and individuals within.
Boasting a wealth of benefits and criminal charges between them, expect frank discussions on welfare dependency, truancy, crime and addiction, as the three-part series attempts to put a face on all the social issues that get the Daily Mail in a tizzy.
Frankie: Tuesday (May 14) at 9pm on BBC One Torchwood star Eve Myles swaps alien hunting for district nursing in this new BBC drama, which comes to you from acclaimed screenwriter Lucy Gannon.
The ex-Gwen Cooper stars as the eponymous carer, who goes through life acting just a little bit silly until her patients need her. In this opening episode, Frankie sets out to help a mother-to-be whose husband is stationed in Afghanistan, as well as a woman having to care for both her elderly dementia-suffering father and her terminally ill partner.
Watch the trailer for Frankie below:
American Idol: Friday (May 17) at 9pm on 5* The whole Idol franchise may have been buried on our shores by your X Factors, your BGTs and what have you, but there's still plenty of reasons why you should tune in to watch the world's biggest talent contest crown its twelfth winner.
We're quite excited that not only is American Idol guaranteed to have its first female winner since Jordin Sparks in 2007, but in a rare move the eventual champion will actually deserve it! Plus, this year's final marks the end of an era on Idol as Randy Jackson, the only original judge left on the panel, says his goodbyes. Make sure you vote for your American Idol in Digital Spy's exclusive poll before the big finale airs here on Friday.
Watch a recap of the American Idol final three results below:
Doctor Who: Saturday (May 18) at 7pm on BBC One Are we finally going to get an answer to one of TV's biggest unsolved mysteries in Doctor Who's series seven finale? Titled 'The Name of The Doctor', fans have been promised that a few layers to Matt Smith's enigmatic Time Lord will be peeled away in this instalment, as he risks seeing his past, present and future pulled apart when an old enemy reappears.
Serving as not just a Doctor Who finale, but also a lead-in to November's massive 50th anniversary spectacular, you can bet that 'The Name of The Doctor' will be a full-on, buttock clenching, breathtaking experience that, according to the prequel, will also explain just what is the deal with ever-dying companion Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman). And on the off chance that all the big reveals are a let down, at least we'll have Alex Kingston's return as River Song to enjoy.
Watch Digital Spy's Morgan Jeffery and Alex Fletcher discuss the latest Doctor Who in 'Geek TV' below:
What are you looking forward to watching this week? Leave your comments below!
But will it actually happen? It's possible that - as with the 24 movie - we'll be treated to another endless string of interviews in which Kiefer tells us that the revived series has "a terrific script" with "a fantastic director in mind" and that now "it's just about scheduling".
On the off-chance that the Jack Bauer Power Hour does return to the small screen, here's our tips for Sutherland, exec producer Howard Gordon and the team - five things we do and don't want to see in the new episodes...
Chloe O'Brian I mean, obviously - it almost doesn't need to be said. She may not have been with the show until it's third season, but at this point, 24 without Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) seems almost unthinkable.
Bring back her husband Morris (Carlo Rota) too - a character whose potential was squandered by a miserable Day Six storyline that robbed him of the charm and humour he'd displayed the previous season.
Tony Almeida Poor Carlos Bernard - his CTU agent Tony Almeida never really got a fair shake of the stick. Despite being one of the show's longest-running and best-loved characters, his first exit from the series was so badly botched that the 24 writing team chose to bring Tony back from the dead...
But agent Almeida fared little better upon his return - implausibly transformed into a bloodthirsty villain, Tony ended up behind bars at the end of Day Seven. Let's bring him back for a redemption arc, eh?
Aaron Pierce Along with Jack, Chloe and Tony, one character who *has* to return if 24 does is Aaron Pierce - Glenn Morshower's staunchly loyal government agent appeared with varying degrees of screen-time in each of the show's first seven seasons and it was a travesty - a TRAVESTY - that he was left out of the action for the final run.
"We desperately tried to find a place to put him in and just could not find a place," Howard Gordon told us back in 2010 - with 24 apparently returning to the telly box, now's the chance to correct that mistake!
No nukes I think it's fair to say that we've all heard Jack yell, "Where is the bomb?!" plenty of times now. A terrorist running around with a nuclear bomb (or "nuclear materials") was one of 24's plot fallbacks - forming a large part of the second, sixth and eighth seasons - and, frankly, it became a little tiresome.
The most thrilling 24 plots centred on a different kind of threat - the virus in season three, the nerve gas in season five - so let's hope that if the show does return, Jack and CTU have to combat a more inventive menace.
No moles in CTU Jamey Farrell, Nina Myers, Marianne Taylor, Spenser Wolff, Dana Walsh - haven't we had enough moles within CTU by now? And that's even without counting season seven's FBI mole Sean Hillinger (Rhys Coiro) or the countless 'suspected moles' like Day Three's Gael or Day Six's Nadia (Marisol Nichols).
Along with the nukes, the mole sub-plot is one of 24's fallbacks and the show could do with jettisoning this particular 'twist' when/if it returns...
Addendum: Oh, and no cougars or random bouts of amnesia either, thanks.
What do you want to see in the new 24 season? Share your hopes for the new season below!
