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Watson & Oliver, Series 2, BBC Two

Jasper Rees Friday, 26 April 2013

You wait years for a female comedy duo to take up where French & Saunders left off, then two come along within a calendar year. Which just about counts as at once. Anna & Katy, who recently had a run on Channel 4, rely for most of their wit on a wide range of silly voices. Watson & Oliver, who have returned for a second series, feel like more traditional sketch artists. They observe and they spoof and even hint at pathos.

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Playhouse Presents: Snodgrass, Sky Arts 1

Kieron Tyler Friday, 26 April 2013

What if John Lennon had left The Beatles in 1962? What if they had continued without him? And what if he had still become the acid-tongued, ready-with-a-quip character the real world became familiar with?

The Wright Way, BBC One

Veronica Lee Wednesday, 24 April 2013

Oh dear. Oh deary dear. Oh deary deary dear. To think that Ben Elton, who has a “written and created by” credit for this pile of poo, once helped to scale the heights of British comedy as co-writer of The Young Ones and Blackadder. Five minutes into this I was thinking, “How on earth did it get commissioned?” Oh I know, because Ben Elton, who once helped create...

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Broadchurch, Series Finale, ITV

Adam Sweeting Tuesday, 23 April 2013

And the killer is... No, that would be telling, and you might not have watched it on catch-up yet. But was the revelation worth the wait?

Panorama - Secrets of Britain's Shari'a Courts, BBC One

Lisa-Marie Ferla Tuesday, 23 April 2013

It feels a little as if BBC journalists are getting themselves into trouble every other week at the moment. As news emerges that new BBC chief Tony Hall will appear before MPs to discuss why they allowed a Panorama journalist to use a university field trip as cover for an exposé on North Korea, it's little wonder that the broadcaster's flagship investigative journalism programme has stuck with a far easier target this week.

The Prisoners, BBC One

Julian White Tuesday, 23 April 2013

“The best times I've ever had were in prison,” says Crystal, aged 23, one of the three inmates being followed in The Prisoners (this was originally planned as episode one, but was bounced from the schedules by the death of Baroness Thatcher). On the brink of being released after serving a 12-week stint for drink-related crimes, she's waxing nostalgic, while her girlfriend Toni – also due out very soon – is in tears. “I'm dreadin' getting out,” she quavers.

The Ice Cream Girls, ITV

Adam Sweeting Saturday, 20 April 2013

A new drama series at 9pm on a Friday? How often does that happen, eh? Friday is supposed to be reserved for quiz shows, comedies and BBC Four documentaries about disco music.

The Genius of Josiah Wedgwood, BBC Two

Kieron Tyler Saturday, 20 April 2013

As a self-taught chemist, innovative industrialist, a businessman who exploited and developed new means of distribution and marketing, an anti-slavery campaigner and a man dealing with his own disability, the Staffordshire potter Josiah Wedgwood was an important 18th-century figure, a pioneer whose achievements still resonate. But a genius?

The South Bank Show: Tim Minchin, Sky Arts 1

Tom Birchenough Friday, 19 April 2013

The new South Bank Show has glided into its second season with a seemingly effortless profile of multi-hyphenate Tim Minchin. In case we’ve forgotten what exactly we admire him for these days – so varied has been his decade-long career been, through satire, rock, musical comedy, stage performance, to co-creator of the RSC transfer-spectacular Matilda that's now storming Broadway – then this was a good reminder.

Syria: Across the Lines, Channel 4

Terry Friel Thursday, 18 April 2013

Covering both sides of a conflict is never easy. Apart from the physical dangers, warring parties are wary of journalists who've reported on and established ties with the enemy. Afghanistan showed this as clearly as anywhere, when the US forces were suspicious of any journalists with Taliban contacts.