Fans of BBC3 comedy White Van Man will doubtless be annoyed to hear that the BBC has axed the show.

The show – which was written by Adrian Poynton – starred Two and a Half Pints actor Will Mellor as the show’s main protagonist, Ollie, who took over his ailing dad Tony’s (Clive Mantle) handyman business.

And it seems that the news of the show’s cancellation will come as something of a surprise to Will, who recently told Digital Spy that a third series was in the pipeline.

He said, “We’re already story-lining [series three] so we’re definitely heading towards that.”

However, Adrian Poynton has confirmed the show’s cancellation, and he told The British Comedy Guide that the reason White Van Man was axed was due to BBC Three wanting to “take its comedy output in another direction”. Read more & comment »

*Updated – apologies for my error. Red Dwarf is not back with the new series until later this year.

The last time any new episodes of Red Dwarf aired, it was 1999, and those of us who were devotees of ‘70s sci-fi show Space 1999, were left feeling deflated that year when it turned out we wouldn’t all be wearing shiny but stretchy space suits and sporting Farrah Fawcett hairstyles.

However, Red Dwarf is back baby yeah, with all the original cast, comprised of Corrie star Craig Charles as curry-loving Dave Lister, comedian Chris Barrie as Rimmer and Danny John-Jules, who plays Cat.

The series began in 1988 on BBC2, and was the brainchild of Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, however, as mentioned, it ended in 1999 but was followed in 2008 by a three-episode production which was commissioned by digital channel Dave… Read more & comment »

We reported yesterday that The Inbetweeners was coming back to our screens for a new series, and that one of the major characters in the show was set to be killed off…

That report came from the Daily Star, and was supposedly based on what actor James Buckley had told the paper, but last night, the show’s co-creator, Iain Morris, angrily denied the story, tweeting “[It’s] ‘total b*llocks’…”

He added, “for those that care, the last time james was in the US was my wedding last year, so the story is either a; v old or b; totally made up.

“the thing about the daily star story is that people are getting excited, and now we look [like] a**eholes by just maintaining our position.”

He added, “it’s really unfair of them, and i’m sorry if it got you excited. I really am… Read more & comment »

It’s been revealed today that cult comedy The Inbetweeners is to return to our screens for a fourth series, however, one major character is set to be killed off!

However, it seems that the fourth outing for the show will see “more outrageous adventures” for the lads, according to the Daily Star.

James said of series four, “We have to see what happens. Maybe one of them dies and the other three have to join up for the funeral.

“But the question is: who are they gonna get rid of?”

James refused to say who is to die, but it could of course be his character Jay Cartwright, or Simon Cooper (Joe Thomas), Will McKenzie (Simon Bird) or Neil Sutherland (Blake Harrison)… Read more & comment »

As we approach the coming week I will once again take you through my TV highlights.

Titanic/Words of the Titanic (ITV1, Sun, 9pm/10pm)
It’s been dubbed Drownton Abbey by some and the majority of the viewers have actually jumped ship since Julian Fellowes’ version of the Titanic story started three weeks ago. Those of you who have read my reviews now that I have found it a struggle at times and I’m really not a fan of the narrative structure that sees the same people drowning week after week. In this final instalment we get to see who lives and who dies while catching up with some of the snooty first class characters we met all the way back in episode one. Following on from the dramatized version of the story we have another retelling of the Titanic in one-off documentary Words of the Titanic. In a similar fashion to the Captain Scott programme that aired a couple of weeks ago this show will use the diaries and letters written by passengers and crew to tell the story in their words. These letters are read both by actors, such as Roger Allam and Richard E Grant, and family members of those onboard the ship which should give Words of the Titanic an even more personal feel. So if you’re after a programme to respectfully mark the anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking I would hold out for the documentary rather than the overblown drama.

Read more & comment »

Fans of hit sitcom Benidorm may have noticed that there’s considerably less Mick Garvey in the show’s new series…

And that’s because Steve Pemberton, who plays the unlucky sunbed shop manager, has lost two stones in weight.

Steve – who’s also starred in League of Gentlemen and Whitechapel – revealed that he was prompted to get into a healthier was of life over fears that his heart may be in trouble.

He also revealed that he’d previously had a heart attack when he was only 25, but in latter years, he’d been neglecting his health.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Steve said, “As you get older the things that really scare you are the thoughts of anything bad happening to your family… and your own mortality.” Read more & comment »

Once again here I am highlighting five shows that you might want to look out for in the week ahead.

Once Upon a Time (Channel Five, Sun, 8pm)
The second of the two fairytale-themed dramas that debuted on American TV this season after Grimm which is currently airing on Watch. For me Once Upon a Time is the superior of the two shows mainly because it has a bit more fun with its subject matter and has more of an original spin on the whole fantasy genre. It concerns Bounty Hunter Emma Swan who is surprised that the son she gave up for adoption comes to visit her and she is forced to return him to the town of Storybrook. Emma has links with the town that she is unaware of and it relates to a curse placed on Snow White and Prince Charming by the Evil Queen back in the fantasy world. While the premise is incredibly ludicrous I think that there is enough here to attract an audience who like a bit of fun from their TV shows. The production design is incredibly inventive while the performances from Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parilla and especially Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin are engaging. Once Upon a Time is an enjoyable show if at times a little bit contrived.

Read more & comment »

The Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison has – very annoyingly – revealed that he’s struggling to gain weight for his new role as a recovering alcoholic in stage play, Step 9 of 12.

Skinny Blake – who’s also starred in The Bill, White Van Man and Bleak Old Shop of Stuff – who played the role of Neil Sutherland in The Inbetweeners, said, “I’m trying to bulk up a little bit for it so I’m eating three hard-boiled eggs and pasta for breakfast every morning.

“I’m sure my cholesterol is through the roof, but it’s good fun.”

And of the comedy drama play, which debuts in London’s Trafalgar Studios in May, Blake said, “It’s something very different. It’s playing an ex-alcoholic who’s asking his foster parents over so he can ask for forgiveness…

“And he’s had a very violent past, so that’s not strictly a comedy.

“So it will be a nice thing to do for me after doing so much comedy after the last few years.” Read more & comment »

As fans of hit sitcom Benidorm will know, Madge Harvey has a rather amazing/shocking tan, and Sheila Reid who plays the feisty pensioner has revealed that she has to have a 20 minute spray tan every day before she begins filming.

74 year old Sheila – who’s also starred in All Creatures Great and Small, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Psychoville – made the revelation while appearing on This Morning, and added that the fake tan means she can never have a dip in the Solana’s pool!

Of the tanning routine, Sheila explained, ”I would frighten the horses if there was more than one person spraying me with fake tan.

“It takes about 15 to 20 minutes every morning to put it on. They top it up every day.

”I’m the only one who has never been in the pool because if I dived in it would look like some terrible pond in a muddy field…” Read more & comment »

It’s been reported today that hit eighties sitcom Yes Prime Minister is to return to our screens for comedy channel, Gold.

The show – which was apparently former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s favourite comedy – ran for eight years, beginning with its forerunner, Yes Minister.

And according to the Sun’s TV Biz, writers Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay will update the scripts to feature a coalition government.

The show is also currently on tour around the UK, starring Graham Seed as PM Jim Hacker. Paul Eddington played the role of the hapless Prime Minister in the original TV version.

Here’s the synopsis for the stage show, and the forthcoming new TV series…

Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey Appleby are back – this time to face the country in financial meltdown… Read more & comment »

It’s been 13 years since Birds Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph last flocked together for TV sitcom Birds of a Feather, but now, the trio are reunited for a stage play tour adaptation of the show.

Pauline – who until recently played the role of Hazel Rhodes on Emmerdale – however is considerably less of a woman than she was when the sitcom aired from 1989 to 1998, given that she’s shed a huge amount of weight since then.

Her co-star Linda Robson has too, but Lesley Joseph has hardly changed at all, as you can see in the above promo picture for the stage show.

But in addition to looking rather radically different, both Pauline and Linda’s sons, Charlie Quirke and Louis Dunford, are starring in the show alongside them, and they were of course babies when their mums shot to TV fame… Read more & comment »

As you’re probably aware, it’s Sport Relief night this coming Friday, and for it, supermodel Kate Moss joined up with the Absolutely Fabulous team to record a scene that will be shown during the evening.

Airing on BBC1, we’ll see Kate and the Ab Fab ladies, Patsy Stone and Eddie Monsoon – who are of course played by Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders – as well as Essex model David Gandy and designer Stella McCartney.

Also appearing in the special scene will be former Spice Girl Emma Bunton who’ll be seen at the gym, along with Patsy and Eddie, being trained by athletes Linford Christie and Colin Jackson… Read more & comment »

As fans of Benidorm will know, Madge Garvey married businessman Mel Harvey who she met in Spain, however, he died, leaving Madge a lonely widow.

The character of Mel was written out when, sadly, Geoffrey Hutchings, who played him, died suddenly in July 2010.

However, Shelia Reid, who plays the mobility scooter loving Madge, has told What’s On TV that her character is about to get a new love interest.

She explained that Madge’s new bloke is Mohammed, who’s played by former Casualty star Dhafer L’Abidine, who she meets when he brings her some papers Mel left in his office.

We’ll meet him in episode four, and of the new romance for Madge, Sheila said, “Well, he’s is extremely handsome. Madge is fairly won over.

“He brings her some things that Mel left in Mohammed’s father’s office. Mel did some business with his dad in Morocco and he left this cigarette case with a photograph of their wedding in it, so he brings it to return to Madge… Read more & comment »

Sky has announced that production for series two of hit sitcom Mount Pleasant is well under way, and they also revealed that there are two additions to the cast in the form of actor and singer Robson Green, and Britain’s Got Talent star, George Sampson.

Former Corrie actress Sally Lindsay is set to return in the second series – in her role as Lisa – as are Bobby Ball, Pauline Collins, Angela Griffin, Paula Wilcox, Sian Reeves, Adrian Bower, Neil Fitzmaurice, Owen McDonnell and Ainsley Howard.

It’s expected that series two will be comprised of nine hour-long episodes, and a Christmas special.

Robson – who first shot to fame while starring in Casualty – is set to play the role of new neighbour Chris, who develops a ‘friendship’ with the sex mad Bianca (Sian Reeves), while George will play Bianca’s step son Gary, who comes to stay when his mother goes to Australia without him… Read more & comment »

As fans of Benidorm will know, the hit show returned to our screens last Friday, with one notable exception to the regular characters; Mick Garvey.

Mick’s wife Janice (Siobhan Finneran) explained her husband’s absence from the annual family holiday at the Solana by saying he would be following the family out to Spain once he’d resolved some problems with the family’s sun bed business back in England.

Mick will return to Benidorm at the end of episode two, and be fully a part of the storyline in episode three.

And meanwhile, Steve Pemberton, who plays Mick, has explained to What’s On TV what his character will get up to when he returns to the show.

He said, “There’s a big stag do planned in Benidorm for Mick’s brother, Pete (Shaun Dooley).

“Their dad, Stan (David Bradley), is there, too. Although these two have never been to Benidorm before, they are very ‘Benidorm’ if you know what I mean… Read more & comment »