EastEnders
EastEnders is 25 years old this Friday — that’s a quarter of a century of shock revelations, affairs, births, deaths and marriages, not to mention a dodgy resurrection! It's also when we find out who killed evil Archie Mitchell in a special live show. So to celebrate, we take a look back at the highs and lows of life in Walford since 1985…
The BRIT Awards
The BRITs are back, and this year they’re bigger than ever, as they celebrate their 30th anniversary with a host of one-off awards and special events. Nominees including Jay-Z, Kasabian and Lily Allen are set to perform on the night, along with a very special appearance from Robbie Williams, who will treat us to a selection of his most famous hits before picking up his Outstanding Contribution Award. With comedy legend Peter Kay as host, there are sure to be plenty of memorable moments!
Casualty & Holby City
Poor Charlie Fairhead. The Casualty veteran has been stretched to breaking point, with stress at work piling up on top of a personal crisis. And when he then suffers a heart attack, he has to undergo a life-or-death operation — performed by his old pal Elliot.
Rugby Union: The Six Nations
TV presenters are usually driven to the studios before appearing on screen, but former England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio will be cycling to all six stadiums in this year’s Six Nations — and all in the name of charity.
‘I’m cycling for Sport Relief,’ says Lawrence, who’s a studio analyst for this year’s championship, which continues this week. ‘I start in Rome when England play Italy, and finish in Edinburgh when England play Scotland.’
The Bill
Sarah Manners is excited. ‘You’re going to have to excuse me,’ she laughs. ‘I’ve been completely overusing the word “exciting” since I got this job. But it is so exciting!’
Having failed to set the world alight in 2004’s Strictly Come Dancing, but still sadly missed at reception as Bex in Casualty, Sarah is thrilled to be joining The Bill.
The Bubble
The format has already been successful in several countries, and now The Bubble is coming to UK screens. Hosted by Peep Show’s David Mitchell, the aim of the game is to sort real news stories from made-up ones after three famous faces are sent away for four days into a house with no phones, television or internet access.
Murdoch Mysteries
Lisa Faulkner has starred in a string of popular TV shows from Brookside and Holby City to Spooks and New Street Law, but her biggest role in recent months has been off screen. She took a break from acting last year to adopt a young girl with her husband, actor Chris Coghill, and this week she makes her TV return in Murdoch Mysteries.
MasterChef
The heat is on, as 136 amateur chefs compete to impress John Torode and Gregg Wallace in the sixth series of MasterChef. And there are some new twists to the format of the show, with chefs facing a series of real-world challenges in the later stages of the competition.
Torchwood
Last summer, the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood returned to our screens in a new guise. Not only had it moved from BBC2 to BBC1, it had also transformed into a five-part mini series. Torchwood: Children Of Earth told the story of a mysterious alien race — The 456 — who take over the minds of every child on the planet.
The new look proved a huge success, clocking up impressive viewing figures and reviews.
‘We knew we had to do something different,’ reflects leading man John Barrowman on the eve of the show’s repeat.
