Endeavour 2: Q&A

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THE latest TV puzzle starts with a crossword.

Plus a flashback to the young detective being shot at the end of the last story.

Endeavour returns to ITV on Sunday for a second series of the Inspector Morse prequel.

It’s May 1966 and the young Morse (Shaun Evans) is on his first day back at work at Oxford City Police with Det Insp Fred Thursday (Roger Allam).

But doubts remain about whether the Detective Constable is fully recovered from his ordeal.

“The light’s gone out of him,” Thursday tells his wife.

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Coronation Street: Les Dennis

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“I know what it feels like, that violation when somebody has been in your house.”

Les Dennis makes his Coronation Street debut next Monday (March 24) as opportunistic thief Michael Rodwell.

Having experienced burglary in real life, when he, his heavily pregnant wife Claire and their young daughter were asleep in their beds.

“Afterwards you think, ‘Oh my God, oh my God.'”

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A Poet In New York: Tom Hollander

The London preview screening.
The London preview screening.

“WE all know people who have stood too close to the fire and have died.

“It happened to Philip Seymour Hoffman very recently.”

Tom Hollander reflecting after last night’s premiere screening of A Poet In New York.

A remarkable BBC2 / BBC1 Wales single drama about the final days of Dylan Thomas before his death in 1953, aged just 39.

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In The Flesh 2: The Power of Drama

Dominic Mitchell and Luke Newberry at today's launch.
Dominic Mitchell and Luke Newberry (Kieren) at today’s launch.

IN The Flesh creator and writer Dominic Mitchell told a story today about the power of drama.

He spoke at this morning’s London press launch for the second series of the BBC3 show.

Shortly before BBC director-general Tony Hall confirmed that BBC3 will be moving online in autumn 2015 to save £50m a year.

BBC3 controller Zai Bennett had been expected to introduce the screening, as he did for the first series launch 13 months ago.

But, unsurprisingly, he had more pressing business back at the BBC’s New Broadcasting House just a short walk along the road.

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Mr Selfridge 2: Interviews

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JEREMY Piven has plenty in store for viewers when he returns tonight in Mr Selfridge.

I was delighted to be asked by ITV to write the cast interviews for this 10-part second series.

Having also done the same for the opening season.

And on the first of a number of visits back to the Mr Selfridge set in London last year it was immediately clear the bar has been raised.

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Farewell Roger Lloyd Pack

As Owen Nevitt in The Vicar of Dibley 1994.
As Owen Newitt in The Vicar of Dibley 1994.

The death of Roger Lloyd Pack last night is a great loss.

He will, of course, be remembered in headlines as Trigger in Only Fools And Horses and Owen in The Vicar of Dibley.

But as many have already pointed out, his TV, film and stage career encompassed a huge variety of roles.

Including a truly extraordinary performance in a two-hour ITV drama called What We Did On Our Holiday, screened in October 2006.

It made a big impact at the time and still resonates today.

My 2006 feature on Roger is below.

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Line Of Duty 2

“IT’S the most full on thing I’ve ever done.”

Keeley Hawes speaking tonight about being “waterboarded” in the second series of Line Of Duty.

Not quite the infamous torture technique.

But struggling to breathe after having her hair grabbed and being violently flushed face down several times into a police HQ toilet.

“You just do it and then have a big glass of wine,” she smiled.

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The Bletchley Circle 2: Interviews

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“I gather there was a lot of excitement online.

“We trended on Twitter as #ladynerds – which I love.

“Bletchley and these girls represent everything that is brilliant about Britain.

“They’re eccentric, non-conformist and think outside the box.”

Rachael Stirling talking to me about series one of The Bletchley Circle and reprising her role as Millie in the second series.

Which begins on ITV at 9pm on Monday (January 6).

I was delighted to be asked to write the cast interviews for the new series, as I had done for the first one.

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Hebburn: A Good Room

The 2013 Christmas Special.
The 2013 Christmas Special.

Eeeeeeeeeh!

I could not let 2013 pass without a special mention for my comedy of the year – Hebburn.

Shamefully ignored in last week’s British Comedy Awards, the first BBC2 series was screened in October and November 2012.

Just about as impressive a TV sitcom debut as I can remember.

And I was there in September 1998 for the very first press screening of a new BBC2 sitcom called The Royle Family.

Hebburn is a worthy successor to Geordie comedy classics like Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

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