Interviews with Tony Blair and yet more news seem to be the main theme of BBC One’s autumn schedule – as if we haven’t already had enough of both. Blair “speaks candidly about his ten years as Prime Minister” – something he comprehensively failed to do while in office, so this might be worth a look as long as he’s not planning to “do a Clinton” and redefine the word candid. But what’s this new nightly news “summary” at 8pm “designed to bridge the gap between the Six and Ten O’Clock news”? Call me a Philistine but I don’t personally know anyone for whom that yawning four-hour chasm of newsless void between 6 and 10 was ever a problem. Are there really viewers who start to get a bit twitchy around 7.45pm because they haven’t heard any news for a while?

Well if there are, they will be breathing a sigh of relief at the news (look! there’s a bit!) that they will be spoon-fed a 90-second news morsel to keep them going until the full bulletin at 10 o’clock. And don’t anyone let on to Auntie that Five have been doing this for some considerable time (and their version will be every bit as irritating). I wouldn’t mind, but it was only yesterday Radio 4 had some pundit banging on about how there already isn’t enough news around to fill the interminable hours devoted to it on every channel you can think of. Inevitably this means the “news” munges into endless opinion and speculation from overpaid talking heads and experts.

Anyway, I seem to have gone off on one for a bit there. I doubt it’ll be an issue when they’re trying to cram the headlines into 90 seconds and if it means fewer repeats of programme trailers it won’t be all bad. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for the other 23 hours 58 minutes and 30 seconds of the day.

Drama

Four classic fairy tales, made popular by The Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson and Charles Perrault, are re-invigorated by contemporary writers and brought to life by an array of leading artists this autumn on BBC One.

We’ve already brought you news of Rapunzel, starring Lee Ingleby, Charity Wakefield and Shaun Williamson and Cinderella starring James Nesbitt and Maxine Peake. The other two in the series are Billy Goat starring Bernard Hill, Paul Nicholls, Mathew Horne and Sarah Smart; and The Empress’s New Clothes adapted by Debbie Horsfield (Cutting It, True Dare Kiss), and starring Denise Van Outen (Any Dream Will Do, Chicago) and Liz White (Life On Mars)

Yet another period piece occupies Dame Judi Dench (as we told you back in January), Sir Michael Gambon and Philip Glenister who all return to BBC One in Cranford Chronicles, created by award-winning producer Sue Birtwistle (Pride And Prejudice) and Susie Conklin and written by Heidi Thomas (Lilies), and Gambon is also starring in Joe’s Palace from award-winning writer and director Stephen Poliakoff where he’s joined by Rupert Penry-Jones, Kelly Reilly and new boy Danny Lee Wynter.

But by far the best drama news of the autumn announcement is that Jimmy McGovern’s BAFTA and RTS award-winning series, The Street, returns for a second series. Timothy Spall reprises his role as taxi driver Eddie, leading a new cast which boasts many of Britain’s finest television, film and theatre actors, as well as talented newcomers.

Timothy Spall also stars as Fagin, with Tom Hardy as Bill Sikes, in the gripping tale of Oliver Twist, adapted for BBC One by Sarah Phelps (EastEnders), one of Britain’s most dynamic stage and television writers.

Also returning for further series this autumn are Spooks, Waterloo Road, Silent Witness and Murphy’s Law.

Comedy

British-Iranian comedian Omid Djalili (Gladiator, The Mummy) joins BBC One this autumn with his own stand up and sketch show; Hugh Dennis, Claire Skinner and Samantha Bond star in Outnumbered, a new comedy about the daily chaos of family life; about two parents and three young children, locked in an unequal contest; and three new comedy dramas are launched this season, showcasing a range of fantastic talent:

Learners is a heart-warming comedy drama written by, and starring, Jessica Hynes (nee Stevenson). Following the trials and tribulations of a group of learner drivers, it also stars David Tennant and Shaun Dingwall.

Mutual Friends stars Marc Warren, Keeley Hawes and Alexander Armstrong and follows the disastrous sequence of events for happily married man Martin after his best friend Carl throws himself under a train…

People Like Us (formerly known as The Dinner Party) is set in the green belt paradise of suburban England and follows three couples who meet to celebrate Roger’s birthday. It stars Alun Armstrong, Elizabeth Berrington, George Cole, Lee Evans, Rupert Graves Alison Steadman and Jessie Wallace.

With nearly 100 characters in the series, Armstrong and Miller join BBC One with their own particular brand of sketch comedy in The Armstrong & Miller Show. They are joined by Jeremy Dyson from The League Of Gentlemen as “script guru”.

Also returning this season: After You’ve Gone, Not Going Out and The Green Green Grass.

Entertainment

Nick Knowles hosts a new Saturday night National Lottery show (Who Dares Wins); the Eurovision Dance Contest, presented by Graham Norton and Claudia Winkleman, will see professional and amateur dancers compete for a new international crown; and award winning entertainment shows Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, Strictly Come Dancing and Have I Got News For You also return this season.

Factual

Globetrotter Michael Palin returns, or should that say “leaves again” to travel this time around his own backyard – Europe. In Michael Palin’s New Europe, he explores the mysterious chunk of Europe that was once off limits behind the Iron Curtain.

Bland ubiquitous everyman Alan Titchmarsh presents The Nature of Britain: the first complete picture of British wildlife ever shown on television, from the tiniest dormouse to the mightiest golden eagle.

Who Do You Think You Are and What Not To Wear also return for another outing.

So, basically, one or two gems amid a smorgasbord of the usual pap. Is it just me, or is there not very much to get excited about on the telly these days? Autumn used not only to have golden leaves on the trees but also golden nuggets of televisual delight in front of which you could snuggle down into your favourite armchair, turn the second bar on on the fire and mentally prepare for the roasting of chestnuts to come. Looking at that list, there’s only one sort of nut I’d like to roast.