This is a public service announcement: since we were denied our Friday Fix of Corrie yesterday owing to the rugby, there'll be a catch-up double-episode for an hour tomorrow night from 7pm. Adjust your recorders now! Make the tea half an hour earlier! Take the dog for a walk - you won't want to miss the continued fall-out from the Hayley-Roy-Becky-Christian square, which being one angle more than a triangle, is even more complicated and traumatic.

There's another double-ep next Friday too (5 October) - two half-hour slots at 7.30pm and 8.30pm. If you're reading this late and you've already missed either of these, catch the episode reviews on the wonderful Corrieblog.

For 31 years, Jackanory offered us great yarns told by familiar faces and was as much a must-see as Magic Roundabout. In later years, it transferred to CBeebies and later became Jackanory Junior, but it has always been one of those lovely familiar programmes that is just as much fun for grown-ups to watch along with their kids as it is for the kids to watch by themselves. So whether or not you have kids of your own, or you just didn't grow up yourself, you'll be pleased to hear that Jackanory Junior is coming back next year as part of the Beeb's digital brand for younger viewers.

With a great line-up of famous people to do the reading for us, the show also has a touch of the 21st century about it with some added animations to spur the imagination. Even though the new show has that modern edge, the Beeb reckon they've managed to retain the charm and appeal of the original. Just like always with Jackanory, we'll have to "wait until tomorrow" to find out whether that's true. Click through to find out who will be doing the reading.

When the Blue Peter apologised for asking a random child to pose as a competition winner it was all rather serious and poe-faced. This time, they kept it brief...

That Gillian McKeith is couring controversy again. After being forced to drop her spurious "Doctor" title and being subjected to endless reams of vitriol from our resident McKeithophobe, she still won't lie down.

Now she's being lined up to present the new Channel 4 diet show Supersize Versus Superskinny, in which very very fat people will swap diets with very very thin people, presumably to see if we end up with twice as many very very average people. As if.

If, by a strange twist of fate, chirpy Geordie duo Ant and Dec fall on harder times, they could, judging by their guest weather-reading stint on GMTV the other day, have a new career if they wanted. Is there anything they can't do?!

Knowing ITV, and its insistence on these two presenting pretty much everything on the channel, it has probably already signed them up for a comedy/weather quiz show type of number.

PS. Apologies for the Nestlé adverts...

I’m not very good at recognising the ‘famous’ faces of contestants on celebrity shows, and the new series of Dancing with the Stars is no different. I’m not incapable of a bit of online research to put a bio to a face, but out of the 12 sashaying stars I could name about four. One that everyone here in the UK knows is Spice Girl/ Eddie Murphy baby mother Mel B. The pop strumpet known as Scary will be shaking her animal-printed booty on the show which starts its UK run tonight on UKTV Gold, but she will not be the only Brit participating, with Jane Seymour also having a go.

The judging panel includes Strictly Come Dancing’s Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman to help make Mel and Jane feel at home, but I wonder what American audiences will make of the Spice Girl’s broad Leeds accent. Will she need sub-titles or will Len be able to translate? For those of you who might not be able to devote your entire Friday night to the dancing competition (it does go on a bit) here is a taster of Mel B in all her cha-chaing glory. It make me feel quite exhausted and light-headed just watching it.

Where to start with a season review of Dexter? The impressive writing? The fantastic acting? The brilliant location work? I could go on and on. Dexter should be the blueprint for all other debuting shows. It devoted the pilot episode to a meticulous and thorough introduction of our central character, giving only scant details on the supporting cast and it was this commitment to the audience's understanding and familiarity of Dexter Morgan that guaranteed our undivided attention for all subsequent plotting.

Once we had come to appreciate the complexities of his serial-killing (he only offs those who 'deserve it' - a move that in itself defies most of television's moral conventions), he could push the boundaries of what we could accept. I practically willed him to murder girlfriend Rita's nasty ex-husband Paul. Imagine that, a nice girl like me. That's the magic of Dexter.

Who would have thought that the former Grant Mitchell would front a BAFTA-winning documentary series? No me either, but baldy hard-man Eastenders actor Ross Kemp has re-invented himself as er, a baldy hard-man Sky One reporter. Returning for its third season, the set-up is the same with Kemp investigating the world’s most dangerous gangs, this time stopping off at Kingston, Jamaica: the murder capital of the world. Mmm – I don’t remember them publicising that fact in their holiday brochures.

Jamaica’s gang culture is dominated by the two Yardie groups, with 10,000 members between them. Originally these factions held political connections but have moved away from these in more recent times. Kemp meets up with the gang members to see if any political hangover exists before moving on to sets in Poland, Columbia and East Timor later in the series. It makes for compulsive TV and though Kemp has his camera crew with him, it can still get pretty hairy. But I suppose once you’ve faced off against bruver Phil, you can handle anything.

I don’t know that television bosses understand environmental activists when they encourage people to recycle – as I’m not sure that TV shows count. What am I talking about? Hot on the heels of the US remake of The Bionic Woman, itself made by the man that remade Battlestar Galactica, comes news of a another beloved classic getting the 21st Century treatment: Knight Rider. NBC are reportedly interested in commissioning a new series to be produced by film director Doug Liman (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity) though there is no word on whether it will feature original star David Hasselhoff.

A two-hour pilot is already being prepared with this new commitment to super-car K.I.T.T. a result of the box office success of fellow 80s favourite Transformers. Much like the robots in disguise the plot will “explore the idea of evil cars to offset the heroic talking K.I.T.T. car.” Rumours are circulating that the show could even air in the US as early as next spring. Great idea or doomed mistake?

[via The Hollywood News]

The weather is indifferent and going out to the pub will only serve to make your feel ashamed to be a part of the human race. Cheap alcopops and horrific music will blare to the point of stripping the skin off your ears. That may not be your weekend, but it's what I'm expecting from my night out. So, whilst you're gleefully tucking into some digestives and curled up on the couch, spare a thought for me. Here's what I'd be watching this weekend if I had stayed in...

Friday - My Name Is Earl, Channel 4, 10.35pm

Quite simply, My Name Is Earl is still the best comedy on TV. It's been on for ages, been shunted around the schedule by the hapless twits at Channel 4, and it still manages to come up trumps with each episode. The cast are great, the script is even better. Could this be one of the finest comedy programmes ever shown? I think so. Tune in tonight and laugh your belly open.

And the slump continues in an episode appropriately titled 'Time After Time'. Sure there are the odd moments that restore your faith, such as Sloan offering to be the Chief’s ‘wing-man’ as he re-enters the dating game – but these are sadly few and far between. Grey’s Anatomy has clearly hit a wall in its third season and so we are being treated to slow-moving stories, uninspired repetition and Meredith whining at her well-meaning stepmother – lucky us.

The Karev/ Jane Doe plot and the George/ Callie/ Izzie love triangle are the main offenders. They drag on predictably. What have we done to deserve such tedious story-lines? Once upon a time I looked forward to my weekly dose of action from Seattle Grace, now it really is like a trip to the doctors – lots of waiting around for something to happen until the inevitably vague verdict and the feeling of ‘why did I bother?’ Why has the pace slowed to that of a snail’s? And why are the more interesting characters (Addison, Bailey, Sloan) constantly being side-lined to make room for the hysterical playground antics of the others? If there is a tonic to cure the malaise that has enveloped GA it better arrive soon – as there are only five episodes left of the season and I don’t know that I can make it until the end.

I do not, and cannot let myself, understand the enduring appeal of That Mitchell and Webb Look (BBC2, Thursday, 10pm). I don't understand why this show has even been commissioned... let alone repeated on the funniest TV night of the week.

David Mitchell is, quite clearly, a very good comedy actor. He creates characters and gets the slap on to really get his teeth into his roles... whether it's an old drunk or a snooker commentator. However, Rob Webb is completely unable to play anyone but himself. Watch this show... or any show with these two in for that matter... with your eyes closed and it sounds like a series of sketches starring Robert Webb and another character. He's only got the one voice... and he's only got a couple of characters in him, no matter how you dress him up.

Ironic really, because I always was terrified by Torchwood, but not in a good way. This time, writer PJ Hammond reckons he's doing it deliberately, and that his Series 2 episode is "going to be terrifying." I have to admit, it does sound pretty scary. He's borrowed an idea from an episode of his 80s creation Sapphire and Steel, where the character of Mr Shape could move in and out of photographs. His Torchwood version has people coming out of old black and white movies.

I'm sure we'll find out exactly what this has to do with aliens and alien technologies (which as I'm sure you remember was supposed to be the original remit of Torchwood) when the time comes. Hammond's recent work for TV includes the 'Small Worlds' episode for the first series, so he's no stranger to Torchwood themes. [via DS]

That's it. No more Saxondale (BBC2, Thursday, 9.30pm) for me. Last in the series. Gone. There'd better be another series or I'll... kill someone. If you're thinking 'that's a bit much, you should get some anger management classes down yer' then I'd thank you dearly for neatly taking me to the next segment of my article.

Basically, the last in the series saw Tommy in his anger management class trying to deal with his issues. Of course, this being Coogan, this gave him license to vent surreal spleen in a superb cack-handed manner. Whilst 'waving good-bye to anger' he managed to call the counselor a "moon faced drip" and be generally disparaging about his fellow anger managers. Of course, it was the anger 'talking' in the letter, not Tommy. Tommy's anger at the world has been a constant source of fun and gags... but what happens when it turns on its head?

I'm not sure what to say about the clip you're about to watch. Basically, from what seems to be a Swedish premium phone-in quiz (They still have them in Europe?), the host is so appalled by the answer of a caller that she actually vomits. Okay, the real reason was period pains, but no matter... watch with caution Scoopers.

I'm watching BBC Three and BBC Four quite a bit these days. It's got a cracking mix of comedy and documentaries that are seemingly aimed square at me. However, both channels have been under the threat of closure thanks to a funding gap of £2billion at the BBC, with people demanding that they should suffer in favour of news and current affairs.

Now, reports are suggesting that it is in fact BBC Two and BBC Four that are to be the hardest hit in the corporation's forthcoming budget cuts. Having said that BBC Four is safe from the chop, insiders believe the corporation will look to share content between the two channels, enabling them to reduce the total programming budget. The only great news on this is that the constant repeats of 2 Pints of Lager... will be shunted off to the TV glue boilers in the sky.

Director Robert Altman and screenwriter Michael Tolkin, both of whom were Oscar-nominated for The Player, manage to create a film that works as a simple detective story but on another level is a pitch-perfect satire on the entire movie industry which will appeal to film buffs for both the accurate skewering of much of Hollywood's superinflated opinion of itself and for the number of cameos they manage to cram into 145 minutes.

Have fun too, trying to recognise the real movies hidden behind the spoof pitches that star Tim Robbins has to field. With excellent support from Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward and Whoopi Goldberg to name but three, this movie will appeal to anyone looking for a good yarn with a few laughs thrown in.

A fifth story in popular (but occasional) detective thriller series Messiah is on its way to BBC One and will star Marc Warren of Hustle fame, who also had a cameo part in Life on Mars. He'll be joined in the new two-part case by a strong cast including Marsha Thomason from Lost, Daniel Ryan, Nina Sosanya, Niall Macgregor, and Rory Kinnear.

Warren plays DCI Walker - a haunted man who has finally met his match in a killer who enacts a series of sadistic and elaborately staged murders with the intention of communicating a stark message to the world. Walker's previously renowned finely tuned instincts and tenacity of character elude him as his personal demons invade the investigation and he struggles to match the speed and attention to detail that the killer is displaying.