Waiting a week for next part is an Ordeal

ordeal by innocence (bbc1)

It’s not just the Christmas weather that’s hanging around, as here we have a leftover from festive TV, too.

Due to an allegation made against one of the cast, the BBC decided to pull this three-parter from Boxing Day and do re-shoots with a new actor.

Lavish and lush Agatha Christie adaptations have quickly become a staple of the BBC festive schedule and the hallmarks of the previous two ratings winners were in evidence here again -– long, lingering shots of drippings of blood and close-ups of shifty eyes, beautiful colours and stunning locations.

Despite Bill Nighy only ever seeming to play Bill Nighy, he remains immensely watchable amid a strong cast of suspects.

The opening episode begins with Nighy’s nasty wife found dead. Her adopted son is jailed for her murder, despite his pleas of innocence. Then, 18 months later, with Nighy about to marry again, a man claiming to be an alibi for the son arrives, much to Nighy’s chagrin and that of the five other adopted kids.

The first episode did enough to hook the audience – it’s just a shame the BBC are spinning this out over three weekends.

ozzy and Jack’s american road trip (history)

Who would have thought the funniest, most engaging double act on TV would be the rock legend and his youngest son?

The premise is simple. Ozzy and Jack, both huge history buffs, visit historic sites and little-known curios from one side of America to the other.

The warmth and chemistry between father and son is genuine and engaging, Ozzy is much more switched on than first glance would have you believe and – sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose – he is laugh-out-loud funny.