WHAT’S HOT TO WATCH TODAY
WILL BBC2’s new series COMMON SENSE (10pm) turn out to be the new Gogglebox?
That’s clearly what the Beeb are hoping. For starters, it’s made by the same bunch, applying pretty much the same idea – ie. getting ordinary people to sound off in entertaining fashion about this and that – only this time focusing on the events of recent days, rather than on TV.
Me, I’ve only seen the trailers so far. That’s because each week’s show (tonight’s is the first of six) will be finalised only shortly before it goes out, the idea being to keep it as topical as possible. But those trailers have at least given us a hint as to what to expect: an assortment of folk – from grannies to market traders to dinner ladies – sharing their thoughts on what’s been happening in the news.
So do I reckon it’ll work? Well, it’s a trickier task than just poking fun at TV shows, that’s for sure. And if these people have been picked for their quirkiness above all else – in other words for the funny way they say stuff, rather than for what they actually say – then the worry is their views on the news will quickly start to grate. But let’s wait and see. TONIGHT’S CORONATION
STREET (7.30pm, ITV) is the one that’s understandably had a lot of advance publicity, as Kym Marsh’s character Michelle suffers a late miscarriage and tragically loses her baby. It’s a harrowing echo of the real-life nightmare Kym suffered back in 2009, her son Archie arriving 18 weeks prematurely and surviving just a matter of minutes. Huge respect to Kym for bravely taking this storyline on. Don’t miss Mike’s exclusive column at www.dailystar.co.uk/columnists. Follow him on Twitter @mikewardontv.