FIVE THINGS FOR YOUR WEEK...

CHAT SHOW Parkinson at 50, BBC1, Saturday 8.30pm)

:On June 16, 1971, Michael Parkinson welcomed viewers – and his guests, royal snapper Ray Bellasario and actor Terry-Thomas – for the first edition of what was supposed to be a 10-week filler show. Instead, Parkinson went on to become arguably British TV’s most iconic chat show, running for over 650 episodes featuring interviews with more than 2,000 guests. Now, to mark the show’s golden anniversary, the 86-yearold Michael is looking back over the show’s history and his own remarkable career in Parkinson at 50. The veteran broadcaster says: “When you reach my age birthdays are greeted with more of a sense of relief than celebration but this year will be different because 50 years ago a much younger Michael Parkinson was celebrating his 36th birthday and looking forward to starting a new show for the BBC.”

FILM Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

*** (Sky Cinema Premiere, Saturday, 1.45pm & 8.00pm): Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) now works as an archaeology expert in the halls of the Smithsonian Institution. She has found her calling as mankind’s secret protector, although she is still haunted by the loss of American pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) during the battle with Ares at the end of the First World War. Elsewhere in Washington DC, Maxwell Lord (Pedro

Pascal), CEO of Black Gold Co-operative – “The oil company run by the people for the people” – discovers a way to grant wishes.

DRAMA

Casualty, BBC1, Saturday, 9.30pm: The medical drama’s 36th series is turning out to be a real humdinger, and fans have every reason to believe they’ll be kept on the edge of their seats again as Ffion undergoes treatment for a shoulder injury. However, on closer examination, it seems she has far more to worry about than a bit of pain in the old scapula. As Dylan braces himself to tell her, news about Bodhi doesn’t ease the growing tension between Matthew and Ethan. Ethan throws away his medication, leading to a showdown between the pair.

DOCUMENTARY

The Cube for Soccer Aid, ITV, Saturday, 8.30pm): On Saturday, September 4, celebrities will be taking to the pitch for the 10th Soccer Aid match – and ITV is starting the build up early with a string of programmes across the week. First up is this special edition of The Cube, which sees Phillip Schofield inviting two celebrity teams to try their luck at winning £250,000 for charity UNICEF. Olly Murs and Joel Dommett are the first famous faces to find out if they can stand up to the pressure of those four walls, before Ore Oduba and his wife, Portia, give it a go.

CRIME

Vera, ITV, Sunday, 8pm: Brenda Blethyn, pictured left, is back for an 11th series of the crime drama as DCI Vera Stanhope. She begins with the case of local builder Jim Tullman, who is found beaten to death on the steps of the Collingwood Monument in Tynemouth. Jim was a popular, if imposing, figure, making the vicious attack all the more puzzling. However, Vera discovers he was due to testify against Marcus Hynde (Lewis Cope), a promising cadet footballer facing charges of GBH.