The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
FRAUDSTER’S FALL
Casualty – Saturday, BBC1, 9.25pm
During his time in Casualty, Charlie has come close to death several times, but tonight his career at Holby City Hospital is coming to a definite end, as actor Derek Thompson hangs up his scrubs after 37 years on the show. Charlie’s swansong is the concluding instalment of the show’s 12-part miniseries A History Of Violence. Last week, we saw Charlie vow to prove there is good in the world – with a disastrous outcome. Tonight, his life hangs in the balance. Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) has been struggling with her demons catching up with her as she tries to come to terms with, and find a solution for, violence towards medics in the ED. Can the doctor regain her confidence in time to save her colleague?
The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer – Sunday, C4, 7.40pm
If you thought that perhaps Bake Off was slipping in the nation’s affections, the latest Stand Up To Cancer specials could make you think again as it proves the show can still attract very big names. Future episodes will see Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond welcoming Danny Dyer, Dermot O’Leary, Gabby Logan, Mel B and Sara Cox into the tent, but we start off with former Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker. She’s joined by singer Paloma Faith, comedian Munya Chawawa and TV personality Spencer Matthews as they tackle cake pops in the Signature and a New York favourite in the Technical before they then try to create judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith in biscuit form for their Showstopper.
Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures In Spain – Monday, BBC1, 9pm
Following the success of their tour of Sicily last year, Anton du Beke and Giovanni Pernice are hitting the road again, this time to a nation close to Anton’s heart. His family has its roots in Spain, and he’s keen to introduce his Strictly Come Dancing colleague and best mate to some of its most amazing sights and sounds. The duo begin in dramatic fashion – by arriving in the Andalusian region via hot air balloon. Seville’s Plaza de Espana is their first stop, and a hotly contested gondola race ensues, with the loser paying for ice creams afterwards. They then take Anton’s mum’s advice by checking out the Ronda before Gio is forced to face his fear of heights during a dangerous trek.
The Dropout – Tuesday, BBC1, 10.40pm
You don’t have to be squeamish about having your blood taken to see why the idea of a machine that could give you quick and accurate results using little more than a drop would appeal. So, when the company Theranos claimed it could do just that, people flocked to invest. The problem was that the technology didn’t work. This acclaimed drama sets out to tell the jaw-dropping story of Theranos and the rise and falls of its founder Elizabeth Holmes, a college dropout who went from being touted as the female Steve Jobs to being found guilty of defrauding investors. Mamma Mia and Mean Girls star Amanda Seyfried plays Holmes, with Naveen Andrews as Theranos COO Sunny Balwani.
Bring The Drama – Wednesday, BBC2, 9pm
Over the past few weeks, we’ve watched eight aspiring actors honing their craft as they learn about what it takes to make it in different fields, from soaps to period dramas. They’ve all come a long way, but only three can make it to this week’s final showcase, which will see them perform for top agents. If selected, they will face their biggest challenge yet – devising and performing their own screen monologue. Line Of Duty star Rochenda Sandall is on hand to give them some expert coaching (she appeared in the 2020 series of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads) and host Bill Bailey is on hand for moral support, but will any of them secure a deal that can help them make their dreams a reality?
Carrie Fisher: A Life In Ten Pictures – Thursday, BBC2, 9pm
While Carrie Fisher will always be known as the woman who played Princess Leia in Star Wars, she was much more than just an actress who had her hair styled into a bagelbun. Fisher, who died in December 2016, is the subject in the first of a new run of A Life In Ten Pictures, and we follow her life from her childhood in California, through to her film debut in 1975 comedy Shampoo, her big break in George Lucas’s aforementioned space saga and parts in many other movies. However, for many, Fisher’s life will be most celebrated not for her acting, but for her comedic accounts of life in the celebrity fishbowl of Hollywood, as well as her personal struggles.
Celebrity Big Brother: Live Final – Friday, ITV1, 9pm
It’s been less than three weeks since a rather motley group of supposedly famous folk – some of the names and faces involved are much more familiar than others – entered the infamous Big Brother house, but now the revamped spin-off from the original reality show is coming to an end. The latest run has featured some memorable moments and, of course, it also reunited former X Factor judges Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, if only for a short period. The run has been relatively short and will have whetted the appetite of fans for this year’s main version of the show – but who will be crowned the winner? Hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best are about to reveal all…