This week on telly, Celebrity Big Brother continues, Call The Midwife returns and some of the best comedy and drama around continues.
Here are the 7 shows you have to watch this week...
1. Silent Witness
Monday 15th & Tuesday 16th January at 9pm on BBC One
The 21st series of Silent Witness continues this week with another two-parter, Duty Of Candour, explores how a series of tragic events are linked to the hacking of a hospital database and the subsequent blackmailing of patients in return for silence over their guilty secrets.
At the start of the first episode, Jack is boxing with his sparring partner, DCI Naomi Silva, when he is called to a crime scene and Nikki is busy examining the body of a young woman Karen Sawyers. Jack is surprised to find the SIO on the case is Naomi Silva.
The first prime suspect, Karen’s husband Pete, is found covered in blood and clearly suffering. The forensic evidence leads the team to a cosmetic clinic, where a pregnant Karen had been receiving various treatments seemingly free of charge.
Nikki and Silva soon become frustrated when Simon Laing, the CEO of Hamilton Ashe hospital, blocks their access to Karen’s medical records. However, when a second body is found and all evidence leads back to Hamilton Ashe, Laing is forced to help the team.
In the second episode, Nikki comes face to face with CEO Simon Laing when it becomes apparent that the motive for the murders may have been blackmail. When the team find that the hospital computer database has been hacked, Clarissa and Max follow the forensic clues to a teenage hacker called Splinter. However the danger grows much closer to home when Nikki receives a threatening text with a picture of Thomas’s daughter Rosie.
3-4/10
2. Next of Kin
Monday 15th January at 9pm on ITV
In last week’s opening episode of Next of Kin we saw doctor Mona Harcourt learn on the same day that a terrorist attack brings London to a standstill, that her brother Kareem has been kidnapped on his way home to the UK from his charity clinic in Lahore.
She also learns that her brother’s son, Danish, known as Danny, has vanished from university and is being linked to both the bombing and the murder of his father. In this week’s episode, having secretly made contact with Danny in Lahore, Mona is approached by police counter terrorism chief Vivien Barnes to travel to Pakistan and identify Kareem’s body.
Despite her husband Guy’s resistance, Mona immediately flies to Pakistan and tries to make contact with Danny. However, when she absconds from a Lahore mortuary to make contact with Danny, Mona’s search leads her to a remote part of the city and grave danger.
2/6
3. Celebrity Big Brother
Monday 15th - Sunday 21st January at 9pm on Channel 5
When Big Brother began, it was classed as a social experiment and throughout the year the series became less and less of a social experiment and more and more of a freak show. But this year, Channel 5 aimed to do things differently by launching with an all-female Celebrity Big Brother line-up, made up of Amanda Barrie, Ann Widdecombe, Ashley James, India Willoughby, Jess Impiazzi, Maggie Oliver, Malika Haqq and Rachel Johnson.
Three days later they were joined by the men; Andrew Brady, Daniel O’Reilly (Dapper Laughs), Ginuwine, John Barnes, Johnny Mitchell, Shane Janek (Courtney Act), Shane Lynch and Wayne Sleep and so far we’ve witnessed some really interesting and eye-opening conversations which continuing night after night. So far, only India Willoughby has been evicted, but with a double eviction looming on Friday, which two housemates will lose their place in the best series of Celebrity Big Brother in ages?
As for who will make the final, it’s not yet known when this year’s series will end, but if Channel 5 had any sense, they’d extend it as far as the celebrities’ contracts would allow them to. One thing’s for sure though, both summer series, celebrity and civilian, have a lot to live up to!
4. Inside No.9
Tuesday 16th January at 10pm on BBC Two
Zanzibar was excellent, Bernie Clifton’s Dressing Room was superb and I’m happy to say that Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton haven’t dropped the ball with this week’s episode, Once Removed.
According to the Holmes & Rahe Stress Scale, the three most stressful experiences in life are the death of a spouse, divorce, and imprisonment. Moving house is only 32nd on the list. But anything could happen in the last ten minutes. And the ten minutes before that, in fact. Not to mention the first 10 minutes. This week’s episode stars Emilia Fox and Monica Dolan.
3/6
5. Kiri
Wednesday 17th January at 9pm on Channel 4
Following last week’s sensational opening episode, which was watched by 3.2m people, this week’s episode of Kiri follows Tobi as he searches for his son Nate, the prime suspect in the case, and faces up to some uncomfortable truths about their relationship.
The witch-hunt is intensifying around social worker Miriam, who's under pressure to take the blame for what happened to Kiri. And Kiri's foster family of Alice, Jim and Si also find themselves in the media spotlight.
2/4
6. Derry Girls
Thursday at 10pm on Channel 4
Before episode 2 aired last week, Channel 4 announced that the brilliant Derry Girls would be returning for a second series after impressive ratings for the first episode. 2.8m and counting!
In this week’s episode, the girls have been up all night cramming for a big exam. Some (Michelle and Erin) haven't studied enough while Clare's over-studied, leaving herself completely sleep-deprived and slightly manic. Everyone is convinced they're going to fail.
So when a distinctly dubious opportunity presents itself to get out of the exam, they jump at the chance. Especially as it involves spending time with the very beautiful Father Peter.
3/6
7. Call The Midwife
Sunday 21st January at 8pm on BBC One
It became the most-watched show this Christmas and this Sunday sees the start of the seventh series of Call The Midwife.
In the opening episode, The Big Freeze continues, with scheduled power cuts and more blizzards and the departure of Barbara prompts Sister Julienne to recruit a new midwife, Lucille Anderson.
Owing to the snow, Lucille is two days late and her start is bumpy when she falls ill. Lucille is called out from her sick bed to assist Trixie with a breech birth. Nadine Mulvaney (Tamla Kari), a single mother and exotic dancer in Soho, plans to give the baby up for adoption. But, Trixie is concerned that Nadine’s Rhesus Negative blood type might cause problems for baby.
Meanwhile, Nurse Crane and Dr Turner are caring for Ruth Gelin, an elderly Jewish woman suffering from bowel cancer. Ruth and her husband Arnold are facing eviction from their home of several decades. The council have started to demolish their street as part of the slum clearance. Nurse Crane must convince the prickly Sergeant Woolf to delay the demolition until after Ruth passes away.
1/8