This week’s best telly includes a twist on the Gogglebox format, the return of The Crystal Maze and the start of a new weekly topical entertainment show on Channel 4.
Here are the 7 shows you have to watch this week...
1. Vlogglebox
Monday 19th June at 9pm on E4
First there was Gogglebox, then there was Gogglesprogs and now there’s Vlogglebox. What next? Dogglebox? Dogs watching telly.
There is one pretty big difference with Vlogglebox though. The 16-24 year olds that are taking part aren’t watching TV. As we know, less and less young people are watching TV. But what they are watching is plenty of online content.
This brand new weekly, fast-turnaround series reveals what this age group, and sometimes their extended families, are really watching on their phones, laptops and tablets. The returning cast of young reviewers react to the very latest viral videos and short-form content that everyone is talking about in the week of transmission.
As well as bringing the humour, charm and warmth of Gogglebox to a new, younger, E4 audience, Vlogglebox is also innovative in the way it is filmed: most of the show will be shot on iPhones attached to the cast's phones and tablets. And unlike the traditional Gogglebox sofas, the reviewers on Vlogglebox are seen watching online hits on a variety of devices and in a wide mix of locations, including on buses, fast-food restaurants, etc.. enabled by the flexibility of filming with such adaptable devices.
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2. Ripper Street
Monday 19th June at 9pm on BBC Two
The fifth and final series of Ripper Street begins this week and the powerful closing chapter is comprised of six episodes and picks up mere days after the grisly death of Detective Inspector Bennet Drake (Jerome Flynn).
The final series reunites his old friends, Detective Inspector Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen), surgeon Captain Homer Jackson (Adam Rothenberg) and ‘Long’ Susan Hart (MyAnna Buring), to bring his murderer to justice.
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3. Kat and Alfie: Redwater
Thursday 22nd June at 8pm on BBC One
This week sees EastEnders spin-off Kat and Alfie: Redwater come to a dramatic end as Peter remains missing following his row with Dermott. Elsewhere Roisin’s plans to leave Padraig for the future she has always dreamed of are derailed and a concerned Adeen is found by her grandfather Padraig, walking home the morning after the night before.
Since Lance's death, Adeen has been in emotional freefall and the night before reaches a zenith. She’s in a bad way and Padraig offers a shoulder to cry on and practical advice.
Eileen is also worried. Where is Peter and why didn't he turn up at the christening? Eileen turns to Roisin for assistance. After searching for Peter, Eileen and Rosin find him in a desperate state which swiftly informs Eileen about the demons of Peter’s past. Peter refuses to tell the women the catalyst for his drinking.
Bernie meanwhile, is following her hunch that Lance's death is suspicious and sets about going back over the evidence. Kieran turns out to be a help as he shares her suspicions about his grandfather’s death, and more importantly has a niggle about the behaviour of someone close to all of them.
Meanwhile, cross words are exchanged by Peter and Agnes. Confronting Agnes about hiding the truth from him for so long, Peter retreats when Agnes lashes out and shocks him with the extent of her cruelty.
Dermott returns to Redwater to bring Kathleen to Alfie to find a storm brewing. Bernie is hot on his trail and he panics. His behaviour spirals out of control, but who will he take his anger out on next?
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4. Killer Women with Piers Morgan
Thursday 22nd June at 9pm on ITV
Piers Morgan returns to ITV this week with five more of America’s most notorious female murderers. The new series follows five cases in a quest to discover what drives a woman to kill and sees Piers sit down to interview these convicted female murderers in the high security prisons they now call home.
In the opening episode, he travels to Lowell Correctional Institution in Florida to meet Rebecca Fenton, found guilty for the murder of her husband Larry, who was found dead, in a pool of blood in their home. He’d been shot multiple times. Rebecca claims she had no reason to kill Larry but unless she can clear her name, she will remain in prison for the rest of her life.
As he delves into the case, Piers discovers a compelling motive for murder: divorce would have meant the end of Rebecca’s extravagant lifestyle. If Larry died, Rebecca would become a rich woman. But, as the lead detective Kerri Spaulding, explains, despite the motive, all the evidence they had was circumstantial.
For several years, it seemed Rebecca was going to get away with murder. Is Rebecca a “cold, calculating murderess” and “the best liar” Piers has ever met, or is she innocent and the victim of an appalling miscarriage of justice?
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5. Host The Week
Thursday 22nd June at 9pm on Channel 4
Topical shows are hard to get right in the UK. For some reason we just can’t crack it. The Nightly Show gave it an elaborate go earlier this year with revolving hosts each week and moving the news in the process. Let’s just say that the reaction was less than complimentary.
Now it’s the turn of Channel 4, who arguably are getting it right with The Last Leg, to launch their own. Hosted by a different celebrity each week, Host The Week is the show that isn’t rehearsed and doesn’t have a script. Which means that the host will have no idea what’s coming next. It’s all a complete surprise!
First up on hosting duties is Gogglebox favourite turned Queen of the Jungle Scarlett Moffatt who will be guided through the show by the regular cast of talented improvisers and character comedians.
They’ll help her deliver a comedy monologue, act in several topical sketches, host her very own chat show, anchor a special edition of Channel 4 News and run her own game show.
6. The Crystal Maze
Friday 23rd June at 9pm on Channel 4
Following the success of a one-off special last year for Stand Up To Cancer, The Crystal Maze returns to Channel 4 this week with a celebrity line-up for a brand new series.
In the opening episode, Maze Master Richard Ayoade will guide Ore Oduba, Vicky Pattison, Alex Brooker, Lydia Bright and Louie Spence through four fantastical zones: Aztec, Medieval, Industrial and Futuristic.
In each zone the team must tackle Physical, Skill, Mystery and Mental challenges in a bid to win crystals. These elusive crystals each give the team five seconds in the final test: the iconic Crystal Dome where they hope to collect gold tokens to win prizes.
The team of celebs will be hoping to crack the crystal in aid of Stand Up To Cancer.
7. Tracey Breaks The News
Friday 23rd June at 9:30pm on BBC One
Tracey Ullman returns to BBC One this week with a one-off topical political offering, Tracey Breaks The News. Filmed close to transmission, the half-hour special will almost certainly touch on the recent general election.
For the first time Tracey is taking on an impression of Theresa May, alongside favourites Angela Merkel and Nicola Sturgeon. The show is a mix of famous political figures and everyday people reacting to the results of the general election and the anniversary of the Brexit vote.
As the election result will have global implications, the show also looks at the reaction of the Russians, Europeans and... Melania Trump!
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