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WHAT TO WATCH 5-11 September

This week's best telly includes the return of some huge TV favourites such as Britain's Got Talent, Gogglebox and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and we return to Albert Square as EastEnders finally returns with new episodes for what is technically its second series.


Here are 7 shows you can't miss this week...


1. Britain's Got Talent

Saturday 5th September at 8pm on ITV


Britain's Got Talent is a little different this year. Not only had the global pandemic meant that the semi-finals and eventual grand final have been pushed back from May until now, but also Simon Cowell misses the show for the first time ever due to an injury - so who better to sit in his seat behind the judging table than Ashley Banjo?


The Diversity star knows all too well what it's like to audition for BGT and more importantly what it takes to win. He joins regular judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams and of course hosts Ant & Dec who are back and thankfully don't have to social distance! (Before you all start writing in to ITV)


Another big change this year is that the semi-finals, usually stripped across one week and live, will now take place weekly and will be pre-recorded with a virtual audience. What this means for the two acts going through to the live final is that the judges will decide on the first act who deserves a place and once the show airs, we'll decide on the other.



2. Better Things

Sunday 6th September at 10pm and 10.25pm on BBC Two


With the third season of FX comedy Better Things airing in the UK in January of this year, I was almost certain that we'd have to wait until at least January 2021 for season four which aired in the US in March and April of this year - but by some miracle, BBC Two aren't making us wait that long, and they're even treating us to two episodes a week!


If Better Things has passed you by (and there's a strong chance that it might have) it stars Pamela Adlon as single mother Sam Fox, who tries to raise her three daughters while keeping her acting career afloat. And it's a family you really want to spend time with.


As the new season begins, Sam and Phil pick up Frankie and Duke, who have been visiting their father. Frankie surprises Sam by saying she wants a big party for her 15th birthday! And Sam receives some good news when it comes to paying the bills as they are reviving a popular kids' TV show.


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3. EastEnders

Monday 7th September at 8.05pm on BBC One


With over 6,000 episodes in its first series, it was no surprise that after an enforced break due to the pandemic, that EastEnders would be back for a second series. When we last left the residents of Walford, Ian Beale had just bought The Queen Vic for Sharon - to make himself feel better after being the reason her son Denny died.


As we return, three months later, all the characters are emerging from lockdown and Ian drops the charges against Dotty which he hopes will silence her. But after constantly being riled by him, Dotty is unable to contain herself anymore and storms to The Vic to tell Sharon that Ian is the reason her son died! With Sharon in disbelief, Ian desperately tries to defend himself. But who will she believe?


Elsewhere, Linda is now working in the launderette whilst husband Mick struggles to find work, Chantelle realises she wants to divorce Gray and leans on Kheerat, Callum is torn between his job and his relationship with Ben in and Ruby and Martin are now official.


Continues Tuesday at 7.35pm, Thursday at 7.30pm and Friday at 8pm.


All the latest EastEnders spoilers here



4. Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Monday 7th - Friday 11th September at 9pm (8.30pm on Friday) on ITV


CONTAINS SLIGHT SPOILERS


When Who Wants to be a Millionaire? returned in 2018 with Jeremy Clarkson replacing Chris Tarrant as host after a seven-year break, no one could have predicted how popular the iconic quiz format would still be.


What makes this new series even more unmissable is that show does find its sixth ever millionaire as someone correctly answers the £1m question! When the news was announced by ITV, Jeremy Clarkson said "I can't wait for the viewers to see it and I want to watch it back too. I was just in awe of this contestant and think they are probably the best the show has ever had in its 22 year history. It was a joy to sit and watch it unfold.”


Due to COVID-19, this series was filmed without a studio audience so instead each contestant will have two opportunities to Phone A Friend as well as usual lifelines of 50:50 and Ask the Host (which Jeremy himself will admit, is often of little use).


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5. All Creatures Great and Small

Tuesday 8th September at 9pm on Channel 5


With 3.3m tuning in to watch All Creatures Great and Small last week, numbers any channel would be pleased with at the moment, it's fair to say that Channel 5's new adaptation of James Herriot’s cherished collection has been a success. Should it be a Sunday night drama? Absolutely. But with all that's happening in the world at the moment, it's nice to have an hour every Tuesday to escape.


This week, as James settles into life in the Dales, Siegfried’s younger brother Tristan returns from Edinburgh Veterinary college and brings his own unique brand of chaos to Skeldale House. James’s patience starts to wear thin when Tristan helps him treat a cow with milk fever at the Handshaw’s farm. Despite confidence in his own diagnosis, Tristan encourages James to adopt some of the old Dalesmen ways to treat the cow and ends up making a fool of himself.


But when they visit wealthy widow Mrs Pumphrey and her poorly Pekingese Tricki Woo, James manages to get one over on Tristan as she takes an instant shine to James who bags himself an invite to the annual Pumphrey party while Tristan is forced to stay at home. After spotting Helen at the party, James plucks up the courage to ask her out, only to discover that she’s already spoken for and his night goes from bad to worse when Siegfried discovers he made a rookie mistake with Handshaw’s cow.


Back at Skeldale Mrs Hall works out that Tristan has been keeping secrets of his own. When the truth finally emerges Siegfried goes berserk and relations between the brothers hit an all-time low.


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6. The Duchess

Friday 11th September on Netflix


With two successful Netflix stand-up specials under her belt the only logical next step for comedian Katherine Ryan would be a scripted comedy. Not content with just starring in The Duchess as the show's lead, Katherine has also written and executive produced the show.


Katherine plays a a fashionably disruptive single mom living in London (also called Katherine) whose powerful and problematic choices we follow across the series. Her daughter, Olive, is her greatest love so she debates a second child with her greatest enemy, Olive’s dad Shep who happens to be a former boyband member. But can two wrongs make another right?


The series also stars Rory Keenan, Michelle DeSwarte and Steen Raskopoulos and you can read my interview with Katherine Ryan on Thursday.


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7. Gogglebox

Friday 11th September at 9pm on Channel 4


It was the comfort blanket we all needed during lockdown and now Gogglebox is ready to brighten up our Friday evenings once again as it returns for its 16th series!


From Lee and Jenny to the Malones and of course the Siddiquis, it's time to find out what our favourite group of professional telly watchers have been loving and loathing on television and how they've been since we last caught up with them at the end of May.


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