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What’s on TV This Month The Simpsons, Sky1 For many years, there’s been at least a perception that one of the undoubted greatest television comedies of all time is past its best. The last truly classic season was series 10, so many critics say. Plus, how can Matt Groening and co possibly hope to get anything from such over-familiar characters as Bart, Homer and Marge that we haven’t seen many times before? It’s astonishing to think that The Simpsons is now entering its 29th season. However, such longevity can probably be largely attributed to the sheer durability of a show that still manages to throw up new and interesting surprises, and a few chuckles along the way. Key changes for this season include the departure of long-time Simpsons score composer Alf Clausen, with the show switching from a live orchestrated score to a produced score by Bleeding Fingers Music. Also expect guest appearances from the likes of Norman Lear, Martin Short and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau when the season debuts in the UK on Sky1 on a yet-undetermined date. Harry Hill’s Tea Time, Sky1 While the one-time physician does have a fall-back option in the event that his entertainment career ever flounders - given that he is, after all, still registered on the General Medical Council’s list of Registered Medical Practitioners - we suspect that it isn’t something the funnyman is going to have to fret about anytime soon. As a matter of fact, last year saw him build on the success of the long-lived Harry Hill’s TV Burp with the debut of another madcap entertainment series, Harry Hill’s Tea Time. It saw him welcome guests to a spoof comedy kitchen and ask them to cook bizarre things, with Guardian reviewer Alexi Duggins declaring that Hill was “back to what he does best”.
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With the first season’s guests having included Paul Hollywood, Joey Essex, Gok Wan, Martin Kemp and Jason Donovan, it’s fair to say that the new series will need to work hard to match its star power - but we don’t doubt that Hill will serve up another delicious smorgasbord of cooking-related chaos. Have your eggs and spoons at the ready from 8:30pm on 2nd January on Sky1. Silent Witness, BBC One Not everyone is convinced of the wisdom of Silent Witness which first aired way back in 1996 - returning for a 21st season, with Radio TimesTV editor Alison Graham having declared it “too silly to live” on account of the improbable role it gives pathologists in the investigation of crimes. Nonetheless, it’s difficult to argue with viewer figures that consistently top six million - and who are we to do so here at IN&AROUND? In any case, the venerable crime drama series has come a long way since its earliest days, when it was Amanda Burton who starred as the primary character Dr Sam Ryan. Since her eighth-series departure, the programme has featured more of an ensemble cast, presently consisting of Emilia Fox, David Caves, Liz Carr and Richard Lintern. While we didn’t yet have an exact date for the show’s return as the magazine headed to press, the pattern of the last few series’ broadcast dates suggests the first few days of January - so be sure to keep an eye out.
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