Geek shows and movies on UK TV in the coming week

If the film list is a little more scant than prior weeks, we’ll forgive the scheduling goblins, because they’ve more than made up for the meagre movie line-up with new and returning series and programme launches coming up in the next seven days.

There’s a welcome return on Saturday, October 9th at 7:10pm on ITV1 for Harry Hill’s TV Burp. The first of eight precious episodes ushers the show into its tenth series of taking down the high and haughty with video clips of TV’s past weekly offerings, commented on by Harry with the help of his wonderful and wacky props.

If we can’t have him as the Doctor, let’s just have him, right? David Tennant fans can welcome the former time and space traveller back to earth as he stars in Single Father, a serious turn in a brief four episodes starting Sunday October 10th at 9:00pm on BBC1. Suranne Jones co-stars in this drama that’s sure to remind us just why Mr Tennant’s so fondly missed since leaving Doctor Who.

On Monday October 11th at 5:15pm on CBBC, The Sarah Jane Adventures returns for its fourth season of delighting big and little kids with Who-related tales and monsters. If you don’t have a child to share it with (and provide an excuse for watching), we recommend you draw the drapes and watch it anyway (we’ll never tell). The first instalment of two-parter, The Nightmare Man, is concluded on Tuesday, October 12th at 5:15pm. The shows then air on BBC2 on Wednesday and Thursday, October 13th and 14th at 4:30pm. We have a spoiler-free peek here.

Whitechapel, the modern day crime show that deals with copycat recreations of olden day misdeeds and deaths, returns for a second series on Monday, October 11th at 9:00pm on ITV1. Last time, it was cases imitating Jack the Ripper’s crimes. This year’s three episodes follow the Kray twins’ atrocities being mimicked. We fear a new standard has been set post Sherlock, with big footsteps left to fill for any crime procedural show, especially one with a historical context and set in London. But it’s worth a peek, especially for Rupert Penry-Jones, Phil Davis and Steve Pemberton fans.

A History Of Horror With Mark Gatiss is a new three-part series looking at the actors, sets and tales that gave us shivery thrills, from all the way back to the 1920s. The first episode, Frankenstein Goes To Hollywood, airs Monday, October 11th at 9:00pm on BBC4, with a repeat on Tuesday, October 12th at 1:15am, and again on Thursday October 14th at 11:00pm. The next weekly episodes look at British frighteners of the 50s and 60s and then the slasher genre that followed.

Our favourite geeky spy, IT guy, and TRON lover, Chuck, returns, but in a good news-bad news scenario. We tried to ease show followers into it gently last week with the news that Chuck will follow Nikita in a 10:00pm timeslot on Thursday, October 14th. But the disheartening news for those fans who are telly channel challenged is that the show has moved to Living. If you’re able to watch, you can catch up with our US speed review of the first of the fourth season’s episodes, Chuck Versus The Anniversary, and if you can no longer watch, we commiserate.

Thursday night, October 14th, welcomes a returning Have I Got News For You in style and acknowledgement as Sherlock star, Benedict Cumberbatch, is the guest host for the premiere of the series’ 40th (can that be right!?) year. The show goes out at 9:00pm on BBC1, but if you have a catch-up service, it’s often worth the wait for the slightly extended version, Have I Got A Bit More News For You, where you might get yourself a little extra Cumberbatch.

Now, on to the films showing through the weekend and a bit beyond. As always, if we missed anything interesting, have a shout in the comments, with our thanks.

Please also note: the ordinal numbers for dates will help you scan through this simple list with your browser’s search function. Enter ‘9th’ in your browser’s Find box or window to highlight and/or tab through all movies shown on Saturday. Enjoy!

Aeon FluxOn: Film4  Date: Monday 11th OctoberTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

AmélieOn: Film4Date: Sunday 10th OctoberTime: 01:15am (and 2:15am Film4+1)

Apocalypse NowOn: TCMDate: Friday 8th OctoberTime: 9:00pm

Bride Of FrankensteinOn: BBC 4  Date: Monday 11th OctoberTime: 10:00pm (and 1:05am 15th Oct)

Cat People (1942)On: BBC 4Date: Wednesday 13th OctoberTime: 22:45pm

Cloudy With A Chance Of MeatballsOn: Sky Movies PremiereDate: Friday 8th OctoberTime: 1:40pm (and 2:40pm Premiere+1, and daily at similar times through 14th Oct)

Crimes And MisdemeanorsOn: TCMDate: Monday 11th OctoberTime: 00:05am

Déjà VuOn: BBC 3Date: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 9:15pm (and 9:00PM 13th Oct)

Die HardOn: E4Date: Sunday 10th OctoberTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm E4+1)Die Hard 4.0On: Channel 4 Date: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 9:15pm (and 10:15pm 4+1)Dr. NoOn: ITV1   Date: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 2:25pm

ElizabethOn: Film4Date: Monday 11th OctoberTime: 10:45pm (and 11:45pm Film4+1)

Ferris Bueller’s Day OffOn: E4Date: Sunday 10th OctoberTime: 2:55pm (and 3:55pm E4+1)

Full Metal JacketOn: ITV4Date: Friday 8th OctoberTime: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm ITV4+1, 11:00pm/midnight 9th Oct)

ImpostorOn: BBC 1 Date: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 00:35am

Looking For EricOn: Channel 4Date: Sunday 10th OctoberTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm 4+1)

MatildaOn: FIVERDate: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 6:00pm (and 7:00pm Fiver+1, 2:30/3:30pm 10th Oct)One Missed Call (2003)On: Film4 Date: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 11:05pm (and 00:05am 10th Oct Film4+1)ParenthoodOn: ITV3Date: Sunday 10th OctoberTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm ITV3+1)

Porco RossoOn: Film4Date: Saturday 10th OctoberTime: 3:15pm (and 4:15pm Film4+1)

Red HeatOn: ITV4Date: Monday 11th OctoberTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm ITV4+1)

Rush HourOn: Five USADate: Friday 8th OctoberTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Five USA+1)Spider-Man 2On: FiveDate: Sunday 10th OctoberTime: 6:30pmStarship TroopersOn: Sky Movies ShowcaseDate: Friday 8th OctoberTime: 9:45pm (and 9:00pm 13th Oct Sky Sci-fi)

SupermanOn: Five USADate: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 7:15pm (and 8:15pm Five USA+1, 9:00pm 9th Oct & 5:00pm 10th Oct TCM)The Boston StranglerOn: Sky Movies ClassicsDate: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 9:00pmThe ‘BurbsOn: ITV4Date: Sunday 10th OctoberTime: 7:00pm (and 8:00pm ITV4+1)The FirmOn: Sky Movies Premiere Date: Friday 8th OctoberTime: 11:45pm (and 00:45am 9th Oct Premiere+1, then daily at similar times through 14th Oct)The GetawayOn: BBC 2Date: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 11:50pmThe Hole (2001)On: Film4  Date: Sunday 10th OctoberTime: 11:35pm (and 00:35am 11th Oct Film4+1)The InvasionOn: FIVERDate: Friday 8th OctoberTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Fiver+1, 9/10:00pm 11th Oct)

The Lost WorldOn: ITV2Date: Sunday 10th OctoberTime: 5:25pm (and 6:25pm ITV2+1)

The SentinelOn: Film4Date: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (1974)On: TCMDate: Sunday 10th OctoberTime: 02:10am

The Thin Red LineOn: more4Date: Friday 8th OctoberTime: 9:00pm (and 1:20am 9th Oct)

Three Amigos!On: TCMDate: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 5:20pm (and 9:40am 10th Oct)

TremorsOn: ITV4 Date: Saturday 9th OctoberTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm ITV4+1)Walk The LineOn: Film4Date: Sunday 10th OctoberTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)Wall StreetOn: Sky Movies Drama and Romance  Date: Friday 8th OctoberTime: 10:30am (and 4:10pm Sky Modern Greats, 8:00pm Sky Drama, 6:26am 10th Oct)