Geek shows and movies on UK TV in the coming week

In the week that UK TV viewers have the least telly news and choices to ponder, we also face our greatest challenge. For tonight, Friday August 20th, the deliciously dark drama that is Dexter starts its fourth season, and it’s an especially unnerving one that will have you wishing your weeks away over its 12 episode run. While, in just a few weeks’ time, the launch of the fifth season fires up in the States.

If you’ve managed to remain oblivious, it’ll be hard work to enjoy this new season without the ending being spoiled by the rampant headlines, forum posts, comment sections and images bound to be round every click and turn of sites across the virtual landscape, heralding in the fifth outing of this terrific and terrifying series. If you can pull it off, you’ll be greatly rewarded and we wish you all the luck in Tellyland that you make it through.

Tonight, at 10:00pm on FX, Living The Dream starts the season that wisely brought the talented Mr John Lithgow into Dexter’s eyeline. Be seated early and hang on tight to your couch cushions.

And that’s all we have for you this week. We can offer, as a public service statement to readers, to mind your remotes and go nowhere near ITV2, Tuesdays at 10 when Jedward: Let Loose is sicced on the nation’s viewers. And this on the very day that the death of Big Brother held such promise (before its rotting corpse Ultimate zombie scratches its way to a two week abominable attempt at clinging to life, anyway). How foolish we are.

But let’s block that from our brains, shall we? And move on to the films that follow for the weekend and a bit beyond, including some excellent old, new and future classics, Roger Moore-styled James Bond, a bit of Ray Harryhausen, and more Roald Dahl to share with the youngest geeks in the household.

Remember: the ordinal numbers for dates will help you scan through this simple list with your browser’s search function. Enter ’21st’ in your browser’s Find box or window to highlight and/or tab through all movies shown on Saturday. Enjoy!

28 Weeks LaterOn: Film4Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 11:05pm (and 00:05am 22nd Aug Film4+1)

AdventurelandOn: Sky Movies PremiereDate: Friday 20th AugustTime: 10:00am )and 11:pm Premiere+1, 10:30/11:30pm and daily at similar timmes through 2nd Sept)

Almost FamousOn: Comedy CentralDate: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 02:00am (and 3:00am CC+1, and midnight/1:00am 22nd Aug)

Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron BurgundyOn: BBC 3Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 9:00pm (and 10:35pm 25th Aug)

AssassinsOn: ITV4Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 11:30pm (and 00:30am 22nd Aug ITV4+1, 10/11:00pm 23rd Aug)

Benny And JoonOn: TCMDate: Friday 20th AugustTime: 5:15pm (and 9:00am 21st Aug)

Cadillac ManOn: TCMDate: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 9:00pm (and 00:55am 22nd Aug)

DarkmanOn: Sky Movies Sci-Fi/HorrorDate: Friday 20th AugustTime: 11:05pm (and 1:20am 24th Aug)

DaylightOn: ITV1 GranadaDate: Friday 20th AugustTime: 10:35pm

DeliveranceOn: ITV1Date: Thursday 26th AugustTime: 02:20am

Doctor ZhivagoOn: ITV3Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 11:55am (and 12:55pm ITV3+1)

ExcaliburOn: ITV3Date: Sunday 22nd AugustTime: 11:25pm (and 00:25am ITV3+1)

Gulliver’s Travels (1939)On: Film4Date: Friday 20th AugustTime: 12:35pm (and 1:35pm Film4+1)

HighlanderOn: ITV1Date: Monday 23rd AugustTime: 10:35pm

James And The Giant PeachOn: Film4Date: Sunday 22nd AugustTime: 2:55pm (and 3:55pm Film4+1, 5:05/6:05pm 26th Aug)

Ju-on: The GrudgeOn: Film4Date: Tuesday 24th AugustTime: 01:20am (and 2:20am Film4+1)

King Arthur (2004)On: WatchDate: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Watch+1, 9/10:00pm 22nd Aug)

Little NikitaOn: Five USADate: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 3:20pm (and 4:20pm Five USA+1, noon/1:00pm 22nd Aug)

Mr. MomOn: TCMDate: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 5:15pm (and 9:15am 22nd Aug)

Mystery MenOn: ITV4Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 5:45pm (and 6:45pm ITV4+1)

Nanny McPheeOn: ITV2Date: Sunday 22nd AugustTime: 4:25pm (and 5:25pm ITV2+1)

Nineteen Eighty-FourOn: TCMDate: Monday 23rd AugustTime: 9:00pm (and 1:05am 24th Aug)

North By NorthwestOn: Film4Date: Friday 20th AugustTime: 3:55pm (and 4:55pm Film4+1)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s NestOn: Film4Date: Monday 23rd AugustTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

PorridgeOn: Film4Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 5:05pm (nad 6:05pm Film4+1)

Romancing The StoneOn: E4Date: Sunday 22nd AugustTime: 2:55pm (and 3:55pm E4+1)

SeabiscuitOn: BBC 1Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 2:20pm

Sinbad And The Eye Of The TigerOn: FiveDate: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 5:00pm

Snake EyesOn: BBC 1Date: Friday 20th AugustTime: 11:15pm

Spartacus On: Sky Movies ClassicsDate: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 06:05am (and 1:30pm 25th Aug)

Stir Of EchoesOn: SyFyDate: Friday 20th AugustTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Syfy+1, 10:50/11:50pm 24th Aug)

SuspiriaOn: Film4Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 01:55am (and 2:55am Film4+1)

Terminator 3: Rise Of The MachinesOn: FiveDate: Sunday 22nd AugustTime: 8:00pm

The Bourne IdentityOn: ITV1Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 10:00pm

The Day Of The Triffids (1962)On: BBC 4Date: Monday 23rd AugustTime: 10:00pm

The Life Aquatic With Steve ZissouOn: BBC 2Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 11:40pm

The Man With The Golden GunOn: ITV1Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 1:00pm

The Spy Who Loved MeOn: ITV1Date: Sunday 22nd AugustTime: 4:15pm

The Sum Of All FearsOn: more4Date: Friday 20th AugustTime: 9:00pm (and 2:00am 21st Aug)

This Is Spinal TapOn: G.O.L.D.Date: Friday 20th AugustTime: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Gold+1, 00:55/1:55am 21st Aug)

Thunderbolt And LightfootOn: FiveDate: Monday 23rd AugustTime: 11:35pm

UnbreakableOn: Sky1Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 9:00pm (and 9:0pm 22nd Aug Sky2, midnight 15th Aug Sky1, 9:00pm 26th Aug Sky2)

Universal SoldierOn: FiveDate: Sunday 22nd AugustTime: 10:05pm

UnleashedOn: ITV4Date: Friday 20th AugustTime: 11:10pm (and 00:10am ITV4+1, 10:30/11:30pm 22nd Aug)

Young Sherlock HolmesOn: Film4Date: Saturday 21st AugustTime: 6:55pm (and 7:55pm Film4+1, 6:40/7:40pm 26th Aug)