Geek shows and movies on UK TV in the coming week

The highlight of the bank holiday weekend is a real treat, indeed. Sky will be airing its third venture to the platter-shaped world of the imagination and skilful word play of Sir Terry Prachett, with the eagerly anticipated adaptation of a Discworld favourite of many, Going Postal.

Starring Richard Coyle (Coupling, Strange, Franklyn, Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time) and Claire Foy (also starring in the BBC pilot of horror-drama Pulse), the first part airs Sunday 30th May at 6:00pm on Sky1, and Part 2 follows on Monday, May 31st at 6:00pm. Both parts will be shown again on Sky1 and Sky2, so check your local schedules for the best time to catch it. We’ll have a review shortly after the first showing and we’d love to hear what you think.

The third series of Den Of Geek favourite, Chuck, fires up with new Intersect kung fu powers on Monday, May 31st at 9:00pm on Virgin. The series opener, Chuck Versus The Pink Slip starts the new season off with upgraded abilities, but all the close combat skills he can call up can’t help with Chuck’s personal life. You can catch up with our US speed reviews in one of the best seasons of Chuck yet, with a fourth now securely – and happily! – greenlit.

Two series draw to a close in the coming weeks. FlashForwardfinishes its first and final season with its last episodes airing this week. The aptly named Countdown will be shown on Fiver, Sunday, May 30th at 7:00pm, and repeated on May 31st at 8:00pm before the final episode, Future Shock airs first at 10:00pm on Five on Monday, May 31st and is repeated on Fiver, June 1st at 7:00pm, and then is no more.

And a series we had no trouble staying with all the way through, Fringe ends its second series in two parts of Over There starting Tuesday, June 1st at 10:00pm on Sky1 and concluding the following week on June 8th, so be sure to catch the first part when it first airs or is repeated on Sky2 a bit later in the week. With a third season to look forward to of a show that’s grown and matured beyond our expectations rather than bursting bubbles, we’re anxious for more of this sci-fi show.

To finish out the week in bloody horrific style, on Thursday, June 3rd, the first telly broadcast of the pilot episode of the above-mentioned Pulse, penned by Paul Cornell, will be on BBC3 at 9:00pm. You can read our spoiler-free review here and we’ll be back with the (very!) gory details when the show airs.

Lastly, Doctor Who starts a little later than normally scheduled this week, with the conclusion to the two-parter, Cold Blood, airing at 7:00pm on Saturday, May 29th. We have a spoiler-free peek today and a spoiler-filled review will follow Saturday night.

As always, the exact times and details of shows and films are subject to change by the people pushing the buttons, so always check for the latest dates and times in your area to avoid disappointment.

There’s lots to share with the youngest geeks over the holiday, but we’d hate to hear you tuned in for Mary Poppins and got Marathon Man. Or wanted to watch the premiere of Coraline in the UK and came up with Con Air instead!

Now, on to those films and more 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 ’29th’ in your browser’s Find box or window to highlight and/or tab through all movies shown on Saturday. Enjoy!

On: TCMDate: Friday 28th MayTime: 11:30pm

Bad Lieutenant (1992)On: Film4Date: Friday 28th MayTime: 11:25pm (and 00:25am Fim4+1)

Body Of LiesOn: Sky Movies Crime and ThrillerDate: Monday 31st MayTime: 1:05pm (and 9:00pm)

Carlito’s WayOn: Sky Movies Modern GreatsDate: Saturday 29th MayTime: 10:15pm (and 10:10pm 3rd June)

Clear And Present DangerOn: Channel 4Date: Sunday 30th MayTime: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm 4+1)

Con AirOn: Sky Movies ShowcaseDate: Friday 28th MayTime: 02:35am (and 1:25am 29th May, 2:25am 30th May Sky Modern Greats)

ConfidenceOn: Channel 4Date: Sunday 30th MayTime: 01:00am (and 2:00am 4+1)

CoralineOn: Sky Movies PremiereDate: Friday 28th MayTime: 10:00am (and 11:00am Premiere+1 & 5:50/6:30pm, and daily at similar times through 10th June)

Dave Gorman’s Googlewhack AdventureOn: Comedy Central ExtraDate: Saturday 29th MayTime: 01:55am

Dog SoldiersOn: Film4Date: Saturday 29th MayTime: 10:45pm (and 11:45pm Film4+1, 11:10pm/00:10am 4th/5th June Film4/+1)

Eight Legged FreaksOn: ITV4Date: Tuesday 1st JuneTime: 8:00pm (and 9:00pm ITV4+1)

EraserOn: E4Date: Monday 31st MayTime: 11:00pm (and midnight E4+1)

Face/OffOn: Sky Movies Crime and ThrillerDate: Friday 28th MayTime: 9:00pm (and 3:05am 29th May)

FitzcarraldoOn: BBC 4Date: Saturday 29th MayTime: 10:30pm

Ice Age: The MeltdownOn: Film4Date: Monday 31st MayTime: 7:15pm (and 8:15pm Film4+1)

In the Name Of The FatherOn: ITV3Date: Friday 28th MayTime: 11:05pm (and 00:05am 29th May ITV3+1, 11:30pm/00:30am 30th/31st May ITV3/+1)

GladiatorOn: Sky1Date: Saturday 29th MayTime: 9:00pm (and 9:00pm Sky1 & 10:00pm Sky2 2nd May)

Hard TargetOn: ITV4Date: Saturday 29th MayTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm ITV4+1, 10/11:00pm 4th June ITV4/+1)

Independence DayOn: Film4Date: Monday 31st MayTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

John Carpenter’s VampiresOn: Five USADate: Tuesday 1st JuneTime: 10:40pm

Lady VengeanceOn: Film4Date: Saturday 29th MayTime: 01:25am (and 2:25am Film4+1)

Little Miss SunshineOn: Channel 4Date: Monday 31st MayTime: 11:35pm (and 00:35am 1st June 4+1)

Marathon ManOn: Film4Date: Wednesday 2nd JuneTime: 01:05am (and 2:05am Film4+1)

Mary PoppinsOn: BBC 1Date: Monday 31st MayTime: 1:05pm

Mission: Impossible IIOn: Sky Movies Modern GreatsDate: Friday 28th MayTime: 10:25am (and 8:00pm)

National Treasure: Book Of SecretsOn: BBC 1Date: Monday 31st MayTime: 4:35pm

Night At The MuseumOn: Film4Date: Sunday 30th MayTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1, 9/10:00pm 4th June Film4/+1)

North By NorthwestOn: Channel 4Date: Tuesday 1st JuneTime: 12:20pm (and 1:20pm 4+1)

Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)On: BBC 2Date: Sunday 30th MayTime: 02:45am

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s ChestOn: BBC 3Date: Saturday 29th MayTime: 9:35pm

Planes, Trains And AutomobilesOn: Sky Movies ComedyDate: Saturday 29th MayTime: 6:25pm (and 3:00am 30th May)

Play Misty For MeOn: ITV1Date: Friday 28th MayTime: 10:35pm

RecOn: Sky Movies Sci-Fi/HorrorDate: Saturday 29th MayTime: 00:35am (and 2:30am 3rd June)

Red HeatOn: ITV4Date: Sunday 30th MayTime: 11:35pm (and 00:35am ITV4+1 & 10/11:00pm 31st May ITV4+1)

Rocky IIOn: Virgin 1Date: Saturday 29th MayTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Virgin1+1, 3/4:00pm 30th May Virgin1/+1)

Rollerball (1975)On: TCMDate: Friday 28th MayTime: 9:00pm

Romancing The StoneOn: Film4Date: Sunday 30th MayTime: 1:00pm (and 2:00pm Film4+1, 6:55/7:55pm 1st June Film4/+1)

SerenityOn: ITV4Date: Saturday 29th MayTime: 11:00pm (and midnight ITV4+1)

Shaun Of The DeadOn: ITV1Date: Tuesday 1st JuneTime: 10:35pm

Spider-ManOn: FiveDate: Sunday 30th MayTime: 8:00pm

StardustOn: Film4Date: Friday 28th MayTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1, 9/10:00pm 2nd June Film4/Film4+1)

StigmataOn: TCMDate: Saturday 29th MayTime: 11:20pm

Stuart LittleOn: FiveDate: Saturday 29th MayTime: 5:25pm

SwordfishOn: Five USADate: Friday 28th MayTime: 9:00pm

Synecdoche, New YorkOn: Film4Date: Sunday 30th MayTime: 11:10pm (and 00:10am 31st May Film4+1)

The ClientOn: more4Date: Friday 28th MayTime: 9:00pm (and 00:55am 29th May)

The DishOn: SyFyDate: Saturday 29th MayTime: 8:50pm (and 9:50pm Syfy+1, 1/2:00pm 30th May Syfy/+1)

The Last SamuraiOn: ITV1Date: Saturday 29th MayTime: 10:45pm

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two TowersOn: Channel 4Date: Saturday 29th MayTime: 6:15pm (and 7:15pm 4+1)

The MaskOn: WatchDate: Sunday 30th MayTime: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Watch+1, 8/9:00pm 31st May Watch/+1)

The MummyOn: ITV2Date: Friday 28th MayTime: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm ITV2+1)

The PeacemakerOn: BBC 1Date: Monday 31st MayTime: 11:00pm

TwinsOn: ITV1Date: Saturday 29th MayTime: 3:40pm

Vanilla SkyOn: WatchDate: Sunday 30th MayTime: midnight (and 1:00am 31st May Watch+1)