SWITCHED ON THIS WEEK

THE BEST BITS ON TV 
Written by Caren Clark of TV and Satellite Week.
For the week Saturday 4 September to Friday 10 September.

1. Porridge @ 30 Weekend UKTVGold. Saturday 11.15am & Sunday 11 am. It's 30 years since Norman Stanley Fletcher and the rest of the inmates of HMP Slade first graced our screens. Cast members and celebrity fans join forces to reminisce with classic episodes.

2. The X Factor ITV1 Saturday 7.35pm NEW SERIES. The Xtra Factor ITV1 Saturday 8.40pm NEW SERIES. Simon Cowell is back on our shores to put another batch of wannabes through their paces, but this time there's no age limit. Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh are Cowell's fellow judges, while Ben Shephard presents extra footage on ITV2.

3. Von Trapped ITV1 Saturday 8.45pm. Blue Murder ITV1 Monday 9pm NEW SERIES. In the first of a series of single dramas on the theme of being trapped, Caroline Quentin plays a woman who's obsessed with The Sound of Music. The ubiquitous actress then crops up in a new run of cop drama Blue Murder.

4. Quite Ugly One Morning ITV1 Sunday 9pm. James Nesbitt heads the cast of this crime drama about an investigative journalist who finds himself in the frame for murder. Daniela Nardini, Mark Benton and Annette Crosbie co-star. 

5. Carnivale FX Sunday 9pm NEW SERIES. A cross between Stephen King and Twin Peaks, this imaginative new drama starring Nick Stahl (In the Bedroom), follows a touring carnival in depression-era America.

6. Zero Hour: Last Hour of Flight 11 Discovery Sunday 10pm. Three years after the attack on the World Trade Center, Discovery reconstructs the final moments of one of the planes which crashed into the building. The anniversary is also marked elsewhere across the networks.

7. Jack Dee Live at the Apollo BBC1 Monday 10.35pm NEW SERIES. The dour comic returns to his roots with this new stand-up show featuring top acts including Ardal O'Hanlon and Ross Noble, with a special performance from Joan Rivers. 

8. The Mercury Music Prize BBC4 Tuesday 9pm. Jools Holland and Jo Whiley present live coverage of this year's award, which urban rapper The Streets is one of the favourites to win. Amy Winehouse and Belle and Sebastian are among those performing on the night.

9. The Grid BBC2 Tuesday-Thursday 9pm NEW SERIES. Former ER actress Julianna Margulies stars alongside Dylan McDermott, Bernard Hill and Jemma Redgrave in this topical drama about the collaboration between the UK and the US to combat terrorism.

10. Viz Silver Plated Jubilee Special Men & Motors Tuesday 11pm. Adult comic Viz first hit the newsstands 25 years ago. Join in the celebrations with is tribute to the country's sauciest comic strip characters.

VARIATIONS

Jack Dee Live at the Apollo - not BBC Scotland. Get 6 issues of TV & Satellite Week absolutely free. If you enjoy the convenience of TV & Satellite Week delivered direct, you can continue your subscription at just £10.99 every 3 months - free post and packaging.

What's the catch?

There isn't one - if you decide you don't like having TV & Satellite Week delivered direct, just cancel your direct debit upon receipt of your 4th free issue and you'll pay nothing.
Telephone inquiries: +44 (0) 845 676 7778 and quote 31W for this great offer or online: www.tvsatsubs.com/ITSCA