Martin Freeman of "The Robinsons" (Please note quote from BeansTalk, as seen in the Hollywood Reporter, under the entry for "The Robinsons" -- and we didn't write it intentionally as a sound bite!)
Coming In January 2006
CONVICTION –
Conviction, from the makers of Queer as Folk and Clocking Off, is a dark and innovative new series that turns cop drama inside out — showing how easily good guys can turn bad. As Conviction begins, brothers and officers Chrissie (William Ash) and Ray Fairburn (Nicholas Gleaves) are investigating the murder of ‘little Angela,’ a 12-year-old girl whose murder has left the local community shell-shocked and crying for justice. Their sister, Beth (Zoe Henry), is the single-minded lawyer representing the prime suspect, while their father, a retired police officer in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, berates the political correctness of his sons’ modern investigative methods. As those involved in the murder investigation take ever more dangerous steps to solve the case, the distinction between right and wrong becomes blurred, and some will take things a step too far.
Conviction premieres Monday, January 30,
REBUS –
Ken Stott (Messiah) takes the reigns as Detective John Rebus in two new installments of this crime drama series set in
Catch up on prior Rebus thrillers, starring John Hannah, in the Rebus Redux marathon (see page five).
Rebus: Fleshmarket Close premieres Monday, January 16, at
LITTLE ANGELS –
Clinical psychologist Dr. Tanya Byron gets great results in the parenting program Little Angels. Tantrum prone, stubborn, irrational — as cute as they are, toddlers can be a nightmare. Last seen in Teen Angels, Tanya returns to show families with small children how to avoid the situations that bring out the worst in their family. Armed with headsets, microphones, and cameras, Dr. Tanya Byron will use her bag of tricks on fit-pitching toddlers like the Barton brothers — Elliot, Luke, and Harrison — who never stop fighting and are wearing their mother out; two-year-old Emily whose constant whining is driving her parents insane; three-year-old Katie, who is in a state of obsessive rivalry with her little sister; and five-year-old Matthew, who is about to be expelled from school for attacking other children and even the cafeteria staff.
Little Angels premieres Wednesday, January 4,
A WEEK OF DRESSING DANGEROUSLY –
Is the real you hiding beneath dreary clothes? In A Week of Dressing Dangerously, U.K. fashion journalist, Angela Buttolph, commandeers women’s closets for one week, challenging them to play dress-up in order to develop an aspect they feel is lacking in their personalities. A housewife may be asked to dress like a punk rocker on one day and a glam movie star the next. Or, Angela might assign a 40-year-old divorcee to dress like an Amazonian cave woman for the day in order to learn how to stop caring so much about what people think. In the end, the women are surprised to find how they behave when their regular clothes are off and people start taking notice. They also learn to have lots of fun with their new personas, and the confidence they inspire. A Week of Dressing Dangerously is a makeover show from the outside-in.
A Week of Dressing Dangerously premieres Wednesday, January 4,
RETURNING SERIES SEASON PREMIERES
BAD GIRLS –
Lesbian love affairs, lecherous officers, bloody cat fights, illicit drug use, stabbings, and the two Julies — team prostitutes with the motto, “She knobs, I robs” — are all part of everyday life in BBC AMERICA’s new primetime soap Bad Girls, from the makers of Footballers Wive$. Catch the second season premiere one week after the scandalous season one finale. In the second season of Bad Girls, the baddest girl of all, Shell, places a cell phone under her bunk so that prison guard Jim Fenner’s wife can share in his visit to her cell. Helen is exploring her relationship with inmate Nikki, while the rest of the girls kick up their heels working at prison guard Sylvia “Bodybag” Hollamby’s anniversary party — especially after Julie J. spikes Bodybag’s drink. The second season also brings a prison birth, inmate impostors, and some very suspicious tomato plants in the prison garden. And, the ever-enterprising mob wife, Yvonne, will set up a phone sex ring from the wing called “Babes Behind Bars.”
Bad Girls season two premieres Tuesday, January 24,
NIGHT DETECTIVE –
Detective Sergeant Nicky Cole (Don Gilet, Babyfather) is back for a second season, but he isn’t the new boy in town anymore. After a shaky start in
Starting January 30, Mystery Mondays are all-new, with premieres of brand-new series Conviction at
Night Detective season two premieres Monday, January 30 at
MY HERO –
Our superhero super dad returns for a fifth season of My Hero. George Sunday (Ardal O’Hanlon, Father Ted) is Thermoman, from the planet Ultron, dashing from one catastrophe to another as he juggles two jobs — superhero and health food shop owner. For Thermoman, trying to be an ordinary guy is much tougher than his usual work, say, diverting meteorites to save the planet. In this season, the family welcomes a second child with a unique gift of foretelling the future. And, in a bid to rid people’s minds of prejudice and bad thoughts, George decides to electronically filter their minds. But of course, humans rarely act as expected.
My Hero season five premieres Friday, January 6 at
CHANNEL PREMIERES, SPECIALS, AND MARATHONS
TOUCHING EVIL – CHANNEL PREMIERE
Robson Green (Wire in the Blood) stars as the smart, sexy brash, and slightly mysterious Detective Dave Creegan in this gritty mystery series that follows his exploits as the newest member of the Organized and Serial Crime Unit (OSC), an elite, rapid-response crime squad. Along with his partner Detective Inspector Susan Taylor, Creegan squares off against some of
Touching Evil premieres on BBC
THE UNDERGROUND
Want to see something no one else knows about? Have a comedy craving you just can’t satisfy? Tune into The Underground every weeknight to get a two-hour dose of hilarious comedy before heading off to bed. The Underground is where old-school cred meets new-school edge, where absurd is the norm, and the rules were thrown out long ago. This January in The Underground, catch premieres of Creature Comforts and look for favorites The Office, Little Britain, Coupling, Black Books, The League of Gentlemen, Monty Python, Absolutely Fabulous, and The Alan Partridge Experience.
BBC
CASH IN THE ATTIC
Clear out your closets, empty out your cupboards, and make a little money while you’re at it! BBC
BBC
BENNY HILL
Benny Hill is lewd, lascivious, and undoubtedly funny in his infamous half-hour show filled with smutty songs, hokey one-liners, and ridiculous slapstick routines. Inspired by his grandfather's taste for burlesque shows and variety acts, Alfred Hawthorne Hill took the name Benny Hill in homage to his favorite comedian, Jack Benny, and unleashed his grandfather’s naughty sense of humor on the world. The rest is history ― The Benny Hill Show has been seen in 109 countries and translated into dozens of languages.
Catch six hours of the most outrageous episodes of The Benny Hill Show Saturday, January 21,
THE REBUS REDUX
Each two-hour installment of Rebus features a self-contained, engrossing mystery based on the popular crime novels of Ian Rankin. Two brand-new Rebus thrillers, starring Ken Stott, will premiere on BBC AMERICA starting Monday, January 16, but before then, tune into this special marathon of the first four Rebus films, starring John Hannah in the title role. Which actor do you think best captures Rankin’s enigmatic detective?
The Rebus Redux begins on Saturday, January 14,
THE ROBINSONS FAMILY
Ed (Martin Freeman, The Office) and the rest of his insane family invite you to a special Robinson family reunion: a four-hour marathon featuring all six episodes of The Robinsons. Join the shy and inhibited Ed, Abigail the control freak, ultra-compulsive George, and their bickering parents for the evening. The Hollywood Reporter said of the series, “BBC America’s newest family, The Robinsons, happily has enough dysfunction to be familiar, hilarious and engaging. Starring The Office’s very likable Martin Freeman, the six-episode, quietly quirky series will leave audiences wanting more. Bottom line: Hilarious and engaging.” (Guess who wrote that?)
