Gladiators, all stars, celebs and more!
This week's best telly includes Holly Willoughby's return to television after a brief hiatus, the return of comedies Big Boys and Bad Education, as well as an ITV2 outing for Jayde Adams' Ruby Speaking.
Maya Jama returns to South Africa to welcome 12 all stars into the Love Island villa and after 5 years away, True Detective returns, whilst Gladiators also returns after 15 years away.
Here are 7 TV shows you can't miss this week...
1. Gladiators
Saturday 13th January at 5.50pm on BBC One
Gladiators, ready! That's right, after 15 years away, television's most exciting and iconic sports entertainment gameshow Gladiators is back on its new home of BBC One, hosted by father-and-son duo, Bradley and Barney Walsh.
A new generation of superhuman Gladiators will compete against a brave set of contenders in the ultimate test of speed and strength, taking part in a series of brand-new games alongside classic challenges including fan-favourite The Eliminator.
1/11 Continues weekly
2. Dancing on Ice
Sunday 14th January at 6.30pm on ITV1
Holly Willoughby is making her big return to television this weekend alongside new co-host Stephen Mulhern as Dancing on Ice welcomes 12 brand new celebrities to the ice, all competing to become champion of the rink with the help of some of the world’s greatest professionals.
Taking to the ice this year are; Adele Roberts, Amber Davies, Claire Sweeney, Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards, Greg Rutherford MBE, Hannah Spearritt, Lou Sanders, Miles Nazaire, Ricky Hatton MBE, Ricky Norwood, Roxy Shahidi and Ryan Thomas.
Skating legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean resume their roles as head judges on the panel alongside dancers Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse.
This weekend, six of the celebrities will kick off the series by performing their very first routines, with the six remainign celebs taking to the ice for the first time next week. Plus, there'll be two spectacular performances from the show's professional skaters.
1/ Continues weekly
3. Bad Education
Sunday 14th January at 9pm and 9.30pm on BBC Three
Hit BBC Three sitcom Bad Education returned at Christmas for a musical special and now we're returning to Abbey Grove for its fifth season, which sees Strictly finalist Layton Williams return as drama teacher Stephen Carmichael alongside Charlie Wernham as PE teacher Mitchell Harper, Mathew Horne as Mr Fraser and Vicki Pepperdine as headteacher Ms Hoburn.
After spending their life savings on a wedding venue mix-up, Mitchell risks losing Kayleigh and the new generation of Class K come to the rescue, promoting a boxing match at Abbey Grove with dramatic consequences for Warren.
And when Mitchell gets a bit part in a gangster film, it goes to his head. Swayed by the hype, Hoburn instructs him and Stephen to swap jobs, but with the school drama competition looming, Class K aren't keen on the changes.
1/6 Continues weekly. All episodes available from 6am
4. Big Boys
Sunday 14th January at 10pm and 10.30pm on Channel 4
Written and created by Jack Rooke, Big Boys was THE comedy hit of 2022 as we were introduced to Jack and Danny, played by Dylan Llewellyn and Jon Pointing, two boys from very different ends of the “spectrum of masculinity” who become best mates at Brent Uni Freshers Week 2013 and now after multiple award wins and nominations for six more glorious episodes.
When they meet in series one, Jack is a dweeby, sheltered, closeted boy from Watford, trying to overcome grief after his dad’s passing as well as figure out what he actually wants in life, whilst Danny is a typically loud and proud lads’ lad, trying to live out a lost adolescence whilst confronting the demons of his own mental health.
In this series, Jack and Danny return, together with the whole gang, and find themselves in their second year at Brent University 2014, where alongside dealing with virginity hang-ups, drug experimentation (both legal and otherwise), and Jack’s obsession with Alison Hammond, this time round their degrees actually count!
Meanwhile, Jack’s family continue to navigate their lives after his Dad’s passing, beginning just as much of a new chapter as the gang at university. And Danny gets to revisit his past as he learns how to better deal with his mental health issues.
1-2/6 Continues weekly. All episodes available at launch
5. Love Island: All Stars
Monday 15th to Friday 19th January at 9pm on ITV2
This week, Love Island returns to South Africa for the first series of Love Island: All Stars as legendary Islanders from former series venture back into TV’s most talked about Villa for a second chance at finding love.
Maya Jama returns as host with more live interviews promised as 12 famed former Islanders will each attempt to find love once again as they crack on in a bid to couple up and avoid being dumped from the Island.
Relationships will be put to the test as bombshells enter and heads turn leaving some lovestruck hopefuls heartbroken in the ultimate quest for love. As the couples explore their connections and attempt to win the hearts of each other and the nation, only one pair will be crowned the winners of Love Island: All Stars
1-5/ Continues nightly and runs for 5 weeks
6. True Detective: Night Country
Monday 15th January at _pm on Sky Atlantic
10 years on from the first season of True Detective, and 5 years since season three, the anthology crime drama from Nic Pizzolatto is. back for a fourth season starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro.
When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace and Detectives Liz and Evangeline have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.
The new season also stars Finn Bennett, Fiona Shaw, Christopher Eccleston, Isabella Star LaBlanc and John Hawkes as well as guest stars Anna Lambe, Aka Niviâna, June Thiele, Diane Benson, and Joel D. Montgrand.
1/6 Continues weekly
7. Ruby Speaking
Tuesday 16th January at 10pm on ITV2
Following its initial launch in June on ITVX, Ruby Speaking is getting its ITV2 premiere this week. Airing straight after Love Island on Tuesday, it stars Jayde Adams as Ruby, a newly-single, fun and irreverent member of the customer service team at the Bristol call centre of Hellocom.
Ruby is the life and soul of her workplace. She struggles to read from the prepared script that work and life have foisted upon her, choosing instead to walk her own chaotic path and the series follows Ruby and her ragtag bunch of colleagues as they live, love, laugh and enter a choir competition they have no business being in.
Alongside Jayde Adams in the title role, the cast also features Katherine Kelly as Vicki, Sam Swainsbury as Mark, Joe Sims as Tom, Jamal Franklin as Cameron, Nicky Goldie as Donna, Amy-Leigh Hickman as Ellie, Dan Hiscox as Craig and Kiera Lester as Melons.
1/6 Continues weekly. All episodes are available now on ITVX
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