Siobhan Finneran is BACK in a leading role on ITV1.
This week's best telly includes brand new ITV1 drama Protection, starring Siobhan FInneran, Katherine Kelly and Nadine Marshall as well as the return of THREE hit dramas, Gangs of London, The Marlow Murder Club and The Madame Blanc Mysteries.
Elsewhere, Jimmy Carr hosts the long-awaited UK version of Last One Laughing on Prime Video, Uzo Aduba leads Netflix's new drama The Residence and The Great Celebrity Bake Off is back on Channel 4, raising oney for Stand Up To Cancer.
Here are 7 TV shows you can't miss this week...
1
RETURNING TALENT SHOW
THE GREAT CELEBRITY BAKE OFF
Sunday 16th March at 7.40pm on Channel 4
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer is back as 20 brand new celebrities put their baking skills to the test in telly's most famous tent as Caroline Waldegrave joins Paul Hollywood for judging, and hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond return to oversee proceedings.
In the first episode of the new series, married couple Chris and Rosie Ramsey go up against each other, alongside a sibling rivalry, as Scarlette Douglas squares up to her brother Stuart.
For their Signature challenge, they must make tea-time classic scones, before taking on a chocolatey old-school favourite in the Technical. And for their ambitious Showstopper, they attempt to recreate their career highlight in cake.
5 EPISODES CONTINUES WEEKLY
STREAM ON CHANNEL 4
2
BRAND NEW DRAMA
PROTECTION
Sunday 16th and Monday 17th March at 9pm on ITV1
Siobhan Finneran leads ITV1's new six-part thriller Protection, which is about what happens when the clandestine and morally grey witness protection system breaks down.
Detective Inspector Liz Nyles is a single mum, juggling a difficult divorce and a sick father, who finds herself at the heart of a security breach within her witness protection unit.
Professionally compromised by a secret affair with a colleague, she is determined to uncover the true source of corruption within the police. Liz will stop at nothing to redeem herself, the reputation of her lover, and to keep her witnesses and her own family safe. Even if it means breaking all the rules.
Protection is the story of a tough, but increasingly isolated and under suspicion police officer, as she is pulled into a dangerous conspiracy where nothing is as it seems and also stars Nadine Marshall, Katherine Kelly, Barry Ward and Chaneil Kular.
6 EPISODES CONTINUES WEEKLY
STREAM ON ITVX ALL EPISODES AVAILABLE
3
RETURNING DRAMA
THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB
Wednesday 19th March at 8pm and 9pm on U&Drama
HIt cosy crime drama The Marlow Murder is back for a second series and after the triple murder that rocked the community last series, life in the idyllic town of Marlow had just about returned to normal.
However, it’s not long before retired archaeologist Judith Potts, played by Samantha Bond, vicar’s wife Becks Starling, played by Cara Horgan, and dog-walker Suzie Harris, played by Jo Martin, are called back into action, when a series of new unsettling crimes befall the local residents.
From a seemingly impossible murder inside the locked study of a sweeping mansion, to the mysterious case of a man murdered in the middle of a sleepy cul-de-sac with no connection to the town, and an unexpectedly brutal accident at the prestigious Marlow sailing club that quickly reveals itself to be something more sinister, there’s no rest for our sleuthing trio.
Navigating the delicate balance of Marlow society – from local aristocracy to the workers at the local boatyard, the pubs and cafes of the High Street to a newly established archaeological dig, Judith, Becks and Suzie dig into all corners of Marlow life as they assist DCI Tanika Malik in her official investigations.
6 EPISODES CONTINUES WEEKLY
STREAM ON U ALL EPISODES AVAILABLE
4
BRAND NEW ENTERTAINMENT SHOW
LAST ONE LAUGHING
Thursday 20th March on Prime Video
This week, Prime Video are launching the UK version of their hit format Last One Laughing, with a star-studded line-up of comedians taking part including Bob Mortimer, Daisy May Cooper, Harriet Kemsley, Joe Lycett, Joe Wilkinson, Judi Love, Lou Sanders, Richard Ayoade, Rob Beckett and Sara Pascoe.
Hosted by Jimmy Carr, with Roisin Conaty as his special guest, the rules are simple. Laugh and you’re out. 10 of Britain’s funniest comics will be challenged to spend the day together without so much as cracking a smile.
Over the course of the series, they will use every ounce of their comedic talents to try and break their opponents without cracking up themselves.
And it’s not just their rivals they need to watch out for. The show is packed with comedy cameos, format twists and surprises designed to lure a smile from the players.
6 EPISODES FINAL TWO EPISODES NEXT THURSDAY
STREAM ON PRIME VIDEO
5
BRAND NEW DRAMA
THE RESIDENCE
Thursday 20th March on Netflix
132 rooms. 157 suspects. One dead body. One wildly eccentric detective. One disastrous State Dinner.
That's the premise for Netflix's new whodunnit, The Residence, which is set in the upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world's most famous mansion.
From creator Paul William Davies, The Residence stars Uzo Aduba, Randall Park, Giancarlo Esposito, Edwina Findley, Molly Griggs, Jason Lee, Ken Marino, Al Mitchell, Dan Perrault, Bronson Pinchot, Julieth Restrepo, Mel Rodriguez, Susan Kelechi Watson, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Mary Wiseman and more.
8 EPISODES
STREAM ON NETFLIX ALL EPISODES AVAILABLE
6
RETURNING DRAMA
THE MADAME BLANC MYSTERIES
Thursday 20th March at 9pm on 5
5's hit returning drama The Madame Blanc Mysteries returns this week for its fourth series, with Sally Lindsay returning to Sainte Victoire as antique dealer and sleuth Jean White. And following their heartfelt confession at the end of the last series, Jean and her sidekick Dom are quietly navigating a blossoming but secret romance.
With her growing reputation as a crime-solving expert and her deep knowledge of antiques, Jean teams up with Police Chief Inspector André Caron to unravel a series of mysteries. As more cases emerge and an old friend reappears, will Jean and Dom be able to keep their relationship intact amid the chaos?
In the first episode, the CEO of a major company, Antoine Lefevre, has gone missing and was last seen at dinner the previous night, Jeremy and Judith find a man’s body lying in a dinghy on an early morning ski ride and at La Couronne pub, Patrick inspects a wine delivery and is shocked by how much Judith is paying for a case of house red.
Meanwhile, still hiding their relationship, Jean and Dom awkwardly pretend to meet at separate times in the pub, but Patrick is too distracted by the wine mystery to notice.
EPISODES CONTINUES WEEKLY
STREAM ON 5
7
RETURNING DRAMA
GANGS OF LONDON
Thursday 20th March at 9pm on Sky Atlantic
Gangs of London returns to Sky Atlantic this week for its third series as chaos erupts in London after a spiked shipment of cocaine kills hundreds and fan favourites collide with new faces bound by blood ties, sparking brutal power struggles, unexpected alliances and fierce rivalries.
Former undercover cop turned gangster Elliot navigates his new role as a top-level criminal alongside the Dumanis, but the spiking throws their operations into disarray. The Wallaces, Luan, Lale, and the street gangs face devastating consequences as personal vendettas collide with professional power struggles bleeding into violent turf wars.
In the ruthless fight for control of London’s criminal underworld, no one is safe. This was no accident. It was a calculated attack. But who’s pulling the strings?