Waterloo Road re-opens after fire

Waterloo Road, the setting for BBC One’s school based drama, opens for a new 20 episode term later this week following the devastating fire which gutted half the school at the end of the last series.

French cop show ‘Spiral’ gets UK DVD release

Acclaimed French crime drama Spiral gets a long-awaited UK DVD release courtesy of 2|Entertain. The 2005 drama first aired on Canal+ and has been showin in the UK by BBC Four where it won consistently good audience figures.

The gangster fixations of EastEnders

Tonight EastEnders decided to have yet another go at passing itself off as gang-based drama, as always seems to be the case the whole affair came across less The Long Good Friday and more Bullseye! (the 1990’s Caine/Moore film, not the Jim Bowen quiz).

Belle’s back in September

Billie Piper is back as Belle in a second run of Secret Diary of a Call Girl, set to air next month on ITV2. and Belle’s moved up in the world and working as a high-class independent escort. The new series also sees her as the unwilling mentor to wannabe call girl Bambi and falling in love.

Torchwood series three filming underway

Filming is now underway on the third series of Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood as the show prepares to make the jump to BBC One.

Despite the second 13-part series receiving strong viewing figures and good reviews the corporation has decided to cut the the new series to just five episodes which will air across a single week.

New Tricks back for sixth series

Cop show New Tricks which stars Dennis Waterman, Alun Armstrong and James Bolam as retired coppers investigating unsolved murders will be back for a sixth series, the BBC has announced.

The show, which also stars Amanda Redman, has been a ratings hit for the channel with the latest series peaking at 9.24 million viewers. According to BARB the drama has been the most watched programme on British TV for the weeks ending 13 July, 3 August and 10 August 2008.

ITV confirms Hurt’s return as Crisp

John Hurt is to reprise his acclaimed role as Quentin Crisp for a new ITV1 drama dealing with Crisp’s life in the US. An Englishman in New York will also star Sex in the City star Cynthia Nixon and picks up where the 1970’s classic The Naked Civil Servant left off.

Penry-Jones Stars in 39 Steps Remake

Spooks star Rupert Penry-Jones is to star in a new BBC One adaptation of John Buchan’s ‘The 39 Steps’.

The one-off drama, set in 1914, has been adapted by Lizzie Mickery who has been asked to “to re-imagine it for a modern audience more familiar with James Bond and Jason Bourne“ by producer Lynn Horsford.