TV programmes of the month 1)Doctor Who (BBC1): There are several old programmes you remember only with a nostalgic glow. You thought that they were fantastic must-see television, but when you catch them again on UK Gold several years later you suddenly realise the plots were thin, the effects were shaky and your memories were false. It's usually even worse with revived TV series. Some producer decides that an old show is resurrectable, adds a dash of 21st century realism and the whole thing turns out to be unwatchable. I had precisely these fears with Russell T Davies' regeneration of Doctor Who, but I needn't have worried. The new series is fantastic, ironic, adventurous, witty, credible and, most surprising of all, a monster ratings hit. And there's a Dalek tonight. Unbeatable. 2)The Apprentice (BBC2): OK, so they're just a bunch of Gordon Gecko wannabes arse-licking their way to the top of Alan Sugar's greasy pole, but this bunch of bickering dysfunctional capitalists have certainly made for addictive must-see television. It'll be Tim winning next week, won't it? Surely. 3)End Day (BBC3): What if the world ended, today? Might be a virus, might be a super volcano, might be a tidal wave, might even be a black hole created in a laboratory, but none of us will be seeing tomorrow. End Day dramatised five very different routes to Armageddon, with the central character reawakening after every disaster in a Groundhog Day style. I found the pseudo-scientific hokum unexpectedly arresting, especially the shot of a huge asteroid emerging suddenly from a cloud to obliterate Berlin.
Paperback of the month: The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst. I think that's the first time a book about AIDS, toffs, drugs, 80s politics and shagging has won the Booker Prize, but it won because it's beautifully written. Most clicked-on link of the month: UK Google Maps (210 clicks) Single of the month: Avalon by Juliet (enthused about a fortnight ago) Film of the month: The HitchHiker's Guide To The Galaxy (reviewed yesterday) Gig of the month: I'm going tonight (review tomorrow)
