07 July 2010 (TV Previews)

Chosen by: Sheena McGinley

A selection of terrestrial viewing for your viewing pleasure, spanning from the 9th - 23rd of July. As always, you can keep yourself up to date with your viewing by visiting our TV Page for our four daily highlights.

The Silence. 12th July. 9.00pm. BBC1.
A deaf girl witnesses a murder and finds herself thrust into the unfamiliar and uncomfortable hearing world and, unwittingly, into the police investigation, in this thriller/family drama. Eighteen-year-old Amelia Edwards has recently been fitted with a cochlear implant, enabling her to hear, but she struggles to accept that she has a place in the hearing world. Amelia breaks free from her over-protective parents when she goes to stay with her party-loving cousins Tom, Sophie and Joel, her homicide detective uncle (as you do), Jim, and her vibrant Aunt Maggie. The Silence is about an ordinary family where something extraordinary happens. The teenagers' partying lifestyles and casual substance abuse collide with Jim's investigation, and all their lives are hurled into a cacophony of police corruption, betrayal, drugs and murder. Dervla Kirwan also pops her head in.

The Ugly Face of Beauty. 13th July. 8.00pm. Channel 4.
Ever contemplated a little nip or tuck? Dreamed of bigger breasts or a flatter belly? The Ugly Face of Beauty shines a spotlight on the booming cosmetic surgery industry and hears horror stories from those who have fallen victim to botched surgery: with one in five patients admitting they're even more miserable with their bodies post-procedure. Over four films, Dr Christian 'the hair' Jessen presents the ultimate guide to successful cosmetic surgery. And, in a bid to educate surgery seeking teens, he heads to a London secondary school where pupils see cosmetic surgery as the quick fix way to get the body you want. The first film investigates the realities of the nation's most popular cosmetic procedure: the boob job. Christian meets Rachel, who tells the cautionary tale of a breast lift and augmentation that went very wrong. Also, journalist Andrea Thompson goes undercover on Harley St to test out just how far cosmetic surgery clinics will go with the hard sell.

Shooting Stars. 13th July. 9.30pm. BBC2.
After last year's lack lustre reimagining of the surreal 90s panel show, BBC2 are giving it another whirl. As ever, it's hosted by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer with regular team captains Jack Dee and Ulrika Jonsson. Trying to keep up - and keep the scores - is last year's regular guest Angelos Epithemiou, who adds his own unique, um, humour to the proceedings. Joining them in this first episode are chart-topping rap artist Example, Hairy Biker Si King, former Strictly dancer Camilla Dallerup and EastEnder Linda Henry (she of the scary face who plays Shirley). During the show Linda receives a very special massage from Vic, an A-list Hollywood star pays a passing visit, and Angelos presents the first of his special variety showcases. There's no mention of George Dawes in the press release so it's probably a safe assumption to presume Matt Lucas won't be returning this season.

Brian Clough - From Front to Back. 18th July. 10.40pm. BBC2.
Charismatic, outspoken and often controversial, the late Brian Clough is widely considered to be the best manager England never had and one of the best English managers the game of football has ever seen. This frank documentary tells the story of an unforgettable career, including heady days with Derby County, unprecedented European success with Nottingham Forest and a notorious 44-day tenure as Leeds United boss, fictionalised in the novel and film The Damned United (which can be seen before this documentary at 9.00pm). For many, his like will never be seen again. Martin O'Neill and Sir Michael Parkinson are among those who remember the man they called "Cloughie".

The Festival Roadshow. 23rd July. 9.30pm. RTE1.
Every summer, Ireland comes alive with over 250 festivals of every size and type, attracting an astonishing five million people. Each week, The Festival Roadshow - hosted by she of the windswept locks and wildly inappropriate comments - Kathryn Thomas - will be broadcast from the very heart of a particular Irish festival, bringing viewers the sounds, tastes and experiences on offer, while celebrating the craic, tradition and community spirit that lie at the heart of this great Irish institution. As well as live music, dance and comedy performances, each week a local chef will create fast and affordable summer street food, while a well known resident will also join Kathryn to give viewers an insider's guide into their locality. The first programme will feature The Galway Arts Festival, programme two will be broadcast from the The Killarney Summerfest/ 3 Irish Open on the 30 July, while the final programme will be broadcast from The Kilkenny Arts Festival on Friday 6 August.

BEST OF THE REST

T In The Park. From 9th July. 8.00pm. BBC3.
As Oxegen isn't televised, we'll have to make do with its sister festival instead. Edith Bowman and Reggie Yates bring the best performances from Scotland to BBC Three and catch up with the artists who make this one of the favourite festivals of the summer. Included in the weekend line-up are Eminem, Muse, Black Eyed Peas, The Prodigy, Mumford And Sons, Calvin Harris, La Roux and Hot Chip - not to mention Kasabian, who will be headlining on BBC Three on Sunday.

The Fairy Jobmother. 13th July. 9.00pm. Channel 4.
Hayley Taylor - last seen in Channel 4's 2009 documentary series Benefit Busters - is taking on the challenge of sorting out some of Britain's unemployed, infiltrating the homes of people who - sometimes as a result of the economic climate - are out of work, aimless or have little or no desire to get a job. She believes that in order to get people to change you need to tackle every aspect of their life, and she makes them face up to realities of why they're in the situation they are, and forces them to listen to home truths from their loved ones.

Take on the Takeaway. 14th July. 8.30pm. RTE1.
This summer RTÉ One will becomes a battle ground for some of the country's most famous chefs as they pitch their culinary skills against the nation's best loved takeaways. In a head-to-head race against the clock with the staff of the local takeaway, the challenger must cook and serve their dish in the time it takes the takeaway to cook and deliver theirs. Both dishes are then blind tasted by the takeaway fan and each dish is awarded marks out of 10 for taste. The celebrity chef must also shop for the ingredients for the dish, ensuring the cost remains less than that of the takeaway equivalent. Programme one sees Kevin Dundon tinkering with cod and chips

30 Years of An Audience With... 17th July. 9.00pm. UTV.
I believe UTV are trying to kills us this evening. Firstly, we've got The Odd One In at 7.15pm ("singer and TV presenter Peter Andre and comedian Jason Manford team up for ITV1's brand new comedy game show Odd One In hosted by Bradley Walsh."), then this song and dance love in. An Audience With... has showcased momentous performances by The Bee Gees, Lionel Richie, Take That, Ken Dodd, Victoria Wood, Shirley Bassey, Joan Rivers and Al Murray. Throughout this series we’ll be celebrating the exceptional talent and wonderful performances given by our greatest entertainers. In this first show, however, we will be looking back at turns by Dame Edna Everage, The Spice Girls, Bob Monkhouse, and... Joe Pasquale.

Baby Beauty Queens. 20th July. TBC. BBC3.
From sashes and tiaras to diamante eyelashes and spray tans, BBC Three dives extensions first into the burgeoning world of the UK's child beauty pageant industry in this new, six-part series. Today's opening episode features seven-year-old Amber and six-year-old Eden as they prepare to become two of the youngest competitors in Mini Miss UK, while their motivated mothers Sally and Fathom go head-to-head in the Yummy Mummy section.

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