It’s a week of momentous returns for UK television, with Bake Off, Drag Race and Taskmaster all back in action and Never Mind The Buzzcocks finally rebooted after a seven year hiatus.
Manhunt II
Monday
ITV, 9.00pm
Martin Clunes returns as former Metropolitan Police Senior Investigating Officer Colin Sutton in the second series of the ITV drama, subtitled The Night Stalker.
Ed Whitmore has delved back into Sutton’s diaries to adapt the real life story of the serial burglar and rapist, Delroy Grant, who terrorised the elderly in South East London for 17 years.
Unlike the murder investigation in the first series, which Sutton led from the outset, the detective comes late to the case and solves it in a matter of weeks.
The Great British Bake Off
Tuesday
Channel 4, 8pm
12 new bakers go head to head for the 12th edition of The Great British Bake Off.
As always there are contestants from all walks of life, including a police detective, a retired midwife, a psychology student and a software developer.
Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding return to present and pester the bakers, while Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood will once more judge their creations. Expect many a handshake, as Hollywood is on record as saying the standard this year was “certainly the highest I’ve ever encountered.”
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Tuesday
Sky Showcase HD, 9pm
After seven long years, the iconic and anarchic quiz show has found a new home on Sky.
Taskmaster host Greg Davies will take over as Quizmaster, while Noel Fielding re-joins the series as one of the two team captains. The other is This Country star Daisy May Cooper, who becomes the first female regular team captain in the show’s history.
The format has been freshened up with new rounds added, but thankfully the favourites, including the Intros Round, will return.
Joining the captains and regular panellist Jamali Maddix in the first episode are Anne-Marie, Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall and comedian Nish Kumar.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK
Thursday
BBC iPlayer, 7.00pm
RuPaul begins a third search for the UK’s next drag superstar.
12 queens will be slaying the runway this series, including series two star Veronica Green who was forced to pull out after testing positive for coronavirus. In a first for the series, a female drag queen, Victoria Scone, will also take part.
Mama Ru, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr will once again take turns on the judging panel, with Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Emma Bunton, Alesha Dixon, Oti Mabuse and Matt Lucas among the celebrities on the series’ guest list.
Taskmaster S12
Thursday
Channel 4, 9.00pm
Greg Davies is a busy man this week, also returning to host Taskmaster for its twelfth edition.
Competing for the golden bust of his head are Alan Davies (QI), comedian Desiree Burch, Guz Khan (Man Like Mobeen), Morgana Robinson (The Windsors) and Victoria Coren Mitchell (Only Connect). Little Alex Horne will of course be on hand to keep score and offer moral support.
The first set of challenges include creepers, catapults and a cactus.
Mr. Mayor
Friday
Sky Comedy, 8.30pm
The Good Place’s Ted Danson fronts this NBC comedy premiering in the UK, playing a retired billionaire businessman, Neil Bremer, who runs for mayor of Los Angeles for all the wrong reasons.
When he does win, he has to figure out what he stands for, gain the respect of his staff, and the respect of his teenage daughter, Orly (Kyla Kenedy).
In the first episode, Neil wins the election but his lack of political knowhow quickly shows as he comes up against no-nonsense councilwoman Arpi Meskimen (Succession’s Holly Hunter).