Geek shows and movies on UK TV in the coming week

In the week that UK TV viewers have the least telly news and choices to ponder, we also face our greatest challenge. For tonight, Friday August 20th, the deliciously dark drama that is Dexter starts its fourth season, and it's an especially unnerving one that will have you wishing your weeks away over its 12 episode run. While, in just a few weeks' time, the launch of the fifth season fires up in the States.

If you've managed to remain oblivious, it'll be hard work to enjoy this new season without the ending being spoiled by the rampant headlines, forum posts, comment sections and images bound to be round every click and turn of sites across the virtual landscape, heralding in the fifth outing of this terrific and terrifying series. If you can pull it off, you'll be greatly rewarded and we wish you all the luck in Tellyland that you make it through.

Tonight, at 10:00pm on FX, Living The Dream starts the season that wisely brought the talented Mr John Lithgow into Dexter's eyeline. Be seated early and hang on tight to your couch cushions.

And that's all we have for you this week. We can offer, as a public service statement to readers, to mind your remotes and go nowhere near ITV2, Tuesdays at 10 when Jedward: Let Loose is sicced on the nation's viewers. And this on the very day that the death of Big Brother held such promise (before its rotting corpse Ultimate zombie scratches its way to a two week abominable attempt at clinging to life, anyway). How foolish we are.

But let's block that from our brains, shall we? And move on to the films that follow for the weekend and a bit beyond, including some excellent old, new and future classics, Roger Moore-styled James Bond, a bit of Ray Harryhausen, and more Roald Dahl to share with the youngest geeks in the household.

Remember: the ordinal numbers for dates will help you scan through this simple list with your browser's search function. Enter '21st' in your browser's Find box or window to highlight and/or tab through all movies shown on Saturday. Enjoy!

28 Days Later
On: Film4
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 11:40pm (and 00:40am Film4+1)

28 Weeks Later
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 11:05pm (and 00:05am 22nd Aug Film4+1)

Adventureland
On: Sky Movies Premiere
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 10:00am )and 11:pm Premiere+1, 10:30/11:30pm and daily at similar timmes through 2nd Sept)

Almost Famous
On: Comedy Central
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 02:00am (and 3:00am CC+1, and midnight/1:00am 22nd Aug)

Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy
On: BBC 3
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:35pm 25th Aug)

Assassins
On: ITV4
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 11:30pm (and 00:30am 22nd Aug ITV4+1, 10/11:00pm 23rd Aug)

Benny And Joon
On: TCM
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 5:15pm (and 9:00am 21st Aug)

Cadillac Man
On: TCM
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 9:00pm (and 00:55am 22nd Aug)

Darkman
On: Sky Movies Sci-Fi/Horror
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 11:05pm (and 1:20am 24th Aug)

Daylight
On: ITV1 Granada
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 10:35pm

Deliverance
On: ITV1
Date: Thursday 26th August
Time: 02:20am

Doctor Zhivago
On: ITV3
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 11:55am (and 12:55pm ITV3+1)

Excalibur
On: ITV3
Date: Sunday 22nd August
Time: 11:25pm (and 00:25am ITV3+1)

Gulliver's Travels (1939)
On: Film4
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 12:35pm (and 1:35pm Film4+1)

Highlander
On: ITV1
Date: Monday 23rd August
Time: 10:35pm

James And The Giant Peach
On: Film4
Date: Sunday 22nd August
Time: 2:55pm (and 3:55pm Film4+1, 5:05/6:05pm 26th Aug)

Ju-on: The Grudge
On: Film4
Date: Tuesday 24th August
Time: 01:20am (and 2:20am Film4+1)

King Arthur (2004)
On: Watch
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Watch+1, 9/10:00pm 22nd Aug)

Little Nikita
On: Five USA
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 3:20pm (and 4:20pm Five USA+1, noon/1:00pm 22nd Aug)

Mr. Mom
On: TCM
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 5:15pm (and 9:15am 22nd Aug)

Mystery Men
On: ITV4
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 5:45pm (and 6:45pm ITV4+1)

Nanny McPhee
On: ITV2
Date: Sunday 22nd August
Time: 4:25pm (and 5:25pm ITV2+1)

Nineteen Eighty-Four
On: TCM
Date: Monday 23rd August
Time: 9:00pm (and 1:05am 24th Aug)

North By Northwest
On: Film4
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 3:55pm (and 4:55pm Film4+1)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
On: Film4
Date: Monday 23rd August
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

Porridge
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 5:05pm (nad 6:05pm Film4+1)

Romancing The Stone
On: E4
Date: Sunday 22nd August
Time: 2:55pm (and 3:55pm E4+1)

Seabiscuit
On: BBC 1
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 2:20pm

Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger
On: Five
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 5:00pm

Snake Eyes
On: BBC 1
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 11:15pm

Spartacus
On: Sky Movies Classics
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 06:05am (and 1:30pm 25th Aug)

Stir Of Echoes
On: SyFy
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Syfy+1, 10:50/11:50pm 24th Aug)

Suspiria
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 01:55am (and 2:55am Film4+1)

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines
On: Five
Date: Sunday 22nd August
Time: 8:00pm

The Bourne Identity
On: ITV1
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 10:00pm

The Day Of The Triffids (1962)
On: BBC 4
Date: Monday 23rd August
Time: 10:00pm

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
On: BBC 2
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 11:40pm

The Man With The Golden Gun
On: ITV1
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 1:00pm

The Spy Who Loved Me
On: ITV1
Date: Sunday 22nd August
Time: 4:15pm

The Sum Of All Fears
On: more4
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 9:00pm (and 2:00am 21st Aug)

This Is Spinal Tap
On: G.O.L.D.
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Gold+1, 00:55/1:55am 21st Aug)

Thunderbolt And Lightfoot
On: Five
Date: Monday 23rd August
Time: 11:35pm

Unbreakable
On: Sky1
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 9:00pm (and 9:0pm 22nd Aug Sky2, midnight 15th Aug Sky1, 9:00pm 26th Aug Sky2)

Universal Soldier
On: Five
Date: Sunday 22nd August
Time: 10:05pm

Unleashed
On: ITV4
Date: Friday 20th August
Time: 11:10pm (and 00:10am ITV4+1, 10:30/11:30pm 22nd Aug)

Young Sherlock Holmes
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 21st August
Time: 6:55pm (and 7:55pm Film4+1, 6:40/7:40pm 26th Aug)