Geek shows and movies on UK TV in the coming week

We'll start the week with the least exciting bit and, hopefully, work up to more tantalising tidbits on telly as we go through the next seven days.

Despite the hype, the arrival of The Event tonight, Friday, October 22nd at 9:00pm on Channel 4 may be a non-you-know-what. The US show's been accused of trading on the styles and tricks of popular predecessors in trying to fill the island-sized hole left by Lost. From reports and our own reviews, it's only so much blown sand and wind, but the curious may want to see how much of that is true and if it's the wreckage some deem it to be that's now washed up on our shores.

Saturday, October 23rd at 10:00am sees the return of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Sky Movies Premiere, with the first of 22 episodes, entitled Clone Cadets. As a premiering series on the channel, it airs multiple times and you can follow reviews starting here.

Later that evening, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow does a last performance, Saturday, October 23rd at 10:00pm on BBC1. This time the stage is one in Leeds with Sean Collins, Andi Osho and Ardal O'Hanlon the stand-ups on the boards.

The highlight of the week may be found in the popular Doctor Who spin-off (aimed at children, but amazingly appealing to adults), The Sarah Jane Adventures. If you haven't tried it yet, now's the time, as the fifth and sixth episodes of the show's fourth series, entitled Death Of The Doctor, includes, not only a Time Lord we all know and love, but another companion as well. The show airs first on CBBC on Monday, October 25th at 5:15pm, then on BBC1 Wednesday, October 27th at 4:30pm. We have a spoiler-free review here for you.

Monday returns to more animated adventures, this time in Futurama, first showing on October 25th at 5:30pm on Sky1. Crimes Of The Hot is the first of 16 episodes on the show's fifth series. Repeat performances follow on Sky1 and 2.

Then Monday night, October 25th at 9:00pm on ITV1, Whitechapel concludes its three-part second series. We'd said at the start that Sherlock had set the bar higher, especially in that particular London arena, but there's a giggle and nudge to be found in the show, especially with the casting against type this time around of Peter Serafinowicz in this story of Kray twin progeny. Have a look and see which is more adult: this or Sarah Jane's Adventures.

To conclude a top-heavy week, the third and final instalment of A History Of Horror With Mark Gatiss airs at 9:00pm on Monday, October 25th on BBC4. After the Hammer horrors of the 50s (reviewed here), the focus shifts to The American Scream and the advent of the slasher and zombiefied films of the 60s and subsequent horrors of the decades that followed. The episode repeats a couple times later in the week before restarting the series from the beginning, in time for Halloween. We'll have a reminder for you next Friday.

Now, on to the films showing through the weekend and a bit beyond, including the latest Harry Potter, Hammer and Romero horror, Sin City commercial-free on BBC, and movies for fans of the Coen brothers and war stories. That's not to mention the Guillermo del Toro triple bill.

As always, if we missed anything interesting, have a shout in the comments, with our thanks.

Please also note: the ordinal numbers for dates will help you scan through this simple list with your browser's search function. Enter '23rd' in your browser's Find box or window to highlight and/or tab through all movies shown on Saturday. Enjoy!

8MM
On: Five USA
Date: Monday 25th October
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Five USA+1)

A Mighty Wind
On: ITV1  
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 02:55am

A Serious Man
On: Sky Movies Premiere  
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 10:40pm (and 11:40pm Premiere+1,, then daily at similar times through 28th Oct)

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
On: Five
Date: Sunday 24th October
Time: 7:20pm

Airplane!
On: Sky Movies Modern Greats
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 11:55am (and 10:00pm)

An American Werewolf In London
On: SyFy  
Date: Monday 25th October
Time: midnight (and 1:00am 26th Oct Syfy+1)

Benny And Joon
On: TCM
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 3:00pm (and 7:10am 24th Oct)

Casino
On: ITV4  
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm ITV4+1, 10:45/11:45pm 24th Oct)

City Of God
On: Sky Movies Indie    
Date: Monday 25th October
Time: 10:00pm

Cronos
On: Film4
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 11:00pm (and midnight Film4+1)

Dawn Of The Dead
On: BBC 4
Date: Monday 25th October
Time: 10:00pm

Deep Impact
On: BBC 3
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 8:40pm (and 9:00pm 27th Oct)

East Is East
On: Film4
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

Equus
On: TCM
Date: Sunday 24th October
Time: 01:45am

Fargo
On: TCM
Date: Monday 25th October
Time: 9:00pm

Firestarter
On: TCM
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 11:35pm

Flight Of The Phoenix (1966)
On: Film4  
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 11:00am (and noon Film4+1)

Gladiator
On: Sky1
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 9:00pm (and 9:00pm 24th Oct Sky2, 11:00pm 27th Oct Sky1)

Goldfinger
On: ITV1
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 3:25pm

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
On: Sky Movies Premiere   
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 3:10pm (and 4:10pm Premiere+1 & 8/9:00pm, then daily at similar times through 28th Oct)

Hot Shots!
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 7:20pm (and 8:20pm Film4+1)

Kickboxer
On: Five USA  
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 10:40pm (and 11:40pm Five USA+1)

Ladyhawke
On: E4
Date: Sunday 24th October
Time: 2:30pm (and 3:30pm E4+1)

Lifeboat
On: more4
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 11:20am

Live And Let Die
On: ITV4
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 6:30pm (and 7:30pm ITV4+1, 5:30/6:30pm 24th Oct)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith
On: Film4
Date: Monday 25th October
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

My Name Is Bruce
On: SyFy
Date: Sunday 24th October
Time: 11:30pm  (and 00:30am 25th Oct Syfy+1)

Mystery Men
On: ITV4
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 7:45pm (and 8:45pm ITV4+1)

No Country For Old Men
On: Channel 4    
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 10:15pm (and 11:15pm 4+1)

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 00:50am (and 1:50am Film4+1)

Pan's Labyrinth
On: Film4
Date: Sunday 24th October
Time: 11:00pm (and midnight Film4+1)

Phenomena
On: horror channel   
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 10:55pm

Planes, Trains And Automobiles
On: Sky Movies Comedy
Date: Sunday 24th October
Time: 08:55am

Saving Private Ryan
On: more4
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 9:00pm (and 1:15am 23rd Oct)

Scream 2
On: Comedy Central   
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: midnight (and 1:00am 23rd Oct CC+1 & 10:50/11:50pm)

Sin City
On: BBC 2 East
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 11:15pm

Sleepy Hollow
On: Film4   
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

Terminal Velocity
On: Film4  
Date: Sunday 24th October
Time: 01:05am (and 2:05am Film4+1)

The Abyss
On: Film4
Date: Wednesday 27th October
Time: 10:45pm (and 11:45pm Film4+1)

The Bridge On The River Kwai
On: more4
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 1:35pm (and 11:20pm)

The Devil's Backbone
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 11:00pm (and midnight Film4+1)

The Game
On: SyFy
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Syfy+1, 9/10:00pm 24th Oct)

The Insider
On: Film4
Date: Tuesday 26th October
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

The Man With The Golden Gun
On: ITV4
Date: Monday 25th October
Time: 7:30pm (and 8:30pm IYV4+1, 6:30/7:30pm 26th Oct)

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
On: TCM
Date: Monday 25th October
Time: 3:00pm (and 6:50am 26th Oct)

The Mummy
On: ITV2   
Date: Sunday 24th October
Time: 5:35pm (and 6:35pm ITV2+1)

The Sum Of All Fears
On: Watch
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Watch+1, 9/10:00pm 24th Oct)

Thunderbirds Are GO
On: Channel 4   
Date: Tuesday 26th October
Time: 04:30am (and 5:30am 4+1)

Tin Cup
On: TCM
Date: Friday 22nd October
Time: 9:00pm

To Kill A Mockingbird
On: ITV3
Date: Sunday 24th October
Time: 09:30am (and 10:30am ITV3+1)

Where Eagles Dare
On: Five
Date: Saturday 23rd October
Time: 5:10pm

Witchfinder General
On: BBC 4
Date: Sunday 24th October
Time: 10:00pm