‘Once Upon A Time’ is the brand new drama by Channel 5 and it is the complete opposite of a traditional fairytale because in the programme there is no happily ever after.

The drama was created by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, the team behind Lost and Tron: Legacy; and it features a feisty woman called Emma Swan who knows how to take care of herself. The 28-year-old has been fending for herself ever since she was abandoned as a baby at the side of a road but everything changes when her own son, whom she too gave up for adoption, appears on her doorstep 10-years-later.

The young lad, called Henry, is in desperate need of his birth mother’s help because he believes that she derives from an alternate world in which she is the missing daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Still following?

According to the book of fairytales, Emma was sent away to be protected from the Evil Queen’s curse which trapped all of the characters in the real life world. However, they are not even aware that they are lost fairytale characters and are simply living in a town in America called Storybrooke. Here in this strange town, magic has been forgotten and the Evil Queen is known as Regina, who is now Henry’s adoptive mother.

The epic series aired at 8pm on 1st April and the second episode airs on 8th April. If you want to delve deeper into the cast and learn more about these iconic fairytale characters, you can catch up on the episodes with our Demand 5.

Check out the trailer here; it is one the hottest new shows for 2012 and great for all the family!

Based on the best-selling book by one of the UK’s most prolific and successful writers, Ian Rankin, Doors Open has been commissioned as a two hour film by ITV and will be produced by Sprout Pictures, the company founded by Stephen Fry and Gina Carter.

Laura Mackie, Director of Drama at ITV says:

“Doors Open is full of excitement with many twists and turns and it is as much of a love story as an art heist. We have an A list cast lined up to bring Ian Rankin’s great characters to life.”

The story follows Mike Mackenzie, played by Dougie Henshall (Collision, Primeval, The Silence), a self-made businessman with too much time on his hands. Bored by the comfort of his millions and grieving for the woman who walked out on him five years previously, he’s got an adventurous side just waiting to get him into trouble. When he hears the love of his life, Laura Stanton, art consultant and auctioneer, has returned to Edinburgh, his whole world is turned upside down and he’d risk anything to get her back.

After an evening’s drinking with close friends art expert Professor Gissing played by Stephen Fry (Kingdom, Bones, Sherlock Holmes, The Hobbit); and banker Allan Cruickshank, Mike dreams up a plot to rip-off one of the most high-profile targets in the country – Edinburgh’s private art collection owned by a national bank. Incensed by wealthy patrons hiding works of art away in private collections, the trio devises a plan to swap priceless masterpieces stored in the gallery’s warehouse with brilliantly accurate forgeries.

Fortuitously, Edinburgh’s buildings of special interest are open to the public for a single day under the ‘Doors Open‘ scheme. It’s the nation’s celebration of public access, the perfect opportunity for these three to pull off the perfect art heist and for Mike it’s too good a challenge to pass up. It might just help him to get Laura back into his life.

Mike enlists the help of Charlie Calloway, old school friend and small time gangster, to beef up their criminal know-how, but Charlie’s involvement comes at a price:  he brings the unwelcome attention of some less-than-friendly outlandish gangsters. By the time the gallery warehouse doors are flung open to the public, there’s no going back.

Doors Open has been adapted from Ian Rankin’s novel by James Mavor and Sandi Toksvig. Marc Evans (Collision, Hunky Dory) is directing, Jon Finn (Billy Elliot, My Little Eye) is producing and Executive Producers are Sprout Pictures’ Managing Director Gina Carter, Stephen Fry and Sandi Toksvig. The Creative Producer is Pip Broughton and Head of Production is Zoe Rocha.

Stephen Fry said:

“I picked up Ian Rankin’s breathless and ingenious thriller Doors Open at an airport a year or so back and as I read I just knew it would make a thrilling, charming and original TV drama. I also adored the character of Professor Gissing and a shamefully vain part of me refused to see anyone else in the role. I am so thrilled that ITV were of the same opinion and that all of us at Sprout Pictures have managed to put together what I believe will be an entertaining, suspenseful art heist thriller which will appeal to audiences at home and abroad.”

Filming in Edinburgh begins on 23 April for five weeks. Further cast announcements will be made shortly.

Doors Open Days are coordinated nationally by the Scottish Civic Trust and take place every weekend in September throughout Scotland. For more information visit www.doorsopendays.org.uk.

Beavis & Butt-Head

Back in 1993 when boybands were the next big thing, two cartoon knuckleheads created by Mike Judge launched on MTV and unwittingly started an animated pop culture revolution. Sitting on their couch they made fun of MTV’s music video staples and talked about stuff that “sucked.”

Socially awkward, mischievous, crude, juvenile, dim-witted, woefully undereducated, barely literate, teenage delinquents. Yes, Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head make their triumphant return to MTV UK on Monday April 16th @ 10pm for 12 episodes.

After a career hiatus of 15 years, Mike Judges’ Beavis and Butt-Head are back to unleash their hilarious perspective on today’s society, commenting on everything from music videos to reality TV shows (including MTV favourites Jersey Shore and 16 and Pregnant).

In the new series Beavis and Butt-Head do Twilight  – they believe the only way to get a girl is to become a vampire or werewolf. They try their very best and succeed in getting bitten by a werewolf, who actually turns out to be a homeless person who gives Beavis and Butt-Head Hepatitis C!

Beavis & Butt-Head return to MTV UK

Fans of the show have a chance to win limited-edition Beavis and Butt-Head t-shirts. Simply follow MTV UK on Twitter @MTVUK for more details.

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head returns to MTV UK on Monday April 16th @ 10pm for 12 episodes.

Until Thursday 12 April, viewers can logon to bbc.co.uk/bbcthree and vote for their all-time favourite episode from a shortlist of 25 of the ‘Best Freakin’ Episodes of all time. A countdown of the top ten episodes will be shown over one ‘Viewers’ Choice Weekend’ in May on BBC Three, culminating in the launch of the brand new giggity giggity good series on the Sunday night.

Relive some of the funniest moments from the past nine seasons of the hit show featuring Quahog’s most dysfunctional family – Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris and Stewie; their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian and their politically-incorrect neighbour Quagmire for an entire weekend.

Zai Bennett, Controller of BBC Three commented,
“Cancel all your plans, reserve your seat on the sofa, and get ready for the ultimate Family Guy-fest because we are giving fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to vote for the episodes they want to watch over one weekend. Which episodes will be able to boast, ‘victory is mine’ and which will claim ‘it’s gon’ rain?’ That choice is yours!”

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Four young twenty somethings based in London’s Camden Town who just happen to be witches! They are a potent mix of characters in ITV2’s new home-grown drama, Switch from Touchpaper Television.

Behind the curtains of their north London home they hide a secret, which has fostered the strongest of bonds – they are members of a witches coven and spells are the thing they do best!

Lacey Turner (Eastenders, Bedlam), Nina Toussaint-White (Doctor Who, Eastenders), Phoebe Fox (Black Mirror, New Tricks) and Hannah Tointon (The Inbetweeners, Hollyoaks), will make up the foursome in this vibrant, colourful, romantic and energetic drama.

The 6 x 60 minute episodes of Switch have been ordered by ITV’s Director of Digital Channels and Acquisitions Angela Jain and commissioned by ITV’s Drama Commissioning team Laura Mackie and Sally Haynes. “Switch is a contemporary series about friendship with a spell-binding twist,” said Laura. “Chloe and Tim have created four fun-loving, free-spirited characters and we’re delighted with the direction the series takes,” she added.

Produced by Philip Trethowan (Being Human, Sold) and executive produced by Touchpaper’s Managing Director, Rob Pursey (Single-handed, Being Human, Coming Up, Murderland), Switch will go into production in London, Cardiff and Bristol for 11 weeks from April 2012. The drama is written by Chloe Moss (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Prisoners’ Wives, Hollyoaks, Skins – script editor) and Tim Price (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Eastenders, Casualty, Holby City).

Rob Pursey said: “We’re delighted to be working with ITV2 and with Tim and Chloe to create this really exciting new series. Switch is an upbeat, funny drama about four young witches trying to make their way in the big city. They want to live a modern life, not one based on their mothers’ old-fashioned rituals. But modern life presents serious problems, and our girls can’t help casting the occasional spell to try to sort things out.”

Set in Camden and Kensington, Switch will chart the girls struggle as they make their way in the world.  Stella (Lacey Turner) is the careerist. Always immaculately dressed and with a rotten boss, Janet, who takes great pleasure in telling terrified Stella she’s crap at her job and should find another profession.

Jude (Nina Toussaint-White) is the fashionista of the bunch, stylish, sexy and clothes conscious she works in a fashion store and certainly has an eye for the boys! Free-spirited and cool Gerry, a guitarist in an indie band, is one of her conquests. Miles is another, but is he really straight?

Newest to London and struggling to cope with the Big City is Grace (Phoebe Fox). She has a traditional attitude to witchcraft, a strong moral sense and tends to pull the girls back from the brink when they are teetering on the edge of disaster.

Hannah (Hannah Tointon) is the traveller of the pack, who arrives from India at the beginning of the drama. Although devoted to the girls wherever she is in the world, Hannah is restless and a commitment-phobe. She’s also the most spontaneous of the quartet.

Grace’s mum Gloria also puts in an appearance and is a witch of the old-fashioned kind. The Solstice is important to her and she’ll stop at nothing to persuade Grace and her friends to attend the ceremony this year.

Alongside the Witches of Camden there’s a brooding dark force in the form of the Witches of Kensington – Alexa, India, Romola and Remy. These girls aren’t to be messed with.  They are sworn enemies and when they set their sights on making life hell for our quartet the lengths they’ll go to is pure evil!

The first three episodes of Switch will be directed by Dominic Leclerc (Love Life, Coronation Street, Skins, Shameless).

Touchpaper is a Zodiak Media Company. Zodiak Rights own worldwide rights to Switch.

Henry Cole is back on another two-wheel adventure.  This time he is taking on one of the quintessential Australian experiences; The Outback.

Watch as he climbs aboard his ‘boudoir on wheels’, better known as a Harley Davidson Street Glide, and sets off on this epic 6,000 kilometre ride from Sydney to Perth. Henry will put his motorcycle skills to the test on The Nullabor Plain, the world’s longest straight road which consists of a daunting 200 kilometres of tarmac without a single bend.

Don’t be fooled, this journey is not as straight forward as it seems, after hours of endless riding, Henry does the inevitable and falls asleep on his bike. As if that wasn’t fatal enough, fatigue appears to be only one of the many dangers in the dessert.

The Outback is home to thousands of seven foot kangaroos, wild camels, wombats and dingos all of which have a habit of throwing themselves in front of moving vehicles. It’s not all about the ride Henry takes time out of his saddle to visit the coolest chop shop in Oz, indulge in some astonishing stunt plane flying and take a helicopter tour over the Twelve Apostles.

And of course, you can’t visit the countryside without coming across some real life Australian characters.

Watch as Henry tackles the heat, dodges the wildlife and proves that the most challenging of roads can often be, seemingly the most straightforward.

World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides is on the Travel Channel, Thursdays @ 8pm.

Jessie stars Debby Ryan

Disney Channel’s brand new comedy series Jessie, is set to take the UK by storm, following its huge ratings success in the U.S. with 4.6 million viewers tuning in to make it the most-watched Friday series premiere in three years.* The series stars 18-year-old teen starlet Debby Ryan of The Suite Life on Deck and 16 Wishes fame, and will premiere on the channel at 5:35pm this Friday 17th February 2012.

The story follows the journey of an idealistic teen, played by Debby Ryan, from rural Texas who moves to New York City and becomes a nanny for a high-profile couple Morgan and Christina and their four children, Emma, Ravi, Luke and Zuri.

Starring alongside her is a talented cast including Tony Award-nominated Kevin Chamberlin (Broadway’s The Addams Family) as Bertram; Peyton List (27 Dresses, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules) as Emma; Karan Brar (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules) as Ravi; Cameron Boyce (Grown Ups) as Luke; and Skai Jackson (Royal Pains) as Zuri.

Fans of Disney Channel shows will be pleased to learn that Disney UK has launched Superbia, a fun and entertaining online game where kids can safely play in digital areas inspired by Disney Channel’s hit shows and popular characters.

The vibrant city of Superbia features a variety of Disney Channel inspired places for kids to explore such as the Hannah Montana concert hall, Shake It Up dance studio and other sites dedicated to hit shows like Good Luck Charlie, A.N.T. Farm and The Suite Life on Deck.

The latest location to be added to the city of Superbia is Jessie’s New York Penthouse apartment where players can buy Jessie themed items to decorate their house in the latest Manhattan style and dress up like their favourite Jessie characters. There will also be a quest where they can win a very special house guest (Mr Kipling – the family’s pet lizard) for their in-game Superbia house.

As a citizen of Superbia, users can choose their own personalised avatars, select special outfits, decorate their own virtual rooms or visit the virtual homes of their favourite Disney Channel characters.  Players also face the challenge of creating new desserts for the ice cream parlour and undertake a series of quests to unlock cool new rooms in the community.

Superbia is based on Disney Channel Italy’s hugely popular social game, Fun and Friends, which boasts over 60,000 registered users, numerous dedicated fan forums and Facebook pages. Superbia is the newest addition to Disney’s successful collection of digital environments, which includes the Children’s BAFTA-nominated website Club Penguin, the world’s most successful virtual world for kids.

A unique platform for self-expression and personalisation, Superbia contains exciting and engaging content to create a truly unique online experience for kids.  Superbia is a safe online game, giving parents the confidence that their children can enjoy the internet securely.

Whatever your viewing preferences, this year promises to offer some amazing viewing.  Programmes range from perfect period dramas to suspense-filled soaps and from riotous reality shows to superb sporting showcases.

Here we take a look at some of the top TV picks viewers won’t want to miss in 2012, covering both firm favourites and exciting new offerings.

2012 TV Drama

This year promises some exciting offerings for drama fans.  Some shows not to be missed include:

• Downton Abbey – ITV has confirmed that a third series of the popular period piece is in production and will hit our screens this autumn.  Following on from the success of the Christmas special, fans will be on tenterhooks awaiting the wedding and much more besides.

• Hit and Miss – From the creator of Shameless, this tense drama stars Chloe Sevigny as a pre-op transsexual whose complicated life is as an assassin thrown into chaos when she discovers she fathered a child in her former life.

2012 Reality TV

Reality TV is a favourite family format and 2012 looks set to offer a bumper package of true-life tales.  Ones to watch include

• The Voice – The tried and tested talent show format will return to ‘Auntie’ this spring with the first series of The Voice.  Billed as the channel’s answer to The X Factor, this new series will feature pop queen Jessie J as a judge, alongside the singing legend that is Sir Tom Jones.

• Big Brother – It’s the reality show they couldn’t kill.  Big Brother was famously axed from Channel 4 in 2010 following the win by Bristolian Josie Gibson, but made a triumphant return on rival channel Five, fronted by former winner Brian Dowling.  The series is set to kick off in May and will keep fans glued throughout the summer.

2012 Sports TV

Sports fans will be spoiled for choice in 2012, with all the annual events being aired alongside the excitement of the Olympics.  Sports must-sees include:

• The Olympics – Coming to the UK in 2012 and offering even more of an excuse to follow every event.  The BBC is planning to extend on-air hours for BBC 3 and to launch an extra channel to cover the 20 days of the event, with BBC 5 Live Olympics Extra being available via the digital TV network.

• Formula One – Coverage of the favourite motorsport event will be split between the BBC and Sky for the first time this year.  Petrolheads across the country will be tuning in to see who is on poll position.

2012 Soap TV

Soap fans can look forward to some surprised in 2012, with ongoing offerings and resurrected legends gracing our screens.  Soap selections for this year include:

• EastEnders – Follow the fortunes of Albert Square in the year 2012 PP (that’s Post-Pat).  Some old faces return and new characters are planned – watch this space.

• Dallas – Yes, 2012 is the year of the Ewings.  The ostentatious Texans are back bigger and brasher than ever, and utterly unmissable.  It features the original stars Larry Hagman and Linda Gray.

Olivia Munn: Anti Animal Fur Farms Campaign

Actor Olivia Munn Hosts PETA’s Hard-Hitting Exposé of Chinese Fur Farms

Drivers in Los Angeles have been urged not to become too distracted when they’re driving down Beverly Boulevard this month: actor Olivia Munn – who stars in Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming comedy Magic Mike and Aaron Sorkin’s highly anticipated HBO drama series The Newsroom and can also be seen on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart –  is featured in the buff in a brand-new “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” billboard ad for PETA US. Munn unveiled the billboard in person yesterday in LA. In the ad, which was shot by top celebrity photographer Emily Shur, Munn poses au naturel next to the thought-provoking slogan “Who Needs Fur to Feel Beautiful?” High-resolution photos of Munn at the unveiling are available here and here.

Munn is also working with PETA UK to shed light on the cruelty of fur.  In Munn’s latest PETA campaign, she reveals much more than just her skin by hosting a brand-new video exposé of fur farms in China, the world’s largest fur exporter. “As a proud person of Chinese descent, it broke my heart to learn just how terribly animals suffer and die on Chinese fur farms and that there are no penalties for this abuse”, explains Munn in the video. The exposé reveals shocking cruelty, including raccoon dogs being beaten, rabbits having their heads cut off, and workers ripping the fur off animals’ bodies as the animals writhe in pain.

Munn talked more about fur in an exclusive interview with PETA. “[W]hen you think about even that little tiny trim of fur on your gloves or on your collar, that is still coming from an animal that had to endure so much pain just for you”, she said. “There’s nothing good about pretending like you don’t know.”

Munn joins a host of other celebrities – including Charlize Theron, Eva Mendes, Ricky Gervais, Tim Gunn, Lea Michele, Gillian Anderson and Pink –who have teamed up with PETA and its international affiliates to speak out against fur.

For more information about the suffering of animals killed for fur, please visit PETA.org.uk.

On Christmas Day evening the whole family enjoyed Lapland, a play that followed a dysfunctional family from Liverpool as they attempted to enjoy Christmas together in the land of Santa Claus, following a death in the family.  The dry, black comedy was brilliantly executed as a family who don’t quite see eye-to-eye  gradually falls apart under the strain of having to spend Christmas together.

Then, between Christmas and New Year there was, what is now, the ubiquitous year in review as Charlie Brooker put his normal sarcastic spin on the 2011 news stories in another edition of his Screen Wipe.  And that was it!

My son is one of many going loopy over the US sitcom, The Big Bang Theory.  He received a DVD and two t shirts for Christmas, and was very happy.  But I’m afraid it doesn’t do anything for me.
So, was 2012 going to be any better?

Fortunately the second series of Sherlock began on New Year’s Day.  Three more episodes written by the likes of Steven Moffat, Steve Thompson and Mark Gatiss – one third of The League Of Gentlemen & writer and presenter of the fabulous A History of Horror which was screened last year on BBC4.

I am loving the second series of Sherlock, the 21st century re-interpreting of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. The writing and acting is sublime, witty and truly original, as such.  The idea of bringing the most famous Victorian detective, who first appeared in 1887, into the present as Holmes and his fabulous sidekick Dr Watson use text messages & a blog to help advertise their services and solve detective mysteries.  With the drug-addicted Holmes preferring nicotine patches over opium pipes.

I’ve just watched the second of three episodes, a reworking of the most famous of Conan Doyle’s stories, The Hound of Baskerville (based on The Hound of the Baskervilles) which was written by Mark Gatiss. I don’t want to give the story away, and only urge you to watch it on Catch-Up TV or the iPlayer if you have so far given the series a swerve.

Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson; and there is support from the wonderful Una Stubbs as their mothering landlady.
I’m hoping there is something else to look forward to after next Sunday’s final episode. Any ideas?

The Reichenbach Fall, the final episode of the current series of Sherlock is on Sunday 15th January on BBC1.  Sherlock -the second series is scheduled to be released on DVD and Blu-ray on 23 January 2012.