TV guide: COMING UP

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), Sept 20, 2008

Byline: Neil Atkinson

WATCH IT!

Merlin

0aturday, BBC1, 7.30pm

THEY promise this will put the magic back into Saturday evening viewing.

But can Merlin, the wizard of Arthurian times, cast a spell powerful enough to drag the millions away from The X Factor? It's billed as a cross between Robin Hood and Harry Potter and is certainly aimed at the family market.

There's also a stellar cast lined up for the drama, which features newcomer Colin Morgan (pictured) in the title role of the sorcerer handed the task of protecting King Arthur.

But it could be some of the more well-known names who steal the show - notably Richard "Victor Meldrew" Wilson as court physician Gaius, and John Hurt as a well-spoken dragon.

The BBC made a country estate 70 miles north of Paris into Camelot and with a lavish budget for props and special effects, it could be a winner.

FAST FORWARD

Agatha Christie's Poirot Sunday, ITV1, 9pm DAVID Suchet's dapper Hercule Poirot has to be one of the most bizarre TV detectives (after Columbo).

But this new run of two-hour dramas features quality scripts and fine acting, even if the outcome is almost always inevitable.

RECORDIT!

Leslie Ash: Face to Face Wed, ITV1, 9pm

OLD Trout Pout is back with a very personal look at cosmetic surgery and its dangers. And she should know.

LEAVE IT!

Russell Brand Live Friday, C4, 10pm HERE is a man who believes his own hype ... and is now a parody of himself. Not one to stay in for.