The Blue Lamp

13:25 on Tuesday 13th September on Channel 4

A seminal film from the Ealing Studios that set out to show the work of the London police. Jack Warner stars as the archetypal British bobby, joined by new recruit Jimmy Hanley. Arriving at the scene of a domestic, Warner is shot by Dirk Bogarde and the film moves towards a climactic chase at the White City stadium.

Director: Basil Dearden

Starring: Jack Warner, Jimmy Hanley, Dirk Bogarde, Robert Flemyng, Bernard Lee, Peggy Evans

(Black and White, Subtitles, 1950, PG, 4 Star)



Doctor at Large

13:10 on Wednesday 14th September Channel 4.

Classic British comedy. Dirk Bogarde stars as Dr Simon Sparrow, the young doctor trying to find his way in the medical profession. Dr Sparrow ventures outside the confines of St Swithin's hospital, although his disastrous experiences mean he's not away for long. Co-starring James Robertson Justice and Donald Sinden.

Director: Ralph Thomas

Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Muriel Pavlow, Donald Sinden, James Robertson Justice, Shirley Eaton, Derek Farr

(Subtitles, 1957, U, 3 Star)



Victim

13:10 on Thursday 15th September Channel 4

Basil Dearden's classic film stars Dirk Bogarde as a gay barrister who is blackmailed by a lover who commits suicide when arrested. Bogarde can choose between silence or admission and, in choosing the latter, places an incredible strain on his marriage.

Director: Ringo Lam

Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Sylvia Syms, Dennis Price, Anthony Nicholls, Peter Copley, Norman Bird

(Black and White, Widescreen, Subtitles, 1961, 15, 4 Star)



Sexy Beast

22:00 on Thursday 15th September on Channel 4.

Thriller in which a retired gangster's psychotic ex-colleague tries to persuade him to work on one last job. Now living in Spain with his wife and friends, the former criminal is far from keen to renew his law-breaking ways, but the intimidating visitor is adamant that his friend should come out of retirement for a bank job. The lives of all those involved hang in the balance as the two strong men conduct a battle of wills.

Director: Jonathan Glazer

Starring: Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman, James Fox

(Widescreen, Subtitles, Audio Described, 2000, 18, 3 Star)



Born Romantic

23:30 on Thursday 15th September on BBC 1 North.

An entertaining romantic comedy in which three desperate young men pursue three beautiful women across London.

Director: David Kane

Starring: David Morrissey, Jimi Mistry, Catherine McCormack, Craig Ferguson, Olivia Williams, Adrian Lester

(Widescreen, Followed by Holiday Weather, Subtitles, 2000, 15, 2 Star)



Confessions of a Driving Instructor

00:25 on Saturday 17th September on five.

Bawdy comedy about a young driving instructor who spends most of his time romping on the back seat with his female students. Discovering that women find him irresistible, the young man becomes too busy to help his company win their battle against a rival firm. Innuendos and double-entendres abound in this third entry in the 'Confessions' series.

Director: Norman Cohen

Starring: Robin Askwith, Anthony Booth, Sheila White, Doris Hare, Bill Maynard, Windsor Davies

(Stereo, Subtitles, 1976, 18, 2 Star)



Lord Jim

12:25 on Saturday 17th September on BBC2.

Powerful tale of cowardice and redemption, based on Joseph Conrad's classic novel. During a hurricane, a seaman abandons his ship and its passengers to save himself. Many die horribly, and the sailor knows that he will always be branded a coward. Much later, when he takes on a job transporting dynamite upriver to a tribe rebelling against oppression, he hopes that the perilous task will lead to spiritual regeneration.

Directed by: Richard Brooks

Filmed in: 1965

Peter O'Toole,James Mason,Eli Wallach,Paul Lukas,Jack Hawkins



Thunderbirds Are Go!

16:50 on Saturday 17th September on five.

Feature-length version of Gerry Anderson's classic supermarionated adventure series. When the first manned mission to Mars is sabotaged by a sinister character known as the Hood, International Rescue are called in to protect the astronauts set to undertake the second mission.

Directed by: David Lane

Filmed in: 1966



Funeral in Berlin

20:30 on Saturday 17th September on BBC 4.

Michael Caine reprises his role from The Ipcress File in the second in the Harry Palmer trilogy, based on the Len Deighton novels. British spy Harry Palmer travels to Berlin to investigate the death of a defecting senior Russian officer - an event which has been faked to allow his escape through the Berlin Wall.

Director: Guy Hamilton

Starring: Michael Caine, Paul Hubschmid, Oskar Homolka, Eva Renzi, Guy Doleman, Hugh Burden

(1966, PG, 4 Star)



Wings of the Dove

22:10 on Saturday 17th September on BBC 2.

Romantic period drama adapted from the novel by Henry James. A young couple who cannot afford to marry encounter a rich young American girl who is suffering from a terminal illness. Soon a scheme is concocted by which the couple can inherit her fortune.

Directed by: Iain Softley

Filmed in: 1997

Helena Bonham Carter,Linus Roache,Michael Gambon,Elizabeth McGovern



Who Dares Wins

23:40 on Saturday 17th September on BBC 1.

Action drama about an SAS officer who infiltrates a terrorist organisation planning to take over the US embassy in London. When the guerrillas kidnap an embassy guest and demand a ransom, an elite SAS team prepares to strike. Among a cast of well-known faces, Lewis Collins plays a character well rehearsed from his role in The Professionals.

Directed by: Ian Sharp

Filmed in: 1982

Lewis Collins,Judy Davis,Richard Widmark,Edward Woodward,Robert Webber,Tony Doyle



Doctor Zhivago

15:20 on Sunday 18th September on ITV3.

Epic adaptation of Boris Pasternak's Nobel Prize-winning novel about a Russian doctor and poet, set over three decades in the early part of the 20th century. Made an enemy of the state by the revolution because of his writing, Zhivago seeks solace with the woman brought into his life by the First World War.

Director: David Lean

Starring: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness, Tom Courtenay

(Including Entertainment News Update, 1965, PG, 5 Star)



Murder on the Orient Express

21:00 on Sunday 18th September on ITV3.

All-star adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel set in 1934 on the Orient Express. A financier travelling from Istanbul to Paris is found dead, stabbed a dozen times, and it's up to celebrated Belgian detective Hercule Poirot to solve the crime. He painstakingly interviews those in the same railway car and through an elaborate re-creation aims to find out just who the killer is.