Mr Selfridge

Mr Selfridge roars his way through the 1920s
Ben-Felsenburg-colour-176First, an apology for not having drawn your attention to War And Peace, which began last Sunday (I couldn’t see the schedules in time). The Tolstoy adaptation knocks boots off anything else on the box for years and fully warrants all the Baftas, Emmys and Nobels soon coming the cast and crew’s way. It continues this week, and thank goodness for BBC iPlayer so you can catch up if you need to.

So you can understand why Mr Selfridge (Friday, ITV, 9pm) has ceded its customary Sunday night slot and dodged coming up against Pierre, Natasha and Prince Andrei, rather in the manner that I might develop a sudden dodgy hamstring and regretfully have to pull out of racing against Usain Bolt.

Anyway, if you haven’t endured enough retail drama amid the post-Christmas crowds at Liberty and Harvey Nicks, Harry Selfridge (Jeremy Piven) is back living the high life, gambling and gallivanting as if there were no tomorrow, and the year is 1928, so what could possibly go wrong? Yes, season four has no doubt got a major starring role for our old classic friend Nemesis, who here comes in the glamorous form of the Dolly Sisters, It girls with their eyes on the prize – Harry’s bank account. As is the way with most costume dramas after a few series, Mr Selfridge now pretends to be nothing more than a well-heeled soap opera. Which is fine, though I rather doubt War And Peace’s makers will essay a sequel.



NOT TO BE MISSED...

tv-not-to-be-missed

Royal Wives At War Friday, BBC2, 9pm
Gina McKee plays Wallis Simpson, looking back from 1967 to the Abdication Crisis, with Emma Davies as the Queen Mother.

How To Lose Weight Well Monday, Channel 4, 8pm
Hala El-Shafie and Xand van Tulleken present a new series which promises to unlock the secrets of successful dieting.

Tracey Ullman’s Show Monday, BBC1, 10.45pm
The comic is back with a six-part series that features her takes on everyone from Angela Merkel to Dame Judi Dench.