Weekend TV

David Davies lines up the pick of this weekend's terrestrial couch fodder.

Saturday night is a veritable feast of high and low-brow entertainment. Auntie's paying big respect to two ancient legends, Robin Hood (BB1, 7.05pm) and Bruce Forsyth. The former lands a coveted primetime slot in an eponymously title drama series. It stars Keith Allen as the Sheriff of Nottingham, so it could go either way. A bit like Brucie's jokes, which will undoubtedly punctuate the majority of awful dance routines in Strictly Come Dancing (BB1, 7.50pm). There are only three good couples per series, so it'll be some weeks yet until we see proper fireworks, which, coincidentally, will tie in nicely with bonfire night.

If primetime razmatazz isn't your thing, turn over to The Culture Show (BBC2, 7.40pm). It's a 50-minute tribute to the nicest man in the world, Michael Palin. He'll be talking about his newly-published diaries, as well as picking his favourite moments from Python. The clips alone make this a worthy watch.

If they get round to showing any scenes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, you'll probably be in the mood for A Knight's Tale (C4, 9.30pm). Perfect family entertainment, with a winning performance from Paul Bettany. It won't change your life, but it will make it a bit happier.

Steer clear of this week's Parkinson (ITV, 10.35pm) featuring the dire line-up of Shane Richie, Sheila Hancock and Jeremy Paxman, with music from Corinne Bailey Rae. Is this the Des O'Connor Show or something, Parky? You had Blair on a couple of months back, I swear you did, and now you have Shane Richie topping the bill? It's frustratingly inconsistent TV.

Unfortunately, Parky seems to trigger a slump in the schedules, as the best Sunday night has to offer is Dragons' Den: Where Are They Now? (BBC2, 8.00pm). This takes an hour-long look at whether any of the burgeoning entrepreneurs who picked up some of that tasty cash from the Dragons' tables have been successful. Investments include the Yaki Box Japanese cooking system and the high-tech pooper scooper. Should be good, but it's doubtful whether it can top the original premise.

Alternatively, stick with the ever-reliable Sunday night nature programme, always a safe bet, featuring Steve 'I'm bland, me' Leonard. Still, Incredible Animal Journeys: In the Footsteps of the Ice Bear (BBC1, 8.00pm) follows Aurora, a 23-year old mother polar bear and her tiny cub across the Arctic. With a one-line synopsis like that, it's as close as you can get to a safe bet.