This Week's Must-See TV: 5 Shows You Shouldn't Miss

You can always judge a good week of telly by the variety of what's on offer, and the next seven days really does have a bit of something for everyone! X Factor fanatics will be pleased to hear that the live finals kick off this coming weekend, but if that's not your cup of tea, then there's always BBC One's Merlin to catch up on! There's a number of strong drama offerings on show this week too - read to find out more...


Terra Nova: Monday at 8pm on Sky1
This much-hyped US sci-fi drama - executive produced by none other than Steven Spielberg - makes its debut on this side of the pond! Terra Nova stars Jason O'Mara - hoping to recover from the ill-judged US remake of Life on Mars - and also features Stephen Lang, best known as the chief baddie in film smash Avatar. Visually impressive with plenty of dinosaur-based action, this time-travel epic is undemanding fun, and UK viewers are getting to see the two-hour premiere episode a mere week after our American cousins!

Watch a trailer for Terra Nova below:



Romanzo Criminale: Tuesday at 9pm on Sky Arts 1
We all know that watching something with subtitles makes you feel intelligent, so if you need a bit of a clever-boost why not try out Sky Arts 1's new Italian crime drama? Romanzo Criminale, which focuses on some small-time criminals hoping to make it big, has been very well-received over in Italy, so it might be worth your time. It's a bit slow to get going, but picks up towards the end of this first episode and could be worth sticking with. Plus, it's set in the 1970s, so there's some rather superb moustache action going on.

Hidden: Thursday at 9pm on BBC One
The man best known as Gene Hunt, Philip Glenister, returns to BBC One this week in the first instalment of a new four-part conspiracy thriller. Hidden sees Glenister play Harry Venn - a high-street solicitor with a murky past. In Bruges actress Thekla Reuten also appears in this drama from the pen of Ronan Bennett, one of the writers on 2009 Johnny Depp film Public Enemies. If you enjoyed the Beeb's recent noir thriller The Shadow Line, you'll find much to like here.

Watch brief clips from Hidden from the BBC's original drama trailer:



The X Factor: Saturday at 7.30pm on ITV1
Oh yes, after weeks of auditions and Boot Camp and Judges' Houses, it's really time to face the music. The live finals start on Saturday, and if you're planning to watch, well, you'd better get comfortable. After all, this first show lasts for two and a half hours. Still, it's bound to be entertaining, with voiceover-extraordinaire Peter Dickson in full swing and the always quite nervewracking possibility that someone will just be absolutely awful. Or fall over. The new judges have gone down well, but how will they fare on live telly? Which acts will surprise, and which will disappoint? Grab your friends, a pizza (or several) and your beverage of choice and settle down to find out.

Merlin: Saturday at on BBC One
Or if The X Factor ain't your cup of tea, how about giving the fourth series of Merlin a go? We ran out of space to give the series premiere a plug last week, but episode two is another cracker! With Merlin on the brink of death, Camelot appears to be at Morgana's mercy and Arthur is en-route to the Isle of the Blessed, prepared to sacrifice his life to save the kingdom. Is there another way out or is Arthur done for? It seems like - one way or another - this particular tale won't have a happy ending!

Watch a trailer for the new series of Merlin below:



What are your TV highlights this week? Let us know below!