Rocket Man (BBC1)

Egypt (BBC1)

Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1)

HAVEN'T you just looked up into the sky and wished you could go there?" asked amateur rocket builder George Stevenson. I felt like shouting at the screen "Yes" because I'd rather be anywhere than watch Rocket Man, a series that tugs at the heart strings but ends up strangling you with a formulaic characters and gooey sentiment.

You know you're in trouble when the opening scene features Robson Green taking to a seat dedicated to his dead wife and telling her, "See you up there" before blasting her ashes into outer space in his home-made rocket.

Of course, the launch goes wrong. There wouldn't be any reason for another five episodes otherwise, would there?

The scene is predictably set for family dilemmas as George and his children, teenage Angela ("you love rockets more than you love me") and eight-year-old freckled Tom ("let's have one of those father-son chat jobs").

Cheeky women tease George at the chocolate factory where he works. His best friend is trying for a baby (cue lots of sperm count jokes). The school's special needs co-ordinator begins by threatening George about his style of parenting and ends up willing to do anything for him. And there's the new woman in his life, Mary, who's a rocket scientist expert so it's a match made in not so much heaven as the heavens.

The first part ended with Green, clutching his wife's urn and wading into the sea, while telling her, "You believed in me and my dreams". Unfortunately, he wasn't knocked over by a giant wave and the ashes washed out to sea. It doesn't take rocket science to know that George will be reaching for the sky again next week.

Egypt is a handsome-looking series that feels oddly redundant. We've been here, done that all before. There's no need for another series reconstructing the discovery of Egyptian monuments, especially the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Archaeology was said by one character to be "a fine scholarly pursuit with all the excitement of gold prospecting", but excitement was exactly what this opening instalment lacked. The fact that we know the outcome that Carter found the boy king's tomb removed any suspense and all that remained were a lot of British people looking hot under the collar while their workers dug in the sand.

Flashbacks recalling the life of Tutankhamun seemed as unnecessary as the rest of the programme.

I wasn't impressed by the BBC1's new Sunday night line-up of Rocket Man and Egypt, but viewers may think otherwise. There's simply no understanding an unpredictable bunch of people who insist on voting to keep in GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips (and professional partner Brendan Cole) in Strictly Come Dancing.

Perhaps they just want to see her suffer some more as payback for what's she's inflicted on sleepy-eyed viewers during her early morning appearances on the GMTV sofa. Most likely they want to see more of the tears and tantrums during rehearsals with dancing partner Brendan.

I'm favouring Strictly Come Dancing (and its weekday BBC2 spin-off It Takes Two) over The X Factor on the grounds that none of those remaining on the ITV talent show possess that elusive X Factor.