The life of Reilly

LYNDA LA PLANTE has penned countless scripts worthy of more comment than a word count will allow, there’s no doubt she will be praised ever more for Prime Suspect.

That’s been and gone. Her current TV project is Above Suspicion with the third mini-series, Deadly Intent, being run over three consecutive nights. This is taken from La Plante’s best-selling franchise about rookie detective Anna Travis.

When the drama debuted on ITV in 2009, it came as no surprise when the ratings figures racked up over eight million viewers. A second instalment was ordered.

When The Red Dahlia aired last year, Kelly Reilly’s Travis attracted all manner of comparisons to a modernday Jane Tennison, as she sauntered up to each murder scene in her killer heels and figure-hugging outfits.

Coincidentally, it was the actress who played Tennison, Helen Mirren, who advised Reilly how to kickstart her acting career in the first place.

‘‘I asked her if I should go to drama school – I thought it was a good idea – and she said, ‘bad idea, in fact it’s probably the worst thing you could do. Travel for three years or go to university, but don’t go to drama school’,” recalls Reilly.

So Detective Inspector Anna Travis is back after her promotion and reunited with Detective Chief Superintendent James Langton (Ciaran Hinds) and Detective Chief Inspector Mike Lewis (Shaun Dingwall), as they look into a fatal shooting in a notorious drug dealer’s squat.

But why does La Plante think the latest batch of protagonists work so well together?

‘‘It’s really down to the ‘will they won’t they?’ question,” she says.

“A lot of women absolutely love Langton and some find him really awful to Travis. In that respect, it’s a bit like Gone with the Wind – he’s so nasty to her at times, but in this one, we do have the emotional impact when he tells her the truth about his life. We see that this vulnerability allows Travis to reveal her feelings for him, if only to herself, it continues to build the tension between them. I think Tonight’sTV By Steve Pratt email: steve.pratt@nne.co.uk this is what makes their interaction compelling.‘‘ And there’s no doubt there will be a lot more to come out of the case they’re chasing.

When the widow isn’t seen to be particularly heartbroken, Travis becomes suspicious, and goes alone to dig deeper in search of the truth, gathering eyewitness accounts from a neighbour and her autistic son, who it seems could hold many of the puzzle’s pieces.

The series continues on Tuesday and Wednesday at 9pm.

PROFESSOR Brian Cox and comedian Dara O Briain – it’s not the most obvious partnership to grace British TV, but chances are it’ll be an entertaining and informative one.

They’re fronting the three-part live show Stargazing with Brian Cox (BBC2, 8pm) in which they’ll be revealing the secrets of the night skies.

O Briain trained as a physicist, but claims he’s a frustrated astronomer.

He’s had an unopened telescope in his attic for as long as he can remember.

But they’re not the only famous faces cropping up. The One Show’s resident expert in the field Mark Thompson will be teaching Jonathan Ross all he knows about stargazing. Then Ross will be set a challenge – to navigate the night skies using just a pencil, paper and a humble pair of binoculars.

Amateur astronomers will also be able to take part via a website, while the best photos of the night sky will be showcased during each night.

Stargazing Live continues on Tuesday and Wednesday at 8pm THOSE who believed that Silent Witness would die a death without Amanda Burton have been proved wrong. The programme is still going strong, back for a new series – the 14th – with Emilia Fox as pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander.

She’s asked to find out why Professor Nigel Silverlake committed suicide, and whether his death is linked to the fact he saved the life of James Bodle, a man suspected of killing and raping a young girl.

The case pushes Nikki to breaking point as she can’t help imagining what the victim’s final moments must have been like. Is she getting too close to her work?

William Gaminara and Tom Ward also return as her work colleagues.

The two-part story concludes tomorrow night at 9pm.

OVER the past few years, the Big Fat Quiz has become something of a New Year’s institution.

It’s been going strong since 2004, offering a gentle, irreverent look back at the year’s scandals, surprises and stories.

And it’s not just the celebrity scoops that take centrestage.

Oh no, the quiz also asks its famous panellists to recall stories about the Average Joes who’ve hit the headlines in the past 12 months.

So big points will go to whoever remembers why Mary Bale became a national hate figure. Need a clue? She’s not exactly a friend of the felines.

Jonathan Ross and Noel Fielding, who’ve both become regulars are back. This year they’ll be joined by celebrities including Charlotte Church, Alan Carr and Michael McIntyre.

And, as always, one of the highlights will be hearing host Jimmy Carr’s rather distinctive laugh.

And in case you miss it, the show is repeated on Wednesday at 9pm on E4.