Journalists Pointless Celebrities, 3rd November

Pointless Celebrities on Saturday 3rd November, at 6.15pm, is a Journalists special.

Taking part are Eve Pollard and Victoria Derbyshire, Dan Wootton and Lizo Mzimba, Rosie Boycott and Frank Gardner, and Ian Hyland and Jane Moore.

Hey Duggee nominated for BAFTA Children's Award

Hey Duggee, narrated by Alexander Armstrong, has been nominated for a BAFTA Children's Award in the Pre-School Animation section.

Also nominated in the category are Clangers, Octonauts, and Sarah & Duck. The awards ceremony takes place at the Roundhouse, London on Sunday 25th November. Good luck, Hey Duggee!

Sci-Fi Pointless Celebrities, 27th October

There's a Sci-Fi edition of Pointless Celebrities on Saturday 27th October at 6pm.

The teams are classic Doctor Who stars Peter Davison and Katy Manning, Blake's 7's Paul Darrow and Michael Keating, Red Dwarf's Hattie Hayridge and Harry Potter's Jessie Cave, and Star Wars actors Kiran Shah and Jimmy Vee.

Saluting Dad's Army starts 6th November

2018 is the 50th anniversary of the first broadcast of that great sitcom, Dad's Army. As part of their celebrations, Gold channel will be showing a documentary, Saluting Dad's Army, presented by Alexander Armstrong.

The 4-part series will look at the comedy's history and legacy, and explore its enduring huge popularity. Xander said:

I'm thrilled to be involved in marking the 50th anniversary of the phenomenon that is Dad's Army. I've spent a lifetime enjoying the brilliance of Jimmy Perry, David Croft and the extraordinary cast. Now I get to explore everything from the birth of the show to its wonderful legacy and aim to bring fans new insights into the show we all loved so much.

The series starts on Tuesday 6th November at 8pm, on Gold channel.

Hey Duggee nominated for International Emmy Kids' Award

Series 2 of Hey Duggee, narrated by Alexander Armstrong, has been nominated for an International Emmy Kids' Award in the Preschool category.

The other shows nominated in the category come from the UK, Germany, and China. The 28 overall nominees, in 7 categories, span 13 countries.

Winners will receive their award in Cannes, France on Tuesday April 9, 2019. We wish Hey Duggee well.

Alexander Armstrong, Pointless, and The Real Full Monty longlisted for National Television Awards

Alexander Armstrong and two of the programmes he presents have been longlisted for the National Television Awards.

 

Xander is nominated as Best Presenter (as is Richard Osman), Pointless as Best Quiz Show, and The Real Full Monty is nominated in the Factual Entertainment category.

Votes must be in by 11pm on Friday 26th October. The shortlist will be announced in January, and the awards ceremony takes place on 22nd January.

Please cast your votes here. We wish Xander, Pointless, and The Real Full Monty well.

Sitcom Pointless Celebrities, 20th October

Pointless Celebrities on Saturday 20th October, at 6pm, is a Sitcom special.

The contestants are Nerys Hughes, Victor McGuire, Shobu Kapoor, Abdullah Afzal, Guy Siner, Sue Hodge, Perry Benson and Jake Canuso.

Academia Pointless Celebrities, 14th October

There's a repeated Academia Pointless Celebrities on Sunday 14th October, at 4.45pm.

The first pair is punk-rock poet John Cooper Clarke, an honorary doctor of the University of Salford, and historian Suzannah Lipscomb, a Lincoln and Baliol alumnus. TV archaeologist Mark Horton, a professor at University of Bristol, teams up with documentarian Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham. Space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock joins forces with theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili of the University of Surrey, and University of Reading's Professor Kate Williams allies with The Infinite Monkey Cage comedian Robin Ince, who shares an alma mater with Kate in the form of Royal Holloway, University of London.

Sport Pointless Celebrities, 13th October

Saturday 13th October's Pointless Celebrities, at 5.50pm, is a Sports special.

The contestants are Chemmy Alcott and James Cracknell, Sally Gunnell and Greg Rutherford, Sam Quek and Greg Rusedski, and Eni Aluko and Neil Ruddock.

Alexander Armstrong to appear in Rotten Romans

Alexander Armstrong is one of the (many) stars appearing in Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans, which  features a host of well-known British comedy actors in starring and cameo roles.

Filming is currently underway. The producers say:

Shooting on location in the UK and Bulgaria, Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans will transport audiences back to Roman Britain and embrace the timeless madcap humour and tone of Monty Python with the classic cult adventure of Princess Bride.

Along with Xander, the cast will include Sir Derek Jacobi, reprising his iconic role as Claudius, as well as Nick Frost, Lee Mack, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kim Cattrall, Warwick Davis, and Chris Addison.

The story will focus on 16-year-old Roman Atti being forced to join the Roman army when one of his clever schemes falls foul of Emperor Nero. He is sent to "miserable, cold, wet Britain" where "the natives are revolting - quite literally".

Things go from bad to worse when Atti is captured by Orla, a feisty teenage Celt desperate to prove herself as a warrior. After narrowly avoiding a very sticky end in a bog, Atti uses his Roman know-how to help Orla save her gran who's been kidnapped by a rival tribe. Meanwhile a furious Nero is determined to crush the rebellion, led by Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni. Atti rejoins his Roman troops and discovers they are preparing for an historic showdown with the Celts at the Battle of Watling Street.

The producers tease:

Atti's brains could save the day but they could also spell disaster for Orla as the two new friends find themselves lined up on opposite sides of the battlefield.

Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans will be released in cinemas on the 26th July 2019.