The Inheritance on Channel 4
Liz Hurley is dead.
Well, for the purposes of this show, the very-much living Liz Hurley is playing The Deceased, a high-class businesswoman whose empire ran to all sorts of products. And whose empire needs to be wound up gracefully now that she's joined the ranks of the dearly departed.
Such a charismatic and attractive person will have appointed a flamboyant and interesting executor, right?
Robert Rinder, who missed his calling as a John Major-a-gram, rules the show with all the presentational skills and gravitas of Kate Thornton.
Which is a shame: the programme was the first time we've ever seen an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma, the people you shaft can come back and shaft you repeatedly. And there were questions about "fairness" and "justice" we've covered in the past.
And a cast where it was easy to cheer for the good guys and boo for the bad guys and gasp as people shifted in our estimations.
We're going to put The Inheritance down as a worthwhile, but failed, experiment. And that's fine, not all experiments succeed.
Plus! TV Times award nominations, when "A Midsummer's Night Dream" is not "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and why Merton Oxford put in a strong University Challenge performance even against strong competition.
Coming up this week:
Big Brother (ITV2, from tonight)
House of Games (3) with Richard Osman (BBC2, from tomorrow)
Portrait Artist of the Year (Artsworld, Wednesday)
The Inner Circle (BBC1, Saturday)
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