ABC1's blog

8:30pm – Sunday, January 20 on ABC1

Blanche (Alex Kingston) comes face to face with her former lover when a scandalous novel is published. When the passion between the pair reignites, Blanche begins to consider a life away from Eaton Place.

Downstairs, Beryl’s (Laura Haddock) decision to take a stand causes serious ructions to the running of the house until a familiar face offers wise words. Meanwhile, when Lady Persie (Claire Foy) reveals a shocking secret to Sir Hallam (Ed Stoppard), the pair get ever closer as Persie is forced to make a life changing decision about her future.

7:30pm – Sunday, January 20 on ABC1

An imposing, three-storey early-Georgian house towers incongruously above the low rise, modern housing development that surrounds it. The Elms, a Grade II listed building in Derbyshire, UK, is in a dreadful condition – no stairs, no floors. It has defied a string of developers’ attempts to turn it into a money-spinning property.

Empty for eight years, The Elms is now in a state of ruin which will soon be beyond help. Enter three generations of a family who live just 200 metres away and had been thinking about The Elms for years. They fell in love with it and bought it in 2010 after the property was passed in at auction.

As the restoration gets underway, it emerges that one of the most influential past owners of the house turned accepted convention on its head that created shock waves through the society of the day.

8:30pm – Friday, January 18 on ABC1

Case Sensitive: The Other Half Lives is a gripping psychological thriller about love, obsession, trust and betrayal.

Music teacher Ruth Blacksmith (Eva Birthistle) is desperately in love with Aidan Harper (Theo James). She met Aidan, a gifted musician, when he came to tune the pianos at her school. So powerful were Ruth’s feelings that she left her husband within three weeks of meeting Aidan.

But Aidan has dark secrets. He tells Ruth that once, a long time ago, he hurt someone – a woman called Mary Trelease (Emily Beeecham). Mary died. Ruth is deeply troubled. She knows the man she loves could never hurt anyone, but she’s worried about his past.

Detective Sergeant Charlie Zailer (Olivia Willliams) meets Ruth at a gym class. She’s intrigued when Ruth tells her about a ‘friend’ who thinks her new partner might have a violent past. It is not long before Charlie decides to look into Ruth’s background.

When Charlie decides to call in at Ruth’s house, she finds a disturbing scene. Ruth’s ex-husband, Jason Blacksmith, has been murdered.

Charlie and Detective Simon Waterhouse (Darren Boyd) investigate the case and find themselves divided over motives and suspects. Ruth seems genuinely shocked and upset when she finds out about Jason’s murder. Aidan professes his innocence, yet doesn’t have an alibi.

During the investigation, Charlie uncovers a story of thwarted dreams and murderous jealousy.

10:05pm – Sunday, January 13 on ABC1

why people buy the things they do, wear the things they wear and what they are trying to say about themselves when they make those choices.

In this three-part series Perry will embed himself in the social classes of Britain to try to understand their taste. This most anthropological of artists is going to live with each of his ‘taste tribes’ in turn – first the working classes of Sunderland, then the middle classes of Tunbridge Wells, then the upper classes of the Cotswolds.

Originally from a working-class background Perry begins his investigation of taste in Sunderland, a city with strong working-class traditions. He discovers a culture of flamboyant display in Sunderland, as well as some surprising ancestral echoes of his own upbringing. He also confronts head-on the snobbery that surrounds many people’s view of working-class taste.

Finally, Perry invites all the people he meets in Sunderland down to London for an unveiling of the artwork inspired by his experiences in their city, prompting a fascinating debate about what he has chosen to reflect back to them about their taste.

9:00pm – Thursday, January 17 on ABC1

Bel and Freddie are determined to find out who beat up Kiki, but dredging up his arrest angers Hector, whose drinking is starting to spiral.

At home he and Marnie live as strangers, her career on the rise while his seems increasingly fragile.

Bel announces that this week The Hour will be covering the controversial Wolfenden Report, but she finds it unusually difficult to get contributors. Then Rosa-Maria nervously appears with the news that Kiki is missing – can they help find her? Bel and Freddie need no encouragement and a despairing Hector calls Laurie for support, unaware he’s discussing it with the very man who beat her.

At a Christmas party Laurie warns the team to steer clear of the Kiki story, but Freddie is certain he’s getting closer to the truth. Bel finally has some success with Wolfenden when Bill provides her with a key contact – and some unexpected romance. However, the Christmas cheer is short lived as a confrontation with McCain prompts Hector into making a drunken spectacle. It’s left to Laurie to take him home and, in a liquored haze a memory stirs for Hector which starts to throw his friend’s dependable character into question.

As Freddie and Bel pull together in their search for Kiki a deeper connection grows between them, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Camille. The net is closing in on Laurie, but has Hector become too selfdestructive to be able to handle the situation?

9:30pm – Tuesday, January 15 on ABC1

Week two in Hollywood for the six Aussie actors seeking fame and fortune.

After The Carrie Diaries audition at Warner Bros, Alycia is asked to audition for an independent feature film, a thriller set in the Amish community.

With the experience of getting evicted from top Hollywood agency CAA last week, Craig is quickly learning that it is all about who you know in Hollywood.

Luke has had only one audition since arriving. Although positive, he candidly admits his past mistakes during previous pilot seasons where he partied too hard.

Michael meets with his US agent and is optimistic about getting auditions. He and Luke go ‘out on the town’ that night.

HaiHa opens up about her fears. She is worried about her manager’s ability to get her auditions, ageism in Hollywood, the superficiality of acting and the sacrifices she has had to make. She talks about her departure from the Jehovah’s Witness Church as a teenager, which caused a major rift in her family.

Penelope still hasn’t made a decision about which agent to go with and gets some tough advice from a family friend.

Michael and HaiHa attend the inaugural international AACTA awards. Craig is on the other side of the red carpet interviewing celebrities as they arrive to get some advice on ‘making it’ in LA. He chats to Meryl Streep who gives some amusing advice and tips.

8:30pm – Thursday, January 17 on ABC1

Nigella treats her friends to an Italian-style supper of pork loin stuffed with parma ham and oregano served alongside her speedy mock mash and lazy person’s vignarola – a recipe based on the traditional Roman spring stew of broad beans, peas and artichokes.

For her pasta dish, Nigella is cooking spelt spaghetti – an earthy choice to match a fresh, no-cook olive and anchovy sauce. And Nigella’s weekend indulgence is sambuca kisses – delicate, doughnut-like treats, so light that one would never be enough.

9:30pm – Sunday, January 13 on ABC1

When the archdeacon (Simon McBurney) tells Adam (Tom Hollander) his collection plates are too light on, salvation appears in the form of fellow priest Darren Betts.

Darren needs a temporary venue for services while his church is renovated, so Adam welcomes Darren and his huge congregation of young and fashionable evangelists with open arms.

The union soon becomes a battle for hearts and minds as Darren refuses to leave Adam’s church. There is tension at home too: Alex (Olivia Colman) feels neglected and announces they need to rekindle their love life.

9:30pm – Monday, January 14 on ABC1

More than 80 years after the brutal slaughter of 100 or more Aboriginal people in Central Australia, their descendants relate their story.

Known as ‘the last massacre’, expeditions set out in August 1928 to mow down innocent people across the traditional lands of the Warlpiri people and their neighbours to avenge the killing of dingo trapper Fred Brooks at the hands of a Warlpiri man, Bullfrog, for taking liberties with Brook’s wife.

It is also the tragic tale of Australian contact history: dispossession by pastoralists and the struggle over resources in a drought-afflicted land.

These are often painful and violent stories. The last survivor tells of his father’s brutal slaying, and son of the tracker and horse ‘tailer’ Alex Wilson who accompanied Constable George Murray on the killing raids, tells of his father’s involvement. The memories of those times are so disturbing that they’ve never been able to return to where the killings took place.

But there are also stories of survival and resilience, and of an underlying pride in the ongoing strength of Warlpiri culture and traditions.

Bullfrog’s son gives an animated account of his father’s escape and others recall Bullfrog’s use of powerful magic to elude capture.

Using re-enactments, historical images and footage of the community preparing to make the film, and shooting it, Coniston builds movingly to its conclusion that the injustices of the past must be acknowledged as part of the healing process.

Coniston is a recent winner of an Atom Award.

8:30pm – Sunday, January 13 on ABC1

Lady Agnes (Keeley Hawes) catches the eye of charismatic American millionaire Caspar Landry (Michael Landes) but, as she and Sir Hallam look to their future, a tragic turn of events leaves their promised dreams and a close family member in jeopardy. Downstairs, Mrs Thackeray (Anne Reid) makes a momentous decision which throws the running of 165 into chaos. Blanche (Alex Kingston) and Mr Amanjit (Art Malik) continue to clash until a heart-breaking cause compels them to reconsider their differences.