Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly sashays back onto our screens on Saturday.

The full line-up was revealed earlier this week and boasts not one but two Olympic medallists including cycling’s golden girl Victoria Pendleton and gymnast Louis Smith.

74-year-old veteran children’s TV presenter Johnny Ball is the oldest contestant to take part in the show, which celebrates its 10th series this year. Other male contestants include Daybreak’s Richard Arnold, Eastenders star Sid Owen, former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan, actor Colin Salmon and Westlife’s Nicky Byrne.

Early favourites are TV presenter Denise van Outen, who has appeared in West end musical Chicago and Legally Blond, and Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh. Other female stars set to take their place on the dance floor include Fern Britton, actress Lisa Riley, Tracy Beaker star Dani Harmer.

Downton Abbey

Julian Fellowes’ Emmy-award winning period drama Downton Abbey returns for a third series on Sunday.

Expect Dame Maggie Smith’s matriarch, the Dowager Countess, to lock horns with the Countess of Grantham's mother played by Oscar winning actress Dame Shirley MacLaine.

The series has become a global sensation the teaser trailer shows lots of characters shedding tears and we don’t think they will be the only ones!

Homeland

We last saw sacked CIA officer Carrie Mathison getting electric shock treatment for her bipolar disorder at the end of season one. However, we know Claire Danes’ character will come back more determined than ever to prove Sergeant Brody (Damien Lewis) – a US Marine held captive by the al Qaeda as a prisoner of war in Iraq for eight years – has been turned.

A trailer was released for season 2 just last month and we just can’t wait to see all the action unfold when it airs on Channel 4 in October.

In the trailer we see Carrie going under cover as a brunette and showing up at Brody’s door, despite him driving her to breaking point at the end of season one. We also see Brody covered in blood and hosing himself down and a glimpse of terrorist Abu Nazir.

Coming up

HBO series Girls, which centres around a group of 20-something women in New York, has created a buzz across the pond and comes to Sky Atlantic in October.

Also, Toby Jones stars as Alfred Hitchcock and Sienna Miller as Tippi Hedren, the object of his affections, in The Girl which comes to BBC2.