Arriving on Fantasy Island, three people make wishes that they may come to regret as the mysterious Mr Roarke shows them the error of their ways.

Viewers of this ’90s update soon became aware that the more saccharine aspects of the original weren’t going to be making an appearance anytime soon. From the second the new Mr Roarke, (the superb Malcolm McDowell), picks out a black suit from his all-white wardrobe, you know he’s not a man you mess with. This first episode splits the action well between the three island visitors, with each being shown that you can’t always get what you wish for. A good start to a surprisingly overlooked series. (PS)

SG-1 arrives on a world featuring a village showing signs of Christianity. However, the village is also troubled by a demon, which is what SG-1 are taken for. Held captive, Teal’c is forced to endure tests to prove he can do witchcraft, and with old methods, he doesn’t stand a chance...

Several twists make this episode stand out, not to mention the unusual setting, which provides a contrast to the usual Outer Space fare. And look out for Richard Dean Anderson’s Dr Evil impression. (PS)

Ever wonder what happened to the Starfleet officers left behind in the Chin’Toka system after it was taken from the Dominion in Tears of the Prophets? Probably not, but Siege takes a rather different look at the Dominion War, ie from the perspective of ground troops rather than big spaceships shooting at each other.

With a superbly choreographed fight sequence and some beautiful music, the episode’s ending won’t fail to bring a lump to your throat. Deep Space Nine always excels on these ‘realities of war’ episodes, and if you think that the good guys always come out unscathed, Siege will force you to change your mind... (TS)

Hume and Farve discover a doctor placing implants into human brains, and Hume’s wife may have been one of his patients. The first of a two-parter, this story shakes up the TR2070 world and introduces an important concept that will return later in the season. It also has some horribly realistic effects. so squeamish viewers should steer clear. (PS)

Tom Baker, sans curls, sans scarf, sans marbles, presents this overdue tribute on the eve of the show’s 36th anniversary. There are two documentaries on the time-travelling Doctors themselves and the many rubber foes they have faced, plus short featurettes produced by BBC Science.

The highlight should be a series of sketches written by and starring League of Gentlemen member Mark Gatiss and fellow comedian David Walliams. One of the skits, Doctor Who and the Web of Caves, will see Gatiss achieve his lifetime ambition of playing the Time Lord, with a specially designed costume to boot. Also on offer is one, as-yet undecided, episode from the series and the 1965 Peter Cushing movie Doctor Who and the Daleks. (CH)

FUTURAMA
Hell is Other Robots
Tuesday 16th, 20.00

Bender is addicted to electricity and is now ‘jacking on’ everywhere he can and later endangering his crewmates. Can Robotology save him?

A great Bender episode as we see two extremes of his nature, neither of them conducive to being around humans. The Church of Robotology is particularly inventive, especially their slogan 10 SIN 20 GOTO HELL. (PS)

Although Sabrina Lloyd is present in voice alone, it’s good to bring some closure to this storyline in the final season, and contains some effectively-realized emotional moments for Cleavant Derricks. (PS)

Xena undertakes a journey to China when she receives a message from the ‘Weak One’, intending to fulfil an old debt. A chance to see the old Xena once again as flashbacks tell the story of the last encounter the warrior princess had with Ming T’ien, a vicious Chinese warrior. Now she must return to his palace and kill him.

It’s a darker story than usual for Xena, but it’s definitely a good one, and continues the Xena/Gabrielle relationship breakdown begun a few episodes previously. (PS)

Day of the Dead is unique among the last three seasons of Babylon 5, by being the only episode to not be written by Joe Straczynski. Taken on its own, it’s an odd little instalment, with an almost X-Files feel to it: during a Brakiri festival, a load of dead people come back to life for the day. Hence the title.

For Lochley and Garibaldi, this means some intense character-building scenes, while poor Lennier learns that he is about to become the 23rd Century version of Judas Iscariot. As always in B5, all will be revealed in the episodes to come. Oh, and Penn and Teller are in this one too. Be warned. (TS)

SLIDERS
Requiem
Monday 22nd, 21.00

Rembrandt starts to hear the voice of Wade Wells and is determined to find her and save her from the Kromaggs who captured her a year earlier.

Yes, it’s the answers long-time fans have been waiting for, as Wade’s fate is finally revealed. What starts off as a trust exercise for the current sliders, who think Rembrandt is going mad, turns into a frantic race to save Remmy’s friend.

An all-time classic Simpsons episode featuring the apt guest voice of Patrick Stewart and plenty of Homer. In fact, pretty much all of him. It also features the memorable drinking song We Do (PS)

Aphrodite informs Hercules of a village in danger from a mudslide, and naturally our hero goes to help. Left standing is the alternate universe’s Iolaus who is trying to learn how to fight. However, after finishing off a group of heavies, he is spotted by Nautica, a mermaid who has been given legs, and they fall in love.

It’s been a while since there was a solo Iolaus story, and the fact that Michael Hurst is now playing a rather different version of the same man than before makes it even more enjoyable to watch. Of course, any episode featuring Aphrodite is a guaranteed hit, and there’s plenty of fun, romance and fight action to keep fans happy. (PS)

The LEXX crew put down on the resting place of the former bodies of His Divine Shadow, unaware that the bodies are up and shuffling about and can turn vampiric with anyone who gets too close. Not to mention Lyekka’s hungry again...

One of the more unusual instalments of LEXX (and that’s saying something), Twilight is an enormously fun romp through a world straight out of an old Horror film, with blood, slime and Kai going completely barking the second he sets foot on the planet. You won’t see anything like it again. (PS)

SLIDERS
Homer the Great
Monday 29th, 18.00

Homer manages to inveigle his way into a secret society known as the Stonecutters, and after being assigned a number based on the order in which he joined, he proceeds to reap the inherent rewards.