After a fantastic close to Season Two in Crossfire, fans have been awaiting the third series with bated breath thanks to the promise by the executive producers to keep a tighter control on where the show is heading. From the look of this, it’s going swimmingly. After a frenetic opening 10 minutes, there’s a lot of story to get through as Liam tries to discover who shot President Thompson and stop the Resistance from being wiped out. But what’s happened to Lili?
A tight story, Robert Leeshock finally allowed to show his acting ability and the shifting allegiances of the main players leads to a superb opening to what is already shaping up to be the best season yet. Don’t miss the return of TV’s hottest SF show. (PS)

A serial killer murdering one woman a week is at work in Atlanta, and Bailey Malone realizes that he’s going to need the help of Sam Waters to bring the killer to justice.

A little while back, NBC had its own satellite presence in this country, and it introduced the UK to Profiler. Since NBC UK’s demise, the show has remained unseen, but in their second surprise of the year, Living have bought the first three seasons of the show, which they will be running continuously, three episodes per week.

This opening instalment is pretty good for a pilot, introducing what is a large main cast, setting the style of the series and still allowing Sam Waters’ tragic background some space. Sit back and get drawn in to the world of profiling. You won’t regret it. (PS)

BUFFY THE
VAMPIRE SLAYER
The Freshman • Friday, 20.00
Buffy has moved to university, but as she tries to adjust to a new life, her Slayer abilities seem to drop as well, and there’s a new girl in town...

With both Buffy and Angel starting this week, it’s score one for the Slayer with this fantastic opener. A little over-angsty in places it may be, but it’s an effective introduction to the next stage in Buffy’s life and the cast almost back to Season One levels, making it more intimate once again.

• Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season Four – first UK showing from Friday, 20.00.
• Angel Season One – first UK showing from Friday, 21.00.
• Profiler Season One – first showing on Living, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 21.00.
• The X-Files Season Six – first terrestrial UK showing from Wednesday, 22.00.
• Strange Luck Season One – first terrestrial UK showing of the last six episodes from Tuesday at 23.55

The Simpsons
Season Eleven – first UK showing of new episode Eight Misbehavin’, Sunday, 18.30.

Cade Foster is a semi-reformed thief, with his speciality in breaking and entering making him an excellent demonstrator for alarm systems. However, when his life takes a very rapid downturn, Cade realizes this is no natural turn of events...

Thus begins a series Channel 5 have been keeping oddly quiet about, replacing Earth: Final Conflict in the schedules. Although the series that follows is hit-and-miss on occasion, this opener is rather good, setting up the series’ premise and spinning a good story as well. Sebastian Spence makes a likeable lead, but you’ll have to wait until episode two to see his partner in crime, Crazy Eddie. (PS)

ROSWELL
Pilot Thursday, 20.00

When the Crashdown Café is invaded by thieves, teenage waitress Liz Parker is shot. However, fellow classmate Max Evans is close by and manages to heal her by placing his hand over the wound. Unfortunately, Liz’s quest to find out what happened to her could expose Max’s secret: he’s an alien.

Yes, it’s pilot-tastic this month as a whole host of new shows arrive across the channels.

Roswell is a teen drama with a Sci-Fi twist as the kids grow up not just with the problems of puberty but also with the lingering questions regarding their extra-terrestrial orgins.

A very laidback show, Roswell makes you like it over the course of several weeks as you get to know the main characters and get drawn into their adventures. Max and his two fellow aliens Isabel and Michael seek out where they came from as Liz and best friend Maria help. Meanwhile, there are several parties who believe in aliens and want proof. Join the attractive and likeable cast as they seek out their respective origins and their place in the world. (PS)

• Roswell Season One – first UK showing from Thursday, see above
• Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles Season One – first UK showing on weekdays from Monday at 07.30 on Sky 1 of the animated spin-off from the movie
• The Roswell Conspiracies Season One – first UK showing on weekdays from Monday at 07.00 on Sky 1 for this US animated series
• First Wave Season One – first terrestrial UK showing, see above
  

The Time Tunnel
Sci-Fi begin a complete run on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 09.00

Aaaaaargh! Morn is dead!!!! Deep Space Nine will never be the same without his incessant chatting away in Quark’s bar. What we didn’t know about the loveable giant is that he was rich, and soon many associates arrive on the station eager to claim their share of his fortune. Naturally, there might be more to Morn’s apparent demise than meets the eye...

Is anyone what they seem? Will Quark end up with the fortune he seeks? Will Morn finally speak? Will Morn’s lap-dancing past come back to haunt him? The answers to some of these questions and many more will be revealed this Wednesday. (TS)

GORMENGHAST
Episode One
(Broadcast Date Unconfirmed)
Amongst the great mountains lies the vast building-city that is Gormenghast. Here the daily routine is laid down in books, and the inhabitants live their lives to the traditions of those long gone. But now a disruptive force has found its way up to the light, and things may never be the same again…

At time of press, it’s unknown just when Gormenghast is scheduled to start, but we felt you lot needed some warning that it was coming. Set in a fantastical and visually amazing world, Gormenghast takes us to the land of Lord Sepulchrave, the 76th Earl of Groan.

Like a good wine, the first episode needs time to settle, but once the story starts to appear you’re intrigued, and by the end of the episode you’ll be wanting more, much more… (JV-R)

BUFFY / ANGEL
Harsh Light of Day / In The Dark • Crossover Event! Friday, 20.00
Spike has returned, and he’s searching for a gem that will provide him with invulnerability and the chance to walk in sunlight with no ill effects. And if Buffy can stop him, who should have the gem for safekeeping? Yes, it’s the first crossover, featuring the fabulous James Marsters, more than usual Seth Green, and the funniest section of either series (so far this year) in the form of Spike’s opening narration in Angel. Thank God he’s back. (PS)

Earth: Final Conflict Season Three – first UK showing from Sunday, 20.00, see Highlight of the Month
Mummies Alive Season One – first UK showing, weekends from Saturday, 09.30

Hope, Gabrielle’s daughter, is reborn and makes her first priority releasing Callisto from her imprisonment in the Ixion Caverns. Enlisting the aid of Ares, Hope plans to destroy the world’s greatest hero: yes, you’ve guessed it, Hercules. Can he and Iolaus beat the godly triumvirate?

Strictly for those who’ve been paying attention to both Hercules and Xena, Armageddon Now does exactly what it says on the tin, producing a parallel-universe hopping, Time travelling adventure with all the guest stars you could want, from Ares and Strife to Callisto, Xena, Gabrielle and The Soverign, Herc’s parallel universe counterpart (he’s got a goatee beard, naturally).

Despite high-octane romps from the past, this two-part story pulls out all the stops and really delivers, particularly in the way Iolaus is given plenty to do, which doesn’t happen often enough. (PS)

BUFFY THE
VAMPIRE SLAYER
Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered • Thursday, 18.45
After being callously dumped on Valentine’s Day, Xander swears revenge on Cordelia and enlists the aid of school witch Amy to weave a spell compelling Cordelia to fall in love with him. His plan is to dump her, just so she can understand how he feels.

Naturally, it goes wrong.
You’d think with a psychotic Angel out and about that now wouldn’t be the time to try something like this, but Xander’s never been the sharpest tool in the box. Happily, his messing leads to a firstly hilarious, then terrifying, episode when Sunnydale’s female population beg Xander to love them... with axes. A great showcase for Nicholas Brendon and featuring the infamous raincoat scene, this is a must for Buffy fans, especially those who are particularly keen on Sarah Michelle Gellar. (PS)

 THE X-FILES
Dreamland, Part I Wednesday, 22.20 • BBC1
Making a trip to Area 51, Mulder and Scully and a group of men in black have a close encounter with a UFO, resulting in Scully taking the wrong Mulder home.

Dreamland was originally thought to be a vital part of the mythology story arc before its first transmission. Thankfully it wasn’t, instead it kicks an extended run of comedy episodes that provides an enjoyable change of pace for the series. David Duchovny has a whale of a time playing a Mulder totally out of his depth in a family environment and Michael McKean is superb as the ‘real’ Mulder making the most of his newfound freedom. (PS)

The Simpsons
Season Eleven – first UK showing of new episode Take My Wife, Sleaze at 18.30 on Sunday