WEEK 42: Saturday 17 October - Friday 23 October 2009

Drama - Sunday Theatre: The Take Sunday 18 and Monday 19 October, 8.30pm: An adaptation of the best-selling crime thriller by Martina Cole, The Take stars Tom Hardy (Bronson and Wuthering Heights) and Emmy Award-winner Brian Cox (The Escapist), tonight at 8.30pm on TV ONE.

Freddie Jackson (Hardy) is a free man after spending a considerable stretch at Her Majesty's Pleasure, but he has not wasted his time inside. He made a powerful new ally in Ozzy (Cox), a legendary criminal Godfather who controls the East End crime empire from his prison cell.

Far from turning over a new leaf and becoming a model citizen, he plans to take the criminal underworld by storm. With Ozzy's protection, Freddie is cocky, arrogant and keen to settle some old scores.

Freddie sees it as his right to be recognised as a godfather-like figure, and he has had plenty of opportunity to work out exactly how to achieve this aim. With some audacious ideas, some very useful new contacts, and a steely determination, he is finally ready to put these plans into action.

However, it is not just Freddie who has to deal with the consequences of this risky strategy. His wife, Jackie (Kierston Wareing, Leaving), seems willing to forgive and forget the fights, the violence and all the other women. She just wants her husband to return home safely, but she is about to be reminded how hard it can be being married to a gangster.

As events unfold, Jackie becomes increasingly bitter, resentful and unstable, not helped by the actions of her younger sister, Maggie (Charlotte Riley, Wuthering Heights), who is in love with Freddie's cousin, Jimmy (Shaun Evans, Boy A).

Families should stick together, but for the Jackson's it is not that simple. Behind closed doors there is paranoia, simmering jealousy and the constant possibility of betrayal. If you are a Jackson then you trust no one, because everyone in this criminal world is on 'The Take'.

Hardy describes his character as an old school gangster in a new school body: "He's on the fringe of two generations, and so he's discarded during the crossover between the two regimes, because of his inability to blend in and to co-operate."

Not the easiest character to relate to, Hardy says he spent a lot of time with people like Freddie, both inside and out of prison, to really understand the role. "Freddie is an amalgamation of a few naughty characters I met."

He says The Take is not a clich genre piece - it's got good writing, good directing, good DOP, all of that. "Then there's a profound story to tell, and an opportunity for performers to come up with something good. And I do think The Take is a solid piece of work. It's really refreshing because there are so many shitty gangster movies out there riddled with stereotypes."

Part two of The Take screens Monday 19 October at 8.30pm.

Factual - Real Life: The World's Smallest Man And Me, Tuesday 20 October, 9.30pm: In a world where the lottery of nature predicts a persons shape and size, there's a strange competitiveness attached to holding the title of the smallest man in the world. Attracted by the lure of fame, money and prestige, there are pages of people on the internet jostling for first place. Amazingly, the title of the 'World's Smallest' is a highly valued prize, and the contenders are prepared to fight tooth and nail to keep hold of their trophy.

In the Real Life documentary The World's Smallest Man And Me (tonight on TV ONE at 9.30pm), Mark Dolan embarks on a journey around the globe in search of the world's smallest man. Stopping off in Nepal, Thailand, and finally Mongolia, Dolan is part guide, part bewildered tourist as he befriends the world's smallest men, getting an insight into their lives and delving into the unusual subcultures that surround them.

Prior to meeting one of the smallest men in the world - a 16-year-old boy who cannot officially be termed a 'man' due to his age - Dolan prepares himself for what will be an interesting experience. "I think one of the things I'm going to have to fight when I meet him is not to treat him like a child - because he's 16 - I think resisting a temptation to behave to him as I do towards my own two-year-old son will be hard. My approach in principle is going to be to approach him as an adult, as a man, and say 'hello sir, it's a privilege to meet you'," he says.

As Dolan travels from place to place, he begins to uncover just how difficult life can be for those deemed smallest in the world, and their families. Aside from the stress of continual attention, the emotional battle for friends and relatives can be just as trying.

Family members openly talk about how hard it can be: "Of course it's difficult. If I say it's not difficult I'm lying. There's a lot of physical and emotional stress involved. It is really painful in my heart. But on the surface, I still pretend nothing's different," says one mother.

On Real Life: The World's Smallest Man And Me, Dolan also discovers what life is like when toddlers tower over them; what it's like shopping for clothes when they're only 60 centre meters high; and uncovers a world of agents, managers and even blackmailers, keen to profit out of others diminished height.

Local - Save Our Home Wednesday 21 October, 8pm: This week on Save Our Home, property expert Sarah Pearce and financial whiz Hannah McQueen come to the rescue of Nikki and Hayden Searle - a couple who are struggling to pay their mortgage, but busting to break into a better school zone before the eldest of their four kids turns five (tonight at 8pm on TV ONE).

For Hayden and Nikki the biggest issue they face is the strong emotional attachment they have to their home. When asked to value a similar home in a better area, the pair is convinced they would fetch a good deal more for their property. Distressed by the couple's inability to be realistic, Pearce knows it's going to take more than a friendly chat to bring them to their senses.

"We all get emotional about our homes, especially if you put lots of love and money into them, but emotional attachment and financial worth are not related. Nikki and Hayden need to understand that a property like theirs, in this suburb, is worth $100,000 more," says Pearce.

With a huge mortgage and plans to increase their debt, moving up looks like financial madness, but McQueen and Pearce have the skills to show the Searle family how to get a home in a better suburb. The Save Our Home hosts believe that homeownership is still affordable for the average Kiwi.

Between them, McQueen and Pearce know the hard truths of home owning and the secrets to get ahead. Even a family on the minimum wage can pay off a mortgage. The real problem is not how much money people earn, but how they spend it.

Drama - Coronation Street, Thursday 22 October, 7.30pm: Despite Steve's terrible lies, actor Kym Marsh believes there's still hope for the relationship between him and her character, Michelle, on Coronation Street, tonight at 7.30pm on TV ONE.

Marsh explains it is all about loyalty and trust with Michelle - but without it there's nothing. She says, Michelle believed Lloyd, and truly thought Steve was going to propose when he returned, so she was confused to discover that Lloyd made the proposal story up.

"If Lloyd has made it up, it means Steve has lied to her. Then it all dawns on her and she's really upset and angry. Obviously she then realises that whatever he's hiding must be pretty bad for him to have gone along with it."

Determined to find out why Steve truly proposed, Michelle decides to keep up the pretence and wants to see the ring. Marsh says her character decides to play a bit of a game with Steve.

"She tells Carla she wants to see how far he's prepared to go with it in buying an expensive ring etc. So she goes with him to buy the ring and gets him to buy a really expensive one, then she comes into the back room and he's got candles and champagne, he gets down on one knee with the ring and says will you marry me and she says no way. She chucks the ring at him and tells him that Lloyd's told her everything."

Refusing to admit defeat, Steve convinces Carla that although Lloyd made it up in the beginning, he really did mean the proposal and wants to do anything he can to put it right. Michelle agrees to meet with Steve, and tells him there is only one way to fix things - and that's if he tells her the truth.

"She gives him five seconds to do it. But he still lies. He tells her he met some girl in a club, he went back to her place, but nothing happened and he slept on her couch. He says he didn't know who she was and he didn't know her name."

"She doesn't believe he just slept on the couch, and even if he had, that's not good enough as far as she's concerned, how dare he. The fact is, she's been lied to, humiliated and feels really stupid. She then throws his very expensive engagement ring into a nearby skip."

Marsh says Steve should expect more from Michelle. "He should know she'll always get to the bottom of it in the end. It doesn't matter what he says now - she just doesn't believe that story. She thinks he slept with someone and that is it, and he's just hiding it from her."

She says while Michelle has no idea about Becky's involvement, it could spell the end for Steve and Michelle if she found out - and wouldn't be good for Becky. "She will want to kill Becky as well. We're seeing a different side to Michelle at the moment - she's extremely feisty and doesn't take any nonsense. She's also quite tough, it would be a good fight, Becky and Michelle on the cobbles would be brilliant."

Marsh says she'd be sad if her character was to end it with Steve for good: "I would miss working with Simon. Steve and Michelle make a really good couple, especially when Steve's always on the backfoot, but that's what Corrie's about. It's worked brilliantly, but you never know with Steve and Michelle, they're forever splitting up and getting back together. I think if she finds out about Becky she should have a revenge fling with Jason to get her own back."

Elsewhere on Coronation Street this week, Rosie tells Tony she doesn't want him to use the client list she gave him against her dad; Molly wonders why Tyrone's acting strangely; Sally's annoyed by Kevin's vendetta against Tony; Tom and Liam continue to make their business plans; and Teresa's terrified when Jerry collapses; Mel finds out her mum has been involved in domestic violence problems; and Fiz agrees to work with Julie on sorting Chesney's birthday party.

Movie - King Arthur, Saturday 17 October, 8.30pm: From producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl), director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and writer David Franzoni (Gladiator) comes tonight's movie, King Arthur - an epic tale of one man's destiny to become King (at 8.30pm on TV ONE).

Historians have thought for centuries that King Arthur was only a myth, but the legend was based on a real hero, torn between his private ambitions and his public sense of duty. A reluctant leader, Arthur (Clive Owen, Closer) wishes only to leave Britain and return to the peace and stability of Rome.

Before he can, one final mission leads him and his Knights of the Round Table - Lancelot, Galahad, Bors, Tristan, and Gawain - to the conclusion that when Rome is gone, Britain will need a leader to fill the vacuum - someone not only to defend against the current threat of invading Saxons, but to lead the isle into a new age.

Under the guidance of Merlin, a former enemy, and with the beautiful, courageous Guinevere (Keira Knightley, Pride And Prejudice) by his side, Arthur will have to find the strength within himself to change the course of history.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer instantly thought both Clive Owen and Keira Knightley were perfect for their respective roles. Owen's interest was piqued by the epic scale, narrative sweep, and by his character's details - in particular the ambiguous nature of Arthur. Owen says, "This movie is a journey of how Arthur changes, how he becomes a man of his own people.

"I'm intrigued by the duality of Arthur's upbringing. He feels Roman, but as Rome changes and pulls out, he comes to identify with his British side more and more. As his beliefs and faith are challenged, he changes accordingly."

For Jerry Bruckheimer, Knightley was ideal to play the beautiful, Machiavellian Guinevere, a woman who is driven by an overwhelming ambition to liberate her people and will do just about anything to realise her goals. Bruckheimer says, "Keira was fresh, extremely beautiful and a wonderful actress in Pirates Of The Caribbean. She did an amazing job in that movie, it was a huge hit for us and we wanted to bring her back".

Knightley says Guinevere was no damsel in distress: "The only Guinevere we've ever seen is someone who gets passed from man to man and doesn't have much to say about it. Our Guinevere is a lot tougher than that. She's a fighter, a warrior, as much as any man - and she does have something to fight for. That's based on historical fact - the women did fight on equal standing with the men. That's never really been shown before."

She says although her character would terrify her, viewers do get to see a softer side to her when she's not fighting her cause.

King Arthur screens tonight at 8.30pm on TV ONE.

ONE Sport - ONE Sport This Week From Sunday 18 October, 1pm: ONE Sport coverage this week includes: Sunday 18 October, 1pm: ONE Sport Sailing - The World Match Racing Tour

Highlights from Round 6 in the World Match Racing Tour from Denmark.

Sunday 18 October, 1.30pm: ONE Sport Football - FIFA U-20 World Cup: Highlights from the final of the tournament played in Cairo, Egypt.

Sunday 18 October, 2.30pm: ONE Sport - Powerbuilt Tools Motorsport: Geoff Bryan presents the Motocross of Nations from Italy, the first round of the Australasian Super X Championship held last night in Launceston, NZ V8 TV, plus coverage from the 2009 Muscle Car Masters held in Sydney.

Wednesday 21 October, 1pm: ONE Sport - International Netball Jamaica v Silver Ferns: Toni Street hosts LIVE coverage of the first test match between the Silver Ferns and Jamaica held at The National Indoor Arena in Kingston, Jamaica. Commentators are former Silver Ferns Jenny-May Coffin and Julie Coney.

Wednesday 21 October, midnight: ONE Sport - International Netball Jamaica v Silver Ferns: A replay of the first test between the Silver Ferns and Jamaica. Host Toni Street.

Friday 23 October, 1pm: ONE Sport - International Netball Jamaica v Silver Ferns: Toni Street hosts LIVE coverage of the second and final test match between the Silver Ferns and Jamaica, held at The National Indoor Arena in Kingston, Jamaica. Commentators are former Silver Ferns Jenny-May Coffin and Julie Coney.

Friday 23 October, 11.10pm: ONE Sport - International Netball Jamaica v Silver Ferns: A replay of the second and final test between the Silver Ferns and Jamaica held at The National Indoor Arena in Kingston, Jamaica. Host Toni Street, with commentatory from former Silver Ferns Jenny-May Coffin and Julie Coney.