The weekend's TV tips: The Handmaid's Tale, The Loch, Pitch Battle & more
What to watch and review this weekend: July 8 and 9.
The Handmaid's Tale
SATURDAY
Pitch Battle (BBC1, 7.30pm) Six more choirs raise the roof in a bid to impress the judges, including this week’s star guest Seal. With host Mel Giedroyc and a round called The Showstopper, anyone would think the Beeb was trying to cash in on its former smash hit the Bake Off. If so, it’s not working. Why is no one watching this search for a whole bunch of singing stars? You decide.
The Voice Kids (ITV, 7.30pm) The flop show that’s looking for a child singing star for whom there is absolutely no demand whatsoever. No wonder the ratings are so bad. Judges Will.i.am, Pixie Lott and Danny Jones fall over themselves to be nice about warbling youngsters and their pushy parents. Even worse, it’s the ludicrous Battle Rounds in which the contestants screech at each other in a boxing ring. No one knows why.
Blind Date (Channel 5, 8pm) Paul O’Grady hosts the born again dating show as we find out if last week’s lonely hearts were well matched. Meanwhile, will recruitment consultant Antoni find the woman of his dreams and can Celine Dion super fan Alice hook up with a lady on the same wavelength?
SUNDAY
Poldark (BBC1, 9pm) Captain Ross embarks on an intrepid mission to rescue beardy Dwight Enys from a hellhole French jail while back in Cornwall, slimy George struggles to be accepted in the high echelons of society. Good.
The Loch (ITV, 9pm) After a solid start this Loch Ness-based murder mystery has lost its way. The scenery is stunning, the wildly uneven story is all over the place. But at long last it looks like copper Annie and her chums are on the trail of the elusive killer. But can they catch their prey in the dark of the night?
The Handmaid’s Tale (Channel 4, 9pm) The acclaimed drama set in the dystopian near-future continues as we rewind to find out what happened to June’s husband Luke after they were stopped in the process of trying to escape to Canada.