Channel 4's blog

Channel 4 today announces new game show, Five Minutes to a Fortune, created and produced by Victory Television, and hosted by Davina McCall.

Broadcast across four weeks, this daily show will challenge teams of two to work as the perfect partnership to take home a life-changing amount of money – £50,000. On Saturday nights, the show will double the potential winnings to a £100,000 as two celebrities pit themselves against the clock to raise funds for charity.

Davina McCall says: “5 Minutes to a Fortune is one of those shows that has you clenching your buttocks from start to finish – I cannot wait to get started!”

Tom Beck, Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 Entertainment, says: “Five Minutes to a Fortune is a hugely exciting new format fronted by the best host in the business. It’s brilliantly simple to play, fiendishly difficult to win and simply gripping to watch. It’s tense and exciting, funny and unique.” Continue reading »

The final ever episode of Shameless is currently shooting on the Chatsworth Estate and in true Shameless fashion some much loved characters turn up to sort out Frank in a suitably Shameless finale for the blisteringly funny and offbeat drama series.

Returning from “buying a loaf of bread”, Monica (Annabelle Apsion) is back in the Gallagher nest – and Frank (David Threlfall)… well, Frank, as ever, is in a spot of bother…

In a state of emergency the Gallagher off-spring are summoned to show solidarity and Fiona (Anne-Marie Duff), Lip (Jody Latham), and Carl (Elliott Tittensor) come running – family will always be at the core of Shameless. Continue reading »

11:40pm Friday, December 28 on C4

Rich Fulcher introduces an insane look at the big news events of 2012 through totally original commissioned media mash-ups made by the internet’s most famous names including Dan Bull, David Schneider, Cassetteboy and Rob Manuel. News events covered include Barclays Bank Libor-fixing, Kate Middleton, Fifty Shades of Grey and Lonesome George the Galapagos tortoise, which are all given the mash-up treatment.

9:00pm Friday, December 28 on C4

Stacey Solomon, Russell Kane, Rob Beckett, Katherine Ryan and a sackful of comedians and celebrities take a look back over 2012 at the funniest, most outrageous and quite frankly wrong moments that made 2012 what it was: everything from Boris Johnson dangling from a zip wire to the phenomenon of the hit single Gangnam Style.

9:00pm Thursday, December 27 on C4

Architect George Clarke returns for a third series of the show where he follows owners as they restore unusual, often listed buildings, by converting them into beautiful dream homes. To begin the run, George meets James and Lois Denning, who inherited an historic estate which has been in James’ family for the last 234 years.

8:00pm Friday, December 28 on C4

In the last of the series, Jimmy and Jamie want to see if they can beat the Belgians at their own game, by making a better beer. Jimmy is on the hunt for alternatives to fish and chips, serving up squirrel pie, jellyfish cakes and snail scampi, while the duo set off to find a new generation of artisan beer makers who are making British beer cool again. And Gary Barlow pops in to the caff to cook steak and ale pie.

7:00pm Thursday, December 27 on C4

A year ago, Mary Portas launched her most ambitious and challenging project to date: to help reignite the UK’s clothing industry by starting her own production line, manufacturing British knickers. In this brand new episode, Mary’s dream to bring clothing manufacturing back to Britain seems to be coming true. And now Mary is developing another all-British made product: anti-cellulite knickers. But can Mary really sustain a successful business for future generations?

6:55pm Wednesday, December 26 on C4

Over the holiday period Channel 4 presents an opportunity to see the complete trilogy of films, each introduced by director Peter Jackson. In the second of the J.R.R. Tolkien adaptations, The Fellowship face unimaginable armies and deception as they stand against the powerful forces spreading from the Two Towers.

9:00pm Tuesday, December 25 on C4

Alan’s Christmas special is full of festive frolics plus the odd song or two by Alan’s Christmas house band, McFly. Chart toppers JLS join Alan on the sofa along with ex-Dragon’s Den star Hilary Devey and comedian David Walliams.

10:00pm Tuesday, December 25 on C4

Alex Zane introduces 50 of the finest festive clips from the worldwide winternet featuring the very best moments of yuletide hilarity and insanity. Featuring the world’s worst and sexiest Santas, some very alternative carols and the best Christmas surprise ever.