fiver's blog

Tuesday 9 November, 8:00pm on Fiver

Jon Bentley, Suzi Perry, Ortis Deley, Jason Bradbury and Pollyanna Woodward investigate the latest technological innovations. In this episode, Suzi and Jason go head to head in a gadget-based musical challenge, Jon remakes a classic film in order to test the latest in mini projectors, Ortis tests a special bike and Polly looks at the best bags on the market. In this week’s tech-filled spectacular, Jason and Suzi square off in a special musical challenge. The discordant duo are tasked with performing their own versions of the ‘Gadget Show’ theme tune using orchestras equipped only with gadgets. Suzi opts to use a collection of off-the-shelf musical gadgetry, while Jason turns assorted pieces of technology into instruments with the aid of the Modified Toy Orchestra. Who will emerge victorious from this cacophonous challenge? Elsewhere, Jon tests out the latest mini-projectors on the market. In order to bring out the best in the devices, he first puts on his director’s hat and creates a special miniaturised movie. Using remote-control cars for the iconic chase sequences, Jon recreates cult 1960s classic ‘The Italian Job’. To judge the features of the projectors, Jon brings in diminutive Hollywood actor Warwick Davies, star of such classic movies as ‘Star Wars’, ‘Willow’ and ‘Harry Potter’. Also this week, Ortis tests out the ultimate highconcept gadget bicycle – the Bond Bike, which features an ejector seat, a flamethrower and a rear caterpillar track. And Polly sets out to find the five most durable and stylish bags fit to carry all the latest gadgets.

Sunday 7 November, 6:00pm on Fiver

Continuing on Fiver this week is the action drama based on the DC Comics series of the same name. The show charts the exploits of security expert and bodyguard-for-hire Christopher Chance. This week, Chance must break into the headquarters of a shady military contractor in order to rescue an employee who is being held there against his will. Winston is called into action when the concerned father of weapons development engineer Martin Gleason receives a disturbing coded letter from his son. The letter indicates that the company Martin works for, a defence contractor called Centronics, has imprisoned him in its headquarters. Martin fears that his colleague Matt Kozinski was murdered by the company, and that he might be next in line. “Centronics is beyond the reach of the law,” Winston tells Chance. “It’s running a top-secret programme for the military’s largest supplier.” As a result, the building’s security is second to none. However, Chance breaches the perimeter after parachuting onto the roof, taking out a guard and disguising himself as a cleaner. He soon reaches Martin’s office, but meets with a frosty reception. “If there was something one person could do to escape this place, I feel like I would have thought about it by now,” the engineer insists. Martin explains that he recently heard about an attack on a Burmese hospital, which could only have been carried out using a new weapon that he and Kozinski designed. The duo approached their boss, Vivian Cox, to demand an explanation for how the weapon fell into enemy hands. “Two days later, Kozinski dropped dead,” Martin says, grimly. “And I’ve been trapped here ever since.” Chance intends to escape through the window by parachute, but this plan is thwarted when security director Leonard Kreese (Mitch Pileggi, ‘Sons of Anarchy’, ‘The X Files’) gets wind of the breach and sends armed men after the escapees. Martin and Chance hide themselves inside a ventilation shaft, which is the only place they can avoid detection by the building’s sophisticated thermal cameras.

Wednesday 3 November, 10:00pm on Fiver

The unique dating show presented by Z�e Salmon continues. In this week’s episode, the Love Bus heads to Bristol, where lovelorn Jenny’s potential dates include a dancer, an origami expert and an ex-soldier. Ex ‘Blue Peter’ star Z�e Salmon presents this dating show with a twist. One singleton rides a specially kitted-out bus around his or her home town, while other singles wait at stops dotted around the local area. The potential dates board the bus one at a time, but they have just one stop to prove their worth to the picker, or be thrown off the bus. The chooser can decide to keep a date onboard for longer than one stop, but in doing so runs the risk of passing over a more suitable partner who could be waiting further along the route. The couple left on the bus at the end of the journey win an allexpenses- paid date together. In this episode, Z�e rides the Love Bus to Bristol, where 21-year-old Jenny hops aboard in the hope of meeting her dream date. Jenny’s red-hot line-up of potential lovers includes a master of origami, a fit ex-soldier and a dancer who is determined to make a name for himself in the celebrity world. Each of the lucky lads waits patiently at a bus stop to see if Jenny will decide to pick him up or pass him by. Will Jenny find the perfect match? Or will she ride the last bus home disappointed?

Tuesday 2 November, 8:00pm on Fiver

Jon Bentley, Suzi Perry, Ortis Deley, Jason Bradbury and Pollyanna Woodward investigate the latest technological innovations. In this episode, Jason and Ortis test a martial arts simulator and a flight simulator respectively, Jon explores mobile phone tariffs and Polly looks at the best new apps available to download. This week’s tech-filled spectacular sees Jason and Ortis take their lives in their hands in order to test the effectiveness of home simulators. Can these nifty gadgets actually prepare the user for the real thing? While Jason sets Ortis the challenge of learning to fly using a home flight simulator, Ortis challenges Jason to become a martial arts expert – using a robotic ‘wooden man’. In just eight weeks, the pair must turn what they have learned into practice – Ortis at the controls of a light aircraft and Jason in a fight with a martial arts master. Will either presenter emerge from the challenge alive? Elsewhere, Jon explores the bewildering world of mobile phone tariffs, searching high and low for the best deals on the market. Meanwhile, Polly trawls the web for the best apps available. Over 4,000 new apps are released each week and a million are downloaded. After much research, Polly selects her five favourites.

Sunday 31 October, 6:00pm on Fiver

Continuing on Fiver this week is the action drama based on the DC Comics series of the same name. The show charts the exploits of security expert and bodyguard-for-hire Christopher Chance. This week, Chance is hired to protect a DA who is on the run from a murderous crime family – and her own past. Using the popular DC Comics title as a springboard, this full-throttle action drama centres on Christopher Chance (Mark Valley), a security expert who hires himself out to clients in desperate need of protection. Chance is regularly compelled to go beyond the call of duty, integrating himself completely into his client’s lives. In the process he becomes a human target – eliminating the threat to those he is paid to protect. Others might not notice him, but nothing goes unnoticed by Chance. If there is a manager with a disgruntled employee who appears violent and unstable, Chance becomes the new man on the inside. If a bank president has been tipped off about a potential heist, Chance poses as the unassuming bank teller at the front counter. But what would drive a man to become a willing human target? Does anyone know who Chance really is, or what secrets lie buried in his past? ‘Human Target’ co-stars Chi McBride (‘I Robot’, ‘Pushing Daisies’) as Winston, Chance’s trusted friend and business partner. Academy Award nominee Jackie Earle Haley (‘Little Children’, ‘Watchmen’, ‘Shutter Island’) plays Guerrero, Chance’s hired gun. The series is executiveproduced by Jonathan E Steinberg and ‘Charlie’s Angels’ and ‘Terminator: Salvation’ director McG. In this week’s episode, District Attorney Allyson Russo hires Chance to protect her from the murderous Westland crime family. Allyson has apparently been investigating the gang using information volunteered by an ageing former gangster, but Chance begins to suspect that the DA might be accepting more than just information from her mobster friend…

Wednesday 27 October, 10:00pm on Fiver

Brand new dating show presented by Zoe Salmon. In this week’s opening instalment, boxing fanatic Sergio from Manchester hops on the Love Bus in an effort to meet the girl of his dreams. Will any of the ladies meet his requirements? Ex ‘Blue Peter’ star Zoe Salmon presents this dating show with a twist. One singleton rides a specially kitted-out bus around his or her home city, while other singles wait at stops at various points in the area. The potential dates only have one stop to prove their worth to the picker, or be thrown off the bus. The chooser can decide to keep a date on the bus for longer than one stop, but runs the risk of passing over a more suitable partner waiting further along the route. The couple still on the bus at the end of the journey win an all-expenses-paid date together. In this episode, Zoe and her double-decker head to Manchester, where 24-year-old Sergio is waiting to meet some ladies. The half-Spanish boxing enthusiast is an IT account manager and considers himself charming and charismatic. He likes to ‘chillax’ and does well with the ladies, but always seems to attract the wrong sort of woman. “The girls that go for him are a bit too fast and too loose,” says Sergio’s mother. “The last five years I’ve been on and off with psychos!” Sergio laments. His first bus date is Katrina, a student from Ireland. The confident redhead likes to impersonate Lady Gaga, and sings Sergio a cover of ‘Poker Face’. However, her efforts are not rewarded and she is soon kicked off the bus. “I don’t think anything went wrong, I just don’t think anything went that right,” Sergio tells Zoe. Next up is Rachel from Kent. At 19 years old she claims to be Britain’s youngest psychic, and is soon attempting to read into Sergio’s past and give him information about his deceased grandmother. Although this opening gambit does not go very well, the pair are soon openly flirting. “So, are you a bit toned under that suit?” Rachel enquires. The duo are getting on so well, Sergio decides to keep her on board a little longer and bypasses one of his potential dates. However, he is clearly interested in playing the field, so boots Rachel off in favour of Emma-Jane, a 20-year-old club singer from Manchester. She belts out a rendition of ‘Empire State of Mind’, which unfortunately includes some flat notes. Despite this, Sergio is impressed. “You’ve got an amazing voice,” he tells the aspiring singer. However, Emma-Jane is also soon discarded. “She was a little bit too shy for me,” Sergio says to Zoe.

Tuesday 26 October, 9:00pm on Fiver

Consumer champions Dominic Littlewood and Sheree Murphy come to the aid of another homeowner whose life has been ruined by a cowboy builder. In this week’s final instalment, the pair head to Surrey to assist Jackie, a single mother of four who tried to extend her home to accommodate a terminally ill friend, only to be left with nothing but debt. As Dom and Sheree head to Woking in Surrey, they unearth one of their most heart-wrenching cases to date. In order to make room for terminally ill best friend Liz and her two daughters, hotel receptionist Jackie took out a mortgage on her three-bedroom house and paid a builder to add a two-bedroom extension to the property. Little did she realise, however, that the man she hired to complete the work was a builder with a somewhat dubious reputation. Back in 2008, Dom investigated this builder for a string of shoddy jobs, but the cowboy managed to get away. “This time, I’m determined not to let him slip through my fingers,” says Dom. Despite receiving a deposit of �26,000, the builder never started Jackie’s extension. In fact, by removing the windows and doors in preparation for the work that never followed, he made matters a good deal worse. For some 18 months, Jackie and her four kids have been living in a house with large pieces missing, meaning they are exposed to the elements all year round. Desperate to fix the situation, Jackie remortgaged her house and paid another builder to start work on the extension. But money soon ran out, and the extension remains an empty shell. Upon arrival at the property, head builder John assesses the situation and decides that work can be completed in ten days at a cost of �10,000. As soon as Jackie and her family have moved out, the team sets to work knocking through the walls to connect the existing house with the extension, and building a dining area, a bathroom, a living room and two additional bedrooms. However, while digging a drainage ditch, John makes a shocking discovery. It seems the foundations beneath the extension are way too shallow, meaning the property is at risk. “In 30 years I’ve never seen anything like that,” says John. Unbelievably, it seems Jackie has been ripped off twice in a row. What was initially a ten-day job has now turned into a month-long job costing in the region of �20,000.

Tuesday 26 October, 8:00pm on Fiver

Jon Bentley, Suzi Perry, Ortis Deley, Jason Bradbury and Pollyanna Woodward investigate the latest technological innovations. In this episode, Pollyanna and Jason go up against each other in a thrilling drag race. Jon explains how to stay safe on the web, and Suzi enlists Olympic gold medallist Amy Williams to help test some home fitness gadgets. This week, new gadget girl Pollyanna gets to test her mettle when she goes head to head with Jason at the annual Silverline Power Tools Drag Racing Championship. This weird and wonderful event sees competitors engineer everyday handheld power tools into mean racing machines. In a bid to claim the prize, Jason and Pollyanna find themselves speeding across the drag strip, positioned just millimetres from the ground on their powerful improvised racers. Elsewhere this week, Jon investigates the dangers that lurk on the web. From viruses to villains intent on stealing passwords, sensitive details and cash, surfing the internet comes with a whole host of potential pitfalls. What are the best methods for staying safe online? Finally, Suzi ropes in skeleton racer and Olympic gold medallist Amy Williams to help compile her top five home fitness gadgets.

Sunday 24 October, 6:00pm on Fiver

Continuing on Fiver this week is the action drama based on the DC Comics series of the same name. The show charts the exploits of security expert and bodyguard-for-hire Christopher Chance. This week, Chance poses as a monk in order to protect an ex-thief from his vicious former accomplices. Using the popular DC Comics title as a springboard, this full-throttle action drama centres on Christopher Chance (Mark Valley), a security expert who hires himself out to clients in desperate need of protection. Chance is regularly compelled to go beyond the call of duty, integrating himself completely into his client’s lives. In the process he becomes a human target – eliminating the threat to those he is paid to protect. Others might not notice him, but nothing goes unnoticed by Chance. If there is a manager with a disgruntled employee who appears violent and unstable, Chance becomes the new man on the inside. If a bank president has been tipped off about a potential heist, Chance poses as the unassuming bank teller at the front counter. But what would drive a man to become a willing human target? Does anyone know who Chance really is, or what secrets lie buried in his past? ‘Human Target’ co-stars Chi McBride (‘I Robot’, ‘Pushing Daisies’) as Winston, Chance’s trusted friend and business partner. Academy Award nominee Jackie Earle Haley (‘Little Children’, ‘Watchmen’, ‘Shutter Island’) plays Guerrero, Chance’s hired gun. The series is executiveproduced by Jonathan E Steinberg and ‘Charlie’s Angels’ and ‘Terminator: Salvation’ director McG. In this week’s episode, Chance is enlisted to protect a reformed thief from his vengeful former accomplices. The criminal, John Gray, is hiding out in a monastery in the Canadian mountains, and Chance is forced to pose as a monk in order to keep his cover. Gray’s nemesis, Fisher (William Mapother, ‘Lost’) and his men are closing in on the refuge.

Wednesday 20 October, 10:00pm on Fiver

Brand new dating show presented by Zoe Salmon. In this week’s opening instalment, boxing fanatic Sergio from Manchester hops on the Love Bus in an effort to meet the girl of his dreams. Will any of the ladies meet his requirements? Ex ‘Blue Peter’ star Zoe Salmon presents this dating show with a twist. One singleton rides a specially kitted-out bus around his or her home city, while other singles wait at stops at various points in the area. The potential dates only have one stop to prove their worth to the picker, or be thrown off the bus. The chooser can decide to keep a date on the bus for longer than one stop, but runs the risk of passing over a more suitable partner waiting further along the route. The couple still on the bus at the end of the journey win an all-expenses-paid date together. In this episode, Zoe and her double-decker head to Manchester, where 24-year-old Sergio is waiting to meet some ladies. The half-Spanish boxing enthusiast is an IT account manager and considers himself charming and charismatic. He likes to ‘chillax’ and does well with the ladies, but always seems to attract the wrong sort of woman. “The girls that go for him are a bit too fast and too loose,” says Sergio’s mother. “The last five years I’ve been on and off with psychos!” Sergio laments. His first bus date is Katrina, a student from Ireland. The confident redhead likes to impersonate Lady Gaga, and sings Sergio a cover of ‘Poker Face’. However, her efforts are not rewarded and she is soon kicked off the bus. “I don’t think anything went wrong, I just don’t think anything went that right,” Sergio tells Zoe. Next up is Rachel from Kent. At 19 years old she claims to be Britain’s youngest psychic, and is soon attempting to read into Sergio’s past and give him information about his deceased grandmother. Although this opening gambit does not go very well, the pair are soon openly flirting. “So, are you a bit toned under that suit?” Rachel enquires. The duo are getting on so well, Sergio decides to keep her on board a little longer and bypasses one of his potential dates. However, he is clearly interested in playing the field, so boots Rachel off in favour of Emma-Jane, a 20-year-old club singer from Manchester. She belts out a rendition of ‘Empire State of Mind’, which unfortunately includes some flat notes. Despite this, Sergio is impressed. “You’ve got an amazing voice,” he tells the aspiring singer. However, Emma-Jane is also soon discarded. “She was a little bit too shy for me,” Sergio says to Zoe.