Must see TV; The best on TV this week with David Spedding.

Byline: David Spedding 

BEST FACTUAL

RAISING TENNIS ACES: THE WILLIAMS' STORY Thursday, C4, 9pm With the men's tennis world seemingly dominated by earnestly dull characters, it makes perfect sense to turn to the women's side of things, and there's few more fascinating than the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena. Often portrayed as hard and unfriendly, the girls emerge here in a much fairer and warmer light.

GOOD BIRTH GUIDE Saturday, C4, 7pm Having a baby? Chances are you'll find this film disturbing and fascinating in equal parts. The result of a major survey into UK hospital maternity procedures, The Good Birth Guide reports on curious regional variations in treatment, the inevitable staffing shortages that curtail that treatment, and the worrying news that it's the doctors, not the mothers, who are really calling the shots here.

BEST COMEDY

WILL AND GRACE NEW Friday, C4, 9.30pm Three years ago, a sitcom with a gay male lead (Will) raised a lot of eyebrows in the States. But that was nothing compared to the shock of seeing this likeable comedy turning into a ratings success (right), beating both Friends and Frasier. Warm-hearted stuff, with some killer one-liners spicing it up, this is worth sticking with.

BEST ENTERTAINMENT

STARS IN THEIR EYES LIVE FINAL Saturday, ITV, 7.30pm/10pm Bowie, Kylie, Dusty, Aretha - this is a dream line-up of vocal talent recreated with varying degrees of plausibility by this series' round-winners. Matthew Kelly's on hand, as ever, to do the grinning 'n' hugging thing, while we get to play Nasty Nigel and vote for the winner.

OBLIVIOUS NEW Saturday, ITV, 6pm Scary. Big Brother really is watching you, as Davina McCall (does that woman ever rest?) hosts a new gameshow, where the questions are asked on CCTV without the participants even knowing they're involved in a quiz. So, next time a cabbie asks you what the capital of Venezuela is, make sure you get it right.

THE WAY THEY WERE, 5 Saturday, ITV, 9pm Des O'Connor rummages through the cheesier bits of stars' CVs, including Russell Crowe's appearance in Neighbours, not to mention pre-fame appearances from Emma Bunton, Madonna and, curiously, Jack Straw.

GERI - LOOK AT ME Sunday, C4, 3.05pm Another album to promote, another documentary celebrating the weird little world occupied by Geri Halliwell (right). It features (for those of you in any doubt as to the aim of the programme) the video to her new single. It's pure marketing, obviously, but we kind of like the way the title so neatly sums up Ms H's career to date.

BEST DRAMA

MERSEY BEAT NEW Monday, BBC1, 8.30pm You might be approaching the end of your tolerance threshold with police dramas, but we'd urge you to give this one a chance. Haydn Gwynne and Jonathan Kerrigan are particularly excellent, and this opener boasts a maturity that sets it well apart from your average production. See feature, page 12.

A LUMP IN MY THROAT - JOHN DIAMOND AND ME Sunday, BBC2, 9pm It might seem like overkill (the John Diamond cancer story has been told in his own column and in a documentary film already), but this dramatisation, starring the superb Neil Pearson, is faithful to the story, maintaining its unusual blend of humour and desperation. Moving stuff.

HOME AND AWAY NEW Monday, C5, 6pm Absence making the heart grow fonder, it's with no uncertain warmth that we welcome the residents of Summer Bay (left) back to our screens after their one-year hiatus. C5 picks up the story where ITV left off, with a special at 12.30pm providing all the updates you need to catch up with Sally, Irene, Alf and dear old flat-head Fisher.

REALITY TV:

THE COUNTDOWN

BIG BROTHER Friday, C4, 8.30pm/10.30pm

We're really hoping that Paul's still in this. With Bubble gone, he's quickly promoted himself to Alpha Male in the group and is starting to come out with all kinds of cod-psychology bobbins. It's bugging the hell out of the others, of course, but we can't get enough of him.

SURVIVOR Monday, ITV, 9pm

Were ITV a little too quick to chop Survivor down to a once-weekly affair? We reckon so. With Peter gone (he's now on the judging panel and can be seen, left, examining the credentials of one of the remaining survivors), the backstabbing can really begin in earnest.