The series is a peek into the world of four historical families, including that of Sunny, the 11th Duke of Marlborough.
The series is a peek into the world of four historical families, including that of Sunny, the 11th Duke of Marlborough.
Pick of the week:THE ARISTOCRATS
What with all the kerfuffle over the royal baby, there's plenty of appetite for insight into the lives of the aristocracy, and in the absence of any current screenings of Downton Abbey this new four-part British series provides a whimsical and entertaining window into that world.
It looks at four historically prominent families - the Rothschilds, the Shaftesburys, the March family of Goodwood, and the Marlboroughs of Blenheim - and the perks and challenges of their legacies.
The series begins with the Marlboroughs, following John Spencer Churchill (the 11th Duke of Marlborough, also known as Sunny, pictured, right), and his son, Charles James Spencer Churchill (the heir apparent, known as Jamie), documenting their changing relationship and daily duties in maintaining Blenheim - the largest palace in Britain.
Sunny, 87, and Jamie, 57, have long had a tempestuous relationship, with Jamie having very publicly struggled with drug addiction and generally being a bit of a wayward young lad. In 1994 Sunny went to court to try to disinherit his son. They reached a compromise: Jamie will inherit his father's title, but a board of trustees will control the estate. Now clean, and reconciled with his father, Jamie is trying to prove that he can look after Blenheim.
The family have a strong sense of propriety, and a good relationship with the public may be paramount, but that doesn't stop them from being almost caricatures in their daily interactions - which mostly seem to be about running Blenheim as a tourist attraction.
Sunny is an extremely fastidious, courteous Duke, with an eagle eye for detail, who very much enjoys their annual Jubilee Celebrations (cricket, bonfires, speeches in the Queen's honour), being addressed as "Your Grace", and has a penchant for the phrase "as they say". He knows that the Blenheim's public toilets are a crucial part of any visitor experience.
Jamie, on the other hand, makes statements such as: "When you've got a monster like that, albeit a pretty monster, it's rather like having a high-maintenance wife" in regard to the palace. And he laments having missed his chance as a politician: "I don't think there's any honesty anymore, any morality, and I think the genuine British public feel it's bent, it's totally bent."
He does have a soft side though, adopting failed racehorses for their polo team, and seems to have great admiration for some of their longstanding staff.
Narrated by English actress Juliet Stevenson, The Aristocrats manages to walk the fine line between turning these families into anachronisms or parodies, celebrating their place in the fabric of British society, and divulging what life is really like in this strange world of inherited titles and wealth.
When: Friday, 7.30pm Where: Prime What: Behind the castle walls
When: Tuesday, 8pm Where: TV One What: Puzzling cases
Comedy pick:COUGAR TOWN
Courteney Cox as Jules in Cougar Town.
Meanwhile, Bobby tries giving fatherly advice to Travis after he turns 21 but it seems Travis is destined to replicate his father's bad habits.
Fans can also expect to find out how this crazy group of neighbours came to be friends in the first place, and Travis and Laurie's will-they-won't-they relationship status comes to a head when Laurie's army boyfriend Wade returns from Afghanistan. Plus Jules' father, Chick, returns.
When: Wednesday, 9pm Where: TV2 What: The cul-de-sac crew are back
When: 7.30pm, Tuesday Where: TV One What: Safeguarding our oceans
Drama pick:BREAKING BAD
Bryan Cranston portrays Walter White in a scene from Breaking Bad.
This first episode doesn't muck around addressing them: after another revealing flash forward it starts right where we left off, with DEA agent Hank's cliffhanger Heisenberg toilet revelation. And it ends with the show's most breathtaking confrontation yet.
If you're new, this isn't the place to start watching. Though SoHo is offering a catch-up opportunity from 4.20pm Saturday by replaying all of the previous episodes from the beginning of season five.
But for those of us already addicted, you already know that you're watching the best show on TV right now.
When: Monday, 9.30pm Where: SoHo What: The beginning of the end
