It's October: the sun has taken its hat off and gone for a long lie down somewhere, the garden furniture is nestled under its tarpaulin bedding, and time inside with the television or radio on is looking ever more appealing. This weekend, you can even enjoy the delights of the outside world from the comfort of your sofa, as Autumnwatch returns on Friday evening (BBC2, 9PM). How will it cope in its new timeslot? Find out more here.
There is more to the weekend than rutting deer, however. But what should you tune in to? Here are our picks of the best television over the weekend - plus what's worth seeking out on catch-up from last week. (Radio fans should check out our Radio Catch-up series, for Camilla Redmond's listen again choices, which this week include Desert Island Discs and a new adaptation of the first Wallander novel.) And if you're worried you'll forget a show, try out our whizzy new listings service, and get sent reminders by email.
Friday
You'll find Friday night's television choices – Unreported World, Benidorm, and Friday Night with Streisand and Ross – previewed here, and if you're preparing for a final night of amazement (or non-amazement for that matter) with Derren Brown (C4, 9pm), be sure to drop into our liveblog, where Heidi Stephens will be waiting expectantly for the big reveal and to discuss the series. After Mark and Jez have done their worst, Julia Raeside will be posting the latest installment of her Peep Show (C4, 10pm) series blog after the programme tonight. For True Blood fans, however, there is only one show worth watching tonight: the vampire drama's season one finale (FX, 10pm). Rebecca Nicholson will be giving her opinions on the show from 11.10pm
Saturday
Reality fans will have all eyes on the stand-off between Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, 7pm) and The X Factor (ITV1, 8pm) as Cowell and Brucie go head-to-head (well, almost. They overlap by an hour at any rate). Carrie Dunn will be following Strictly's only show of the weekend live on Saturday night, as all 14 celebrities dance in the same episode for the first time, performing either a quick step or a pasadoble. Join her to discuss sequins, flat-footedness, and - of course - Alesha Dixon's judging decisions.
Sunday
X Factor (ITV1, 8pm) followers finally find out who is being booted out - and which hopefuls have made it through to the last 12. Anna Pickard will be rounding up the weekend's singing action after the show; drop by to discuss Cole and co's decisions. After all that singing-and-dancing action, Hugh Laurie's return to UK Screens in House (Sky1, 9pm) might come as something of a relief. Although that's before we find out whether season six is likely to shrug off the guess-the-illness formula. Those who prefer a bit of Austen to a grumpy American medic, should instead turn to the BBC, which will be launching the bonnet-acular, Emma starring Romola Garai. After the show costume drama afficianado Sarah Dempster will be giving her view of proceedings on the TVandRadio blog.
Catch-up
None of that take your fancy? Catch-up on the best of the week's television instead with the expert guidance of our critics and their reviews of last week's TV.
Dying to be Treated, Panorama's investigation into private-sector operations "told you all needed to know about the box-ticking, buck-passing, corner-cutting subsuming of common sense and clinical judgment by bureaucratic concerns and misapplied funds," said Lucy Mangan. You can watch it via iPlayer.
BBC4's excellent Electric Dreams returns on Tuesday (9pm), when the Sullivan-Barnes family live with technology of the 80s - and it's well worth catching up with their 70s adventures first. "A lot of it's about nostalgia. Atari! Pong! A music centre! Calculators! Teasmade! A Commodore PET! Ahhh! Which is fun. But there's a more interesting social-experiment side to the show," said Sam Wollaston. You can catch up with it here.
Get your fix of Nancy Banks-Smith's brilliant writing - and Boris Johnson's shambling entrance onto the set of Eastenders if you can stand it. What did she think of the mayor's turn? "It was one of those spit-and-cough celebrity appearances that both sides think is good for business while viewers plait their toes and hum a bit." If your toes are good and bendy, you can watch again via iPlayer.
