A taste of next year's TV lineup

What's on TV? Some new shows screening overseas that we might see here in the coming year include:

• That nice, smiley Mary Lambie, it ain't — Ruby Wax is about to be set loose on the cosy world of daytime television.

Wax, the brash American who is known for stunts like peeking into Sarah Ferguson's bedroom drawers and co-writing AbFab, will bring her irreverent interviewing style to an hour-long daily programme for the BBC in Britain.

Jane Lush, the BBC's daytime controller, said: "When Ruby approached us, I was flattered and delighted, and I hope that is exactly how our viewers will feel. We hope to give our audience a treat."

In her mid-morning show Wax will demonstrate her liking for embarrassing people by discussing a personal dilemma with a member of the audience. As well as topical debates, she will investigate a different therapy each day and try to learn a new skill on air. There will also be a consumer rights section in which a retailer will be called to account by an unsatisfied customer.

The programme is described by her production company as a "guide to surviving 21st-century life".


• That nice, smiley Jo Seagar, it ain't. Anthony Bourdain, the chef who spilled the beans on what really takes place inside restaurants in his novel Kitchen Confidential, is about to give American TV viewers a second helping.

The famed New York cook, who says he really hates the concept of celebrity chefs, spent the past year-and-a-half jetting from one exotic locale to another, sampling the world's delicacies for his new book A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal.

He choked down charred iguana in Mexico, gnawed on cobra heart in Saigon, and braved poisonous blowfish in Japan. His journey will be showcased in a 22-part series that premieres in the US in January.

Bourdain, who's likely to be played by Brad Pitt in a forthcoming movie version of Kitchen Confidential, isn't impressed with most telly chefs. He calls Jamie Oliver "a pretty-boy model who was probably beaten up in prep school". C'mon over, Anthony, and tell Mr Ramsay just why you don't like his signature cappuccino of haricots blancs ...

• Two American reality show producers are fighting to send the first contestant into space next year.

Phil Gurin, executive producer of the US version of The Weakest Link, and Survivor king Mark Burnett want to use Russia's space programme.

Gurin has secured exclusive rights to the Russian training camp and the Soyuz 212 shuttle flight in October. He has also picked up the rights to a similar show in Denmark that will send a civilian on a sub-orbital flight in February.

Burnett apparently signed a $US40 million ($96.5 million) deal with NBC earlier this year, and plans to pay the Russians $US20 million to use their space camp and shuttle.

Maybe you shouldn't hold your breath for this one. US critics say that given the sort of money involved, and the fact that the ratings for reality shows are in freefall, they will be surprised if either project ever achieves liftoff.


• Steve Irwin, aka the Crocodile Hunter, is starring in his first movie. Shooting for a film based on his life, Crocodile Hunter — Collision Course, has got under way in Brisbane.


• The most talked-about novel of the past year, Zadie Smith's White Teeth, is to be made into a TV series. Production is due to start in February on a four-hour television version of the book, a tale of multicultural life in London. The cast is yet to be announced, but a spokeswoman said: "They're looking for a mix of established names and new talent."

The book has been adapted for television by Simon Burke, whose previous credits include Tom Jones.