'THAT'S a bit insensitive, featuring Jamie Theakston as a character using a lap dancing club," said my wife. The former children's show host's brush with the tabloid press over a sex scandal seemed to have encouraged the scriptwriters to play on his new bad boy image for Murder In Mind: Contract (BBC1, Thurday). Theakston moved from Live And Kicking to Lithe And Killing as a drug-taking scam merchant ready to bump off anyone who got in his way. It makes you wonder whether the nibs are already being sharpened to bring us Michael Barrymore as a swimming pool supervisor or John Leslie as a marriage guidance counsellor. Mr T's rehabilitation back to the Beeb is felt to be acceptable because he's single and told the truth about what happened to him.

The real star of the show was the recently deceased Adam Faith as the hitman. You can hardly think of him as Terence Nelhams, let alone of having departed at the age of 62. Of all the celebs who might take the final curtain this year, I think Faith will be the one we miss the most. He was a true working class hero with a stage surname to match. Pity he had such a dark, dark role as his TV memorial.

This weekend sees part two of The Murder Game (BBC1, tomorrow) with nine amateur detectives left, out of the ten starters, trying to solve a Miss Marple-style case. I wasn't at all surprised to see that Liverpudlian Christine Rose was the first investigator to lose the plot. Her habit of talking instead of listening and her outrageous red lipstick made her a prime suspect. The series is banking on the British love of murder mysteries to win the audience ratings against ITV1's sing and sling show Reborn In The USA. My own resident sleuth (well she can see through me on most occasions) is more likely to be looking for less cut-throat fare in the video stores over the next few Saturdays. So I may never discover whodunnit in either case.

There are unlikely to be too many Kirk Douglas movies available, but the remarkable 86-year-old gained a fine showing on Hollywood Greats (BBC1, Tuesday). He's finally making his first film with famous son Michael at the moment. It Runs In The Family will also feature grandson Cameron and will add to the appeal of a Hollywood he-man, who was once told by John Wayne, after starring as Vincent Van Gogh in Lust For Life, "don't confuse us with the sissy sort of guys who cut their ear off".

Part of the Douglas legacy is Roman slave epic Spartacus from 1960. I remember standing near the mining strike extras sitting on a grassed area while working on Billy Elliot at Easington when one suddenly shot to his feet and shouted "I'm Spartacus" and set off others copying one of movie history's favourite films.

Regular co-star Tony Curtis joked about being in his 70s while Douglas seems to be about 30. Long may he continue.

Published: 05/04/2003