Longford (C4) Coast (BBC2)

Hear the name Lord Longford and you probably think of a slightly batty-looking old boy who championed Moors murderer Myra Hindley and led an anti-pornography campaign.

He was, according to this inspired-by-real-events drama, a man who believed that anyone, no matter how evil, could be redeemed eventually. So when Hindley asked to see him, he went because he felt that no human being was beyond forgiveness.

Peter Morgan's superb film didn't take sides. While Longford (beautifully portrayed by Jim Broadbent) may have behaved foolishly, there wasn't any doubt that his motives, no matter how misguided, were for the best.

Politicians, like Prime Minister Harold Wilson, tried to sideline him over his habit of attracting awkward headlines. Left alone to continue his prison visitor work, he was taken in by both Hindley (Samantha Morton, chilling) and her lover Ian Brady (Andy Serkis, even more chilling). They played him like a fish on a line.

"What a pretty smile you have," he told Hindley, whom he thought charming, intelligent, attractive and corrupted by Brady.

She said she wanted to find her way back to God, which Longford promised would help her with her parole application.

Brady complicated his thinking by warning Longford to stay clear of Hindley "because she would destroy you like she destroyed me".

He wasn't the only person she entranced - she had an affair with a prison officer and was taken on outings to Hampstead Heath by a sympathetic prison official. And Lady Longford, when she visited her, was also impressed and urged her husband to continue helping her.

The moment when Hindley announced she intended to make a full confession to the murders was like a slap in the face to Longford. Broadbent's expression was unforgettable as she told him "the campaign you conducted on my behalf has hurt me more than helped me".

Coast proved a big hit for the BBC so a sequel was called for, something of a challenge as the entire coastline was visited in the original. Undeterred, the makers have started all over again, covering bits they didn't have room for the first time.

The trip from Dover to the Isle of Wight was all about chalk, not, on the face of it, a gripping subject. But the journey turned up a number of unexpected things, including the first Channel tunnel started by the Victorians and a revolutionary concrete underground car park in Hastings.

The remains of Britain's entry in the space race were found on the Isle of Wight at a top secret - but not any more - rocket site based high above The Needles.

Being British, the enterprise was done on a shoestring budget and the rocket powered by hair bleach. In the end, we opted to develop Concorde with the French and left space exploration to others.

Lily Allen

Newcastle University

So 2006 was supposed to be the year of the Arctic Monkeys in terms of hype from all sections of the media, but over the last few months Lily Allen has quickly joined them at the top of the hype league and the success of her single Smile only added to the furore around her.

However, in a live arena Lily Allen is nothing short of awful. Arriving on stage to a well choreographed routine didn't really get matters off to a good start. She opened with a horrendously awful rendition of current single LDN and from there the gig nosedived further. The sound was absolutely shocking and all people could hear all night was a pounding bass guitar.

Allen herself had no stage presence; "this song is erm... called... erm... giggle giggle, oh I don't know" isn't exactly the height of professionalism. The amount of musicians and equipment she had on the tour with her was completely unnecessary. Throughout the gig she whinged she couldn't see the crowd, it wasn't really a surprise with the amount of lighting she had on stage.

Although it has to be said the teeny bopper brigade at the front with their mobile phones aloft had a great time, they were in the minority. Having left this gig after a truly painful 30 minutes, it was clear to see that the sooner the bubble bursts around this little rich girl trying to be 'street' the better.

Keir Waugh