What to watch this weekend – and what to avoid

FRIDAY

Watch...

30 Rock

Five USA

9pm (and +1)

See Thursday's Five USA post.

Avoid...

Oops TV

Sky One

8pm

YouTube should have made You've Been Framed redundant. It didn't. Most critics will say that's because of the mighty Harry Hill's commentary. It isn't. It's because a lot of people are too bloody lazy to click onto the next video clip on the YouTube menu and want their kitten-falling-off-pianos and dads-kicked-in-the-balls-by-kids via intravenous drip. That's why there are currently more "hilarious clip shows" than ever before. Like the one with Alex Zane Low, or whatever he's called, and this one with Justin Lee Collins on voiceover duty. He's enthusiastic but clearly missing being propped up by Alan Carr.

SATURDAY

Watch...

QI XL

BBC2

10pm

This is the 45 minute version of QI - and the extra time is well worth it. If there's anybody on TV worth allowing to witter on, it's Stephen Fry. Actually, having been to recordings of various BBC comedy panel shows on TV and radio, it is remarkable how much good stuff is left out. Tonight's guests are Sean Lock (another who benefits from being given room to expand his thoughts), Rob Brydon and Ben Miller (whose freeform podcast Timeghost, where he plays arts critic Craig Children is sadly missed).

SUNDAY

Watch...

Generation Kill

FX

10pm (and +1)

Mad Dog is almost tempted to say, if you haven't been watching this, just wait till FX shows it again, or buy the box set. The makers of The Wire (and a Rolling Stone journalist who was embedded with the Marines) turn their attentions to the Iraq War. It will make your blood boil; it'll make you laugh; it'll make you want to put on Oakleys and sing '80s pop while driving a Humvee through the desert. A Barking at the Television glossary will appear on Sunday to help you through the jargon.

Avoid...

Vanilla Sky

Channel 4

10pm

Barking at the TV is not usually in the film review business, but special mention has to be made for one of the 5 Worst Movies Of All Time (I shall reveal the other four gradually - but would love to hear your nominations in the comments below).

Not only does this see Cruise doing one of his schlocky "serious actor" performances (lots of breathing loudly through his nostrils with his mouth puckered like a cat's arse); but the "twist" is bloody obvious about an hour in (hmmm, that's the sixth time that particular company has been mentioned and, how odd, doesn't that look like a re-enactment of a Bob Dylan album cover?), yet there's an hour-and-a-half to go.

Film buffs will tell you that the Spanish original is much better (that's just their knee-jerk reaction), but in fact it's just as bad, so avoid that too if it pitches up on Film 4 later on.