Fantasy films seem to be riding a wave of popularity presently, with most adaptations of best-selling books such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Harry Potter films, and following in this current trend comes The Golden Compass. Based on the first book from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, the film opened to mediocre reviews and box office last year and will be hoping to earn back some of its massive budget and lost credibility when audiences revisit it in the comfort of their own homes.

Starring Bond star Daniel Craig and A-list Hollywood leading lady Nicole Kidman, the film is a fantasy adventure that follows the journey of 12-year-old Lyra (newcomer Dakota Blue Richards) as she tries to save a friend and ends up battling for much more. With fighting polar bears, beautiful witches (look out for Casino Royale’s Eva Green) and top-notch special effects (which won the film its only Oscar), there is much for fans of the books and the fantasy genre to admire and fall in love with.

Make up your own mind on the film available in single disc, two disc special edition and Blu-Ray formats today from Play.com.

Crippling production of American films and scripted TV shows, the writer’s strike had a negative knock-on effect for much of Hollywood’s entertainment community, with one result the mid-season pauses of many shows. One programme hit was Lost, with series four coming to an abrupt close after eight episodes. But happily the island drama returns to TV screens next Sunday night (Sky One, 9pm).

To go into plot details would be foolish, as Lost is so incredibly detailed and multi-layered that to start explaining the action would be the work of hours and hours. Rather, let’s look to the future. This, the ninth episode is the first of the final five remaining in the fourth season and is called ‘The Shape of Things to Come’, focusing on the leader of the Others and all-round rat, Benjamin Linus. So on Sunday night, remember to take your phone off the hook, lock your doors, switch off your lights as we learn more about the Oceanic 815 survivors and their island plight.

For more news on Lost, see the Sky One website.

Another week, another rom-com, though expect this one to be a little more raucous and naughty than recent offerings 27 Dresses and Fool’s Gold. Forgetting Sarah Marshall comes from the Judd Apatow stable of comedies that have tickled our funny bones with the likes of The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, and sees one of Knocked Up’s supporting actors, Jason Segel assume centre stage. Segel (who also wrote the screenplay) plays Peter Bretter, a lovable guy who finds his world turned upside down when his beloved girlfriend the titular Sarah Marshall (as played by ex-Veronica Mars and Heroes star Kristen Bell) dumps him.

In a bid to recover from the heartbreak, Peter takes off for a holiday in Hawaii only to find Sarah is also there with her new man, outrageous lothario Aldous Snow (played by our very own Russell Brand). The comedy is typically rude and silly, but retains the heart and warmth needed for such subject matter. Superbad’s Jonah Hill, 30 Rock’s Jack McBrayer (receptionist Kenneth) and Apatow regular Paul Rudd all make appearances in this bawdy sex romp.

Check out the trailer below and visit the film’s official site for more information.

Heroes returns to BBC2 tomorrow night (9pm) with the eagerly anticipated second season. After much promotion by the Beeb, the sci-fi show proved a hit with viewers last year and became a cult phenomenon spawning video games, t-shirts and comic books. Now the show is back, though in a shorter series, having been hit by the Hollywood writers strike.

The end of season one saw Peter ‘go nuclear’ in his bid to save New York City, Hiro ended up in feudal Japan and Sylar was beaten but not dead. This season continues with the same full-on energy and unpredictable action while managing to introduce some new faces as well (look out for Veronica Mars star Kristen Bell). For those of you hooked on the heroic antics of Claire, Parkman, Mohinder and co. we promise not to give away any plot spoilers, however if you do fancy whetting your appetite, check out the American trailer for season two below.

For more Heroes news, visit the BBC website.

Fans of legal dramas are in luck as US import Shark returns tonight for its second season (Five, 10pm). Shark follows top prosecutor Sebastian Stark, as played by Hollywood star James Woods, as he leads his team of bright young things to courtroom success. The show is a glossy affair, with the Los Angeles location adding plenty of sunshine and skyscraper skylines, but the gruesome crimes and tough law enforcement adds a rougher edge to proceedings.

Woods is on fine form as Shark, channeling his easy charm and likeability into a character that is ruthless, uncompromising and far from your conventional hero. In many ways, he is reminiscent of Hugh Laurie’s titular character House – a sharp mind that refuses to be tempered by society and with underlings looking to him for career guidance. Tonight Shark returns to investigate a murder of a movie studio executive that ends up leading to the Russian mafia.

To catch up on all the Shark gossip, head on over to the Five website.

The BBC is clearly determined to get their money’s worth out of star Graham Norton. The cheeky chappie is not only hosting I’ll Do Anything, the search for musical theatre performers to fill the roles of Nancy and Oliver in a new West End production of Oliver!, every Saturday night, but also returns to his chat show on BBC 2 tonight at 9pm. This twelve week run kicks off with the Irish host getting to grips with film actor Kevin Bacon and the Hollywood legend that is Tony Curtis. Swedish pop star Robyn will be performing her new single Who’s That Girl? (isn’t that an 80s Madonna song?) and as always we can expect the outrageous antics that made the show such a hit back on Channel 4.

For those of you that really love the show, why not nab yourself some tickets to go see Graham grill celebrities? If you’re able to get down to the London Studios on the South Bank and are free on Wednesdays, then visit the Standing Room Only website for further information on how you could be in the studio audience. For the rest of us, relive some of Graham’s most naughty moments on the BBC official website.

After the UK and Stateside success of Katherine Heigl’s 27 Dresses, it seems that Hollywood might have finally regained its passion for passion, with another rom-com set to delight audiences on general release this weekend. They proved a winning combination in 2003’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, so Hollywood stars Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey have reunited for Fools Gold. The film is a mixture of high adventure, goofy comedy and playful romance and sees the perma-tanned pair cavorting about in very little clothes – a perk for fans of both stars!

McConaughey plays Benjamin ‘Finn’ Finnegan, a treasure hunter whose obsession with striking gold ruined his marriage to Hudson’s Tess, yet the pair are thrown together again as clues for the elusive 18th Century Queens Dowry promise untold riches. Also on the hunt is Finn’s nemesis played by one of Britain’s reliable bad guys for hire, Ray Winstone. The film is frothy fluff full of sun, surf and silliness but for those of you depressed by the gloomy weather and in need of a romantic getaway, why not?

The trailer is below, while for further information visit the film’s official site.

Those of you who missed the second series of Skins who would like to watch the entire collection of ten episodes can from the 5th of May 2008.

Skins, the critically acclaimed British drama came back to our screens this year and began six months after Tony’s accident where he suffers from amnesia with no recollection of Sid or Michelle. Watch as emotions unfold as Tony slowly regains his memory. Whilst this happens the rest of the cast continue to endure drama that is just as chaotic and as much as I would love to say what happens I don’t want to give it away.

Pre-order your copy at Amazon online priced at £14.98 now or pre-order both season 1 and season 2 in a box set costing £27.98.

It seems the great movies keep on coming at the moment and this one looks like one comedy not to miss.

Starring Cameron Diaz and Aston Kutcher, What Happens in Vegas tells a story of two people, Jack (Kutcher) who just got fired and Joy (Diaz) who just got dumped, who both feel they have nothing to live for so head to Vegas. Whilst there they meet for the first time and get horrendously drunk only to end up married. The world’s worst hangover leads them to win 3 million dollars which they both don’t want to split until they realise what’s theirs is each others thanks to the rings on their fingers.

What Happens in Vegas is out on May the 9th in cinemas nationwide. Visit the movie website online to see the trailer.

Ok, The Hills fans get excited now because those of you who kept up to date with the hit show will know that season three ended with a bit of a twist, the finale we all thought it was turned out to be a penultimate finale. This is because there were still a few more episodes to be filmed before the real season three finale could be broadcasted.

Back then we were given a sneak peak of what to expect in the remaining episodes and that sneak peak was shot in Paris. The great news is the next episode is available to watch at MTV online for the UK. Watch the drama unfold as Lauren and Whitney venture to Paris for a ball, possible romance and lots of couture.

Visit MTV UK online to watch the episode now.

For those of you that have fond memories of John Fashanu shouting “awooga!” (what DID that mean?), Ulrika Jonsson flirting with the muscle men and the ’scary’ Wolf barking at kids in the audience, its good news as Gladiators is returning! The TV show that proved popular Saturday night ITV entertainment back in the early 90s is being resurrected by Sky One with a whole new crop of gladiators and new challenges.

Over the course of the series due to start next month, 32 competitors will take on the mighty gladiators over a number of physical challenges with the eventual series winner walking away with £50,000 for their troubles. Sky One has already announced that another former footie star will be co-hosting, this time Ian Wright as accompanied by Kirsty Gallagher. The satellite station is solidly stepping up its promotion of the show, with this clip below a tasty teaser of all the sweaty combat that’s to come. So take a look and pick which toned behemoth you’re the most scared of and with names such as Tempest, Inferno and Spartan they’re really ramping up the fear factor!

For more news on this or other Sky One shows, visit the official site.

It was all change at the top of the UK box office last weekend, with the Las Vegas gambling film 21 nabbing the top spot. The film, starring Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey, had performed well in the US and with over £1.6 million earned in three days, it’s repeating its success on this side of the pond as well. Katherine Heigl rom-com 27 Dresses fell to number three with feel-good Brit film Son of Rambow holding steady at the number two spot.

Despite plenty of press attention, George Clooney couldn’t inspire his sports comedy Leatherheads to the top, with the film coming in at a disappointing number six. Other new entries in the top ten include the Rolling Stones documentary Shine A Light at nine (the soundtrack is also performing well in the UK album charts) and the creepy Pathology starring Heroes tottie Milo Ventimiglia at number ten. For all box office news, visit IMDb.

Jane Austen seems to be having a renaissance lately, with films and television frequently returning to her work, but apart from the BBC’s adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre a few years back, things have been rather quiet on the Brontë front. This is all about to change however with Ecosse Films announcing plan to produce their version of Emily’s tempestuous classic romance Wuthering Heights, reports the Hollywood Reporter. Assuming the role of the wild and unruly Catherine is Natalie Portman, fresh after perfecting her English accent in The Other Boleyn Girl.

The script will be written by Olivia Hetreed (Girl With a Pearl Earring) and the film will be directed by John Maybury (responsible for the upcoming Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller flick The Edge of Love). There is no news on who will play Heathcliff opposite Portman, though it is bound to be a casting decision that attracts plenty of attention and comment. So over to you readers - who do you think can master the earthy ruggedness, devilish charisma and ruthless aggression of Brontë’s hero? Leave a comment below to cast your vote.

Brush up on the book with Amazon.co.uk.

ITV really do seem to be upping their commitment to American imports of late (Dexter, Gossip Girl, etc.), with Pushing Daisies the latest show to make the trip over the Atlantic. Heavily promoted by the network and enjoying a primetime Saturday night slot (9pm), Pushing Daisies has received great critical acclaim in its homeland having been nominated for three Golden Globe awards and was considered by many critics the stand-out new show of the season. It is a comedy/ drama with a lyrical, whimsical quality akin to a modern day fairytale or a happier Tim Burton offering.

Like many current American shows, it stars one of own in a central role – ex-Brookside actress Anna Friel. Anna stars as Chuck, the childhood sweetheart of Ned (Lee Pace), who is murdered. Thankfully, Ned has the ability to bring people back from the dead with just a single touch – phew. Perversely though, once resuscitated, Ned can never touch them again otherwise they die for good – a serious drawback when he and Chuck rekindle their love. Add in lots of spontaneous singing, offbeat humour and quirky charm and ITV could be on to a winner. Check out the official site for more details.

Lark Rise to Candleford has only just finished its run on BBC1, yet already the popular Sunday-night show is available to buy on DVD. Based on the classic Flora Thompson story, the ten episode period drama follows the daily lives of a colourful cast of characters in nineteenth century Oxfordshire. Young Laura (Olivia Hallinan) takes centre stage, a rural girl raised in small village Lark Rise who is taken under the wing of the independent and spirited post-mistress Dorcas Lane (a fantastic Julia Sawalha) in nearby town Candleford. As Laura comes of age in this new environment, her loyalties are divided between her roots and her future.

This four-disc edition of the hit programme might be light on special features, but it is rich with warmth, gentle humour and lovable characters. The show was a surprise hit for the Beeb, regularly attracting audiences of six million and it is easy to see why it proved so popular. For your slice of rural life, grab a copy of Lark Rise to Candleford available from Amazon.co.uk for £25.98.