With the colder climate settling in, it no longer feels a crime to be held up indoors comfortably engrossed in some movie viewing pleasure. And looking over both the weekend and the coming week’s line-up you get the impression the TV schedulers are indeed sympathising with the moviemanicas, airing an extensive array of films from all realms of the genres, to favour all tastes.

This Saturday night boasts paranoid political thrillers from some seasoned old masters. Jonathan Demme’s timely update of John Frankenheimer’s 1962 The Manchurian Candidate is both an engrossing insight into corrupt political skulduggery and a superb fucked-up-family-saga which boasts standout performances from Liev Schreiber and a scene-stealing Meryl Streep. While Brian De Palma’s typically pyrotechnic heavy Snake Eyes is as intriguing for its virtuoso long-takes and surveillance friendly intrusion shots, as it is for its far-flung plot derailing. Theres also classic mishap comedies like the original The Naked Gun (the one with the “Nice Beaver!”) and Meet the Parents, not to mention that near forgotten nostalgic 1980s westerner Young Guns, where you wonder what ever happened to Lou Diamond Phillips?

Sunday afternoon has a double dose of warm vintage Roald Dahl children classics, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (that pinochio-nosed child catcher still gives me the jitters!) and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. While the main channel offers either an evening festering in Ang Lee’s beautifully aesthetic period adventure Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or reveling in the works of Guillermo del Toro’s acclaimed comic-book science-fictioner Hellboy.

And, bar Tuesday, you have an entire week of superior film viewing on the main channels too. The brooding Curtis Hanson crime noir mystery LA Confidential on Monday, David Mamet’s smartly scripted old-school heist thriller…er Heist on Wednesday, the beautifully scenic Ron Howard quasi-westerner The Missing on Thursday, followed by suitably haunting Friday night horror with Kevin Bacon in a career-bending performance in Stir of Echoes. And, for insomniacs, writer/director Michael Crichton’s disturbing 1970s conspiracy chiller Westworld, which interestingly predates The Terminator and Jurassic Park by a couple of decades.

Roll on autumn!

The Definitive Guide (along with some hidden extras)

Saturday (evening only)
20.25, BBC 3 – Meet the Parents (2000)
21.30, C4 – The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
22.40, ITV2 – The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
23.00, Five US – Young Guns (1988)
23.40, BBC1 – Snake Eyes (1998)

Sunday
2.15, ITV2 – Groundhog Day (1993)
2.30, ITV3 -Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
5.00, ITV3 – Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
20.00, C4 – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
20.00, Five – Hellboy (2004)
23.00, BBC1 – Arachnophobia (1990)
00.05, E4 – Wayne’s World (1992)
22.50, BBC4 – Tron (1982)

Monday
10.55, C4 – LA Confidential (1997)
00.00, ITV2 – A Few Good Men (1992)

Tuesday
21.00, ITV2 – A Few Good Men

Wednesday
21.00, Five – Heist (2001)
23.45, BBC1 – Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

Thursday
11.10, More4 – Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950)
22.00, Five – The Missing (2003)

Friday
22.00, E4 – Serial Mom (1994)
23.35, BBC1 – Stir of Echoes (1999)
01.40, ITV4 – Westworld (1973)