Programme Information

Damages Ep 1/13

Wednesday 24 February

10.45-11.40pm BBC ONE (Schedule addition 10 February)

• www.bbc.co.uk/damages

Glenn Close returns in the third series of the drama set in the high-stakes world of New York litigation, following the turbulent lives of revered and reviled New York litigator Patty Hewes and her bright and ambitious young protégé, Ellen Parsons.

Ten months after the UNR lawsuit, Patty is the court-appointed trustee representing the victims of financier Louis Tobin's $70bn Ponzi scheme. With Ellen having left to work as an assistant DA prosecuting drug crimes, Patty's immediate challenge is to keep her angry and destitute clients from seeking their own revenge as she sorts through mountains of complex paperwork in search of any ill-gotten gains that Tobin stashed away.

And squaring off against Patty is Leonard Winstone, an attorney charged with protecting the Tobin family from the aggrieved investors. Meanwhile, Ellen embraces her new job as she tries to get drug dealer Donnie Rhyne to turn against his suppliers. However, while his lawyer, Ted Fratto, insists he isn't interested in a deal, a death threat prompts Rhyne to offer to trade his drug boss' identity for his freedom.

As she tells Tom Shayes that she wants to add his name to the firm, Patty questions Marilyn Tobin about how her husband confessed to his crimes during Thanksgiving dinner. Claiming no knowledge of the fraud or any money Louis may have hidden, Marilyn insists that she and her son, Joe – who alerted the authorities to the illegal scheme – would like nothing more than to make the fleeced investors happy. Meanwhile, as Tom uses a chance meeting to tell Ellen that Patty would love her to come back to the firm, Joe Tobin ends up in a fight with an angry investor Patty sent to provoke an assault. And though Joe refuses when his mother asks him to speak with his father, he presses her for the identity of the person Louis called as he admitted to his crimes.

Ignoring Winstone's advice, Joe Tobin secretly meets Patty to give her the phone number of the mystery person his father called, though Joe claims to know nothing of any hidden assets. As Joe is unwittingly spirited away to a meeting with his father, Ellen receives a box of her personal effects from her old law office that includes an expensive gift from Patty. Finally, Louis warns Joe against talking too much about the case as he reveals that he has, in fact, stashed away some cash to provide for the family once he's sent to prison.

Patty Hewes is played by Glenn Close, Ellen Parsons by Rose Byrne, Leonard Winstone by Martin Short, Marilyn Tobin by Lily Tomlin, Tom Shayes by Tate Donovan and Joe Tobin by Campbell Scott.

CI2

Mad Men – Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency Ep 6/13

Wednesday 24 February

10.00-10.50pm BBC FOUR

• www.bbc.co.uk/drama

Don (Jon Hamm) pitches for a new account

The award-winning US drama set in an advertising agency in the early Sixties continues this week, as the London office reorganises Sterling Cooper. When it is announced that two executives from the London branch will arrive the following day, Cooper speculates that Don will be offered a dual post in New York and London.

Betty, meanwhile, is worried about Sally's hostility towards newborn Gene, named after her late grandfather. Later, Betty and Don argue whether Sally is simply jealous or frightened.

As Joan prepares to leave Sterling Cooper, her husband gives her some bad news – the executives from London's reward for Lane's efforts in New York are unappreciated. At Joan's leaving party, someone's negligence on a mower is disastrous for one member of staff.

Elsewhere, Don meets Conrad Hilton, whom he met at the country club party, and pitches for the Hilton account. Connie, however, chides him for not setting his sights higher than the account.

Robert Morse plays Cooper, Jon Hamm plays Don, January Jones plays Betty, Kiernan Shipka plays Sally, Ryan Cutrona plays Gene and Christina Hendricks plays Joan.

This episode of Mad Men also stars Elisabeth Moss as Peggy, Vincent Kartheiser as Pete, Michael Gladis as Paul, Aaron Staton as Ken, John Slattery as Roger Sterling, Eric Ladin as William Hofstadt, Crista Flanagan as Lois Sadler, Jamie Thomas King as Guy and Ryan Cartwright as John Hooker.

Mad Men is simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC's High Definition channel, available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.

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