TONIGHT: Merlin (BBC 1, 7.45pm) SEASON five of this internationally successful fantasy saga kicks off. In the opener, Camelot looks more prosperous than ever, but in the frozen north, men are vanishing without explanation. King Arthur (Bradley James) and his knights risk life and limb to find out why, but to get answers, Merlin (Colin Morgan) must first fight a battle that pushes him to his limits. Look Out For: Josette Simon as The Euchdag. Fans of beloved BBC fantasy saga Blake's Seven will remember her as freedom fighter Dayna. Lindsay Duncan, who featured in one of Doctor Who's finest hours, returns for the new run, along with John Hurt. The latter lends those unmistakable tones to the Dragon once again.Anthony Head, who reprises his role as Uther, says: "If you handle fantasy right , you get a very interesting show.”

SUNDAY: Homeland (Channel 4, 9pm) LAST month, the programme swept the board at the Emmys, winning Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. So expectations are very high for this second run, which initially finds former CIA agent Carrie seems less interested in proving that all-American hero Nicholas Brody is actually a terrorist than in rebuilding her life after undergoing electro-convulsive therapy. But when a former informant gets in touch, she's drawn back into her old investigations. Meanwhile, Congressman Brody is struggling to deal with the pressures of public office, especially as his plan to change America's foreign policy through non-violent means doesn't seem to be quite what Abu Nazir had in mind for his high-profile protégé.

TUESDAY: Fresh Meat (Channel 4, 10pm) IT may be autumn in real life, but it's spring for the students of Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong's hit comedy and love is in the air. Kingsley has a new girlfriend - who just happens to be Josie's best friend - and Oregon finds true love herself. Meanwhile, the gang find a replacement for the 'invisible' former seventh housemate Paul Lamb, Vod needs to get a job after she ends up owing everyone money, JP has a shock when an old friend transfers from Exeter, and Howard starts moonlighting at the local abattoir. Look Out For: The characters' development. Things are starting to change for the students, but isn't that what uni is all about? It's a voyage of self-discovery, and perhaps that's why Fresh Meat - ludicrous story arcs and daft set-ups aside - is so convincing.Writer Tony Roche says: "I think the second series is really interesting”.

WEDNESDAY: DCI Banks (ITV1, 9pm) STEPHEN Tompkinson returns for a new run of three two-part dramas based on novels by bestselling author Peter Robinson. The first case, Strange Affair, proves to be rather too close to home; its main focus is Banks' roguish brother Roy, a wealthy businessman who kick starts the latest case by disappearing in London. While Banks moves to the capital to find him, his new sidekick, DI Helen Morton, is called to a crime scene involving a young woman whose dead body has been found in a car. But making the discovery more sinister is the fact she has Banks' name and address written on a piece of paper in her pocket..Look Out For: Caroline Catz, who plays Morton. She's been brought in to replace Andrea Lowe, who portrayed DS Annie Cabbot - she was unavailable for filming due to being on maternity leave. This drama is truly a firm favourite.

THURSDAY: The Plane Crash (Channel 4, 9pm): COURTESY of this extraordinary new documentary, we're about to get to see exactly what happens when a 170-seat Boeing 727 passenger jet falls from the sky - but without the cost to human life usually associated with such events. The idea behind the programme is to provide scientists with information that could improve passenger safety. Captain James 'Jim Bob' Slocum will pilot the aircraft, nicknamed Big Flo, on her final flight, which will end with a forced landing in a remote and uninhabited area of the Mexican desert; everything that happens will be recorded by state-of-the art equipment. Look Out For: The crash itself - it should be pretty spectacular. Probably not one for those with a fear of flying to tune into though. Senior air crash investigator Anne Evans says: "This is a unique experience to watch a crash.”