The BBC picked up a new Australian soap drama to replace Neighbors which it let go to Five recently. All Saints, a drama set in a hospital ward of the All Saints Hospital in Sydney will be shown weekdays mid afternoon from mid-July.

The soap was the top rated Australian-made drama in the country last year and the BBC must surely believe that they are onto a winner.

BBC head of series, Sue Deeks, said the show had “engaging” characters, “compelling” storylines and “superb” production values.

Deeks added: “We are delighted that BBC viewers are finally going to have the opportunity to see this multi-award winning series.”

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Variety is reporting that HBO Films and the BBC are to co-produce a miniseries about Saddam Hussein’s time as leader of Iraq. The miniseries will be called Between Two Rivers and will be shown in four hour-long parts.

Yigal Naor, who played the role of Mahmoud Hamshari in Steven Spielberg’s 2005 film Munich, will play Saddam. The Bill’s Christine Stephen-Daly has been lined up to play the role of Samira, one of Saddam’s wives.

The miniseries will tell the story of Saddam’s relationships with his family and advisers between 1979 and 2003 and the series will start filming in North Africa later this year.

HBO Films and the BBC have collaborated successfully on a number of projects such as Rome.

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According to the Daily Star, George Michael may be appearing in the final episode of the popular comedy, Extras.

The singer is apparently a big fan of the comedy written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and “immediately agreed” to be part of the final episode, which will be shown on our TV screens this Christmas.

If the report is true then George Michael will join a host of famous names that have enjoyed a stint on the show such as David Bowie, Kate Winslet and Samuel L Jackson.

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A new dragon has joined the BBC’s Dragon’s Den. Venture capitalist James Caan has joined the lineup for the new series after Australian dragon Richard Farleigh was dropped from the panel last month.

The entrepreneur, who divides his time between London and Cannes, has been creating, building up and selling businesses for more than 20 years.

“I’m thrilled to be invited to be in one of the highly coveted ‘Dragon’ positions,” said Caan. “I make a point of investing in people, as I’m a great believer that it is people who create a success in business through their passion and conviction.”

The new series will begin filming shortly and should be shown towards the end of the year.

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Ex-Have I Got News For You? Host Angus Deayton is to return to the BBC in a new prime-time panel show. The show is called Would I Lie To You? and will feature comedians David Mitchell and Lee Mack as team captains and Angus Deayton will host the show.

Angus Deayton left “Have I Got News For You?” in 2002 after admitting to taking cocaine and having sex with a prostitute. The team leaders Ian Hislop and Paul Merton had too much “dirt” on him to make his role as host viable.

According to the Daily Mail, despite being “pretty nervous” about his return, the star has proved typically well-rehearsed in his trademark comedy during filming.

Speaking to the newspaper, executive producer Peter Holmes said categorically: “When it comes to hosting a panel show, there isn’t anyone better.”

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