Big C a must see

BESIDES cop-shows, sitcoms, reality shows, etc, American TV has recently given us a surprising new popular genre — the cancer drama.

Breaking Bad was the originator in 2008 when Malcolm In The Middle dad Bryan Cranston played a terminally ill crystal meth dealer. The arrival of The Big C (Tuesday, Channel 4, 11.10pm) has doubled the amount of shows in the genre.

This hit series from Showtime — the network which gave us Dexter and Californication — stars Laura Linney as a middle-class fortysomething who has been diagnosed with cancer. Another familiar face here is Gabourey Sidibe, the obese black actress who recently came to the fore in the film Precious.