Evening Standard (London): Amazing stunts... or is it all in my mind?

STAYING IN Derren Brown: Trick Of The Mind/Have I Got News For You 9.30pm, Channel 4 / 9.30pm, BBC1

THERE is really no need for Derren Brown to stage bonkers stunts involving seances or playing Russian roulette - he is at his most entertaining when in public-baffling, "Eh? What? How did he do that?" mode. Unless, of course, he isn't really that much cop, and in fact used advance copies of his new show to transmit subliminal messages in order to make me think he is a great artiste.

Now I'm confused. And you might well be, too, watching the mindcontrol expert perplexing the public with what he describes as a fusion of "magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship".

Brown kicks off the series by visiting Cardiff and guessing how much money people have in their wallets purely by asking them seemingly innocuous questions. He will give them Pounds 100 if he is more than 50p away from the actual total; of course, the money stays snugly (smugly?) in his pocket while the punters are bemused. Of course, it is easy to say the success of Brown's tricks could be down to clever editing (a disclaimer at the start of the show says no stooges were involved).

But we are also shown a scene where the guess-what's-in-the- wallet routine fails, and he has to hand over Pounds 100. Is that Brown admitting an imperfection, or a double-bluff in the selective- editing department, making us think he is honest?

Brown might have to harness all his public-influencing power, though, if he is to attract viewers from a new series of Have I Got News For You, the quiz show that has defied post-Deayton expectations by remaining consistently funny. Tonight's chairman, Jeremy Clarkson, should ensure that plenty of sarcasm enters the proceedings (and possibly a few of his trademark farfetched metaphors).

Other guests are Germaine Greer and Danny Baker.

Although surely it doesn't matter how well HIGNFY performs - Derren Brown will not only have already predicted his own ratings, but will have had a chat with Channel 4's management so they know what to expect.

Around The World In 80 Treasures

9pm, BBC2

Around the World? Around the schedules, more like.

This show has been broadcast on Mondays, but the latest episode finds itself in the Timewatch slot on a Friday night.

Anyway, in part nine of his odyssey, Dan Cruickshank (below) visits Turkey, Russia, Poland and Germany.

In Turkey, he meets a bloke who collects women's hair, and keeps thousands of locks of the stuff in a cave. Cruickshank is clearly disturbed. "This is absolutely appalling I mean, absolutely wonderful," he says, hurriedly.

Luckily, he soon arrives in Istanbul where his spirits are lifted by a snack of lamb's brains, which he compares with testicles. The brains are best - "though testicles are very good," affirms Cruickshank.

Friday Night With Jonathan Ross

10.35pm, BBC1

Back after a golfinduced break, ol' Flashsuits returns with another star-spangled line-up of guests.

Nicole Kidman (left) talks about her new movie, The Interpreter. Also on Mr Ross's sofa tonight are former Friend David Schwimmer, who is about to tread the West End boards in Neil LaBute's Some Girls, and "psychic" Shirley Ghostman (or, as we know him, Marc Wootton).

House Doctor: The A-Z Of Design/ Britain's Worst DIYer 8pm/ 8.30pm, Five A couple of homeimprovement shows in the "you're rubbish, British public; let us laugh at you" mould. First, home stylist Ann Maurice uses clips of her previous makeovers to identify common problems.

(This technique also highlights that she's a much better stylist than she is a presenter ) Later Quentin Willson sets a new challenge for the most inept DIY fans, including a woman who has sawn all her internal doors in half.

GOING OUT

STUDY NATURE

Animal Magnetism Daily 10am-6pm, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7.

Free.

Tube: South Kensington A weeklong exploration of sex in the animal world concludes with some of the weirder pairing habits: the way male spiders charm females into not eating them, for example. Talks are at 2.30pm. It's also your last chance to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition (Pounds 5, Pounds 3 concs).

Libby Norman 020 7942 5000

BOOK NOW

Oasis

10 May, Astoria; 22 May, Clapham Grand; 25 May, Coronet; 26 May, Hammersmith Apollo The boys have announced four London dates, which go on sale this morning. All take place in different venues, the pick of which is probably the Clapham Grand. RG 0870 143 2205

JAZZ

Barb Jungr

Saturday 8pm, UCL Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, WC1. Pounds 15, Pounds 12.50 concs. Tube: Euston Having delivered excellent albums of Jacques Brel and Bob Dylan interpretations, the darkly seductive cabaret singer has turned her sights on Elvis. Love Me Tender is Jungr's latest album and concert package, and re- imagines some of the King's most famous ballads to stunning effect. RG 020 7388 8822

IN THE PARTY MOOD

Prince's Trust Urban Music Festival

Saturday 1-10.30pm, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Road, SW5.

Pounds 22.50-Pounds 36. Tube: Earl's Court A blinging urban music festival draws together Xzibit, De La Soul, Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (that's Will Smith) with Estelle, Kano, Lady Sovereign and Craig David. Plus Faith Evans, Blak Twang, Jay Sean, Floetry and many more. RG 0870 903 9033