RalphFiennes

Last night classically trained actor Ralph Fiennes -- a.k.a. Lord Voldemort in the 'Harry Potter' movies -- stopped by 'The Daily Show' (Weeknights., 11PM ET on Comedy Central) and, frankly, things got a little weird.

Host Jon Stewart asked Fiennes for his opinion on who would win in the unlikely event that former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain went up against Voldemort: "If they were in a sword fight, in your mind, who would be the victor?"

Fiennes pondered this briefly before saucily quipping, "Depends on the length of the wand."

'Homeland' is certainly the year's best new show, but fans of that Showtime drama will want to make time Sunday night for a British import that explores neighboring territory.

Speaking of imports, Masterpiece's bracing British fare -- 'Downton Abbey,' 'Case Histories,' 'Page Eight' and 'The Song of Lunch,' which arrives Nov. 13 -- isn't just enjoyable on its own terms; it proves HBO doesn't have a monopoly on handsomely crafted movies and miniseries.

As for 'Page Eight' (PBS Masterpiece Sunday, check local listings), this enjoyable Bill Nighy espionage movie should also be on the radar of people who enjoyed AMC's 'Rubicon' or the previous Nighy vehicle 'State of Play' (a great 2003 miniseries that BBC America will re-air Dec. 7). Then again, you don't have to be a particular fan of spy fare or Nighy to enjoy 'Page Eight,' which is full of the kind of proven British acting talent that makes the whole venture worthwhile.

Even though the flashes forward in the series only takes us as far as April 29, 2010, the creators of ABC's FlashForward say there is a plan beyond that. They hoofed it to San Diego to get the buzz train rolling, and brought along "secret" cast addition Dominic Monaghan (Lost) to up the excitement.

At first glance, I can't help but be reminded of Prison Break on FOX. It started off great, with a great serialized premise. The first season as we ratcheted toward that break out was intense and pretty good stuff. But then they were out and FOX renewed the show. Now what? What came next was hit-or-miss television for three more seasons.

Hopefully, producers David Goyer and Marc Guggenheim have thoroughly thought this through. They indicated that the final episode of the first season would be April 30, 2010; the "aftermath." I'm guessing that will tie in to whatever caused the flashes in the first place. Maybe, like Lost, it will organically reinvent itself each year.