Tonight sees two of Bristol’s most famous exports return to our screens. First up at 9pm on Channel 5 is Justin Lee Collins with a new series exploring Japanese culture. Then, on E4 at 10pm it’s the return of Skins with a brand new cast for their fifth series. The difference with the Skins cast’s third incarnation is that unlike in previous seasons (in series one, all but one of the cast was Bristolian), only one of the actors is from Bristol, 18-year-old Laya Lewis from St Paul’s.

Justin Lee Collins’ new programme (right) is called Turning Japanese. The bearded funnyman arrives in Tokyo on a mission to learn more about the people and customs behind Japan’s often baffling image.

Tokyo, Japan’s hectic capital city, is home to 13 million people, but Justin readily admits that his perception of their culture is entirely caught up in clichés. “I don’t like robots, I don’t have an MP3 player and I hate manga,” he confesses. “So I hope there is more to Japan than that.”

The first episode has the theme of love, with our hero finding himself in flirting classes, an underwear shop and at the house of a man who owns 100 rubber dolls.

And so we come to the new series of Skins, which although trailed heavily has been careful not to give away too many plot details. What we already know is the names of the new characters: Liv (played by Lewis, left), Franky, Alo, Rich, Mini, Grace, Nick and Matty.

The title sequence once again see the characters on top of one of their favourite places, Trenchard Street car park. Glimpses of other recognisable Bristol locations in the titles include the New Cut and Cumberland Basin, Arnos Vale cemetery and what looks like blocks of flats in Redcliffe.

And in the clips already online from episode one, we can see four of the girls running through Cabot Circus and the footbridge over Bond Street, and two of the boys, Alo and Rich, try and fail to get into Privé nightclub on King Street.

In a video interview on the E4 website, Skins creator and writer Jamie Brittain gave a few more hints. “We have worked very hard to make the stories as exciting and fresh and original as possible,” he said.

“I would say to anybody nervous about the new characters to give them a chance. They are designed to be liked. Do not judge on first appearances.”

Brittain also said that this series is the “lightest and the funniest” they have ever made, “but it’s also deep and personal and powerful”.