by Sarah Bond

The boyish charm of Colin Firth disguises a heartless rat in Out Of The Blue (Thursday, BBC 1, 9.30). He plays an unscrupulous movie maker who beds two beauties - both of them, by coincidence, called Cathy.

First he deflowers innocent Darling Buds Of May star Catherine Zeta Jones, and then he seduces his best friend's girl, played by the equally ravishing Cathy Tyson.

Catherine liked working with Colin, but was none too keen on the character he plays. "I've met a lot of men like that in showbusiness," she says. "You have to toughen yourself up." 

Though he's a rotter in the play, both actresses think Colin is lovely. "And he's a great kisser," laughs Cathy, referring to a scene in the play in which they exchange hungry kisses over a restaurant table. 

In real life 31-year-old Colin reserves all his kisses for his current love, beautiful Canadian actress Meg Tilly - but he has to save them up because theirs is a long-distance romance. 

While Colin's work is in Britain, Meg lives with the children - her two by a previous marriage and a baby by Colin - on the other side of the Atlantic. "We get together has often as we can," says Colin. "But it is difficult trying to balance the demands of a family and a career." 

Colin has only recently fully got over the effects of playing his most famous role - Falklands hero Robert Lawrence in the TV film Tumbledown. 

He says: "I thought I was indestructible, but Tumbledown took a considerable toll. I had dreams about the Falklands for two years. It was a bit frightening."