Seven Days

mike mulvihill’s guide to the week’s TV

SATURDAY JIMMY’S FOREST

3.30pm, ch4 ★★★★ It’s winter and, after a heavy snowfall, the forest is looking magical. For Jimmy Doherty, it’s the perfect time to learn how insects survive the cold months, before he exposes tree roots to see how far they spread and watches 80,000 rooks taking flight.

POINTLESS CELEBRITIES

7.30pm, bbc1 ★★★★

A special Olympics-themed edition of the quiz features such sporting greats as gold-medal-winning rowers Helen Glover, Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell.

HOW TO BUILD BRITISH: THE LONDON CAB

8.15pm, ch4 ★★★

The black cab has been a familiar sight on London’s streets for decades and now, this iconic vehicle has gone green. This latest episode follows the production of an all-electric eco-taxi in just 28 hours.

CASUALTY

8.25pm, bbc1 ★★★

As Ethan struggles to banish memories of last year’s terrorist attack, he throws himself into action after a dangerous incident at Holby Comic Con. Meanwhile, Faith leans on Dylan for support after Luka’s latest scan.

PETER CROUCH: SAVE OUR SUMMER

9.10pm, bbc1 ★★★ The last in the series sees Jamie Redknapp going head to head with Mo Farah in the Sporting Fix final. Plus, there’s a footballing legends edition of Musical VAR, and an exclusive Garden Sessions performance by rapper AJ Tracey and singer Mabel.

WORLD CUP 1966: ALFIE’S BOYS

9.15pm, bbc2 ★★★★ After another chance to relive English football’s finest moment comes a tribute to one of the defenders who helped the team to victory on that day. Match Of Their Day: Jack Charlton (10.45pm) remembers the great man, who died earlier this month.

DIANA VS THE TABLOIDS

9.15pm, ch5 ★★★ The Princess had a complex relationship with the press, trying to balance her need for privacy with the papers’ desire for stories. Here, industry insiders talk about how Diana made the news, before and after her death.

SUNDAY

SONGS OF PRAISE

1.15pm, bbc1 ★★★ James Lusted and the Reverend Kate Bottley explore faith and art across Merseyside, with hymns recorded before churches closed.

STORIES OF US

1.50pm, bbc2 ★★★ If you haven’t had enough of the Reverend Kate Bottley, turn over to see her pick up a paint brush for the first time since she was a child in the second episode of this spiritual series.

COUNTRYFILE

7pm, bbc1 ★★★★ This week, Matt Baker and Anita Rani are heading for Chichester Harbour, where Matt accompanies the harbour master on his daily rounds, and Anita learns about projects that help to protect local oysters, terns and seals.

HITLER’S SUPERCARS

8pm, ch4 ★★★★ In this fascinating one-off documentary, experts tell the story of how racing cars produced by Mercedes-benz and the Nazi-funded Auto Union delivered not only Grand Prix victories and world speed records, but also valuable propaganda for the Third Reich, during the 1930s.

MONDAY

MURDER, MYSTERY AND MY FAMILY

10Am, bbc1 ★★★ Back for a new daytime series come leading barristers Sasha Wass QC and Jeremy Dein QC, who will review historic crimes to uncover possible miscarriages of justice. The first is an infamous Victorian poisoning case in which a woman was jailed for her husband’s murder.

EASTENDERS: SECRETS FROM THE SQUARE

8pm, bbc1 ★★★ Adam Woodyatt and Gillian Taylforth (aka Ian Beale and his mum, Kathy) join Stacey Dooley to talk about their 35-year friendship and tell the stories behind the soap’s biggest storylines – including the real reason Adam wore a hat the whole time Ian was homeless.

ANTHONY

8.30pm, bbc1 ★★★★ See Showtime, page 12.

CORONATION STREET: PARTNERSHIPS

8.30pm, itv ★★★ A celebration of the Weatherfield comedy double acts that have kept us entertained down the years, from Stan and Hilda Ogden to Fred Elliott and Ashley Peacock.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN IRAQ

9pm, bbc2 ★★★★ This week, we are taken into the heart of the battle for Fallujah in 2004 in the company of US reporter Dexter Filkins and photographer Ashley Gilbertson. Illustrated by thousands of photographs taken by Gilbertson over a week, this is a compelling insider’s view of one of the most intense battles of the Iraq war.

LONG LOST FAMILY SPECIAL: BORN WITHOUT TRACE

9pm, itv ★★★★ Davina Mccall and Nicky Campbell catch up with three foundlings – people who were abandoned as babies – to find out how their lives have changed since they discovered the truth about their pasts on the show.

TUESDAY

EASTENDERS: WHO KILLED LUCY BEALE?

7.30pm, bbc1 ★★★★ Another chance to see the 2015 episode in which the killer of Ian Beale’s daughter was finally revealed. Surely, it couldn’t have been her younger brother, Bobby, could it?

AMAZING HOTELS: LIFE BEYOND THE LOBBY

8pm, bbc2 ★★★ Monica Galetti and Giles Coren visit Schloss Elmau, a hotel deep in the snowy Bavarian Alps, that claims to be a cultural hideaway that can restore the mind, body and soul. For Monica, that means meditation; for Giles, it’s a trip to a mountain hut to serve dinner – dressed in lederhosen, of course.

THE RISE OF THE MURDOCH DYNASTY

9pm, bbc2 ★★★★ The final part of this gripping media saga follows the story of Rupert Murdoch’s remarkable journey from ‘the most humble day’ of his life to arguably his most powerful moment – and concludes the question of succession within his own family. And he still found time to marry Jerry Hall along the way.

JOANNA LUMLEY’S UNSEEN ADVENTURES

9pm, itv ★★★★ Joanna returns with a new, three-part series to share her previously unseen travelling adventures. In the first instalment, she explores Japan, before jumping on board the Trans-siberian Railway in Russia.

WEDNESDAY PAUL O’GRADY FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS: WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

8pm, itv ★★★ From Battersea Dogs Home this week, there’s

a heart-warming update with Chester, the most badly injured dog that Paul has ever helped. What this incredible Saluki is doing now will cheer you up no end.

HOW TO STOP YOUR NUISANCE CALLS

8PM, CH5 ★★★ If you missed this the first time round, here’s Alexis Conran’s handy guide to putting an end to annoying cold calls and thwarting telephone fraudsters.

CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF

9PM, BBC1 ★★★★ After four weeks of heats, the contest comes to a conclusion tonight and tomorrow. In this first semi-final, eight celebrities prepare a feast to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Guide Dogs For The Blind. There’s a double helping on Thursday with the second semi-final (7.30pm) and the final (8.30pm).

MRS AMERICA 9PM, BBC2 ★★★★ This intelligent drama reaches its conclusion with a double bill tonight and the final episode on Thursday. The unfamiliarity of the main players has put some viewers off, but the cast – led by Cate Blanchett – has been great.

THURSDAY

EAT, SHOP, SAVE 7.30PM, ITV ★★★ Ranvir Singh and her team of fitness and financial experts are in Newton Abbot to help Jena and Aaron to get their waistlines – and their wallets – into shape.

WONDERS OF THE COAST PATH

8PM, ITV ★★★ The second leg of Sean Fletcher’s journey takes him to the Llyn Peninsula in northwest Wales. He starts at Bangor, where he joins the crew of 1930s sailing ship the Vilma to help to steer her down the Menai Strait.

ESCAPE TO THE CHATEAU: MAKE DO AND MEND

8PM, CH4 ★★★★ Filmed by the couple themselves, this series sees the enterprising Dick Strawbridge and wife Angel showing us all how to make the most of our time at home by tackling those DIY jobs we’ve been putting aside for so long.

INSIDE BRITAIN’S FOOD FACTORIES

8.30PM, ITV ★★★ This week, we’re in Yorkshire to see how Aunt Bessie’s produces millions of Yorkshire puddings a year, how Yorkshire Tea turns out tea bags by the truckload, and how Birds Eye gets its peas from field to freezer.

THERE SHE GOES

9.30PM, BBC2 ★★★★ After the school notices some bruising on Rosie, dad Si (David Tennant) becomes paranoid about a visit from social services.

FRIDAY

GARDENERS’ WORLD

8PM, BBC2 ★★★★ Arit Anderson travels to Kent to meet a designer who is placing sustainability and the environment at the heart of the gardens she designs. Back at Longmeadow, Monty Don is revisiting the shrub and perennial cuttings he took a few weeks ago.

TRAVEL MAN’S GREATEST TRIPS: OUT AND ABOUT

8PM, CH4 ★★★ In this four-part highlights package, Richard Ayoade looks back on some of his greatest trips. First up, he recalls a tour of Vienna in the company of Chris O’dowd, and a chaotic trip to Dubai with Johnny Vegas.

JACK WHITEHALL’S SPORTING NATION

8.30PM, BBC1 ★★★ Jack Whitehall takes a light-hearted look at how class adds drama to our best sports stories, from the rivalry between Seb Coe and Steve Ovett to Fred Perry taking on the Wimbledon establishment in the 1930s.

MIRIAM MARGOLYES: ALMOST AUSTRALIAN

9PM, BBC2 ★★★★ On the second leg of her tour of her adopted country, the actress explores the concept of mateship, meeting Aboriginal elders and one of Australia’s very few female truckers.

8 OUT OF 10 CATS DOES COUNTDOWN

9PM, CH4 ★★★ Jimmy Carr hosts a new series of the comedy version of the classic words and numbers quiz. Joining team captains Sean Lock and Jon Richardson for the first episode are Kerry Godliman and Joe Wilkinson.