PICK OF THE DAY

COUNTRYFILE 7PM, BBC1

★★★★

Matt Baker and Ellie Harrison are at Blenheim Palace, where they find out what it takes to run this busy country house and grounds nestled in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside. They meet the young apprentices who are learning trades, and Ellie is in her element in ancient woodland, where she hopes to spot a rare bee hiding among the oak trees. Adrian Chiles files a special report from Dorking in the Surrey Hills, where he meets the creator of a unique take on the horse-drawn carriage. Tom Heap, meanwhile, investigates worrying reports that England could run out of water by 2050 if action isn’t taken now.

EDEN: UNTAMED PLANET 7.10PM, BBC2

★★★★

If you thought an arid desert like the Namib in southwest Africa could never be described as an Eden, think again. Despite temperatures that approach 50ºc in daytime, and annual rainfall of just 5mm, the Namib is teeming with life, both surprising and unique. Narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, this series uses some delightful language to match its impressive visual scenes. In tonight’s episode, a segment on the ostrich describes its ‘periscope neck’ and ‘featherless drumsticks’, and follows the failed efforts of a ‘lusty youngster’ to pursue a mate. Elsewhere, we follow an elephant family (right), a lion on the hunt for oryx, blackbacked jackals feasting on Cape fur seals, and a plump desert rain frog. Marvellous.

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW 8PM, BBC1

★★★★

This episode, from Portchester Castle near Portsmouth on the south coast, is packed with incredible finds and delivers one of those jaw-dropping valuations that we all secretly watch for. Hilary Kay examines a waterdamaged letter that was in the pocket of plate-washer Sidney Daniels as he clung to a life raft after the Titanic sank. Clive Farahar is blown away by a previously unpublished poem by celebrated war poet Siegfried Sassoon, and we learn how the last Sultan of Zanzibar came to call Portsmouth his home. There’s also the rare sight of a Victoria Cross and a painting of a butterfly by Hawaii Five-0 actor Jack Lord. So, which of these gets the staggering valuation?

COMMANDO: BRITAIN’S OCEAN WARRIORS

8PM, BBC2 ★★★ The elite Commandos fight the war on drugs in this second episode of the four-part observational documentary series, and we sit in with a team of them as they prepare for a daring raid on a suspicious ship in the Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, in the far north of Norway, young officer Sam starts his Arctic training, and it’s all about keeping his cool in the harshest and chilliest of conditions.

THE KING OF WARSAW 11PM, CH4 ★★★★

This crime drama has been described as the Polish Peaky Blinders. It’s certainly got the intrigue, the style and the violence, and paints a bleakly seductive picture of Warsaw in the interwar years, circa 1937. Ageing Jewish prizefighter Jakub Szapiroisat the centre of the action, but this is epic storytelling, rich in detail and variety. The full series is available on All 4 now.