DOCUMENTARY

HOPEFUL Amber and Nick

BBC2, 6.30pm Not for Michael Portillo an updated edition of the Lonely Planet guide. No, he goes out armed with a guide book written in the 19th century, the one that has inspired this series about the great railways that span the United States and Canada.

And so he embarks on a 1,100-mile railroad journey from Boston, Massachusetts, across the border to Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario. Along the way, he encounters C4, 9pm

FINDING the ideal partner isn’t straightforward at the best of times – everyone can certainly relate to that. But for some it’s a bit more complicated.

revolutionaries, feminists, pilgrims and witches while also riding some of the oldest and most breathtaking railway routes in the world.

But let’s just take a moment to discuss Michael’s amazing technicolour wardrobe. There are neon pinks, bright greens, yellow blazers and dazzling chinos that hurt your eyes. It’s genuinely thrilling to see what he will wear every day.

Not an inconspicuous traveller, he’s at one point accused of being a “Tory spy” by someone re-enacting the Boston Tea Party. But, as ever, Portillo rallies and joins in the fun.