MUST-SEE SHOWS
FELA KUTI: FATHER OF AFROBEAT Tonight, BBC2, 9.30pm
WHEN he died, aged just 58, in 1997, Fela Kuti left an amazing legacy of work. This fascinating documentary claims the pioneering Nigerian musician created a sound for a continent, which perhaps explains why more than a million people made the pilgrimage to his funeral in Lagos.
Kuti gave the world Afrobeat, but he was also a thorn in the side of his nation’s military regimes; he was a countercultural revolutionary whose actions, including marrying 27 women in one ceremony, caused much controversy. Here, those who knew Kuti as well as fans profile this complex but unforgettable performer.
WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE: THE MILLION POUND QUESTION
Tomorrow, ITV, 8pm
THE last series ended on a real high when Donald Fear answered all 15 questions correctly, becoming one of only a handful of jackpot winners in the show’s history. But he wasn’t, of course, the first person to complete the feat. That honour goes to Judith Keppel who, on November 20,
2000 sat in the famous hot seat and went home £1million better off than she started. Here, she discusses her life-changing appearance.
RETURN FROM ISIS: A FAMILY’S STORY
Monday, BBC1, regions vary
FILMED over the course of four years, this documentary tells the extraordinary story of how Samantha Sally, who grew up in Arkansas, and her family went from a small town in America to the heart of the Islamic State group – and back.
Journalist Josh Baker learns how, after Sally’s arrival in Syria, her Moroccan-born husband became an ISIS sniper, while her young son Matthew was forced to take part in an infamous
propaganda video. Matthew who is now 13, reveals how he never thought he’d see the US again, while Sally, who is currently in prison, describes her own life with the terror groups.
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF: THE FINAL
Tuesday, Channel 4, 8pm
IT’S been difficult to call who would make it to the last episode, which makes tonight’s final particularly interesting.
Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith are setting three challenges for Laura, Peter and Dave, designed to test every aspect of their baking skills, including a deceptively simple signature that combines custard and puff pastry, a chocolate-and-nut based technical, and a
showstopper that involves dessert towers. But who will emerge as champion?
THE REPAIR SHOP
Wednesday, BBC1, 8pm ELECTRONICS expert Mark Stuckey and set designer and metalwork guru Dominic Chinea deploy their skills to restore the radiogram that was handmade by Julianna Smith’s late father.
Meanwhile, Dom calls in Greg Rowland to revive the dilapidated mini banana barrow that earned Jacqui Clark’s grandfather the nickname the ‘Banana King’.
DIY SOS: THE BIG BUILD
Thursday, BBC1, 8pm
TONIGHT’S episode sees Nick Knowles, his team, and hundreds
of volunteers transform the home of three orphaned Cornish boys. After 15 years spent fostering more than 100 children, Stephen and Lynn Smedley were looking forward to a well-earned retirement in their two-bedroom bungalow. But in April 2017, their retirement idyll was shattered when Carrie, their 32-year-old daughter, died, leaving her three boys
orphaned. The DIY SOS team attempt to turn the cramped Carbis Bay property into something special.
WALKING BRITAIN’S LOST RAILWAYS
Friday, Channel 5, 8pm
ROB BELL explores more abandoned rail routes that once made Britain’s railways the envy of the world. Here, he is discovering the lines that unlocked the wild coastline of North Devon.
Starting in Ilfracombe, rolling green hills and spectacular cliffs kept this lovely fishing town a well-kept secret for centuries. Rob follows the Barnstaple and Ilfracombe Railway, which was an instant success, eventually carrying the glamorous Atlantic Coast Express service, direct from London Waterloo.