BEST OF THE REST
INSIDE THE FOREIGN OFFICE
BBC2, 9pm
HUNDREDS of Foreign Office staff members have gathered to hear a speech from the face of their department, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. They all look a bit bemused to be honest – and who can blame them.
Filmed before Johnson quit the post earlier this year, this fascinating new documentary series has access to the private world of British diplomats in Whitehall and across the globe.
It’s been a turbulent year for British politics to say the least, so there’s perhaps never been a more significant time to look behind the scenes.
Film-maker Michael Waldman meets various people working in some of the most complex and sensitive jobs in government, tackling crises in places from Russia to Burma. This week, at the General Assembly in New York, there’s a discussion on the protocol status of Ivanka Trump at the table of VIPs.
And there’s a guest appearance from Human Rights lawyer, and world’s most envied wife, Amal Clooney.
THE FIRST
Channel 4, 9pm
SPACE dramas are highly tense aren’t they? There’s something hugely stressful about watching astronauts sweating under their massive helmets as various buttons light up and alarms sound.
As the third episode of this glossy series kicks off, the crew is having difficulties and panic is rife. Fortunately it turns out that they are only in a simulator, but this doesn’t bode well for the mission does it? Ahh, the many challenges of colonising another planet.
Later on, Kayla (LisaGay Hamilton) and Tom (Sean Penn) find themselves at odds when faced with a difficult decision. Meanwhile, aerospace boss Laz Ingram (Natascha McElhone) tries desperately to hold everything together.
And a problem arises with the Mars Ascent Vehicle that may jeopardise the crew’s safety. As if they needed anything else to go wrong.
Elsewhere, Aiko (Keiko Agena) hosts a dinner party to celebrate Sadie (Hannah Ware) and Ollie’s (Patrick Kennedy) wedding anniversary.