PICK OF THE WEEK

SATURDAY

Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President (Sky Arts, 9pm)

If it hadn’t been for a bottle of scotch and a latenight visit from musician Gregg Allman, Jimmy Carter might never have been elected the 39th President of the United States. The engaging documentary charts the mostly forgotten story of how Carter, a lover of all types of music, forged a tight bond with musicians Willie

Nelson, the Allman Brothers, Bob Dylan and others. Low on campaign funds and lacking in name recognition, Carter relied on support from these artists to give him a crucial boost in the Democratic primaries. Once Carter was elected, the musicians became frequent guests in the White House, and played a significant role in Carter’s life.

Wallis Simpson: Femme Fatale (C5, 9.30pm)

Was Wallis Simpson a scheming seductress who tore the royals apart; or just a well-meaning woman who was unlucky in love? This documentary sheds light on t he enigmatic woman Prince Edward met on January 10,

1931 at an event at Burrough Court and explores the explosive chain of events that would lead to a historic split in the British royal family. Born Bessie Warfield, her father died shortly after she was born, leaving her mother to depend on the support of relatives. When

Wallis’ first marriage, to a heavy-drinking US naval officer, began to break down, she spent her ‘lotus year’ in China, where she is rumoured to have had an affair with Count Galeazzo

Ciano, later Mussolini’s son-in-law. Then, in 1928, Wallis married her first British husband, shipping executive Ernest Aldrich Simpson.

Celebrity Catchpoint (BBC1, 6.30pm)

Paddy McGuinness is back to host four celebrity editions of the family-friendly game show combining physical fun and tricky multiple-choice questions. Each question Paddy asks has 10 sequential answers, each corresponding to one of a straight line of circles on the floor. The contestants then pick a spot to stand on and if it’s right, they’ll have a better chance of catching the prize ball that drops from the ceiling. It’s a fun game but, given they are fundraising for charity, there is a lot at stake for the celebs taking part. Tonight, Radio 1 DJs Matt Edmondson and Mollie King are up against presenter, author and columnist Dr Ranj Singh and Olympic long jump gold-medalist Greg Rutherford.

The Masked Singer (STV, 7pm)

In the first two weeks of this year’s competition, we saw ubiquitous Murder on the Dancefloor hitmaker Sophie Ellis-Bextor unveiled as the Alien, while Spice Girls icon Mel B was forced to whip off her Seahorse mask. So which celebrity in their ever flamboyantly elaborate character costume will join the duo and be voted out tonight? Host Joel Dommett presides over the fourth edition of the unique entertainment guessing game, with celebrity sleuths Mo

2020 wasn’t a bad year for everyone - take Donald Fear for example. He became the first person to scoop the top prize on this show in 14 years. But will Jeremy Clarkson be making any more millionaires as the quiz returns for a new run? We’re about to find out as the first crop of contestants take their place in the hotseat. They have 15 questions, four lifelines and one very big chance to win.

A Perfect Planet (BBC1, 8pm)

Water is vital for life - and our planet has plenty of it. The potential snag is that most of the water on Earth is in the seas and too salty for terrestrial species to use. As the latest episode in the natural history series discovers, just three per cent of the world’s H2O is freshwater and most of that is locked up in ice or in underground aquifers. David Attenborough looks at the role of weather in distributing water, and why differing amounts of rainfall around the world have give rise to an incredible diversity of species and habitats.

Finding Alice (STV, 9pm)

Keeley Hawes is usually a mark of TV quality, so it’s very good sign that she’s in two dramas this week. The Line of Duty and Bodyguard actress is among the cast of It’s a Sin, which begins on Channel 4 on Friday, and she also takes the title role in the new Sunday night series Finding Alice. Keeley plays a woman who has just moved into a new home with her husband Harry and daughter Charlotte, but what should have been a dream turns into a nightmare when Alice finds Harry dead at the bottom of the stairs. In the wake of the tragedy, Alice finds herself struggling not just with grief and her family (including her parents, played by Nigel Havers and Joanna Lumley), but with navigating her new ‘smart home’, designed by the late husband she may not have known as well as she thought.

MONDAY

Bradley & Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad (STV, 8pm)

In an episode originally scheduled for last week, the father-and-son duo continue their European adventure in central Germany. They head to the city of Frankfurt, one of Europe’s leading business centres, where Brad is yet again pushed to the edge - literally - as he attempts to abseil down the side of a building, facing forwards. After that drama, the boys also stop off at a bratwurst-themed hotel and soak up some local Bavarian culture when they have a go at fingerhakeln (finger wrestling). The pair finish off their time in Germany with a wet and wild adventure in the mountains.

Long Lost Family (STV, 9pm)

The Bafta-winning reunion show is back for its 10th series, as presenters Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell reunite more family members with their loved ones. Phyllis and Kevin Haran contacted Long Lost Family after more than 40 years searching for their first-born son. The couple fell in love as teenagers in Ireland in the 1970s and a couple of months into their relationship, Phyllis became pregnant. Aware of the scandal this would cause within their Catholic community, they hatched a plan to run away to England to bring up their baby. But, in London, their landlady discovered they were keeping a baby in their flat and gave them less than 24 hours to get out. Homeless, jobless and desperate to put their baby’s interests first, they agreed through an agency to place their son in the care of a family, with the possibility of adoption if they couldn’t find their feet.

Mark Kermode’s Secrets of Cinema: Pop Music Movies (BBC4, 9pm)

Kermode combines his twin passions - music and film - as he looks at the success, or otherwise, of pop movies. There’s the classic pop star vehicle, where the biggest acts play a version of themselves, in exuberant films that promote their brand. Then, there are pop biopics, dramatised accounts of the stars’ lives that dazzle us with musical set pieces while playing on our fascination with the darker side of fame. Mark also sees what happens when actors play musicians, and when musicians take on acting roles, and he celebrates some of the true cinematic oddities that have emerged.

999: What’s Your Emergency? (C4, 9pm)

“Sexual offences and how we deal with it are a major issue, now more than ever”, says South

Yorkshire Police call handler Terry Batchelor. In recent years the number of reported sex offences in the UK has increased by 15 per cent and range from indecent exposure to rape, with the age of sexual consent a particularly fraught area to manage. As late-night clubbers start to throng the streets, police are called to a suspected sexual assault outside a nightclub; and in another early-morning incident, officers confront a man after he exposes himself in the street - an offence which can carry a prison term of up to two years.

Shut-Ins: Britain’s Fattest People (C4, 10pm)

Twenty-three-year-old AJ from Airdrie has been mostly shut in for the last six years - partly down to physical reasons and also to escape being mocked and shamed. AJ’s weight issues began as a child and bullying at school led to even more eating. AJ is now barely able to move and has to rely on mum Sharon for all aspects of care. Sharon is also coming to terms with AJ’s decision to identify as non-binary and AJ wanting to have gender surgery in the future. Feeling like life has hit rock bottom, they consult bariatric surgeon Professor Kerrigan, who declines to offer surgery until both of them make some major changes to their diet and lifestyle.

TUESDAY

Winterwatch (BBC2, 8pm)

It takes a special kind of dedication to be outdoors on these sub-zero January, lockdown nights. And they do not come more professional and enthusiastic than the Winterwatch team, who are back to sit around a roaring fire in big padded jackets and talk passionately about the magic of nature. Chris Packham will be in the New Forest with his step-daughter Megan McCubbin, while Iolo Williams is at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales, hoping to see some amazing murmurations. Gillian Burke is at The Beaver Project in Cornwall where she was based for Springwatch. And young naturalist Indy Green will be taking us deep into Sherwood Forest on the hunt for one of our most elusive birds of prey - the goshawk.

During these cold evenings, there’s a lot to be said for television that simply makes you feel warm - especially if, unlike the Winterwatch team, you don’t even have to leave your sofa.

Countdown to Murder (5STAR, 9pm)

The return of the crime documentary series that pieces together the events leading up to a notorious killing from the perspective of both murderer and victim. In May 2018, pharmacist Mitesh Patel called the police to tell them that he had returned home to find his wife Jessica murdered. But it was all a lie. Within weeks, Mitesh’s double life as a gay man had become apparent to the police. Far from being a committed husband and pillar of the Hindu community, he had been plotting an affair with his lover in Australia. He had decided to murder his wife and steal her fertilised embryos, before embarking on a new life Down Under.

Outbreak: The Virus That Shook the World (STV, 9pm)

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Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? However, the authorities refuse to believe that a youngster from such a humble background could succeed without cheating, and subject him to brutal treatment in search for an explanation.

THURSDAY

All the President’s Men (1976) (BBC4, 9pm)

Made only two years after the events which it depicts took place, All the President’s Men won four

The Bay (STV, 9pm)

Had the world been normal, we’d already have seen the second series of the Morecambe-set crime drama. Following the success of the first run in early 2019, it was immediately recommissioned, with filming once again taking place in the Lancashire seaside town. It was expected to appear on our screens last year, but as Covid struck, the decision was made to eke out the arrival of new programmes, so was held back until now. Morven Christie returns as DS Lisa Armstrong, who’d been suspended from the force. She’s now back on the job, but relegated to tackling menial tasks. However, she gets a chance to prove her worth following a shocking murder. Stephen Tompkinson,

Byron hears about social prescribing, which is helping those suffering feelings of loneliness and isolation.

THURSDAY

Inside Culture with Mary Beard (BBC2, 7pm)