THIS WEEK’S TOP TV SHOWS
DRAMA Anthony
Monday, BBC1, 8.30pm
Black British A-level student Anthony Walker’s life was cruelly snatched away by racist thugs who murdered him when he was only 18 in 2005. It was a senseless killing that broke the hearts of his relatives and girlfriend, and robbed the world of all that he would have gone on to do. Now this powerful featurelength film imagines the future that Anthony might have had. Written by Jimmy McGovern (Cracker, The Street) at the request of Anthony’s mother, Gee Walker, it’s a brilliant and heart-wrenching dramatisation of the human cost of racism and this unthinkably savage crime, while Toheeb Jimoh (above) is one to watch with a compelling performance in the title role.
TRAVEL Joanna Lumley’s Unseen Adventures
Tuesday, ITV, 9pm
With travel restrictions having put a dampener on so many of our holiday plans this year, which of us hasn’t been looking at old photos as we yearn to roam far and wide? But for Joanna Lumley (above), those memorable trips of the past are a little more exotic than most of us have experienced. Luckily, she’s now sharing a treasure trove of memories from her travels all over the planet in a three-part series featuring unseen footage. In this week’s opening episode, Lumley looks back to her time on the islands of Japan, including the frozen sea of Okhotsk. She also recalls her train journey on the Trans-Siberian Express and seeing seals at Siberia’s massive Lake Baikal.
DOCUMENTARY Anne: The Princess Royal At 70
Wednesday, ITV, 9pm
Other members of the Royal Family may attract more of the headlines – for better or worse – but Princess Anne (right) has remained relatively littleknown to the public, in a life that has for the most part been an exemplary display of simply and quietly going about her duties. Now, ahead of her 70th birthday next month, this documentary features a rare, in-depth interview in which the Princess Royal holds forth in typically frank style to royal author Robert Hardman of the Daily Mail. Granted behindthe-scenes access, the filmmakers provide us with an unprecedented glimpse of Anne at work and play, both in Britain and on tour abroad, and during the recent months of lockdown.
FOOD Celebrity MasterChef
Wednesday, BBC1, 9pm ; Thursday, BBC1, 7.30pm & 8.30pm
We started out with 20 celebrities in the kitchen, all hoping to cut the mustard – or at least avoid end up getting the chop. But now, after the triumphs, tears and tantrums of the past few weeks, the end is near, with eight contestants doing battle in the first semi-final, cooking up a feast to celebrate Guide Dogs For The Blind’s 90th anniversary. Six return for Thursday’s round, when Italian super-chef Aldo Zilli (above) challenges the contenstants to come anywhere near to his standards as they attempt to recreate one of his recipes. The top three then go straight on to the final, which follows straight after at 8.30pm – and promises to be a seriously tasty contest...
ENTERTAINMENT The British Academy Television Awards
Friday, BBC,1 7pm
Prepare for a star-studded ceremony that will be quite unlike any you’ve seen before. Coronavirus and social distancing have changed so many things, and the Bafta Television Awards are no exception. What is always an exclusive affair is even more so this year, taking place behind closed doors with the stars appearing via video. Richard Ayoade, the drily brilliant star of The IT Crowd, is the evening’s host, having quipped on getting the job: ‘I am as surprised as you are that this is still going ahead.’ But what has not changed is the competition for the prizes between so many brilliant shows, such as Chernobyl, Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge, above), Giri/Haji and The Crown.