What not to miss in the week ahead
DRAMA
The State
This powerful four-part drama being shown on consecutive nights this week follows the fortunes of four young British Muslims who have run away to Syria to join Isis.
Based on extensive research, writer/ director Peter Kosminsky, who directed Wolf Hall, offers a cautionary tale as the recruits experience the reality of life in Raqqa, where they witness horrific atrocities carried out by the regime and the bloody aftermath of air strikes.
In the first episode, childhood friends Jalal and Ziyaad enjoy the male camaraderie as they are trained and equipped for battle, while single mother Shakira and schoolgirl Ushna are taught the strict rules women must obey. Tomorrow-wednesday, Channel 4, 9pm
REALITY Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?
A dozen would-be astronauts, including various scientists, a military pilot, a surgeon, a dentist who has climbed Everest and a professional ballerina studying for a PHD in Physics, all compete to see if they have the right stuff to travel into space.
They are put through their paces and assessed by astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield, former NASA medical researcher Dr Kevin Fong, and psychologist Dr Iya Whiteley. The six-part series begins with the candidates tasked with flying a helicopter, to test how quickly they can learn a new skill.
Tomorrow, BBC2, 9pm
ART
Fake Or Fortune?
In the first episode of a new four-part series, the team see if they can prove that a beautiful English landscape is a work of national importance – a lost masterpiece by John Constable, and quite possibly an alternative view of his greatest work The Hay Wain.
If genuine, it could be worth at least £2 million, but the painting was deemed a fake 30 years ago by several Constable experts. Fiona Bruce presents, along with art expert Philip Mould, who briefly owned the painting in the past but failed in his attempts to prove its authenticity. Will new technology reveal the truth?
Tomorrow, BBC1, 7:05pm
HEALTH Wasting Away: The Truth About Anorexia
TV reporter and presenter Mark Austin and his daughter Maddy – who lost four stone and became dangerously ill with anorexia – explore the devastating impact of eating disorders.
There are approximately 1.2 million sufferers in the UK, and it is the cause of the highest number of mental health related deaths. The pair draw on their experiences to break the stigma around the issue and investigate whether the NHS is providing appropriate care as well as meeting patients and relatives stuck on lengthy waiting lists for treatment. They also put their findings to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Mark Austin says: “This was not an easy film to make but Maddy and I wanted to highlight the crisis in the treatment of eating disorders in many parts of this country. It is an epidemic of our age and it is high time it was talked about as a mental health emergency that needs resources and attention. We hope this helps.”
Thursday, Channel 4, 10pm
MEDICAL
Ambulance
Our collective obsession with the work of the emergency services continues as cameras follow the daily dramas of West Midlands Ambulance Service. Each of the eight episodes follows the call-handlers and ambulance dispatchers in the control-room, and the paramedics, technicians and specialist Air Ambulance crews out on the ground as they cope with the estimated 3,000 calls a day asking for help. ■
Thursday, BBC1, 9pm