Cultish, with a chance of meatballs

FLATPACK EMPIRE (BBC2)

Who hasn’t found themselves lost in the big, blue home furnishings Narnia of IKEA, lured by cool flatpack furniture and legendary Swedish meatballs?

This revealing three-part documentary goes behind the scenes of the Swedish megabrand for the first time.

Last year, 800 million people visited IKEA and consumed one billion meatballs. And 203 million copies of its catalogue are published annually – more than the Bible and Quran put together.

We also get a sense of the staff culture of IKEA, a happy and inclusive “movement” that errs on the side of cultish.

Every year, a contingent of staff make a pilgrimage to Älmhult, an entire Swedish town dedicated to IKEA, to “understand the cultures and the values we live by every day” according to Szymon, who works at IKEA in Sheffield and explores Älmhult like it is Disneyland.

The show also follows the creation of IKEA’s latest catalogue, where a maverick idea to feature people on the cover is swiftly vetoed by a sinister-sounding high council.

Still, it’s the endless enthusiasm of IKEA’s UK staff that makes the series.

Paul, a David Brent-style manager of the Warrington branch, steals the show with his enthusiasm for a new VR system that lets customers see their potential purchase in their own home.

“It’s the future, like garlic bread!” he happily declares before fogging up his goggles and nearly falling over a Friheten sofa.

WINTER OLYMPICS (BBC)

Packed with suspense, drama, heartache, joy and all the bizarre sports on snow you never knew you wanted to watch (my knees seized up just watching the moguls), the Olympics’ cool cousin is mustwatch telly.