Thursday

The Supervet CHANNEL 4, 8.00PM

“The technical term for this is a tricky mess,” says Prof Noel Fitzpatrick as he embarks upon tonight’s opening exercise in veterinary miracleworking. Even by Fitzpatrick’s high standards, the task of putting back together the 26 shattered pieces of two-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier Lulu’s pelvis following a road accident is a major challenge. But with the supervet wielding the scalpel (and the drill and bolt-cutters) there’s always hope, which is why we love this feelgood series which has become such a staple in the Channel 4 schedules that the pioneering pet physician seems to have become a permanent fixture – even padding out the summer doldrums last month with the new Animal Rescue Live. Here, though, we return for a new run of heart-warming hi-tech surgery at his swish referrals practice in Surrey for fortunate pets like Lulu and 7-year-old giant schnauzer Florence, who needs a new knee. Other members of staff get to share the limelight, too, such as likeable neurosurgeon Dr Clare Rusbridge, who performs spinal surgery on an adorable Jack Russell called Muffin, whose back legs have mysteriously stopped working. GO

Without Limits: Vietnam BBC ONE, 8.00PM

The final leg of the Ho Chi Minh trail through Vietnam’s mountainous interior tests the six disabled travellers to their limits as they work through an area filled with unexploded bombs left over from the Vietnam War. GO