TV PICKS OF THE WEEK
THE MADAME BLANC MYSTERIES Tonight, Channel 5, 9pm
Channel 5 is not noted for its original dramas but we’re thrilled to see this six-parter, created, written by and starring Sally Lindsay.
She plays antiques dealer Jean, whose life is turned upside down after her husband Rory dies on his way back from the south of France.
Jean finds the bank account empty, their Cheshire shop mortgaged to the hilt and a ring missing from Rory’s effects.
A sole bright spot is their cottage in French antiques hub Sainte Victoire, where our heroine promptly hot-foots it to, looking for answers.
THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE 2021 Tomorrow, BBC1, 8pm
Next month, all eyes will be on Glasgow as the UK hosts the crucial Cop26 climate summit.
Just in case you think it’s all doom and gloom regarding the state of the planet, Dermot O’leary and Clara Amfo present the awards ceremony celebrating projects tackling the climate crisis, and providing funding to help them achieve their goals.
Sir David Attenborough speaks on the challenges these issues are facing, while music comes from Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Yemi Alade, KSI and Shawn Mendes.
ALMA’S NOT NORMAL Monday, BBC2, regions vary
It’s going to be hard saying goodbye to this whip-smart comedy drama, but at least we can hope for a second series or more delights from creator Sophie Willan.
The episode begins as things between Lin and Joan are not going well, while the news that Alma will be leaving for a six-month tour could well push Lin over the edge.
IMPEACHMENT: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
Tuesday, BBC2, 9.15pm
The third series in this illuminating US offering explores the sordid twists and turns of the scandal that erupted after President Bill Clinton denied, then finally admitted he had an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. This dramatised exploration begins in January 1998, the year the affair was made public, and Monica is invited to meet civil servant Linda Tripp. However, in reality, it’s a trap laid by the FBI, who take her to a hotel suite to be interviewed by the Office of Special Counsel.
Clive Owen stars as Clinton, while Beanie Feldstein plays Lewinsky.
SHETLAND
Wednesday, BBC1, 9pm
Douglas Henshall and Alison O’donnell are back for a new, six-part run of the bleak but beautiful crime drama, which sees the team probing the doorstep murder of a prominent
local figure, a case which strikes at the heart of the Shetland Isles and its people.
As DI Jimmy Perez and his crew uncover a kaleidoscope of motives for the murder, their investigation soon takes a shockingly sinister turn.
HANDMADE: BRITAIN’S
BEST WOODWORKER
Thursday, Channel 4, 8pm
Mel Giedroyc presents the latest entry in the hobby show genre, as nine of the country’s most talented craftspeople compete in a workshop, nestled in the ancient woodland of Wales’ Glanusk Estate.
They face a big build that supersizes the skills they’ve honed at home and a surprise challenge that tests their core abilities.
In this opening episode, the woodworkers have two days to complete a bed of dreams that may become the stuff of nightmares.
And in the surprise skills challenge, they must celebrate the fine skill of hand carving, with an invaluable prize for the winner.
ZAPPA
Friday, BBC Four, 9pm
Years in the making, this all-access documentary tells the story of Frank Zappa, the 1970s icon of eccentric rock whose work included serious orchestral composition, film-making and social activism.
The in-depth film conveys the scope of his varied creative output, and the breadth of his extraordinary life.