PICKS OF THE DAY
Animals: Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of Dogs, ITV, 8pm
Presenter and comedian Paul O’Grady (left) continues to follow the highs and lows of life at London’s Battersea Dogs and Cats Home as the dedicated staff work tirelessly to care for our four-legged friends in need. In this week’s show, Paul meets an overexcitable bulldog called Bruce struggling with breathing issues, before helping to socialise a nervous stray saluki called Bambi. Elsewhere, he falls head over heels for a stray dachshund called Sausage.
Documentary: Today At The Caravan Show, C5, 8pm
Part one of two. Rufus Hound and Gemma Hunt (above) present highlights from the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show at the NEC Birmingham. Tonight they look at the latest products that save space or add a touch of luxury to caravan interiors, and some of the smallest caravans on the market are taken for a road test drive. Later, a family try out an inflatable camper and see if it can really do the job.
Film: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, BBC1, 10.35pm
Action adventure sequel to Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger, featuring a star-studded cast including Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L Jackson and Robert Redford. Two years after the Battle of New York, Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, is still attempting to adjust to being a wartime supersoldier in the modern world, with the support of fellow Avenger Black Widow and former soldier Sam Wilson. However, when a mysterious and dangerous assassin known as the Winter Soldier makes an unexpected appearance, it has catastrophic consequences for Cap, Nick Fury and espionage agency SHIELD.
Nature: Great Barrier Reef, BBC4, 8pm
An exploration of Australia’s underwater ecosystem, one of the natural wonders of the world and the largest living structure on the planet. In the first of this three-parter, marine biologist Monty Halls looks at the complex form of the coral reef and the wildlife that lives on it, from deadly fish-hunting snails and sharks that can walk on land to fighting corals and parrotfish, which cocoon themselves in the night.
History: Reporting History: Mandela And A New South Africa, BBC4, 11.20pm
In a programme first shown on the 25th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s election as the first black president of South Africa, Foreign correspondent Fergal Keane looks back on his news reports at the time. Keane recalls how people were “convulsed with hope” after Mandela (right) won and examines why history did not turn out how many expected. Despite the optimism many had for the country, corruption and poverty remain widespread.