TV PICKS OF THE WEEK
THE BRITISH SOAP AWARDS 2022: LIVE Tonight, ITV, 8pm
After a two-year break due to Covid, the ceremony is back with a live show – and it’s once again hosted by Phillip Schofield. As always, fans can vote for Best Soap, choosing from the big five – Hollyoaks, Emmerdale, Doctors, Coronation Street and Eastenders – and there’s a new category for Best Family. Best Actor and Actress have been axed, replaced instead by Leading Performer, where fans have the tough job of deciding between Sally Carman (Abi, Coronation Street), Gillian Wright (Jean, Eastenders), Linda Henry (Shirley,
Eastenders), Mark Charnock (Marlon, Emmerdale) and Paige Sandhu (Meena, Emmerdale).
SOCCER AID FOR UNICEF Tomorrow, ITV, 6.30pm
This annual football tournament is back, and as well as aiming to raise cash for good causes, a star-studded England side will be looking to overturn three consecutive defeats at the hands of an equally celebpacked World XI. The pressure is on former One Direction singer Liam Payne, who makes his debut as captain, no less, leading a side that also includes Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett, and comedian Alex Brooker. They’ll be lining up against a World XI that features Line of Duty’s Martin Compston and Usain Bolt.
TENNIS: QUEEN’S Monday, BBC2, 1pm
Sue Barker is in West Kensington in London to present live coverage of the eagerly-anticipated Cinch Championships, the men’s warm-up tournament to Wimbledon on the courts of Queen’s Club.
DIY SOS: THE BIG BUILD Tuesday, BBC1, 8pm
The team and an army of volunteers step up to help Peter, who is primary carer for his family 24/7. His wife Sarah and daughter Suzanne both have long-term genetic disorder myotonic dystrophy, and he also looks after his elder brother Steve. Peter started building an extension to adapt the house to suit everyone’s growing needs, but time and his own health are against him. Let the magic begin...
THE SAVOY Wednesday, ITV, 9pm
Love him or loathe him, it’s hard to deny that Gordon Ramsay makes some compulsive telly, and this series is one of the best. It’s back to offer a glimpse behind the scenes at the London hotel. Keep your eyes peeled for head chef Matt Worswick, who Gordon signed up after reaching the semi-finals of Masterchef: The Professionals and who left following an “explosive incident in the kitchen”. Your guess is as good as ours.
THE REAL DERRY: JAMIE-LEE O’DONNELL Thursday, Channel 4, 10pm
The sitcom Derry Girls, which came to an end last month, was an international hit, proving it struck a chord with viewers who had never set foot in Northern Ireland.
However, for actress and real-life Derry girl Jamie-lee O’donnell, who played foulmouthed Michelle, the series had a deeper resonance.
Now, in this documentary, she’s charting the city’s complex history as well as talking about her own experiences of growing up there as part of a Catholic community.
BRIAN COX: SEVEN DAYS ON MARS
Friday, BBC2, 9pm
Just over a year since touching down on Mars, NASA’S Perseverance rover has reached a crucial moment. This programme follows Professor Brian Cox over the course of a week
as he witnesses the workings of the Mars 2020 mission. We will see the rover navigating its way across the floor of Jezero Crater towards the remains of an ancient river delta – that may contain the evidence of life.
Brian also comes face to face with the engineering models of both the rover and the Ingenuity helicopter, as they are put through their paces in JPL’S Mars Yard.
And he will join the drivers whose job it is to plot the rover’s route through the terrain of the Martian surface. Brian reveals how the mission could radically change our understanding of life – not just on Mars but Earth as well.