TV PICKS OF THE WEEK
Tonight, BBC1, 8pm
When this period drama began 10 years ago, it was set during the late 1950s. Now, we’re up to 1968, which means the midwives have dealt with some big social changes, including the arrival of the contraceptive pill.
And in the latest episode Dr Turner and Sister Veronica arrange a men’s health talk to discuss another innovation in reproductive health – the vasectomy. Meanwhile, Nancy is caring for Jill Mellor and her newborn baby, Mylene, although it’s the father, Spencer, who causes concern when his behaviour becomes increasingly erratic.
PUTIN VS THE WEST Tomorrow, BBC2, 9pm
Award-winning film-maker Norma Percy’s new three-part series begins in 2014, when Russian president Vladimir Putin first attacked Ukraine and seized the Crimean peninsula.
World leaders who have traded blows with him – including David Cameron, Francois Hollande and Ukraine’s then president Petro Poroshenko – recall being bitterly
divided over how to handle Putin. Other key players tell the story as Putin pressed home his advantage when he saw division in the West.
EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: HANDOVER CEREMONY AND DRAW Tuesday, BBC2, 7pm
After finishing second in Eurovision last year, the UK landed the job of hosting the contest when the winner, Ukraine, wasn’t in a position to do so.
Rylan and AJ Odudu host the live draw to determine which country
will compete in which semi-final when they take place in May.
The mayor of 2022 host city Turin will also hand over the official keys of the Eurovision Song Contest to the Mayor of Liverpool.
BUILDING BRITAIN’S SUPERHOMES Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm
Few property developers on TV are quite like Guy Phoenix.
He’s self-taught and claims to be the only developer in the world building high-end homes ad-hoc without plans or artist impressions.
That might sound alarming, but the results speak for themselves, as his creations sell for millions.
Now, cameras follow Phoenix as he takes on a challenging new project. It involves transforming a dated hillside house into a truly grand design, with glass flooring and an indoor pool with waterfall.
He also takes us on a VIP tour of some of his other superhomes.
THE APPRENTICE Thursday, BBC1, 9pm
How would you go about marketing an electric motorbike? Chances are it wouldn’t be same approach adopted by the remaining candidates.
Alan Sugar orders them to devise an advertising campaign, but the resident petrol-head can’t get their colleagues to listen to their ideas, despite being the project manager.
At least they can’t do any worse than their competitors who seemingly forget to big-up the product itself. Maybe it’ll be one of that lot who’s told to get on their bike by the leader of the pack.
TRAVEL MAN: 48 HOURS IN MARSEILLES
Friday, Channel 4, 8.30pm
Asim Chaudhry, who’s best known for playing Chabuddy G in the hit mockumentary series People Just
Do Nothing, is the latest traveller to accompany Joe Lycett on a whistlestop journey. Their destination is Marseilles in the south of France.
It’s the country’s second most populous city and there are heaps of things to see and do – so the boys had better hurry up if they’re going to pack in a skateboarding lesson, an underwater museum and the intriguingly named Tunnel of 1,000 Signs.
ROY ORBISON AT THE BBC Saturday, BBC2, 8.50pm
An evening of programmes celebrating the American singersongwriter, whose hits included Only the Lonely, Crying and Oh, Pretty Woman. Stay tuned for the documentary Roy Orbison: In Dreams at 9.20pm; the star performing some of his hits in Roy Sings Orbison at 10.50pm, and the biography Roy Orbison: One of the Lonely Ones at 11.20pm.