BEST OF THE REST
LOVE YOUR HOME AND GARDEN
ITV, 8pm
AMIABLE gardener Alan Titchmarsh and his team know how to wring a tear out of even the most steely of viewers. We’ve been promised this episode is no exception.
Wheelchair users Nina and Steve Parry look after Nina’s two children Oscar, 10, and Lexi, six, but a poorly laid out home in Swindon means they have no direct connection to their neglected back garden. They can’t even see it from inside, meaning the children can’t play there.
But panic not, Alan and co. to the rescue. It’s an ambitious plan – aren’t they always? – but a radical new layout will unlock the inside and the outside for the first time.
Architects George Bradley and Ewald Van Der Straeten and building expert Kunle Barker handle the challenges inside, bringing cool contemporary flare to what was a boring bungalow.
Outside, Alan and Katie Rushworth create a dazzling outdoor space. Expect a stunning make-over.
BEN FOGLE: NEW LIVES IN THE WILD
Channel 5, 9pm
WHEN you’re stuck in traffic or queuing in Tesco, it’s tempting to think about escaping the rat race. But as Ben Fogle knows, it can be tough in the wild.
In this episode however, he’s in North West Canada with couple Jeff and Rose and their five daughters, aged 10 to 16, and wonders if they’ve nailed it.
While the kids think nothing of picking up a rifle, an axe or a chain saw – stuff that would make most parents flinch – they also know how to use a computer and have local friends.
The adventurers rely on hunting big-game animals to survive, so Ben joins a freezing early-morning moose hunt, while the youngest kid sharpens her skinning knife. Listen out for Ben’s hilarious attempt at a moose call.
There’s also a loo with a view and a stinky goat with a bad habit.
This ruddy-cheeked family are funny, charming and happy. “I’m slightly in awe,” says Ben.