BEST OF THE REST
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS
Channel 4, 9pm
THIS extraordinary true story of three men who discover by chance at the age of 19 that they are identical triplets is also rather chilling.
Robert Shafran, Edward Galland and David Kellman were separated at birth and adopted by three different sets of parents within a 100-mile radius of each other in New York State.
The reunion, after a coincidental college connection in 1980, catapulted them into the spotlight – they opened their own restaurant and even appeared in a movie with Madonna.
But behind the celebrity lurked a sinister tale as they unearthed the disturbing secret that they had been separated at birth and placed with families from different backgrounds as part of an experiment in social engineering for Jewish babies.
The three brothers struggled with mental health problems for years and ultimately the situation led to tragedy.
Told with interviews, archive and reconstruction, this is a slightly creepy, but well-told film of an unbelievable story.
THE PARKINSON’S DRUG TRIAL: A MIRACLE CURE?
BBC2, 9pm
IN THIS moving and fascinating series, cameras follow a ground-breaking medical trial testing a drug that could give hope to the 10 million people in the world affected by Parkinson’s.
Filmed over six years, it sees 42 volunteers undergo complex brain surgery, with an experimental device embedded in their skull, in order to trial a drug called GDNF.
“It’s radical and it’s not without risk,” says neurosurgeon Professor Steven Gill. While neurologist Dr Alan Whone says: “We could make them worse.”
Only half will receive the drug, with the others getting a placebo. No one, not even the doctors, will know who has which.
As the trial begins, there are lots of human stories here as we meet the patients desperately hoping for a miracle cure.
“I just want to play football with my grandkids,” says 72-year-old Ron.
While Kay, 57, says: “I’m giving you my body and I want you to find a cure.”