FOUR OF THE BEST
A Special School BBC2, 7pm
In the final episode, we see how the staff at Britain’s biggest special needs school, Ysgol y Deri, Penarth, adapt to the needs of their pupils. Damien’s attention span was about five minutes at best, but with music he can be completely focused and he meets his band-mates for a weekly jamming session. Meanwhile, the nursing team, based on site to look after the most vulnerable, are always on call.
Griff’s Great Australian Adventure STV, 8pm
After tumbling through the sky in an historic Tiger Moth biplane, Griff hits the rails from north to south, as he travels on board the iconic Ghan from the humid tropics of Darwin down to the dusty red Alice Springs. Water guides his way, both in the landscape and in his bottle. Before jumping on the train, Griff meets a crocodile, an iconic news editor and a beast of a road train. Then, in Katherine, he takes to the skies for a stunning view of Nitmiluk National Park. After travelling through the night, he finally arrives in the red centre and Alice Springs, but is surprised by the lush green sporting fields and the mysterious Americans playing baseball there. After getting some tips on how to survive in the desert from an Aboriginal elder, he concludes the latest leg of his journey by riding into the sunset on a camel – a tribute to the Afghans for which the Ghan is named.
Walking Britain’s Lost Railways Channel 5, 8pm
Rob Bell explores more abandoned rail routes that once made Britain’s railways the envy of the world. In this first episode, he is discovering the lines that unlocked the wild coastline of North Devon. His journey starts in Ilfracombe, where rolling green hills and spectacular cliffs kept this lovely fishing town a well-kept secret for centuries. Rob follows the dramatic Barnstaple and Ilfracombe Railway, which was an instant success, eventually carrying the glamorous Atlantic Coast Express service, direct from London Waterloo. With North Devon and its world-class beaches firmly on the map, the host discovers they played host to thousands of surfloving American GIS in the 1940s. Then, at Barnstaple, Rob reaches the rail hub of North Devon, and picks up an even more ambitious line – the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway.
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice Channel 4, 8pm
Jo Brand is joined by guests Matt Lucas, Emma Bunton and Rylan Clark-neal to look back at Tuesday night’s final, in which the three remaining bakers got to grips with custard and puff pastry, and chocolate and nuts, before constructing some magnificent dessert towers.