FOUR OF THE BEST
Fergie’s Killer Dresser: The Jane Andrews Story STV, 9pm
In 2000, Britain was shocked and fascinated by the case of Jane Andrews, who was convicted of murdering Tom Cressman. Not only was she connected to the royal family – Andrews was Sarah Ferguson’s former dresser – but the press coverage portrayed her as a jealous obsessive who couldn’t take the rejection of her wealthy lovers. However, this documentary raises the question of whether, given changing attitudes, the media would have taken a different approach today. It features never-seen-before interviews with Jane’s family and psychiatrist, and asks whether their lingering doubts about the case are justified, or if Tom’s family and the prosecution are right to consider her a ”danger to all men”.
Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig Channel 4, 9pm
It’s the last in the series, but the good news for Bake Off fans is that it sees former host Sandi Toksvig reunited with her great friend, judge Prue Leith. They’re heading to the Cotswolds, which Prue reckons she knows like the back of her hand, but Sandi is hoping to surprise her with some hidden escapes. They begin in the Wye Valley, where they explore a luxury tree house, before visiting a striking home of glass and Cotswold stone.
Inside Chernobyl with Ben Fogle Channel 5, 9pm
Ben Fogle’s TV travels have taken him to many extraordinary places, but nowhere quite like the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident. He spends a week living there alone, as he gains privileged access to the doomed Control Room 4 where the disaster took place and the catacombs that make up the Chernobyl power plant itself. It may not be everyone’s dream destination, but Ben discovers that plenty of people want to make the pilgrimage as he learns more about the adventure seekers who illegally enter deep into the zone.
The Pandemic at No 47 Channel 4, 10pm
The anniversary of the first lockdown is looming, and to mark it director Paddy Wivell is exploring the impact of isolation on his own community. The film-maker knew few of his neighbours before the pandemic, and the new restrictions made it difficult to mix with them. So, Wivell took to filming the diverse local community at a distance – through their doorways and windows. That may initially sound more sinister than sociological, but as the documentary shows, it gave him a chance to befriend people who were once strangers as they open up about their fears and anxieties, as well as some of the opportunities presented by the lockdown, and the ways in which it has made them reconsider what’s important.