PICK OF THE WEEK

SATURDAY

ITV Racing: The Grand National Live (STV, 4.30pm)

This afternoon’s running of the greatest steeplechase in the world (5.15pm) returns after last year’s race was cancelled because of the pandemic. Tiger Roll was robbed of the chance to make it three wins in successive years – and the owners have withdrawn the much-loved 11-year-old from this year’s event. Nevertheless there should still be a strong field of horses at Aintree who are all hoping for a shot at racing immortality.

I Can See Your Voice (BBC1, 7.20pm)

Based on the hit South Korean entertainment series, this new music game show is seen by some as the Beeb’s answer to The Masked Singer and features contestants trying to guess who can and can’t sing from a group of mystery singers. If they choose correctly, big cash prizes are heading their way. They’ll be getting assistance from clues given to them by host Paddy McGuinness, as well as lip sync performances and pointers from “celebrity investigators” comedian Jimmy Carr, Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden and This Morning presenter Alison Hammond. After eliminating singers, they will proceed to the “stage of truth”. Then, at the end of the show, the winning mystery singer is revealed as good or bad by means of a duet with a guest artist – who this week is McFly lead guitarist Danny Jones.

Game of Talents (STV, 7.30pm)

Vernon Kay hosts this new entertainment series, which is already a hit on Fox in the US. It sees contestants team up with a celebrity, before trying to figure out the surprising and often bizarre hidden talents of eight mystery performers. “I’ll say, ‘okay, this person is a sword-swallower, a ventriloquist, a magician or a trapeze artist’,” Vernon explains. “They get clues and the celebs have to help them win cash prizes.” So will the pairs be able to tell the fire eater from the footballer, or the line dancer from the lion tamer, based solely on the performers’ appearances and a few intriguing clues?

Dirty John (5Star, 9pm)

Adapted from the hit true crime podcast of the same name, this eight-part thriller stars Connie Britton as wealthy divorcee Debra and Eric Bana in the title role as her chameleonic suitor. With all of her career successes, Debra’s friends can’t understand why she is unable to find love and try to dissuade her from looking online. Nonetheless, Debra persists and eventually meets apparent catch John Meehan. For John, charm truly is effortless, and Debra is entranced. She draws the line at his first-date advances, however, and a flash of his temper hints at something darker.

Tupac Shakur: A Life in Ten Pictures (BBC2, 10pm)

Rap legend and actor Tupac Shakur was

gunned down by an unknown assailant on the streets of Las Vegas on September 13, 1996. He was just 25 years old. Almost a quarter of a century on and some fans continue to mourn his tragic unsolved murder, which continues to fuel conspiracy theories, as they celebrate the enormous musical legacy he left behind. To remember Tupac, this programme looks at his life in 10 defining photos, with their secrets revealed by those who were there, and those who knew the influential star best.

SUNDAY

Rowing: European Championships 2021 (BBC Two, 1pm)

Given the disruption of 2020, and the fact that the Olympics are just three months away, this regatta in Varese, Italy, promises to be fascinating. Great Britain’s rowers will be competing for the first time since the 2019 World Championships and will be looking to test their racing form and lay down a marker ahead of Tokyo. The GB team will be without head coach Jurgen Grobler, who stepped down last August after nearly 30 years, but it should feature double Olympic champion Helen Glover. Presenter Matthew Pinsent is joined in the studio by Katherine Grainger, while Garry Herbert and James Cracknell will be in the commentary box.

The British Academy Film Awards (BBC1, 7pm)

It’s been described as the most diverse list of

nominees ever produced by Bafta, with 16 of the 24 actors in the running for awards coming from ethnic minority groups – astonishing when you consider that nobody of colour featured last year. However, there is one notable absentee – Viola Davis’ stunning performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is missing, although the film is represented via by a posthumous nod for her co-star Chadwick Boseman. Of the six best director nominees, an unprecedented four are female, including Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao and Rocks’ Sarah Gavron, whose films have garnered the most nods with seven each. Somebody else expected to do well is David Attenborough, whose programme A Life on Our Planet is in the running for best documentary.

Midsomer Murders (STV, 8pm)

Barnaby and Winter visit Tamworth Springs, home to the local Stitcher Society, a club for those recovering from a heart bypass. Its aim is to help its members live life to the full having been given a second chance at life, but some of them believe that Toby, the latest person to join, doesn’t deserve such a thing. He was once controversially acquitted of murder and, when tragedy strikes again, the residents believe he may be behind it. However, this being Midsomer Murders, you can bet the matter is far more complicated than that.

Line of Duty (BBC1, 9pm)

Life can’t be easy for DI Kate Fleming at the moment. She was once a dedicated member of the AC-12 team and still has friends there, but she’s become the valued right-hand woman of DCI Jo Davidson since her transfer. Perhaps she will find it easier to make a decision about whose side she’s on as Hastings and co put Davidson under increasing pressure. They are about to enjoy some major breakthroughs in their investigation that could make things very difficult for her indeed, although there’s a shock in store for everyone as the results from the forensic evidence taken from Farida’s house are revealed. Meanwhile, Hastings acknowledges the difficult position Kate and Steve found themselves in after disciplinary action was taken against him.

Rich House, Poor House Changed My Life (Channel 5, 9pm)

The series which sees two households trade lives for seven days has gained a reputation for exploring the differences (and common ground) between families from opposite ends of the wealth divide. This follow-up show revisits a selection of swaps to see just how much the show changed its participants’ lives. Twelve months ago, the Gowlands were counting every penny and, in stark contrast, millionaire property developers the Greens lived in luxury. For one week they swapped home and budgets. A year later we catch up with both families to find out what effects the experience had.

MONDAY

Low Pay Britain: The Truth about Your Job (C4, 8pm)

It’s fair to say it’s been an unusual and rather eventful 12 months. Not only have Britain’s residents spent most of it living under strict lockdown conditions, they’ve also faced leaving the EU. Both have had a big impact on the way we work, so here reporter Morland Sanders offers an insight into something important to the vast majority of us – the future of workers’ rights in the UK. He uncovers worrying evidence of safety breaches, low pay and dangerous pressures at the heart of gig economy-based practices, some of which are even beginning to appear in the NHS.

Jamie: Keep Cooking Family Favourites (Channel 4, 8.30pm)

In the penultimate episode, Jamie Oliver takes the humble sausage and transforms it into a stunning baked casserole, with the most amazing potato dumplings that are crispy on the top and gorgeously soft on the bottom. It’s a dinner his kids absolutely love, of course. Plus, we all need super-easy recipes that require just a few minutes of love but really deliver on flavour. So Jamie also shows us how to create a beautiful, warm aubergine dish dressed with homemade pesto and served on a bed of fresh salad, with a crisp, garlic flatbread on the side.

Too Close (STV, 9pm)

Acclaimed actors Emily Watson and Denise Gough head the cast of a new psychological mini-series written by fellow thespian Clara Salaman. Watson plays forensic psychiatrist Dr Emma Robertson, who develops a dangerous relationship with Connie Mortensen (Gough), a woman accused of a terrible crime but claims she can’t remember anything about the incident. Robertson is experienced and as a result not easily shocked, and yet she finds herself drawn to Connie. She, in turn, appears to know all Emma’s weak spots and delights in exploiting them for her own ends during an increasingly dangerous game of cat-andmouse. Directed by Sue Tully, the three-part series, which continues each day until Wednesday, also stars Thalissa Teixeira,

Nina Wadia, Chizzy Akudolu and Karl

Johnson.

24 Hours in Police Custody (C4, 9pm)

The final episode of the series is a rather thought-provoking one which shows that policing isn’t as straightforward as the public perhaps thinks and that its staff can be haunted by the difficult decisions they make. It focuses on a Bedfordshire police officer’s investigation into a brutal attack which has left a man fighting for his life. That would be a shocking enough turn of events on its own, but when the officer involved realises the victim came to see her at the station the day before he was assaulted, she wonders if she could have done more to help him.

The Truth about Police Stop and Search (C4, 10pm)

A few years ago, ex-footballer Jermaine Jenas fronted the BBC Three documentary Teenage Knife Wars, about the rise in knife crime in his native Nottingham. Now he is presenting another programme focusing on a topic close to his heart – a police policy that’s always been controversial. Here he examines footage captured on secret cameras worn by black men, who are nine times more likely to be stopped and searched than their white counterparts. They also share their experiences while experts discuss the issue’s wide-reaching social, psychological and personal impact.

TUESDAY

All That Glitters: Britain’s Next Jewellery Star (BBC2, 8pm)

As with many crafts, there has been a boom in jewellery making during the pandemic. The idea for this six-part contest, hosted by Katherine Ryan, was announced by the BBC in 2019. Various things have got in the way but now appears to be the ideal time to launch the show. Unfolding inside a specially built workshop in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, All That Glitters will see eight talented jewellers aim to prove they are a cut above the rest. Tonight’s first test, the bestseller, challenges the contestants to make three silver bangles. Then they face the bespoke challenge: Ben wants a pendant necklace for his mother to wear to Buckingham Palace when she collects her MBE. Who will impress judges Solange Azagury-Partridge and Shaun Leane, and who will be heading home?

Our Yorkshire Farm (C5, 9pm)

We’re back with Amanda, Clive and their nine “free-range” children on their remote sheep farm in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales. Over the next eight weeks, we’ll see the Owens roll with everything from the pandemic to homeimprovement projects and, of course, the quirks of the Great British weather. In the opening episode, there are new beginnings for the whole family. Eight-year-old Sidney is given a sheepdog puppy to train, while Reuben, 16, leaves school behind to start his dream job as a mechanic. On top of that, the family buys a neighbouring derelict farmhouse that they are hoping to bring back to life. But with a 1,000-strong flock of sheep to tend to, are they biting off more than they can chew?

The Syndicate (BBC1, 9pm)

The kennel colleagues finally track down Frank to his hotel in Monaco, but getting him to admit that he stole their ticket proves to be difficult. While Keeley comes up with a plan, Roxy

suggests using Frank’s biggest weakness against him – but it could also put the syndicate members in danger. Back in England, Colette and Theo struggle to keep the understaffed kennels running smoothly while the rest of the syndicate are away. Colette considers going on a date with Richard, but she fears that his wealthy business associates will never accept her.

Stacey Dooley: Back on the Psych Ward (BBC2, 9pm)

Last year, the investigative reporter spent time at Springfield Hospital, one of the oldest mental health units in the UK, to find out what life was like for those being treated there. She also worked alongside staff as they dealt with patients and made tough decisions about their treatment. Now Stacey is heading back to find out how the team and the people in their care have been getting on. She also meets some new faces, including Sharif and Jordan, who are dealing with psychosis. Ali, meanwhile, is struggling with the rituals that rule her life, and Vakare is in a desperate situation.

Naked Attraction (C4, 10pm)

In the first episode of the new run, we meet 32-year-old Iain from Manchester. As “Jet Fashion” this wrestler makes some showstopping moves in the ring, but always seems to get tapped out when it comes to women. He hopes that Anna Richardson can help find him the perfect partner to pin him down for good. Leon, from south London, is a 31-year-old bi-curious graphic designer who has recently lost weight. He’s looking for the perfect partner – whether female or, for his first time, male – to share his new slimline body with.

WEDNESDAY

Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs (STV, 8pm)

In the second episode, Paul meets Staffie-cross Roxi, who has been at Battersea for five months, in part because even though she’s five years old, she has the energy of a puppy. It’s hoped a massage will calm her down for long enough to meet a new owner. By contrast, new arrival Dottie is subdued and shy, but the staff hope her fellow bulldog Mo will help her become more confident. Floyd, a rare west African Azawakh, also seems unhappy, but Paul is just the person to lift his spirits.

The Great British Sewing Bee (BBC1, 9pm)

It may have been the sixth series, but in 2020 The Great British Sewing Bee reached a whole new audience when it made the jump from BBC1 to BBC2. This year it’s back on the main channel, but it has made another move – Joe Lycett is welcoming the latest bunch of talented home sewers to a new location on the banks of London’s River Thames. Luckily, judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young have come along too as in this opening episode they set challenges based on wardrobe staples. The contestants begin with a pattern for a versatile sleeveless blouse, before transforming an old T-shirt into a

new garment. Then for the made-tomeasure, they have to whip up a postlockdown essential, the buffet dress.

Bent Coppers: Crossing the Line of Duty (BBC2, 9pm)

Who polices the police? In the hit drama Line of Duty, it’s AC-12, but this new documentary series explores the formation of the first internal anti-corruption unit, A10, prompted by a story that went to the top of the Met. The first episode begins in 1969, a time when British police were held up as the most trusted and effective force in the world. However, a different picture began to emerge when a desperate south London

villain went to a newspaper with claims that a detective in the Metropolitan Police was extorting money from him. That would have been shocking enough, but further investigation suggested that, rather than just one bad apple, there was a secret network of corrupt coppers at the heart of the Metropolitan CID.

Here Come the Gypsies! (C5, 9pm)

A new series explores the world of gypsies and travellers, and their struggle to keep their culture alive. The opening episode takes viewers to south Wales, where Romany gypsy Jim “Beb” Price is organising his first ever horse drive, a communal ride-out

whichacts as both a pub crawl and an opportunity to sell horses. It’s a chance for Beb to earn some cash, but it risks descending into chaos. Meanwhile, in Surrey, Romany gypsy cage fighter Tony “The Rhino” Giles arranges a bareknuckle fight – and at stake is the honour of two families.

Sudden Death: My Sister’s Silent Killer (BBC1, 10.45pm)

Patrick was understandably shocked when his 19-year-old sister Lauren died of what was later registered as SADS, or sudden adult death syndrome, a cause of cardiac death even the experts don’t completely understand. Now he’s

on a mission to learn why more than 600 seemingly healthy young people die every year from a sudden cardiac death. Along the way, he meets other people who have lost siblings, and footballer Fabrice Muamba, who famously survived SADS after collapsing halfway through a match at White Hart Lane.

THURSDAY

Dragons’ Den (BBC1, 8pm)

More eager entrepreneurs look for investment from Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Tej Lalvani and Sara Davies. After a beauty businesswoman pitches her affordable yet luxury waterless face oils, a Northumbrian inventor explains that he has endless possibilities with his nifty construction bracket. Then, a budding tech tycoon is put through her paces when she showcases a fitness app aimed solely at women, and a Scottish dog lover hopes the Dragons will bite when she presents her range of natural canine treats.

Escape to the Farm with Kate Humble (C5, 8pm)

Kate Humble bought this little part of Wales 10 years ago, dreaming of a self-sufficient life, growing her own produce and breeding her own livestock. Now the farm is packed with pigs, cows, sheep and goats - but it’s 24/7 hard graft. We rejoin Kate as she makes the most of some blue skies and sunshine to take a hike with her dog Teg up one of her favourite mountains. Meanwhile, back at ground level, it’s a tense time for Kate and her friend and mentor Tim. The farm’s finances are on the line, as their flock of breeding sheep is scanned to find out how many, if any, lambs each ewe is carrying.

The Queen and Her Cousins with Alexander Armstrong (STV, 9pm)

Just over a decade ago, Alexander Armstrong did some digging and learned that his 6x great-grandmother Mary Boughton was a lady of the bedchamber to King George III’s wife Queen Charlotte in the 18th century. And although he may not be quite of royal blood himself, the Pointless host is nevertheless curious to know what it means to be part of the extended Royal Family. As the Queen turns 95 next week, Alexander travels across the country to meet Her Majesty’s cousins. Using the monarch’s vast family tree as his road map, he meets relatives from many branches of the her family – from the ancient lineage of the Mountbatten dynasty to the Queen Mother’s Bowes Lyon side – and an international princess.

Pandemic 2020 (BBC2, 9pm)

The third instalment looks at how people were increasingly looking for someone to blame, while Covid deniers became more numerous and vocal, as alternative and faith-based thought battles conventional science-based reason. We meet Prakash, a wedding singer from Delhi, who begins to question why he must remain locked down, and Pastor Spell, from Louisiana, who faces jail after he refuses to close his church or observe social distancing. The film ends on New Year’s Eve 2020 (exactly a year after the series started), as the first vaccine in the world is given at a hospital in Coventry.

Frank of Ireland (C4, 10pm)

Brothers Domhnall and Brian Gleeson have teamed up to co-write and star in this new sixpart comedy sets in an idyllic suburb of Dublin. Frank Marron (played by Brian) is a 32-year-old catastrophe; a misanthropic, narcissistic fantasist who’s convinced that the world owes him something. He is single, still lives at home with his mother, Mary, and can’t drive. His ex-girlfriend Aine has just found a new boyfriend, and although they broke up six years ago, Frank is finding that a tad difficult. Luckily, Frank has a loyal best friend, Doofus (Domhnall) whose full-time job is clearing the debris left in Frank’s wake. In tonight’s opening episode, the duo head to Aine’s grandmother’s funeral, and Frank decides that he’s going to learn cage fighting.

FRIDAY

Trip Hazard: My Great British Adventure (C4, 8.30pm)

The second leg of Rosie Jones’ adventure takes her to Whitby with her fellow comedian Joe Wilkinson. Naturally the pair are keen to experience the Yorkshire seaside town’s history, Gothic architecture and award-winning fish and chips. However, before they get round to all that, they begin by playing crazy golf on a course that boasts some dramatic views of the sea. Then they hit the beach with a local fossil hunting expert and manage to unearth much more than they could have imagined. A fishing trip is less successful, but the pair might have better luck when they get in touch with Whitby’s Dracula-inspired Goth culture by undergoing a makeover and joining a band on stage.

Churchill: Path to Victory (C5, 9pm)

The latest episode of the series focuses on how Winston Churchill sealed his place in history as Britain’s greatest war leader. It reminds us how uncertain victory was, as in the early years of the conflict, Churchill had to use his powers of persuasion and charm to win over powerful allies. It was clear he had impressed the US public – he arrived in America in 1941 to the sort of reception normally given to movie stars. However, securing the support of President Franklin Roosevelt and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin would require skilled negotiations.

Have I Got News for You (BBC1, 9pm)

The series continues with Adrian Dunbar on guest-presenter duties. The actor plays Ted Hastings, the most quotable character in Line of Duty, currently the most talked-about drama on TV. In fact, some viewers may be hoping that instead of letting him ask the questions, regular team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton instead take the opportunity to quiz him about the latest run of Line of Duty and the search for the mysterious H. Sadly, that’s unlikely, as they will have plenty of new stories to tackle, with the help of guest panellists Katherine Ryan and Tim Shipman.

Gardeners’ World (BBC2, 9pm)

Now that the soil has warmed up, Monty Don is ready to sow seeds for summer crops in the vegetable plot, while in the cottage garden at Longmeadow, the focus is on what to plant under shrubs and roses. In East Sussex, a nurseryman shares some of his top tips on orchids, while an Oxfordshire couple talk about their enthusiasm for growing vegetables. Plus, Carol Klein checks out a spectacular display of tulips in Dunsborough Park in Surrey, and Kate Bradbury offers advice on starting a wildlife garden.

Deutschland 89 (More4, 9pm)

The second sequel to the stylish German thriller Deutschland 83 reaches its penultimate episode. As everyone converges in Leipzig, Martin tries to prevent Lenora’s assassination plot, but only ends up being framed and arrested – and Tina discovers the horrifying truth about her visitor.