PICK OF THE WEEK

SATURDAY

Live Six Nations Rugby Union (BBC1, 1.15pm & STV, 4pm)

The third round of fixtures begins at Murrayfield, where Scotland are aiming to win a third successive Six Nations match against France for the first time since 1958. France began this year’s tournament as favourites, and with two wins from two so far against Italy and Ireland, they will fancy their chances of taking another step towards a Grand Slam. That’s followed England’s first home fixture of the campaign, as Wales head to Twickenham.

Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway (STV, 7pm)

Not content with being one of the judges on Starstruck, singer Adam Lambert continues his takeover of Saturday night TV by acting as the guest announcer on tonight’s Takeaway. There’s also going to be a spectacular – or should that Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious – End of the Show Show courtesy of the West End musical version of Mary Poppins. Plus, Fleur East is back with the Takeaway Rainbow, but Ant and Dec aren’t totally delegating their presenting duties as they’ll also be bringing us all manner of games and surprises.

Secrets of the Royal Palaces (C5, 8.30pm)

Buckingham Palace is known throughout the world as the headquarters of the royal family. But as we see in the series’ final episode, its current incarnation is only a century or so old: George IV created its iconic throne room; Queen Victoria added the ballroom; and her son Edward VII turned the palace into the iconic royal building that we see today. Royal palaces offer the Windsors unparalleled protection, but we hear about the time love letters were stolen from Princess Anne’s private apartments, and how, in 1980, Norman Parkinson took a photograph of the Queen Mother and her two daughters that has proved controversial in later decades.

Casualty (BBC1, 8.40pm)

It’s a double bill of the medical drama, and it begins with Stevie and Matthew’s night of passion going awry when he hits her in the face in his sleep. She tells him he needs to sort out whatever is causing his nightmares, but will attending the scene of a prison-van crash add to his problems? Meanwhile, Marty worries things are moving too fast with Adi. In the second instalment, a serious accident at Charlotte’s school gets Robyn thinking about the issues of air quality and its effects on asthma.

Bruce Springsteen: A Secret History (BBC2, 9pm)

His fans have nicknamed him The Boss, and tonight Bruce Springsteen is taking charge of the BBC2 schedules. The evening begins with the documentary Bruce Springsteen: A Secret History, which was filmed in 1998 and sees him looking back over his life and career. As well as a candid interview, it also includes an

acoustic performance of Born in the USA and footage from his legendary 1975 London Hammersmith Odeon gig. If that doesn’t explain why the singer-songwriter has inspired such devotion since he broke through in the 1970s, the evening continues with Blinded by the Light, the charming come-of-age comedy inspired by a memoir by Sarfraz Manzoor. It follows a teenager from an Asian background who finds his voice through Springsteen’s music, even though he lives in 1980s Luton rather than New Jersey.

SUNDAY

Extraordinary Portraits (BBC1, 6.30pm)

As well as being a musician, Tinie (previously known as Tinie Tempah) is also a keen art collector, making him the perfect person to host this new series. It brings celebrated artists together with members of the public who have remarkable stories to tell in the hope of creating some of the extraordinary portraits of the title. In the first episode, Roxana Halls has to depict not one but two women – twins Georgia and Melissa, who survived a crocodile attack while swimming in a lagoon in Mexico. She finds out how the incident changed the way the sisters see themselves and their bond.

Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History (BBC1, 7pm)

Even in this age of science, technology and

ground-breaking natural history series that let us take a closer look at some remarkable (and real) animals, it seems we’re still fascinated by the idea of mythological beasts – and Stephen Fry is on a mission to find out why. Made in collaboration with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Warner Bros and the Natural History Museum, this documentary brings some fantastical beasts to life, while also exploring their connection to some real-world species. Stephen travels from Utah to Loch Ness, meeting the inspirations for everything from unicorns to mermaids along the way. He also gets to chat to someone who knows all about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Harry Potter author JK Rowling.