PICK OF THE WEEK

SATURDAY

Queens of Mystery (C5, 7.30pm)

This contemporary murder-mystery series following the adventures of a perennially single detective Matilda ‘Mattie’ Stone (Olivia Vinall) and her three crime-writing aunts as they solve murders in the fictional picturesque English village of Wildemarsh continues. Mattie investigates the death of a new victim – a band’s manager, who was stabbed in the back with a kitchen knife. While searching for clues, she finds a recording the lead singer made right before she died. Will an incident from the past be the key to solving the case?

Chernobyl: The New Evidence (C4, 8pm)

The first part of this documentary looked at the evidence that suggested the KGB had tried to raise the alarm that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was a disaster waiting to happen. Now, the second part of the documentary draws on previously classified documents to explore just how far Soviet leaders were willing to go to cover up the 1986 catastrophe, and whether they were prepared to expose children to toxic fall-out by staging a May Day parade in Kyiv to prove to the world that everything was fine. There are also first-hand accounts from people who survived the blast.

Killing Eve (BBC1, 9.15pm)

Is it possible to kill for altruistic reasons? Villanelle (Jodie Comer) seems to think so, as she sets out to use her murderous talents for good. However, it isn’t long before she decides to abandon that idea in favour of going after the people who oppressed her instead. Meanwhile, Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) also proves that she’s very good at what she does as she tracks down a leading member of the Twelve, and Eve (Sandra Oh) manages to make a few interesting discoveries while digging into the past of her target.

Take That at the BBC (BBC2, 9.35pm)

There were always clues that Take That were going to be around for longer than your average boy band – if nothing else, they had a gifted resident songwriter in Gary Barlow. However, even their biggest 1990s fans were probably surprised by just how successful their 2000s comeback proved to be. So, the makers of this programme will have been spoilt for choice as they raid the archives in search of some of the (depending on the era) five, four or three-piece’s most memorable performances and appearances. It’s followed by the documentary Take That: We’ve Come a Long Way, which looks back over their career, hears from their fans, and includes footage of them in the studio with the Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb.

SUNDAY

All Star Musicals (STV, 7.30pm)

GMB’s Alex Beresford, actress Jacqueline Jossa, wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan, Coronation Street’s Lisa George, James Bond actor Colin Salmon and rugby star Danny Care perform songs from hit musicals including

Hamilton, Les Miserables, Frozen and The Greatest Showman. As well as receiving worldclass mentoring from musical theatre superstars Elaine Paige, Samantha Barks and Trevor Dion Nicholas, the celebrities will be supported by a full West End ensemble and a live orchestra. At the end of the show, the performer who gets the most votes from the studio audience will be crowned the winner.

Devon and Cornwall: Coastal Lives (More4, 8pm)

This new series meets the people whose lives revolve around the counties’ 1,000 miles of shoreline. In Newquay, surfer Katy Beddoe is preparing to jump back into competitions after a knee injury, while in Ilfracombe, North Devon, harbourmaster Georgina Carlo-Paat takes delivery of a new robotic waterborne litter picker. Foraging chef Greg Milne wanders the woodland in search of inspiration for a new dish to serve at his restaurant on St Michael’s

Mount. And in Devon, father-and-daughter team Ashley and Natasha Clarke prepare for an inspection of the funicular railway.

Much Ado About Nothing (BBC4, 8pm)

Roy Alexander Weise’s 2022 production of Shakespeare’s comedy, featuring some of the Bard’s wittiest dialogue, is the latest collaboration between the Royal Shakespeare Company and BBC Arts. Featuring screen

direction by Indra Bhose, the Stratford-uponAvon-staged play follows the screen premiere of Erica Whyman’s production of The Winter’s Tale which was broadcast last spring. Akiya Henry and Luke Wilson star as sharp-witted feuding protagonists, the flamboyant Beatrice and mischievous Benedick, who are manipulated into falling in love by their friends.

Thatcher & Reagan: A Very Special Relationship (BBC2, 9pm)

Charles Moore, author of the authorised biography of Margaret Thatcher, reveals his personal view of how the relationship between the former UK Prime Minister and US President Ronald Reagan changed the course of world

history. During the two-part programme, Charles makes the case that although their political and personal relationship was often tested, the pair fundamentally shifted the power dynamics of the 1980s, as together they helped reshape East/West relations, driving the Cold War towards a critical turning point after which came the fall of the Iron Curtain and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. By speaking to eyewitnesses, he explores the ups and downs of their complex friendship.

MONDAY

Cadbury Exposed: Dispatches (C4, 8pm)

With Easter just around the corner, Dispatches

reporter Antony Barnett goes undercover in Ghana to investigate the truth about Britain’s best-loved chocolate brand. Children, some as young as 10, are filmed carrying heavy loads and working with machetes, carrying out hazardous work on plantations that supply cocoa beans to Mondelez International, the US owner of Cadbury, through its ethical programme Cocoa Life. Barnett hears from farmers who earn less than £2 a day and children who have been injured harvesting its beans while working long hours in the searing heat.

Travel Man: 48 Hours in the Basque Country (C4, 8.30pm)

Joe Lycett is packing a bag and jetting off for whistlestop tours of various places as the popular, light-hearted travel show returns for a new run. Over the coming weeks he’ll be joined by Aisling Bea, Mo Gilligan and Katherine Parkinson, but he begins by taking fellow comedian James Acaster to Bilbao and San Sebastian. At the former they soak up the culture on view at the iconic Guggenheim before taking a vertigo-inducing walk across the world’s first transporter bridge. After that they need to calm their nerves with a taste of local tipple kalimotxo. Then, in San Sebastian, they learn how to make another local favourite, pintxos, and pay homage to the city’s artistic hero, Eduardo Chillida.

University Challenge (BBC2, 8.30pm)

After several weeks of competition, it all comes down to this – the grand final. Last year it was the University of Warwick team that lifted the coveted trophy designed by Manchester sculptor Adrian Moakes, but who will be following in their footsteps? That’s anybody’s guess, but whoever it is will deserve it – as previous competitors will tell you, it’s no mean feat getting to this stage of the competition, and it’s often those who hold their nerve the best who come out on top. As ever, Jeremy Paxman is the man with the questions and answers.

The Split (BBC1, 9pm)

Abi Morgan’s compelling drama about a family of lawyers returns for its third and final series. We should have seen it a year ago, but Covid19 scuppered filming. Still, as they say, better late than never. As ever, Nicola Walker’s character Hannah takes centre stage – but what state is her marriage to the near-saintly Nathan (Stephen Mangan) in? Not good, is the answer to that. The pair are firmly estranged following her affair with old flame-turnedcolleague Christie (something we may never forgive her for) and trying to negotiate an amicable divorce. Unfortunately, as Hannah begins to realise what she’s about to lose, a shocking revelation looks set to spoil the couple’s efforts to remain friends.

PREVIEW: PAGE 60

The Fall of the House of Maxwell (BBC2, 9pm)

Following the incarceration of Ghislaine Maxwell comes a new three-part documentary examining her family’s history, rise to prominence and subsequent fall from grace. It begins with a focus on her father Robert, a once impoverished Holocaust survivor who became head of a multi-million-pound media empire. However, his apparently accidental death came shortly before revelations about financial irregularities involving using pension funds to shore up his Mirror Group business. It’s a fascinating opener featuring expert testimony and never-before-seen documentation.

Holding (STV, 9pm)

Although reviews of this four-part adaptation of Graham Norton’s debut novel have been mixed, viewers have largely been thrilled by the charming and warm characters at its core. Chief among them is Conleth Hill’s wonderfully observed portrayal of local Garda PJ Collins who, in the final episode, is about to uncover the truth about the mysterious corpse. As the facts emerge, Duneen is changed forever. PJ, meanwhile, is determined to prove his worth by bringing the killer to justice. Siobhan McSweeney and Charlene McKenna are among the excellent supporting cast.

TUESDAY

The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer (C4, 8pm)

Bake Off never has any trouble attracting celebrities to take part in the Stand Up to Cancer specials, but sometimes the stars are forced to drop out at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances. Luckily, when that happened ahead of this episode, co-presenter Matt Lucas was there to step in. So, Noel Fielding is presenting solo as Matt joins DJ Annie Mac, rapper Elliot Gleave, aka Example, and comedian Ed Gamble (who has recently been passing judgement on other people’s cooking on Great British Menu) to bake for Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.

Ellie Simmonds: A World Without Dwarfism? (BBC1, 9pm)

Achondroplasia is a genetic condition that is the most common type of dwarfism in the UK. Now, a new drug has emerged which promises to increase the rate of growth for children born with the condition. However, the breakthrough raises bigger questions about the relationship between science, diversity and disability. In this documentary, Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds, who has achondroplasia, dives into the contentious debate, meeting families who are embarking on the drug trials and those who feel that the treatment would have helped them if it had been available to them as children. She also speaks to the people who fear that medical advances are in danger of reversing some of the gains made in the acceptance and inclusion of disabled people.

Hitler: Could He Have Been Stopped? (5SELECT, 9pm)

This new two-part documentary sees contributors debate and discuss how and whether Hitler could have been stopped and the nature of the policy of appeasement. It’s possible to imagine that Hitler could have been stopped on a number of occasions in the lead up to the Second World War, and were it not for so much misinterpretation, early alliances could have been made to prevent conflict. The films also describe the extent to which the European war became part of a global war and how Britain’s position in the world changed irrevocably. Plus, it asks whether the war needed to be fought at all.

Banned! The Mary Whitehouse Story (BBC2, 9pm)

The concluding part of the documentary picks up Mary Whitehouse’s story in the 1970s, and hears from some of her adversaries, including David Sullivan, who made the audacious move of calling his flagship porn magazine Whitehouse. Meanwhile, Mary was also becoming, in the words of Geoffrey

Robertson QC, ‘Director of Private Prosecutions’, as she