PICK OF THE WEEK

out too for an Indian-style, Gruffalo-inspired scrambled snake dish (the mind boggles), as well as celebrations of Pingu and Beatrix Potter’s Jeremy Fisher.

DNA Journey (STV, 9pm)

It might not be as popular as Who Do You Think You Are?, but ITV1’s take on the genealogy show is still hugely entertaining. What’s more, as well as giving viewers a chance to learn more about the ancestors of some of our favourite stars, it also reveals a few perhaps surprising celebrity friendships. Okay, so it’s not exactly shocking to see dancing sisters Oti and Motsi Mabuse paired up during the new run, but who knew that Adrian Dunbar and Neil Morrissey were mates? Or that Alex Brooker and Johnny Vegas get on like a house on fire? But perhaps the most eyebrow-lifting pairing kicks-off the series - Hugh Bonneville and John Bishop. They’re about to set off on a road trip that brings them closer together than they ever imagined.

The Pig Butchering Romance Scam (BBC3, 10pm)

A look at pig-butchering or CryptoRom scams - a type of fraud in which criminals lure victims into digital relationships to build trust before convincing them to invest in cryptocurrency platforms. The scams invariably begin with the criminal initiating a conversation with victims on a dating app or phishing a text to a random phone number. But unbeknownst to victims, the fraudsters control the platforms and will eventually take all the money (‘fattening a hog’) before vanishing (the ‘slaughter’).

WEDNESDAY The Bay (STV, 9pm)

There were those who felt that Morven Christie could not be replaced as the leading actor in the Morecambe-set crime drama, but they were wrong. Marsha Thomason, who had spent much of the previous 15 years working in the US, slotted in nicely during the last run. Her character, DS Jenn Townsend, moved to the seaside town looking for a fresh start with her children, and although it didn’t begin well, things were looking up by the end of the series.

Hopefully that continues because Jenn is going to have her hands full dealing with another murder investigation, this time involving mum-of-four Beth Metcalf, who was killed as part of a targeted attack. Joe Armstrong, Claire Goose and Karl Davies co-star.

Saving Lives in Leeds (BBC2, 9pm)

It’s never easy to see children suffer, so be warned - the latest episode features two stories involving youngsters in need of urgent liver surgery. Luckily for Ollie, who’s eight and has a blockage in the organ’s blood supply, and one-year-old Maya Mae, who has a cyst growing on a duct, paediatric consultant Naved Alizai is on hand to help, although the procedures won’t be easy. Plus, an 85-year-old hopes endocrine consultants Sheila Fraser and Emma Collins can figure out what to do about the tumour on her thyroid gland.

The Piano (C4, 9pm)

The penultimate episode takes place at Birmingham’s New Street Station, where more amateur pianists showcase their talents, little suspecting they’re being secretly judged by Mika and Lang Lang. On the playlist are renditions of a Jerry Lee Lewis hit and a cover of a popular Harry Styles song, but with a twist. However, it’s a Welsh retiree’s trip down memory lane that really stirs up the emotions. But will any of the performers impress enough to make it onto the stage at the Royal Albert Hall?

The Wedding Fixer (BBC3, 10pm)

Wedding planner to the rich and famous Sarah Haywood helps more ordinary British couples navigate their planning pitfalls, and irons out their worries and woes. In tonight’s first edition, Sarah is in Canterbury with Thomas and Famy, a busy couple who need help with their ambitious but low-cost Indian fusion wedding. She then helps another couple who are preparing to tie the knot, only to come up against the bride’s controlling mother, who has taken it upon herself to dictate every aspect of the big day.

Kathy Burke: Growing Up (C4, 10pm)

During the past few years, Kathy Burke has fronted a couple of compelling documentaries for Channel 4 - All Woman and All Money. Both tackled tricky subjects (what it means to be female in the 21st century and the murky world of economics), but were enlivened by Burke’s own straightas-an-arrow, no-nonsense personality. That’s also at the centre of her new two-part project for the broadcaster in which she tries to figure out whether or not to grow old disgracefully. She’ll be 58 this summer, so

is still a whippersnapper in comparison with some of the people she meets in this first episode, who include an 85-year-old model and a 70-year-old dominatrix. Jennifer Saunders and Bill Bailey also have some opinions to offer.

A Believer’s Guide To (BBC1, 10.40pm)

For many people, facing life’s greatest challenges cannot be done without their faith. This series, which is back for a new five-part run, features some of them telling their stories. In the opening episode, Anish, an openly gay man, is hoping to reconcile his Hindu faith with his sexuality. But it’s a visit to his former school that provides the most moving moment - he experienced homophobic bullying while a pupil there, and hopes to avoid others suffering by speaking to the current crop of students.

THURSDAY

Crufts 2023 (C4, 3pm)

It’s that time of year again when some 20,000 dogs - as well as a fair few humans descend upon Birmingham’s NEC for this annual celebration of humans’ best friend. Channel 4 and More4 once again have wallto-wall coverage, Clare Balding returning with presenters Sophie Morgan, who made her Crufts debut in 2022, and Radzi Chinyanganya. Also returning is veterinary professional Dr Paul Manktelow, and famed dog trainer Ashleigh Butler (also competing). Assistance dog advocate

Chloe Fuller, who taught her dog Ted more than 100 commands to help her around the house, will also feature. First up this afternoon are the the Flyball heats, while this evening the first group to be judged are the Gundogs.

Cold Case Detectives (STV, 9pm)

A new three-part series of true-crime documentary films, to join the myriad other true-crime programmes out there - this one revisiting cases from the past that continue to elude investigators. Can a team assembled by ITV succeed where others have failed? They begin with the 60-year-old case of the murder of six-year-old Carol Ann Stephens. It was - and remains - a harrowing crime, which began with the disappearance of Carol from the street outside her Cardiff home in 1959. It would be weeks before her body was found. Now, more than six decades on, the latest forensic science is employed to uncover new evidence, while the team revisit key scenes, interview new witnesses, and re-examine existing evidence.

The Apprentice (BBC1, 9pm)

Expect witticisms from Lord Sugar along the lines of “you’ve made a right dog’s dinner”, as this week the candidates are tasked with creating and branding a new dog food to pitch to major retailers. Some of the pitches this series have been excruciating, and unless it transpires an excellent presenter has been hiding their light under a bushel thus far, we might have to limber up our cringing muscles again. Before they get that far, though, they have to actually make something - which proves easier said than done.

Murder in the Pacific (BBC2, 9pm)

The true-crime doc about the bombing of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in May 1985 reaches its midway point. Recounted by the Warrior’s crew of Greenpeace activists, the police investigators tasked with solving the crime and the bombers themselves, a staggering array of details emerge as we see how the tragedy unfolded, resulting in the death of one of the crew members. The fallout would ultimately lead to the indictment of a European Government, and the launch of a small environmental group onto the world stage.

Undercover Ambulance: NHS in Chaos Dispatches (C4, 9pm)

There has been no shortage of column inches devoted to ambulance crews lately first, during the worst of the pandemic, it was for their heroism and selflessness.

More recently, strikes over working conditions have been met with more divisive opinions. But what are those conditions actually like? Dispatches demonstrates as, over the course of the winter, one crew member covertly filmed his daily work. The film vividly records him and his colleagues struggling to save lives despite lengthening delays and overwhelmed A&E departments.

The Directors (Sky Arts, 10pm)

A look at the life and career of Taiwanese film-maker Ang Lee, who successfully transitioned from directing Chinese films to major English-language productions. During his career he has become known for his work on costume drama Sense and Sensibility, superhero blockbuster Hulk and martial arts adventure Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi, which both earned him Best Director Oscars. He has recently cast his son Mason Lee as Bruce Lee in a new biopic of the martial arts legend, who died in 1973.

FRIDAY

Beyond Paradise (BBC1, 8pm)

It’s not just the Devon location that distinguishes this Death in Paradise spin-off from the original Caribbean detective drama. As star Kris Marshall has pointed out, in Death in Paradise every episode revolves around a murder, but in his new show there are different types of crimes to solve. However, that doesn’t mean the mysteries are any less puzzling. This week, Shipton Abbott is rocked when a beloved painting disappears in what seems to be an impossible burglary. As DI Humphrey Goodman and the team try to find out how it was taken, they discover the artwork is a centre of a decades-long feud. Perhaps he should also be investigating a little closer to home, as Martha’s mum Anne can’t help blaming herself for the theft.

Amazing Railway Adventures with Nick Knowles (C5, 9pm)

The presenter is letting the train take (most of) the strain as he embarks on a journey across Mexico, that takes him from Los Mochis in Sinaloa to Creel in Chihuahua. His stops include the Spanish fort town of El Fuerte, which claims to have provided the inspiration for Zorro, and Nick also gets to experience the Temoris Loop, where the train doubles back on itself twice, once actually inside a mountain, in order to gain 700 feet quickly. Actress Claudia Arana is on hand to share the story of the man behind the line, 19th-century engineer Albert Kimsey Owen, and to explain why his other dream, a Utopian community with no currency or private property, didn’t prove quite so enduring.

Hotel Portofino (STV, 9pm)

It’s the last in the current series of the period drama, but the good news is that it’s already been commissioned for a second run. So, there may be some loose ends left dangling, but one thing we do know is that the mystery of the missing heirloom is resolved and the police close the investigation. Lucian seems ready to face up to his true feelings, until a secret from Constance’s past is revealed, which forces him to make a big decision. Meanwhile, Cecil also learns something surprising about Danioni, before attempting to reconcile with Bella.

The Killing of JFK: Minute by Minute (C5, 10pm)

Few days have been as intensely analysed as 22 November 1963, when President

John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. However, this documentary aims to take a fresh look at the days, hours and minutes around his death by exploring them from three different perspective - those of First Lady Jackie Kennedy, the President’s head of security Roy Kellerman and shooter Lee Harvey Oswald. Drawing on newly released information about Oswald, it lays out the known facts as well as some of the lingering questions that have kept conspiracy theorists debating for decades.