PICK OF THE WEEK TV CHOICE

SATURDAY

Live Women’s Six Nations (BBC Two, 5pm)

Coverage from the DAM Health Stadium in Edinburgh as Scotland host Wales on the second weekend of the championship. These two sides’ last three meetings have all been decided by less than a score, with Wales winning the last two fixtures with the last kick of the game. Can Bryan Easson’s Scotland triumph on home soil, as they did two years ago, or will Ioan Cunningham’s Wales make it a hat-trick against the Scots? Before this game, there is a chance to see Ireland’s encounter with France at Musgrave Park on the BBC iPlayer.

Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim (BBC2, 7.35pm)

For one night only, Ol’ Blue Eyes is back in action. He may have been dead for 25 years, but he remains one of the most respected and revered performers ever to grace the silver screen or produce a record. For fans and those who are maybe not as familiar with Sinatra as they’d like, there’s a chance to see three programmes that prove his brilliance, followed by High Society at 9.20pm. One of his co-stars from that film, Grace Kelly, can also be seen in 1970’s Frank Sinatra: At the Royal Festival Hall at 8.25pm, in which she introduces him onto the stage. It’s preceded by Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music, a TV special featuring Ella Fitzgerald and Antonio Carlos Jobim, from 1967. Plus, at 9.20pm, there’s a profile of the star in Frank Sinatra: The Voice of the Century.

Fortress Britain with Alice Roberts (C4, 8pm)

Channel 4 loves expanding our knowledge on a Saturday night. So, once again, following the broadcast of Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World, we’ll be spending time with Alice Roberts and her colleagues, fellow professor Danielle George and Dr Onyeka Nubia. This time they’re turning their attention to how Britain prepared for a possible invasion from Nazi forces during the Second World War. The Home Guard, a concentration camp on the Channel Islands and the tragic story of a forgotten heroine are all included.

Challenge Anneka (C5, 8.30pm)

Once again Anneka Rice is corralling a group of volunteers in a bid to help others. This time, Age UK need assistance in creating a village for people with dementia, which they hope will feature seven shops, an outside space for the residents to enjoy, and an on-site cafe where carers can relax. But can it all be completed within just three days? It sounds like a tall order, but the challenge gets off to a flying start - it’s only when it becomes clear that materials are in short supply that what lays ahead proves daunting.

The Jonathan Ross Show (STV, 9.40pm)

As usual, the presenter has attracted some excellent guests during his latest run, and tonight’s edition is no exception. Singersongwriter Ed Sheeran will no doubt be plugging his latest album Subtract, which will be released in early May, and Michael Buble is chatting about the UK leg of his tour, which began late last month. Someone else set to appear who knows a thing or two about the music business is Lily Allen, although she’s publicising her new Sky Atlantic comedy Dreamland, while Oscar-winner Russell Crowe is in town to promote his film The Pope’s Exorcist.

SUNDAY

Wild Isles (BBC1, 7pm)

David Attenborough follows the course of our freshwater as it journeys through our landscapes, from highland burns in the Scottish Cairngorms to vast mudflats in Norfolk. Along the way, we see how determined Atlantic salmon battle their way upstream in one of the greatest migrations on the planet. Plus, beavers slow the flow with their expert dam-building and spiders become deadly assassins. Meanwhile, millions of mayfly have mere days to live, and an unlucky raft of young toadlets has to cross a

‘killing zone’ patrolled by carnivorous leeches.

The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer (Channel 4, 7.45pm)

Three more celeb bakers take on a trio of challenges set by judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, all to raise awareness of SUTC. Tonight’s quartet hoping to don the coveted Star Baker apron are Walking Dead actor David Morrissey, Meet the Richardsons comedian Lucy Beaumont, Olympic medal-winning diver Tom Daley and radio presenter and cancer survivor Adele Roberts. They tackle a savoury quiche Signature, a Technical teatime biscuit and a showstopping day off in cake form. Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding are the hosts.

A Vision Of Loveliness: The Read (BBC Four, 8pm)

Bafta-nominated actress Liv Hill (Three Girls, Jellyfish) performs performs a creative reading of A Vision Of Loveliness, from the novel by Louise Levene. It’s a darkly comic tale that reveals the seedy underbelly of London in the 1960s, as we follow a young woman, Jane ‘Janey’ James as she rises through the social ranks of her peculiar world. Although grounded in the grubby glamour of the 1960s, the story speaks sharply to the societal, financial, and aesthetic pressures of being a woman today.

Simon Reeve’s Return to Cornwall (BBC2, 9pm)

Back in 2020, we saw Reeve travel around Cornwall as it slowly emerged from the Covid lockdown. And now he is back in one of Britain’s favourite counties to discover what life is like there after the summer crowds have left, winter sets in and the energy and cost-of-living crisis begins to take its toll. Among those he meets are familiar faces including Don Gardiner, whose food bank Simon visited two years ago and who is now preparing to send 1,500 Christmas food parcels to struggling families. Simon also stops by at a five-star hotel which is trying to provide stable career opportunities to local people such as Ethan, who has become a valued employee while

living with autism and cerebral palsy.

Great Expectations (BBC1, 9pm)

Steven Knight’s chilling take on the Dickens classic continues as Pip begins to learn the ways of the world. Mr Pumblechook declares that he should continue his education with Miss Havisham - and be paid handsomely for it. Pip enlists Biddy’s help, offering to pay her out of the allowance he will receive. Then, Miss Havisham has a proposal for Jaggers regarding Pip, but she could be just seeking revenge against all men for her past injuries. Blissfully unaware of the changes on his horizon, Pip continues his life with Joe, and together they make and sell manacles, shackles and chains for the prison ships.

The Olivier Awards 2023 (STV, 10.15pm)

It may only stand 10 inches high and weigh seven pounds, but the bronze statue of Lawrence Olivier as Henry V at the Old Vic Theatre in 1937 means an awful lot to the people working in British theatre. Equivalent to

Broadway’s Tonys and France’s Molieres, the Olivier Awards celebrate the world-class status of the West End. The star-studded

2023 ceremony takes place tonight, with the RSC’s production of My Neighbour Totoro, which played at the Barbican Theatre, in the lead with nine nominations. That’s followed by Standing at the Sky’s Edge with eight, Oklahoma!, with seven, and A Streetcar Named Desire with six. This year’s host is stage-and-screen actress Hannah Waddingham, while Dame Arlene Phillips and Sir Derek Jacobi will both be receiving awards recognising their outstanding contributions to the industry.

MONDAY

Strangers on a Plane (C4, 5.30pm)

Does anybody else think that the makers of this new weekday programme came up with the title first and then searched for a format to fit it? It’s certainly one of those catchy names that sticks in the memory - here’s hoping the show does too. It’s a twist on the premise of

Come Dine with Me and Four in a Bed, but this time, five holiday-loving competitors jet out to the same destination, where they take turns to control the activities the group will hopefully enjoy over a given 24-hour period. The first stop is Benidorm.

Jamie’s £1 Wonders (C4, 8pm)

It’s the penultimate episode of the everenthusiastic chef’s low-budget series, in which he’s attempted to prove it’s still possible to dish up a feast in these cash-strapped times. On the menu are a homemade gnocchi in a cheesy bacon and pea sauce, an aromatic vegetable noodle broth and a giant Yorkshire pudding containing roast veg and crispy stuffing balls. Former Great British Bake Off competitor Chetna Makan also drops by to demonstrate how to make a tasty, cheap-aschips yoghurt chicken curry.

Unforgotten (STV, 9pm)

It was always going to be difficult for Jess to step into Cassie’s shoes, but private problems made taking over the team even more difficult. Thankfully, she and the ever-adorable Sunny cleared the air a few weeks ago during a much-needed heart-to-heart, so hopefully they and the rest of the team are all pulling in the same direction as the series reaches its conclusion. They’re certainly going to need to be on top of their game after a second victim is linked to what has already been a baffling case. Suddenly, the detectives’ lives are made doubly difficult as they try to close in on the murderer - they certainly have a lot of information at their fingertips, but filtering the truth from lies proves problematic.

Blue Lights (BBC1, 9pm)

The promising Belfast-set crime drama continues and, as you might expect from such a series, there’s trouble on the streets - all due to the circulation of a bad batch of drugs. As Annie is left panicking about who she can really trust, the McIntyre gang realise the fault lies with one of their young drug runners, who has been dealing outside their designated area. They’re not the kind of people who will let something slide, so we really wouldn’t want to be in the youth’s shoes when they catch up with them...

Secrets of the Chippendales Murders (BBC2, 9pm)

In the 1980s, the Chippendales, a stripping troupe comprised of chiselled men with shiny, oiled-up bodies, seemed to be everywhere. They toured the world, sending their usually all-female audiences into a frenzy; numerous copycats sprung up in an attempt to capitalise on their success, but they were never more than mediocre representations of the originals. It was all regarded as a bit of fun, but as we’ll see via this eye-opening (and perhaps eye-popping) four-part documentary, it had a dark underbelly. The first two episodes hit our screens this evening, beginning with a look at the Chippendales’ origins before moving onto how their growing fame led to a variety of problems, including money, disgruntled dancers and a shocking murder.

Motorway Cops: Catching Britain’s Speeders (Channel 5, 9pm)

We join Cheshire Police’s elite team of motorway cops as they fight to keep our roads safe. Inspector Anton Sullivan is one of six police cars involved in the pursuit of a vehicle that has failed to stop. The officers eventually manage to box the vehicle in, but the chase continues on foot. In Lymm, PC Niaz Waddington searches for a vehicle on cloned plates. When they catch up with it, an argument breaks out between two passengers over the ownership of a hockey stick found in the car. And on the M6, PC Ian Cosgrove hunts for a suspected drink driver who has been reported by a member of the public.

TUESDAY

Naked Education (C4, 8pm)

Anna Richardson, Yinka Bokinni and Dr Alex George present this body-positive, educational series aiming to champion people’s differences and break down stereotypes. This week, Yinka and Dr Alex debunk some of the most common myths surrounding body hair. In a powerful Naked Exchange, mothers Libby and Lauren have an honest conversation about the difficulties of childbirth and open up about their postpartum experiences, from physical pains to the mental toll pregnancy and birth can have on the body. And the Naked Brigade are helping Hannah, who was bullied at school for being ‘too tall’, overcome her childhood demons with a cathartic and powerful photoshoot to defy the negativity she endured growing up.

Inside the Factory (BBC2, 8pm)

Ever wondered what goes into making Jaffa Cakes? Gregg Wallace and Cherry Healey have the answers as they kick off a new series. While Gregg visits the Manchester factory that churns out six million of these cakes every single day, Cherry heads to the city responsible for growing the fruit that gives these cakes their name - the ancient port city of Jaffa in Israel. She also travels to the world marmalade making championships in Cumbria to get some tips from the reigning champion. And finally, historian Ruth Goodman investigates how a multi-millionpound court case decided whether Jaffa Cakes were actually cakes or biscuits.

Highland Cops (BBC2, 9pm)

Police Scotland’s Highlands and Islands Division is the UK’s biggest police beat, covering 12,000 square miles of lochs, glens, islands and mountains. This five-part documentary series shows viewers what it takes to keep the peace in the most beautiful and challenging places - in Britain, and highlights how cutting-edge crime fighting works alongside old-school rural policing, tackling 21st-century problems that threaten traditional ways of life. In the opening edition, a bushcraft expert is reported missing in remote Sutherland and officers battle to find which route he took in order to locate him. However, a blizzard is starting to set in.

Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in Sicily (BBC One, 9pm)