PICK OF THE WEEK

for 100 times what the seller originally paid for it, and an enormous illuminated sign made in the 1970s for a furniture shop in Essex sells on the flip of a coin.

Ben Fogle and the Buried City (C5, 9pm)

Having previously visited Chernobyl, Ben Fogle now discovers how the Earth’s most powerful natural phenomenon devastated large areas of the tiny Caribbean Island of Montserrat during the 1990s. He hears what it was like living in the shadow of a violently explosive volcano as he uncovers stories of great heroism and loss. Today, two thirds of the island, nicknamed the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, is a natural disaster exclusion zone. With his local guide, Ben explores the abandoned capital of Plymouth, now an ash-covered, ghost town. He meets the people who remained and refused to be driven from their beloved island, rebuilding and creating new lives in villages in the north, as well as one man who has returned to live in the shadow of the volcano.

Forensics: The Real CSI (BBC2, 9pm)

The work of a forensic officer can be quite varied. And rather than showing teams investigating a violent or sexual attack, or murder, tonight’s edition shows the work carried out on a robbery case. When an armed gang of jewellery thieves steal £300,000 worth of gold from a Birmingham store, police need to use forensic evidence to track down the gold. West Midland Police’s Force Priorities Unit, a specialist team tasked with completing the most highrisk jobs and manhunts, swarm the local area to find witnesses and check CCTV footage.

MasterChef (BBC1, 9pm)

The semi-finals kick off with a trip to the Fire Service College in Gloucestershire. Each year, it equips over 15,000 firefighters and emergency responders with the skills required to provide first-rate care, and our semi-finalists are honouring their work with a celebratory lunch. Cooking in teams, they face the challenge of combining mass catering with fine dining. Each team will have just three and a half hours to cook and serve a feast for 120 responders and trainers. After tasting the offerings, John and Gregg pick the weakest team, who will return to the MasterChef kitchen and cook off.

Inside Kabul: Storyville (BBC4, 10pm)

When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, the lives and destinies of two young Afghani women, Raha and Marwa, were changed forever. This animated film is based on the voice notes that Raha and Marwa exchanged in the months that followed. Raha chose to stay in Kabul where she is confronted with the violence of the regime, the sudden change in what ordinary people and especially women are allowed to do as well as the crisis into which the country gradually sinks. Meanwhile, Marwa leaves with her husband just in time and finds herself in a refugee camp in Abu Dhabi.

WEDNESDAY

Location, Location, Location (C4, 8pm)

Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer are in the West Midlands, where designers Karen and Richard are looking for a project property near leafy Sutton Park. They sold a house in London to move closer to their family, and now have a budget of over £1million, yet are still struggling to find a home. Kirstie wonders if their very specific wish list could be the problem. Meanwhile, Phil comes to the aid of Liam and nurse Camilla, who is finding that properties are getting snapped up before she can even arrange a viewing.

Natural History Museum: World of Wonder (C5, 8pm)

Duty manager Hattie takes viewers on her daily tour of the National History Museum, revealing just what it takes to keep the institution running. There’s also a visit from the new Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sir Patrick Vallance, who learns how the resident experts have detected a strain of Coronavirus in some bat specimens which are hundreds of years old. Meanwhile, ancient mammal expert Tori is working with artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg on one of the latest exhibitions, The Lost Rhino.

11 Minutes: America’s Deadliest Mass Shooting (BBC2, 9pm)

The four-part documentary series exploring the attack on the 2017 Las Vegas Harvest music festival concludes with two hardhitting episodes. The first picks up the devastating story as the local hospitals try to deal with an influx of patients, and the doctors are faced with tough decisions as they have to concentrate overstretched resources on treating the wounded most

likely to survive. Meanwhile, the Tropicana Hotel resembles a disaster zone as concertgoers seek shelter, while country music superstar Jason Aldean, his wife and band members hunker down in a bulletriddled tour bus. Even amid the chaos, officials start the search for answers and the FBI joins the investigation.

Kids (C4, 9pm)

The eye-opening series concludes by following two teenagers who are approaching adulthood as they deal with a crucial year in the care of Coventry Children’s Services. Sixteen-year-old Havana no longer sees her mum, but she’s hoping that the service can help her find the father she has never known. Meanwhile, after a difficult childhood in multiple foster placements and children’s homes, Kane is returning to Coventry to be near his mum. However, he’s also asked for access to his case files so he can understand more about why he was taken into care.

Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir (Sky Arts, 9pm)

The wonderful art-travelogue series comes to a close in Lancashire, with the couple heading to Morecambe Bay looking for the cute but elusive bearded tit. Usually seen flying rapidly across the top of reed beds, these sociable and noisy birds are recognisable by their distinctive ‘ping’ calls. As well as local experts, birders and artists, Jim and Nancy are are joined by one of the nation’s most popular naturalists, Chris Packham, of course best known for hosting The Really Wild Show and BBC’s ‘Watch’ series.

THURSDAY

Whoopi Goldberg: This Cultural Life (BBC4, 9pm)

Whoopi Goldberg is one of very few people to have won all four of America’s big awards Emmy, Grammy Oscar and Tony - for her work in film, theatre and TV. Discussing her career with John Wilson, she recalls her earliest experiences of acting at the Hudson Guild, a children’s community project. She also recalls her friend Mike Nichols, who, after seeing her solo stage show in San Francisco, directed her on Broadway. After that show became a hit, Whoopi Goldberg was invited by Steven Spielberg to perform at his private theatre. leading to her casting in The Color Purple (which follows this programme at 9.30pm). Whoopi also talks about her latest movie Till, which tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, who was brutally lynched in 1955 while visiting his cousins in Mississippi.

Strike: Inside the Unions (BBC2, 9pm)

It can’t have escaped your attention that hundreds of thousands of workers in Britain have been taking part in strikes over pay during the last few months. In 2022, the UK lost the largest number of working days to industrial action since the Thatcher era in the 1980s. This observational documentary series follows the wave of strikes that has engulfed the UK, and provides unique access to some of the biggest names involved, including Mick Lynch of the RMT and Pat Cullen from the Royal College of Nursing. The first edition charts the start of the action, with Lynch and the RMT at the forefront of the movement alongside nurses withdrawing their labour for the first time in the union’s 106-year history.

Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars (BBC1, 9pm)

After eight intense weeks, the contest reaches its climax. Gordon invites the final three to Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, a place where he was forced to end his footballing career with Rangers and turn his hand to food. Can the finalists embrace change and create a limited-edition Scottish version of their products to launch in front of a home crowd? Gordon gives each one a worldrenowned expert to help turn their merchandise around and take them to the next level. Then, it’s the most dramatic grilling of their lives as all three endeavour to convince Gordon they’re worth the £150,000 investment.

Alexander Armstrong in Sri Lanka (C5, 9pm)

Xander starts his second leg with a glorious train ride heading deep into tea country. His destination is the mountain town of Haputale where he finds out about Ceylon tea and the British tea tycoon Sir Thomas Lipton. In the beautiful water-surrounded city of Kandy, the host dives deep into Sri Lanka’s ancient traditional medicine: Ayurveda, before making a pitstop at the city’s oldest ayurvedic pharmacy and visiting a rural jungle retreat. Leaving Kandy, Xander heads south towards Udawalawe National Park and makes new friends at the baby elephant transit home.

Great British Dog Walks with Phil Spencer (More4, 9pm)

The property guru is a country boy at heart and loves nothing more than taking his dog, Luna, for a ramble. This new series follows the pair as they walk the best bits of Alfred

Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Path. Tonight, they are joined by SAS hero Billy Billingham the lead instructor on SAS: Who Dares Wins and his bulldog Alfie. Phil learns about Billy’s inspirational life story, from knife fights on the streets of Walsall to serving his country on battlefields across the globe in the special forces unit.

Inside No 9 (BBC2, 10pm)

There have been some great guests in the latest run of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s darkly comic anthology, with Robin Askwith, Amanda Abbington, Anita Dobson, Claire Rushbrook, Mathew Horne and Samantha Spiro all popping up. The final famous face this series is none other than Sheila Reid, best know for known for playing the cantankerous Madge Harvey in ITV1 sitcom Benidorm. Joe and Chas have been together for nine years. It’s a long time to be truly in love with someone. But how long does it take to properly say goodbye?

FRIDAY

The Big Interiors Battle (C4, 8pm)

There are only three designers left in the competition, so the pressure is really on even before judge Dara Huang decides to push them out of their comfort zone. She wasn’t particularly impressed by the last offsite challenge, but she’s giving the contestants a chance to redeem themselves by sending them to the Peak District, where they’ll be challenged to transform a multi-use common room at an outdoor adventure centre. Can they come up with something that will meet the needs of adult hikers and a group of excitable under-10s? Presenter AJ Odudu keeps an eye on their progress.

Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out (C5, 8pm)

There’s nothing Susan Calman loves more than a trip to Wales, so she’s particularly looking forward to this week’s adventure, as her and her trusty campervan Helen Mirren explore the South Welsh coast and the gorgeous Gower peninsula. Their journey begins at Cardiff Castle, former home of the Marquess of Bute, who in the 19th century was reported to be the richest man in the British Empire. Then, after a speedboat tour of Cardiff Bay, Susan heads for Caerphilly, home of both cheese and comedian Tommy Cooper.

Hidden Treasures of the National Trust (BBC2, 9pm)

When some people think of National Trust properties, they may think of grand stately piles that were in the same family for generations. However, the latest episode of Hidden Treasures of the National Trust takes us behind the scenes of a very different house owned by the organisation - 20 Forthlin Road, a modest, mid-terrace two-uptwo-down in Liverpool. The building is the former home of Paul McCartney, where he and John Lennon wrote some of the Beatles earliest hits. The Trust has attempted to recreate how the house looked when it was home to the McCartneys, but so far one key section of wallpaper has eluded curator Katie Taylor and house manager Michelle Yunque.