THIS WEEK’S TOP TV PICKS2020
Code 404 Wednesday, Sky One, 10pm
What if Robocop turned out to be just a bit rubbish? In a fastpaced, bright and breezy new action comedy, the best officer in the police force is shot dead – and then brought back to life using pioneering AI technology. But we all know how unreliable new inventions can turn out to be, and so it is with the resurrected hero, proving, unfortunately, to have more than a few technical issues when let loose on the streets. Doughtily dependable Daniel Mays as the murdered policeman, all-too-convincing hard man Stephen Graham (above) as his buddy cop partner and brilliantly deadpan Anna Maxwell Martin as Mays’s wife lead a splendid cast for this most welcome splurge of pure escapism.
The Shadows At 60 Friday, BBC4, 9.30pm
They were just teenagers when they began to get the nation’s youth dancing and jiving, as the backing band for Britain’s first rock ’n’ roll star. But emerging from behind Cliff Richard, The Shadows went on to dominate the charts of the early 1960s in their own right, with classic instrumental tracks, a distinctive sonic style that inspired a host of later rock greats and some nifty moves. Founder members Hank Marvin (much admired lead guitarist, above) and Bruce Welch look back on their long, rich history – including first hit Apache, Eurovision in 1975 and the film Summer Holiday – in a celebratory documentary featuring terrific archive clips. It’s an upbeat introduction to the joy of twang for newcomers to The Shadows’ sound.
The Real Marigold Hotel Wednesday, BBC1, 9pm
Former Bond girl Britt Ekland, plummyvoiced cricket expert Henry Blofeld, fashion designer Dame Zandra Rhodes (above) and fearsome Dragons’ Den mogul Duncan Bannatyne are among the eight celebrity pensioners who are touring India to see if they fancy eking out their autumn years on the subcontinent in the returning reality series. As they test their capacity for strange food, new experiences and the climate’s extremes, it turns into an epic trek over the course of the four episodes, from the hustle and bustle of the coastal city of Puducherry to the breathtaking beauty of the remote Himalayan foothills.
Paul Hollywood Eats Japan Tuesday, Channel 4, 9pm
How will a burly, gruff-voiced alpha male fare on a trip taking him thousands of miles from Britain to experience the most delicate, refined culinary aesthetic on the planet? Find out as Paul Hollywood makes a four-part journey of epicurean discovery around Japan, tasting tempura, swallowing sashimi and generally sampling new experiences with an insatiable appetite. In this week’s opening episode the terror of the Great British Bake Off tent touches down in Tokyo and not only tackles the country’s ancient cooking traditions but also finds out about the surprising significance of modern fast food in Japan.
Primates Sunday, BBC1, 8.15pm
What is it about apes, monkeys and lemurs that make them so endearing? Perhaps we love them because they’re our closest relatives in the animal kingdom – creatures that, like us, can be emotional, thoughtful and caring, can solve problems and use tools, and even think politically. All of those aspects are in full view in this eyeopening three-part series, narrated by Chris Packham, which uses stunning photography to depict the lives of some of the 400 different primate species on the planet, from huge gorillas to lemurs no longer than your finger. The first two episodes focus on the creatures themselves; the third looks at the work of the conservationists who are trying to protect them.