THIS WEEK’S TOP TV PICKS
SPORT
Finding Jack Charlton Monday, BBC2, 9pm
He was the football legend who won the World Cup with England in 1966, played more than 700 times for Leeds Utd and went on to manage Ireland. But the cruel irony revealed by this documentary is that the very headers that made Jack Charlton (above and right) the supreme exponent of his art as a defender were to rob him of his memories of the game. As proof of the link between dementia and football accumulates – the disease is up to five times more likely to be found in former players than the general population – this finely crafted film is an apt memorial to a man who was a football titan on both sides of the Irish Sea.
DRAMA
The Syndicate Tuesday, BBC1, 9pm
It’s been six years since the previous run of Kay Mellor’s lottery-based drama aired, so most viewers probably thought it had run its course. But no, it’s back with another star-studded cast and new storyline. This time the focus is on the staff at Woodvale Kennels, who face an uncertain future after the business is sold. But then they suspect their work-based syndicate has won the lottery jackpot. Now all they have to do is find the ticket, and the newsagent who sold it to them. Neil Morrissey, Katherine Rose Morley, Mark Benton, Katie McGlynn (above), and Mellor’s daughter Gaynor Faye are among the stars.
DOCUMENTARY Britain’s Tiger Kings: On The Trail With Ross Kemp
Tuesday, ITV, 9pm
Pet Lions and tigers and bears. Oh my: perhaps following the antics of Joe Exotic in the cult Netflix series Tiger King left you with the impression that keeping dangerous animals at home is a peculiarly American kind of craze. Not so. This frequently hair-raising two-part documentary finds Kemp (above) visiting a few of the daredevil Brits who, in total nationwide, keep some 4,000 killer creatures – including crocodiles and giant snakes – as household pets. This week Kemp drops in on a brave – foolhardy? – soul who cares for two lions in his garden, much to the concern of the neighbours in the village where he lives.
ARTS
In Jane Austen’s Footsteps With Gyles Brandreth Wednesday, Channel 5, 9pm
Pride And Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park: two centuries on, Jane Austen’s novels are still devoured by readers and enjoyed by viewers of screen adaptations. Now Austen is the subject of a profile presented by Gyles Brandreth (top and below). Following in the footsteps of the novelist, he explores her beginnings as the daughter of a rector and visits the landmark locations in her life, including the elegant city of Bath and the seaside town of Lyme Regis. Of course, it is for her witty writing that Austen will always be remembered, and Brandreth examines the development of her genius in her early works.
GARDENING Gardeners’ World Easter Special Friday, BBC2, 9pm
As Easter arrives we can at last enjoy spring, making it the perfect time to join Monty Don and co for a seasonal special.
Don (above) will be taking us around his spectacular garden at Longmeadow in Herefordshire, where he’ll be offering home horticulturalists advice on planting sweet peas and preparing your borders for the coming months. But this is a nationwide affair, also featuring reports from Carol Klein at
RHS Rosemoor in North Devon, while former Royal Marine J.J. Chalmers visits the local park in Fife where he found sanctuary as he underwent rehabilitation for the injuries he sustained in Afghanistan.