UK TV programmes to watch this week : 07/02/2015

Call the Midwife (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 8th February 2015)

The midwives face one of their busiest nights to date, whilst Sister Winifred concentrates her efforts on the prostitutes of Poplar. Elsewhere, cracks start to appear in Trixie and Tom’s relationship.

Top Gear (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 8th February 2015)

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May conduct a valuable piece of consumer research with their attempts to improve and enhance the ambulance. Starting with a belief that current ambulances, which are usually very big and based on a diesel van, are in need of a rethink, the presenters go their separate ways to focus on the one area they think could be improved. May focuses on passenger comfort, Hammond tries to improve response times by getting other drivers out of the way more effectively, while Clarkson confronts the same issue with the invention of what he calls ‘the sports ambulance’. Their three very different creations are then put to the test with a series of severe and often messy challenges, culminating in a fast reaction to a spectacular emergency. Also in this episode, F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo is the star in the Reasonably Priced Car.

Our Guy in India (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:05pm | Sunday 8th February 2015)

Guy Martin makes a two-week, 1000-mile trip across India, heading to one of the world’s maddest bike races: Rider Mania, the largest gathering of Royal Enfield motorbikes on the planet. Along the way, Guy, with his love of tea, lorry repair, motorbikes and daredevil risk taking, introduces viewers to a rarely-seen side of modern India. In the second episode, Guy visits the boom city of Mumbai, where more skyscrapers are being built than anywhere else in the world. Guy clambers 833 feet solo to the top of India’s tallest building, only to be disappointed by the state of the welding. Back on ground level, Guy visits a slum where a million people are packed into one square mile. What he discovers changes his preconceptions about what a slum is.

The Mountain (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 7:30pm to 8:00pm | Monday 9th February 2015)

Series charting life around Cairngorm, at the heart of Scotland’s greatest winter wilderness. In this edition, a hard season begins to take its toll on the lifts and P-man struggles to keep it all working. Spud decides to learn how to ski. And Sandra has a tough decision to make.

Waterloo Road (BBC 3/HD | 8:30pm to 9:30pm | Monday 9th February 2015)

It’s mock exam week and the pressure is on for everyone, but for Dale it’s all about a bike trial which could change his life. Kenzie has had it with her mother and makes a drastic life change, while Abdul gets more than he bargained for during a science project.

Alex Polizzi: The Fixer (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 10th February 2015)

Alex looks at businesses which are at the mercy of trends. Events company Balloonin Marvellous is run by husband-and-wife team Jo and Giuseppe. Jo’s lack of business acumen means they are struggling to pay the rent and have been forced to move their showroom into their own family lounge. Meanwhile, their capricious customers are always one step ahead with their desires – and smaller firms can find it harder than most to react quickly. Jo’s flower arranging skills are put to the test at luxury florist Wild At Heart. Can Alex get this small business to stand out from the crowd by tapping into the very crowd they are trying to attract?

Inside the Commons (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 10th February 2015)

Four-part documentary series about the inner workings of the House of Commons. Presented by Michael Cockerell, this series takes an unprecedented look at the heart of British democracy in the run up to the 2015 general election. In the second episode, Cockerell explores the upstairs-downstairs world of the House of Commons. He examines what goes on backstage at the state opening, when the Queen comes to open the parliamentary year. Behind the pomp and pageantry, he meets the army of skilled workers who struggle to keep the Commons show on the road and MPs who want to introduce their own bills in the Commons – and have to play a bizarre form of parliamentary bingo to get the chance. And he looks at how Labour and Conservative MPs conspire together to thwart their party whips. In this episode he meets two very different MPs: Robert Halfon, a campaigning Conservative and thorn in the side of the government, and Thomas Docherty, Labour’s deputy-shadow leader of the house.

The Restoration Man (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 11th February 2015)

When Nik Huddy and Vanessa Ford Robbins stumbled upon an overgrown 19th century gatehouse, they saw an opportunity to express their love of arts and crafts in restoring this tiny cottage to its former glory. They lived onsite in a caravan through two freezing winters. And even when they moved in, the house was too small to install a proper bathroom. George catches up with them one year on now that they have added a sympathetic extension to the house.

Death in Paradise (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 12th February 2015)

Detective drama series set on a Caribbean island. As Saint Marie celebrates getting through to the finals of the Inter-Island Volleyball Championships, DI Goodman and the team are under pressure to solve the murder of a player, while Commissioner Selwyn squares up to an old nemesis.

Cucumber (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 12th February 2015)

Henry goes on a date with a complete stranger, while Lance’s long, dark night leads him to an unexpected bed. Across town, everyone’s searching for love, or sex, or both, as Cleo meets an old flame, Freddie hooks up with Anna, and Dean embarks on a mysterious journey into danger.

Banana (E4 | 10:00pm to 10:30pm | Thursday 12th February 2015)

Helen has to get tough with her ex, Eddie, but her birthday turns into a disaster when Eddie takes revenge.

The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:05pm | Friday 13th February 2015)

David Mitchell joins Adam Hills and co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker to review the main talking points of the week with irreverence and satire. The show features the all-encompassing question ‘Is It Ok?’ as viewers at home, as well as the studio audience, ask questions about anything from the week, without fear of judgement.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.