UK TV programmes to watch this week : 21/02/2015

In the Commons - 24-02-2015 (YouView app)Call the Midwife (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 22nd February 2015)

A young diabetic girl faces heartbreak when she falls pregnant as a result of a clandestine romance. Elsewhere, the midwives become involved with a settlement of Irish Travellers and Sister Mary Cynthia delivers her first baby since becoming a nun.

More Tales From Northumberland with Robson Green (ITV/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Monday 23rd February 2015)

Robson Green returns to his home county of Northumberland uncovering more of the hidden gems of one of the most beautiful parts of England. In the second episode, Robson heads to the Northumberland National Park where he tries his hand at one of Britain’s oldest and toughest sports, Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling. He visits one of Britain’s most remote glens, College Valley, spending a night wild camping in the Cheviot Hills. Robson is also given rare access to the Otterburn Ranges, a vast military training camp in the National Park, where he uncovers the story behind its World War One training trenches.

Waterloo Road (BBC 3/HD | 8:30pm to 9:30pm | Monday 23rd February 2015)

Dale’s erratic behaviour reaches new heights and it’s up to Lenny and Maggie to pick up the pieces. Abdul meets his mum, but it’s not as he expected. The school gets a heads-up about a surprise inspection, but will the preparation be enough to save it?

NHS: £2 Billion a Week and Counting (CHannel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 23rd February 2015)

A perfect storm is forming that is testing the NHS like never before. A growing population, increased life expectancy, expensive drugs and poor lifestyle choices are all contributing to a predicted £30 billion-plus funding gap in just over 10 years’ time. Against this backdrop, this interactive series challengers viewers to put themselves in the position of doctors, managers and other NHS professionals as they try to determine where to allocate scarce resources. The series follows people seeking treatments across the NHS, including a liver transplant, breast reduction and new cancer drugs. Some will receive the life-changing or life-saving treatments they desperately want, while others will not.

Inside the Commons (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 24th February 2015)

In the final episode, battles break out over the future of the House. Speaker John Bercow runs into trouble with his own plans for reforming it. Backbencher Zac Goldsmith tries to give voters the power to sack their MPs – and the establishment tries to stop him. Plus the ongoing struggle to conserve the Victorian mock gothic palace and anticipate the challenges of carrying out a multi-billion pound programme of restoration work whilst the House is sitting. At the end of a remarkable year, conflict continues between those who celebrate the Commons’ historic traditions and those who believe it needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, as MPs gear up for the general election.

Planet Oil (BBC 2 Scotland & BBC iPlayer only | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 24th February 2015)

Conclusion of a three-part documentary series in which Professor Iain Stewart explores the importance of oil and how the world has become so reliant on it in little over the span of a human lifetime. In the final programme, Professor Stewart examines the situation in the 21st century, at which point the global consumption of oil, coal and gas is at an all-time high. He discovers that although advances in technology are prolonging the life of existing oilfields, new unconventional oil and gas supplies like shale gas and tar sands are extending the hydrocarbon age well into the 21st century. It presents the dilemma of whether the planet’s oil resources continue to be drained, at the risk of climate change or should alternative energy sources, such as nuclear, be prioritised in the pursuit of a low-carbon future.

Death in Paradise (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 26th February 2015)

Detective drama series set on a Caribbean island. When a prisoner is killed in their custody, DI Goodman and the team are under pressure to solve the case quickly. Humphrey’s father visits Saint Marie intent on meddling in his son’s life.

Reinventing the Royals (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 26th February 2015)

Two-part series about the battle between the monarchy and the media over personal privacy and public image. Steve Hewlett examines how the experience of growing up in the media spotlight has affected Princes William and Harry, and their attitudes to the press and media. Seismic events like the phone-hacking scandal – which started with the royal princes – and the impact of the Leveson Inquiry that followed have tipped the balance of power in their favour. The programme also looks at the question of succession. For Prince Charles it is now not so much his private life as his personal views that are under the microscope, and their potential impact on his upcoming kingship is explored.

Cucumber (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 26th February 2015)

Lance tries to work out the truth about Daniel, so Henry takes a final, desperate chance to win his old boyfriend back. But with their past history falling away, the lure of Canal Street calling, and Lance spellbound by his new man, is it too late for any of them to change paths?

Banana (E4 | 10:00pm to 10:30pm | Thursday 26th February 2015)

Amy’s got a date with Kay, but in order to find happiness, she must defeat her greatest enemy – her own imagination!

Britain’s Supermarket Revolution: What’s in it for Us? (BBC 2/HD | 8:30pm to 9:00pm | Friday 27th February 2015)

There’s a revolution going on in supermarkets. After years of relentless expansion, these huge businesses – names as big as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – face closing stores and desperately slashing prices. Cherry Healey gains behind-the-scenes access to see how these companies are adapting to a seismic shift in shopping habits. She discovers how Aldi and Lidl won over the hard-up shopper tired of too much choice, and how the big supermarkets lose as much as £15 for every shop done online. A visit to Britain’s only ‘virtual supermarket’ reveals how these giants of retail make up to a third of their profits not from customers, but from the companies supplying the goods. Plus, how supermarkets are reshaping their stores to lure us in. Cherry also spends time with the people driving this transformation – the shoppers themselves -and tests out whether we really are seeing a once-in-a-generation change in the way we buy our groceries.

The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:05pm | Friday 27th February 2015)

Sarah Millican joins Adam Hills and co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker for the last show of the current series. Adam and the team 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.