UK TV programmes to watch this week : 09/06/2018

The Space Shuttle: Triumph and Tragedy (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 11th June 2018)

Following the Challenger disaster, the Shuttle was saved by the fall of the Soviet Union, as America worried that Russian scientists would defect to rogue states and advance their own space projects. President Clinton was then persuaded to use the Shuttles to supply Russia’s Mir space station. This cooperation eventually led to the creation of the International Space Station.

Great Rail Restorations with Peter Snow (Channel 4 | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 13th June 2018)

This holiday-themed episode visits the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, as an enchanting wooden carriage from the very dawn of the railway age – 1864 – is restored. In its heyday, the carriage transported Victorian holidaymakers to the posh seaside resorts on the Isle of Wight, but it was scrapped in 1920 and converted into a holiday chalet. The team prepare to convert it back into a carriage featuring two second class compartments and a first class salon, with rich blue velvet handmade upholstery and carefully crafted period features. Peter Snow goes for his second driving lesson. And Henry Cole explores how the railways were responsible for bringing seaside holidays to the masses.

Before Grenfell: A Hidden History (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 13th June 2018)

Residents of the community around Grenfell Tower tell an extraordinary story, 150 years in the making, of how their borough became the most unequal place in Britain.

Building Britain’s Canals (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 15th June 2018)

Writer and historian Dan Jones uncovers the unique stories behind three of Britain’s most iconic canals. The Grand Union Canal from Birmingham to London began its history more than 200 years ago, and challenged the greatest industrial engineering minds of the time. Now it has found new life as a leisure destination for thousands of holidaymakers.

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