? UK TV programmes to watch this week : 18/08/2018

The Adventure Show (BBC 2 Scotland & BBC iPlayer only | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Sunday 19th August 2018)

In the first of a new series, the Adventure Show travels to Balmoral on Royal Deeside for the British Orienteering Championships as members of the orienteering community battle it out in a supreme test of physical fitness and mental dexterity. Also on the programme, how one man is determined not to let his life-changing illness stop him doing what he loves most – mountain biking. 

Flying Across Britain with Arthur Williams (Channel 4/HD | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Sunday 19th August 2018)

Arthur leaves his home airfield in Warwickshire and heads north of the border to Scotland. The complex coastline of Argyll and Bute is his ultimate destination, but there’s time on the way for a visit to Glasgow and a day-trip to Loch Lomond in a seaplane, for a quick lesson in highland flying. The sun shines for Arthur’s flight up the west coast with Jura and Kintyre as a majestic backdrop. At Oban, Arthur goes in search of wrecked seaplanes from World War Two, before flying to the Inner Hebrides and one of the most celebrated and beautiful tiny airfields.

Hidden Britain by Drone (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 19th August 2018)

Britain is full of places that are hidden from public view, with their secrets locked away behind high walls and heavy gates… until now. History and travel enthusiast Sir Tony Robinson uses the latest aerial filming technology to reveal new aspects of our country in a completely different way. Dispatching flying cameras of many shapes and sizes, Tony opens up the far reaches of Britain. In this episode, Tony’s drones reveal the largest cave complex in Britain, hidden beehives on top of Fortnum and Mason, and a ginormous recycling plant for aeroplanes.

Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes (more4 | 9:00pm to | 10:00pm | Monday 20th August 2018)

When is a stately home not a stately home? When it’s a stately castle. At beautiful Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, Phil is invited by the Duke and Duchess of Rutland to learn how the castle was built – and discovers a Regency love story to rival Jane Austen. The present-day Duchess Emma introduces Phil to her Regency predecessor Duchess Elizabeth, and allows Phil exclusive access to the Belvoir’s usually off-limits archive. Phil learns that the castle’s creators had to sell whole villages to fund the building work, and reveals the mind-boggling total cost in today’s money. Phil encounters evidence of an aristocratic sex scandal painted on the ceiling, which was later disguised by royal decree. He searches for a lost railway under the castle, and tries his hand at modern-day pest control with a medieval twist.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 21st August 2018)

Documentary following the men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The crew of Salcombe lifeboat station attend a mayday call to a fisherman pulled to the bottom of the sea ensnared in his own fishing gear, and a devastating fire on a boat 15 miles out in the channel. As they go to the rescue of a father and his 13-year-old son missing at sea, the crew of Moelfre station uncover a story of survival and heroism.

Mega Shippers (Quest/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 21st August 2018)

The pressure is on to export three offshore wind towers to safeguard a Scottish town’s economic future. And, a 130-tonne locomotive is winched onto a narrow trailer.

The Secret Life of Landfill: A Rubbish History (BBC 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:30pm | Thursday 23rd August 2018)

In a unique science experiment, Dr George McGavin and material scientist Zoe Laughlin chronicle the history of rubbish and explore how what we throw away tells us about the way we live our lives. With unprecedented access to one of the UK’s largest landfill sites, the team of experts spend three days carrying out tests all over the site, revealing the secret world of rubbish. They also carry out three other ‘archaeological’ digs into historic landfills to chart the evolution of our throwaway society. Ultimately, their quest is to discover whether the items we throw away today have any value for tomorrow’s world.

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