Britannia’s Burning: Fire on the Bridge (BBC 1 Wales/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 10:30pm to 11:30pm | Sunday 24th May 2020)
Archive footage and eyewitness accounts are combined to tell the story of the blaze 50 years ago that ravaged the railway bridge over the Menai Straits connecting Anglesey and the mainland. The film also charts the construction of the original bridge and the deaths involved in its rebuilding as a modern road bridge.
Off the Tracks: Inside Central Station (BBC Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 24th May 2020)
Exam time arrives for dispatcher Lauren and trainee train driver Kevin in Central Station, while tour guide Jackie uncovers some vintage station clocks.
The Architecture The Railways Built (Yesterday | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 26th May 2020)
Tim Dunn follows his family’s roots by exploring Metroland, the area around the Metropolitan Railway, and in Great Malvern learns about the woman behind a decorative 1860s station.
Scotland’s Home of the Year (BBC Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | Wednesday 27th May 2020)
In Perthshire and Central Scotland, the judges visit a home inspired by Vikings, a converted ruined steading, and a maritime-themed fisherman’s cottage.
Tackling Mental Health (BBC 1/HD | 8:05pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 28th May 2020)
Documentary following the Duke of Cambridge’s work to break the taboo surrounding mental health, using football as a way to encourage men to open up and talk about their emotions. The documentary follows the Duke as he meets players and fans from grassroots to the elite of the game, and openly discusses their mental health challenges. Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart talks about how he has learnt to cope with difficulties at the very top of the game, and William hears from a group of bereaved fathers who use their local football team as a support network and safe space to talk. Former Premier League footballer Marvin Sordell opens up about his struggles with depression, while Chelsea manager Frank Lampard compares life now with his early experiences of professional football.
The World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 29th May 2020)
The 200-mile Ligne de Cévennes, which travels northwards through the Massif Central to France’s volcanic heart – Clermont Ferrand and the spectacular Puy De Dome. The route takes travellers across three incredible historic viaducts, plunges deep underground to explore the area’s hidden wildlife and traverses through several impressive valleys. The route winds through one of the world’s most spectacular national parks, before reaching its final destination, a collection of 80 dormant volcanoes. Narrated by Bill Nighy.
Portillo’s Empire Journey (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 29th May 2020)
Michael Portillo travels to South Africa to explore how the lure of riches led Britain into barbaric wars, dividing the country along racial lines. He visits the crumbling Fort Napier, the British garrison in Natal, where battles were planned and executed against the Zulu people. The white minority devised rules to subdue the native black population, corralling people into squalid townships and offering them menial jobs. Eventual conflict with the descendants of Dutch settlers – Boers – was inevitable. Michael learns how Mohandas Gandhi fought the racial segregation that would later calcify into Apartheid.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.