Britain’s Most Historic Towns (Channel 4/HD | 7:45pm to 8:45pm | Saturday 21st November 2020)

Professor Alice Roberts visits Portsmouth to investigate the history of the Royal Navy, uncovering some uncomfortable truths behind the myth surrounding Lord Horatio Nelson and getting first-hand experience of what life would have been like in the heat of battle at Trafalgar. She also visits an archaeological dig on Burrow Island and a lantern show at the New Theatre Royal, and discovers the brutal punishments doled out for even minor offences by the Victorian penal system.

Paddington Station 24/7 (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 23rd November 2020)

Staff at Bristol Temple Meads have their work cut out as they prepare for the station’s 180th birthday celebration, while Slough station is evacuated when a suspicious package is found underneath a stairwell. At Paddington, there is a commotion on Platform 12 as staff attempt to find the source of a fire alarm before the station’s automatic evacuation message is activated.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 24th November 2020)

Volunteers in Hastings rush to the aid of a surfer, who had sought to take advantage of the huge waves created by a storm at sea, but has now ended up going missing. On the north coast of Cornwall, the crew of St Agnes race to reach three people caught in a treacherous rip current that is pulling them out to sea, while in Scotland, the crew of Invergordon lifeboat is called out when two men are spotted clinging to an oil rig’s anchor chain.

DIY SOS (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 26th November 2020)

After 15 years of fostering, Stephen and Lynn Smedley were looking forward to their well-earned retirement in Carbis Bay, Cornwall. However, the dream dramatically changed when their daughter died, leaving them caring for their three grandsons. The boys, still grieving for their mum’s untimely death, are forced to share a single bedroom with a triple bunkbed. There is only one bathroom and Lynn is forced to do the ironing in the shed due to lack of space. Enter Nick Knowles and the team. Their plan is to reconfigure and enlarge their home to accommodate three growing boys – with the help of hundreds of volunteers.

Saving Britain’s Pubs with Tom Kerridge (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 26th November 2020)

Coronavirus is spreading and the British public are told to stay away from pubs. Tom and the landlords he has been supporting face a moral dilemma. Do they keep trying to trade or do they close their doors to fight the virus? However, on March 20 the decision is taken out of their hands when the Prime Minister tells all pubs to close until further notice. Tom started this journey to save four pubs from going under, now every pub in Britain, his own included, find themselves in a fight for survival.

Walking Britain’s Lost Railways (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 27th November 2020)

Rob Bell discovers the now-abandoned lines that unlocked the wild coastline of north Devon. He begins by following the dramatic Barnstaple and Ilfracombe Railway, which once built, proved an instant success, eventually carrying the glamorous Atlantic Coast Express service, direct from London Waterloo. He crosses to the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, which traverses the wild terrain of Exmoor up to the cliff-top village of Lynton. Rob follows the adventurous, narrow-gauge route, discovering the extraordinary tale of the line’s construction and the very short section that has been fully restored.

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