UK TV programmes to watch this week : 21/08/2021

Billy Monger: Changing Gear (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Saturday 21st August 2021) ** TOP PICK **

The racing driver and double amputee trains alongside Paralympic athletes in a variety of disciplines. He swims in open water with Alice Tai and canoes with Charlotte Henshaw, before being fitted with running blades, under the guidance of Paralympic legend Jonnie Peacock. After learning to run again, he revisits Donington, the site of the accident where he lost his legs, for a sprint along the track.

Secrets of the London Underground (Yesterday | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 23rd August 2021) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

Tim Dunn and Siddy Holloway explore Clapham South deep level shelter, where thousands of Londoners slept during the Second World War.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 24th August 2021) ** NEW SERIES **

In Porthcawl, the volunteers of the RNLI race to save a surfer at the mercy of Storm Brendan. Meanwhile, in Selsey, a family’s day out for a spot of paddleboarding goes badly awry when the father becomes separated from his young children, leaving them stranded on a rapidly dwindling sandbank.

Changing Rooms (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 25th August 2021)

Cardiff couple Teresa and Andrew are desperate to turn their uninspiring front room into a cosy family space, while three doors down, their friends Maria and Nick hope their stark white living room can become a multifunctional family space. All they need is a little trust in each other and the assistance of designers Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead – not to mention carpenter Tibby Singh. Presented by Anna Richardson.

Coastal Devon & Cornwall with Michael Portillo (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 25th August 2021) ** NEW SERIES **

The presenter travels across the two counties in south-west England. His journey begins in North Devon under the shadow of England’s highest sea cliff, the 1,000ft-tall Great Hangman, and finishes up on the stunning three-mile golden sands of Woolacombe. Along the way, Michael is joined by Raynor Winn, whose bestselling book The Salt Path is based on her experiences of walking the South West Coast Path with her terminally-ill husband, Moth. She tells of how it changed their lives, and offers tips and advice for Michael’s journey ahead, and how he should prepare for the challenges, both physical and emotional.

George Clarke’s Remarkable Renovations (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 25th August 2021)

The architect meets Bernie, who has bought a ramshackle stable on the banks of the Humber and plans to turn it into a luxury home for his retirement. Originally a large stable block serving a grand Victorian estate nearby, it comprises a saddle room, stalls and a tack room, but having only served as a home for horses, turning it into a luxury house is a brave move.

Ambulance (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 26th August 2021)

Advanced Paramedic Naomi rushes to a patient in cardiac arrest as the rest of the North West Ambulance Service battles the second wave of coronavirus. Crewmates Emily and Jo are dispatched to a patient 20 weeks pregnant with the virus, who has been waiting over two hours for an ambulance. On arrival, concern is heightened when it is revealed that the woman hasn’t felt her baby move since she first began to feel ill. Narrated by Christopher Eccleston.

Epic Wales: Valleys, Mountains & Coasts (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 27th August 2021)

Cameras catch up with Garry and his family on the Black Mountain in the Brecon Beacons. Lambing is in full swing, so it’s all hands on deck to keep a watch on this ever-expanding flock. Over on the Pembrokeshire coast, artist Charlotte Cortazzi heads for Broad Haven South Beach, where the sand provides a perfect canvas to create a spectacular work of art. Over on Anglesey, mother-and-daughter climbing team Libby Peter and Zoe Wood take on the intimidating `Mask of the Red Death” and there’s a buzz about the Brecon Beacons as bee farmers Gruffydd and Angharad move their hives up the mountain.

Motorhoming with Merton & Webster (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 27th August 2021)

Paul and Suki venture into Wales and the Brecon Beacons National Park. After a breathtaking drive along Sarn Helen, a network of ancient Roman roads, they arrive at their first port of call, where they go `sheep trekking” with local farmer Paul and his daughter, Nicola. They also have a go at sheep shearing, and Suki especially enjoys bottle-feeding the lambs.

Abandoned Engineering (Yesterday | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 27th August 2021)

Exploring a bizarre block in Taiwan resembling a giant speaker, a pioneering venture in Alaska, and an alpine village that masks a military beast.

Ian Hislop: The Trains That Changed The World (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 27th August 2021)

The Industrial Revolution was the single most important event in the development of the modern railway and one train from that era came to symbolise the new age of steam, Stephenson’s Rocket. Cameras reveal the revolutionary design of the Rocket, and how it transformed Britain’s economy, from localised rural industries to the global networks we recognise today.

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