Britain’s Most Historic Towns (Channel 4/HD | 8:30pm to 9:30pm | Saturday 28th November 2020)

Alice Roberts explores Plymouth’s history during the Elizabethan era, visiting the home of the city’s most famous son, Sir Francis Drake, and uncovering his history of piracy and slave trading – all carried out with approval from the Queen. She also discovers the revolutionary shipbuilding techniques that helped defeat the Spanish Armada, while aerial archaeologist Ben Robinson highlights the physical characteristics that made Plymouth Harbour such an attractive base for pirates.

Paddington Station 24/7 (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 30th November 2020)

The Wales football team receive the VIP treatment as they travel to Paddington for a friendly with England. Storm Alex hits the network hard with the wettest day on record, and the just-completed sea wall at Dawlish faces its toughest test yet.

DIY SOS (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 3rd December 2020)

Nick Knowles meets the Sweet family in Weston-super-Mare, whose three children have all been diagnosed with multiple rare illnesses and will soon be full-time wheelchair-users. It may also affect their speech, fine motor skills and vision. All three children already struggle with basic normal life at home, despite the love and care of their parents Cat and Chris. So the DIY SOS team – plus hundreds of local workers – are here to give them the four walls they need.

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 3rd December 2020)

Chris arrives in Mombasa to follow what was surely the greatest railway endeavour of the entire colonial era – the so-called Lunatic Line. His plan is to follow the now-crumbling line right across Kenya to the shores of Lake Victoria, discovering how the constructors overcame obstacles in their bid to make East Africa part of the British Empire.

Walking Britain’s Lost Railways (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 4th December 2020)

Rob Bell follows the Callander and Oban Railway, an epic 70-mile route from Scotland’s Lowlands to its glorious west coast. Setting off from Callander, he recalls the 14 years of determination it took to build this railway and how, with the help of local hero Rob Roy, it changed Victorian perceptions of the Highlands. No longer a distant land of fearsome Clans, the mountains, lochs and valleys were now a romantic and accessible destination of choice. Spectacles on the line include Glen Ogle, Loch Tay and an impressive terminus still evident at Oban.

The Sound of TV with Neil Brand (BBC 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 4th December 2020)

The composer addresses the history and use of music in television, beginning by examining the enduring power of the theme tune. On the streets of Coronation Street, he encounters a brass band playing the music that has announced the start of each episode since it began. Following the trail of the soap opera world, Neil meets composer Simon May, creator of the EastEnders theme tune, and travels to the US to talk with Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, to uncover how its orchestrated theme music is a homage to classic TV of the past. Themes to Z Cars, Bagpuss, Game of Thrones, Mastermind and Grandstand are also celebrated.

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