Tag: Dreaming the Impossible: Unbuilt Britain

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 24/08/2013

The Cycle Show (itv4 | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 26th August 2013)

The cycling magazine show with regular presenter Graham Little including special guests and items and features on all aspects of bike riding.

Dreaming the Impossible: Unbuilt Britain (BBC 4 | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 26th August 2013)

Dr Olivia Horsfall Turner presents a series telling the stories behind some of the grandest designs never built. She looks at two instances where destruction created a clean slate and led to plans for revolutionary changes to Britain’s biggest cities. When London was razed to the ground by the Great Fire of 1666, architect Sir Christopher Wren presented King Charles II with a vision for a completely new city. Wren wanted the medieval winding streets and courtyards replaced by Parisian-style avenues and piazzas. However, although Wren’s design for St Paul’s Cathedral did become a reality London was reconstructed on essentially the same street plan. Three centuries later, Glasgow was beset by overcrowding and slum housing. Planner Robert Bruce proposed demolishing the entire city centre to create a 1940s vision of the future with tower blocks ringed by a motorway. Although his plan was not fully realised, many of his ideas were carried out and the M8 motorway is its most visible legacy.

Restoration Home (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 28th August 2013)

Despite living in Kent, Geri and her husband decided to buy their dream home, Barnhill, in Devon without even commissioning a survey, but quickly discovered if they had, they might have run a mile. Barnhill was in a critical condition. As the restoration begins so too does a race against time to prevent it collapsing, and Geri quickly doubles her expected restoration budget. As efforts to save the gothic fantasy grow in intensity so too does its history. Believed to date back to the 18th century, Barnhill was always a subject of mystery and speculation in the village. The historical investigation could even explain the reason the original build was so poorly executed. As the financial cost of saving the house overtakes what it could ever be worth, Geri has to take some tough decisions. As Geri attempts to rescue the old house she starts to lose control of what the final impact of saving Barnhill will have on her budget, and on her.

The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 10:50pm | Wednesday 28th August 2013)

Dara O Briain is the celebrity guest as host Adam Hills and co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker take a look at the weird and wonderful stories of the week, live in front of a studio audience. The show also features the all-encompassing question: Is It OK? Viewers at home and the studio audience are encouraged to ask this question about anything from the week, without fear of judgement, and the three hosts attempt to step into the minefield of sometimes difficult and delicate areas and answer the questions with their own unique insight.

The Railway: First Great Western (Channel 5 | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 29th August 2013)

Documentary series following the working lives of the staff of First Great Western, one of Britain’s largest train operating companies. Just two months into the role, Paddington’s duty station manager Simon Jeffery faces a major disruption as a fire has caused signal failure and all services are delayed or cancelled. On a Swansea to Paddington late-night service, train manager Jodie picks her way through the party-goers and tries to get boozy passengers on and off the train safely.

The Burrowers: Animals Underground (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10pm | Friday 30th August 2013)

Chris Packham reveals the underground world of badgers, water voles and rabbits. In specially created full-scale replica burrows it is summer, and all the burrowers face a new challenge – they must leave their home and learn to survive outside. The rabbit warren is full to bursting and, never seen before, two female rabbits are sharing a nest with 17 baby rabbits. For the first time, Chris and his team of experts use 3D mapping to reveal how a wild rabbit warren expands and evolves over time.

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