Tag: Great Canal Journeys

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 19/03/2016

Great Canal Journeys- 20-03-2016 - YouView appCoastal Walks with My Dog (more4 | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Saturday 19th March 2016)

There’s no better way to experience the beauty of Britain’s shorelines than on a coastal walk with your dog. Six celebrities walk Britain’s diverse and dazzling coastline accompanied by their faithful four-legged friends, meeting local experts, enthusiasts and fellow walkers along the way. The celebrities taking part include actor Angela Griffin, Cerys Matthews and property presenter Phil Spencer. In the first episode, Bill Bailey goes on a smugglers’ trail in North Devon, while 6Music broadcaster Cerys Matthews walks Pembrokeshire’s rugged coastline, and actor and impressionist Debra Stephenson is on Dorset’s Jurassic coast.

Great Canal Journeys (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 20th March 2016)

Timothy West and Prunella Scales embark on more spectacular canal journeys. Sweden is a land of deep forests, vast lakes and island-strewn coasts, and linking it all together is a ribbon of blue. Tim and Pru head into uncharted waters as they attempt one of the longest and most beautiful canal journeys in the world, travelling 350 miles, coast to coast across Sweden. The first leg of their voyage begins in Gothenburg, where they link up with the historic Göta Canal, taking them into the heart of the country and onwards to the Baltic Sea. The Göta may be famed for its beauty, but it’s also nicknamed ‘the Divorce Ditch’, with its steep locks that have pushed many a Swedish marriage to breaking point. How do Tim and Pru cope?

Dispatches (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Monday 21st March 2016)

It’s six years since Britain’s beloved confectioner Cadbury was bought by American giant Kraft in one of the most controversial takeovers in recent corporate history. As we prepare for the annual Easter chocolate indulgence, Dispatches lifts the lid on what’s been happening to one of our favourite brands. From Creme Egg controversies to foreign manufacturing, reporter Harry Wallop investigates our favourite chocolate and how far Cadbury has come from its benevolent heritage.

The Food Chain (Channel 4/HD | 8:30pm | 9:00pm | Monday 21st March 2016)

This new food series follows the journeys made by Britain’s best-loved foods; from field, farm, and sea, all the way into delicious dishes in our supermarket aisles, kitchens, cafes and some of the country’s top restaurants. The series reveals the inner workings and secrets of the UK’s food distribution web, exploring where our food comes from and how what we eat connects us all. From lamb to peas, truffles to eggs, and sardines to raspberries, each episode weaves together the shipment of two products. The first episode follows two British staples, sea salt and Bramley apples – from an orchard in Kent, and a family-owned salt works in Maldon, Essex. The two ingredients go cross country before ending up on our plates – be it as handmade chocolates to classic Greek recipes, and finally a dessert masterpiece at the Ritz.

The Tube: Going Underground (Channel 5 | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 21st March 2016)

Documentary series following the work of the staff who keep London’s underground train service running smoothly. Charlotte struggles to keep the ageing stock of Piccadilly Line rolling. At Bank station, Naeem’s plan to send passengers to London Bridge during a strike leads to chaos. At Holborn, station supervisor Tony tries to update a decades-old rule on the escalators.

Inside Obama’s White House (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 22nd March 2016)

The story of how Barack Obama tried to reshape America, as told by his inner circle and the president himself. Episode two tells the story of Obama’s greatest legacy: healthcare. When Obama announced his proposals for affordable, accessible healthcare for every American, he sparked a bitter conflict. Within weeks of his launch, members of Congress were confronted by angry ‘Tea Party’ protesters. As opposition grew, Obama’s top advisers asked him to go for a less ambitious bill – he refused. His chief of staff knocked heads together inside his own party, as Democrats in Congress began to fight amongst themselves. The final battle was over abortion – the Catholic bishops tried to kill the bill. The hero who saved him was Sister Carol Keehan. She mobilised 59,000 US nuns and faced down the bishops to get Obama the votes he needed. But in the midterm elections, Obama lost more seats in Congress than any president since 1938.

Ugly House to Lovely House with George Clarke (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 24th March 2016)

In the final episode of the series, Denise and Ali seek a new lease of life for their uninspiring council house in Croydon on a tight budget of £120,000. The award-winning architect Jo Cowen has worked on projects including the British Museum and JP Morgan’s tower at Canary Wharf. Jo plans a striking glazed extension and an exciting plan for the upstairs that requires an extra £40,000. But problems begin to appear, pushing the couple to the brink.

The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:05pm | Friday 25th March 2016)

The critically acclaimed award-winning show continues with its unique brand of irreverent satire for a seventh series. Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker tear into the weird and wonderful talking points of the week. A celebrity guest joins the team in front of a live studio audience.

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

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 05/11/2015

Tyger Takes On - 12-11-2015 - YouView appDoctor Who (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 8:50pm | Saturday 7th November 2015)

Shapeshifting Zygons are everywhere in the UK, and there is no way of knowing who to trust. With UNIT neutralised, only the Doctor stands in their way. But how do you stop a war? And what can the Doctor do to save his friends?

Great Canal Journeys (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm 9:00pm | Sunday 8th November 2015)

Timothy West and Prunella Scales head to Ireland. In perhaps their most dramatically beautiful voyage, they trace the story of the canal that links the south to the north: the Shannon Erne Waterway, also known as the Peace Canal. Their voyage begins on the shores of Lough Allen in County Leitrim. They try some folk singing and Irish dancing; travel across border country; visit the ruins of Crom Castle and Bloody Pass, and also meet a genealogist with an interesting story to tell.

The Hunt (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 8th November 2015)

Nature documentary series narrated by Sir David Attenborough, taking an intimate and detailed look at the strategies employed by hunters to catch their prey, and the hunted to escape. This episode looks at the challenges of hunting in the Arctic, the most seasonal place on Earth. To a predator, seasonal change is a problem. It means that all the parameters of the hunt – the conditions, the strategies, the prey – change too. The only option for the Arctic’s top predators, the wolf, the Arctic fox and the polar bear, is to continually adapt to their changing world, exploiting the good times and enduring the bad.

The Mountain (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 7:30pm to 8:00pm | Monday 9th November 2015)

Series charting life around Cairngorm. The summer months bring new opportunities for the folk who live in the shadow of Cairngorm, and the warmer weather brings no rest for the mountain team. The funicular train comes off its tracks, Ruari the ski patroller turns gamekeeper for the summer, the new boss at the sailing school has big boots to fill, and a young couple try to get their music festival off the ground.

Scotland’s Superhospital (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 9th November 2015)

Series following the staff and patients of four of Glasgow’s oldest hospitals as they move into one brand new state-of-the-art superhospital, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. This edition follows the closure of the Western Infirmary and Scotland’s largest children’s hospital, known locally as Yorkhill. The transfer of patients to the new Royal Hospital for Children involves moving some of the hospital’s sickest children, while on the Schiehallion cancer ward, staff prepare to close the doors for good, and look forward to the better facilities in the new hospital.

Loch Lomond: A Year in the Wild (Channel 5 | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 10th November 2015)

Documentary series featuring the wildlife of Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in Scotland, filmed across one year. It is spring, and migrating ospreys return to the park. Pregnant red deer come down from the mountain tops to the lowlands to calve. On a mountainside, two big cocks fight for the right to mate in a spectacle called a lek.

Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 11th November 2015)

Every year the Royal Institute of British Architects holds a competition to find the best new home in Britain and this time Grand Designs is along for the ride. In this episode, Kevin McCloud explores another set of inspiring homes in the running for the prestigious Riba House of the Year Award – including a bright orange metal clad home in the quiet suburbs of Kew; a sleek modernist house built over a river in Belfast; a low budget home constructed around a series of courtyard gardens; and a spectacular hidden house that draws light down into its depths through a series of dramatic vaulted roof lights. At the end of the show, Kevin exclusively reveals which home has made it onto the Riba shortlist and is in with a chance to scoop the overall prize.

Tyger Takes On (BBC 3/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 12th November 2015)

Two-part series in which Tyger Drew-Honey explores the blurring boundaries of 21st-century sexuality and sexism, delving head first into the thought-provoking lives of young adults today. In the first film, Tyger meets some of the trailblazers who are forging a brave new world of sexual expression amidst a backdrop of elite sex parties and the nu-drag scene, as he tries to be open-minded about his own sexuality.

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

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 31/10/2015

Great Canal Journeys - 31-11-2015 - YouView appDoctor Who (BBC 1/HD | 8:15pm to 9:05pm | Saturday 31st October 2015)

The Zygons, a race of shapeshifting aliens, have been living in secret on Earth, unknown and unseen – until now. When Osgood is kidnapped by a rogue gang of Zygons, the Doctor, Clara and Unit must scatter across the world in a bid to set her free. But will they reach her in time, and can they stop an uprising before it is too late?

Great Canal Journeys (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 1st November 2015)

This time Timothy West and Prunella Scales travel from Birmingham to Braunston in Northamptonshire, for a festival of vintage canal boats. The challenging journey involves dozens of locks and a ghostly tunnel. But there’s help from the family, both from actor son Sam and by Juliet, Tim’s daughter from his first marriage. At Knowle Locks they meet a qualified boatman who was born on a canal boat 78 years ago. At Braunston, Tim and Pru unveil a plaque for the late Sonya Rolt, who dedicated much of her life to saving Britain’s canals, and who died in 2014.

The Hunt (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 1st November 2015)

Nature documentary series narrated by Sir David Attenborough, taking an intimate and detailed look at the strategies employed by hunters to catch their prey, and the hunted to escape. Contests between predators and prey are among the most dramatic events in nature. This episode reveals the extraordinary range of techniques predators use to catch their prey – from a leopard using all its powers of stealth to stalk impala in broad daylight to wild dogs, whose tactic is to wear down their prey over long distances; from Nile crocodiles, perhaps the planet’s most patient predators, to killer whales who use teamwork and intelligence to take on humpback whales. But even with these finely tuned strategies, the outcome is far from certain. Most predators fail most of the time.

Scotland’s Superhospital (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 2nd November 2015)

Series following the staff and patients at four of Glasgow’s oldest hospitals as they move into one new state-of-the-art superhospital, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. This edition joins the staff of the first two hospitals to close – the Southern General and Victoria Infirmary – six weeks before the big move. In the Southern, sister Susan Montgomery prepares her nursing staff for a huge change – the move from open-plan wards to single-room accommodation in the new hospital. In A&E at the Victoria, senior staff nurse Mel White reflects on leaving the place she has worked in for 43 years to make the move to the huge new emergency department. Moving hundreds of patients across the city will be the largest operation of its kind ever undertaken in Britain. Their arrival in the new building will be the beginning of a new chapter in healthcare in the city.

Lies, Laws and the Bin Lorry Tragedy (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 7:00pm to 7:30pm | Tuesday 3rd November 2015)

Jackie Bird speaks to some of the families of the victims of the Glasgow bin lorry tragedy about the devastating impact of the crash which killed six people and left more than a dozen injured. The families explain how they feel the investigation into the crash has failed them, and lay damning accusations at those in charge of the Scottish justice system. They also ask how a driver who lied about his past was able to slip unnoticed through multiple layers of bureaucracy, allowing him to be in the driving seat of a 26-tonne bin lorry.

Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 4th November 2015)

Every year the Royal Institute of British Architects holds a competition to find the best new home in Britain and this time, Grand Designs is along for the ride. Presented by Kevin McCloud, this four-part series explores some of Britain’s most contemporary and cutting edge homes, all of them in the running for the prestigious Riba House of the Year Award 2015. In this first episode, Kevin McCloud visits five homes built for country living. Enormously varied in size and style, they are: a house disguised as a giant shard of flint; a beautifully crafted timber farmhouse in Somerset; a low budget home made of shipping containers in Northern Ireland; an elegant eco house in Cambridgeshire, designed for a passionate birdwatcher; and a stunning modern glass villa with a spectacular jagged roof designed to look like mountain peaks. Find out which of the five make it through to the final shortlist – and discover what it takes to be crowned Riba: House of the Year 2015.

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys (Channel 5 | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 5th November 2015)

Documentary series in which Chris Tarrant explores the world’s most extreme railway lines. Chris discovers how a 2,500-mile transcontinental railway was built against huge odds in just a few decades, and turned a vast wilderness of isolated communities into the country we now know as Canada.

TFI Friday (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 6th November 2015)

Chris Evans’ seminal cult entertainment show is back with a new series. Broadcasting from a new home in central London there’s brand new features, raucous stunts, and this week’s guests include Sir Elton John, Julianne Moore, Stanley Tucci, The Maccabees and The Vamps.

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

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 24/10/2015

Great Canal Journeys - 25-10-2015 - YouView appDoctor Who (BBC 1/HD | 8:20pm to 9:10pm | Saturday 24th October 2015)

The sci-fi drama lands in England, 1651. Deadly highwayman ‘the Knightmare’ and his sidekick stalk the dark streets of London. But when they find loot that is not of this world, they come face to face with the Doctor. Who is the Knightmare in league with? And can the Doctor avoid the hangman’s noose and protect the Earth from a devilish betrayal?

Great Canal Journeys (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 25th October 2015)

Actors and canal lovers Timothy West and Prunella Scales go in search of London’s lost route to the sea. They navigate from the Thames at Teddington, through the Surrey and Sussex countryside, to Littlehampton on the south coast. The journey takes in four different waterways and four separate boats, as they follow a route that was last fully open two centuries ago. They explore the beautiful, almost forgotten Wey and Arun, where time itself seems to move at a slower pace. Their voyage back through canal history also leads Tim and Pru into their own past. The Wey Navigation takes them through Guildford, to its canal-side theatre where they have been regular performers for fifty years. At the Surrey village of Sutton Abinger, they pay a visit to the picturesque cottage where Pru was born. And for the final leg of the journey, Tim and Pru transfer onto the River Arun, travelling past Arundel Castle to Littlehampton and the English Channel.

The Naked Choir with Gareth Malone (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 27th October 2015)

Gareth Malone presents the final of the search for the nation’s best amateur a cappella group. Just one more performance stands between the three finalists and the title of series champion. Their last challenge comes with a fiendish twist that poses a cheeky problem for one of the contenders, while one of their rival groups struggles with the demands of life outside the contest and the other goes all out to win with an a cappella country getaway. To emerge triumphant, the groups must compete in front of a thousand-strong audience at London’s prestigious KoKo and impress a jury of a cappella experts. Their votes decide who will be crowned the contest winner.

Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 28th October 2015)

Kevin McCloud returns to one of the most ambitious Grand Designs ever. A year, and a winter of flooding, since he last visited, Kevin returns to the Thames in Buckinghamshire to see if the eventful construction of the UK’s first amphibious house has been a success. Now that it’s finished, can Andy and Nicky Bruce’s 220-tonne amphibious house really float? Andy and Nicky spent £1.2 million on their experimental house, built on a small island that’s only accessible by a narrow footbridge. Heavy machinery was lost to the river, contractors were changed and the site was hit by the worst storms in recent history, causing severe delays and resulting in an unfinished and untested building. Now that it’s fully complete, both inside and out, Kevin discovers what it’s like living on a regularly flooded piece of land, and how their unique floating home performed when the river burst its banks in January 2015.

George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 29th October 2015)

George meets a young couple desperate to get onto the housing ladder who’ve come up with a radical plan – to build a home made almost entirely from scrap with a budget of zero pounds. There’s also a woman putting together a garden retreat out of reclaimed copper. The problem is she has no design experience, no building experience, and suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. In George’s road trip across Germany, he visits a high design houseboat, and is even allowed to take it out for a spin. And, as George and Will’s floating beach hut nears completion, there’s drama in the workshop.

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys (Channel 5 | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 29th October 2015)

Documentary series in which Chris Tarrant explores the world’s most extreme railway lines. Chris journeys a thousand miles across Japan to find out if Japanese railways really are the best in the world. Along the way he meets one of the great architects of the bullet trains, a celebrity Station Master cat, a singing conductress and atomic bomb survivors who kept wartime trams running.

TFI Friday (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 30th October 2015)

Chris Evans’ seminal cult entertainment show is back with a new series. Broadcasting from a new home in central London, there’s brand new features, raucous stunts and this week’s guests include Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Duran Duran, Eagles of Death Metal and Foals.

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

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 04/04/2015

Great Canal Journeys - 05-04-2015  (YouView app)Caribbean with Simon Reeve (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 5th April 2015)

Simon begins his journey on the remote Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, a country on the brink of monumental change. It will soon be split in two by the world’s biggest construction project: a new transoceanic waterway set to rival the Panama Canal. Simon visits the Rama-Kriol people who face losing their ancestral homes and meets the city-dwellers who believe the canal will bring prosperity and wealth to the country. In Honduras, Simon dives the crystal waters of the world’s second-largest barrier reef and conducts an unusual underwater experiment. Back on shore, Simon discovers Hondurans living in the grip of some of the most violent criminal gangs in the world. San Pedro Sula, the country’s second city, has the world’s highest murder rate. Simon’s journey ends in the stunning Jamaica, where he discovers a country confronting its violent reputation head-on. Here, he spends time with young people who have rejected gang life, offering a model of hope for future generations.

Great Canal Journeys (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 5th April 2015)

The concluding episode of series two is set against the stunning backdrop of some of central Scotland’s most glorious countryside, as Timothy West and Prunella Scales travel along the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Union Canal. The coast to coast adventure starts in Edinburgh and concludes in Glasgow, taking in Scotland’s highest aqueduct and longest canal tunnel, some monumental sculpture, history stretching all the way back to the Romans, and a Scottish love affair from long ago. The two canals feature some striking examples of 21st century engineering and illustrate the potential for the restoration of the nation’s waterways, ensuring their long-term future.

More Tales From Northumberland with Robson Green (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Monday 6th April 2015)

Robson Green returns to his home county of Northumberland, uncovering more hidden gems of one of the most beautiful parts of England. In this episode, he joins shepherdess Emma Gray and goes in search of the Cheviot wild goat, then visits Wallington Hall where he learns the stories behind its incredible Pre-Raphaelite artwork. He pays a call on the Charlton Family whose ancestors were the most feared clan of the border country in medieval times, and learns how they have turned their grand country hall into a family home. Robson ends the programme fishing for salmon with George Purvis, the last fisherman on the Tweed to still use the ancient method of net and coble boat.

Barging Round Britain with John Sergeant (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Friday 10th April 2015)

Series in which John Sergeant sets off on a rich and colourful voyage along the eight best canal journeys Britain has to offer, exploring their extraordinary stories as he goes. In the last of the series, John travels along the Grand Union – Britain’s longest canal – discovering fun characters and places en route and enjoying a delightful, if leisurely, trip from Brum to the very centre of London.

Have I Got News for You (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 9:30pm | Friday 10th April 2015)

The satirical news quiz returns. Regular team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop are joined by guest host Daniel Radcliffe.

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

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 28/03/2015

The Truth About Fat (YouView app)Caribbean with Simon Reeve (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 29th March 2015)

The second leg of Simon Reeve’s journey around the Caribbean Sea starts on beautiful islands and takes him along the coast of South America. On the beautiful and wealthy island of Barbados, he meets the owner of a traditional chattel house who has turned down offers of millions of dollars from luxury property developers and dives the reef on a hunt for invading lionfish which are disrupting the delicate ecosystem. On the green volcanic slopes of St Vincent, Simon meets the marijuana growers hoping, like their prime minister, that the drug will soon be decriminalised. Venezuela is one of the most turbulent countries in the Caribbean and from a high-rise slum in Caracas to the lawless border lands, Simon tries to work out how a country so rich in oil has fallen so low. Ending his epic journey in Colombia, Simon gains rare access to the Kogi – an indigenous people who have maintained their traditional forest lifestyle in the face of an encroaching and damaging modern world.

Great Canal Journeys (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 29th March 2015)

Built nearly a century before the British canal system, the Canal du Midi in the south of France has been designated a world heritage site for both its historic importance and its beauty. Timothy West and Prunella Scales explore its most picturesque stretch, as is it gently meanders towards the Mediterranean. They visit Beziers; the Malpas Tunnel – the first navigable tunnel in the history of mankind; and taste the delights of cervelles d’agneau – lamb’s brain fritters – and brandy that’s almost 200 years old.

More Tales From Northumberland with Robson Green (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Monday 30th March 2015)

Robson Green returns to his home county of Northumberland, uncovering more hidden gems of one of the most beautiful parts of England. In this episode, he heads to a part of Northumberland where a team of conservationists are aiming to rescue one of Britain’s great architectural jewels – Seaton Delaval Hall. He tries his hand at the Rapper Sword Dance, a North-East tradition that was once popular with miners. Robson also heads to Kirkley Hall near Morpeth to learn about the battle taking place in the Northumberland countryside between the red and grey squirrels.

The Adventure Show (BBC 2 Scotland & BBC iPlayer only | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Tuesday 31st March 2015)

This month’s Adventure Show features the Pentland Skyline Hill Race, where runners face a course that is 16 miles long and with almost 2000 metres of ascent. Plus the man who chose to walk from Lands End to John o’ Groats in a straight line, and there is a trip into the Cairngorms with photographer and former speed skier Henry Iddon.

World’s Toughest Jobs (BBC 3/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 31st March 2015)

Three young Brits desperate to sort out their finances and get their lives back on track sign up to work planting thousands of trees in the vast Canadian wilderness. Despite the bugs, bears and extremes of hot and cold, a top tree-planter will put a tree in the ground every four seconds, for hours on end. It’s back-breaking, repetitive work in appalling conditions, but can Kieran, Shannon and Danny make it through to payday or will this soul-destroying job send them crying back to the UK?

The Truth About Fat (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 2nd April 2015)

Fat has a reputation as public health enemy number one. But is it really the devil we think? Recent headlines suggest that we may have got it all wrong, and that fat may not be as bad as we’ve long believed. Dr Saleyha Ahsan cuts through the confusion and reveals the surprising science of fat. She discovers that eating fat isn’t the only culprit behind the nation’s ever-expanding waistline and investigates some startling new research that suggests some saturated fats might even be good for our health. A group of nine volunteers take Salehya’s Big Fat Challenge to investigate the strange things that happen to our body and mind if we stop eating fat entirely. And Saleyha discovers the fat hidden in sea water that could make the food of the future a lot healthier. This programme shows how we can be smarter about fat if we know which ones we should really be eating and how much is good for us.

Barging Round Britain with John Sergeant (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Friday 3rd April 2015)

Series in which John Sergeant sets off on a rich and colourful voyage along the eight best canal journeys Britain has to offer, exploring their extraordinary stories as he goes. John barges into Birmingham – a city with more canals than Venice and undoubtedly more decent pubs and good Balti restaurants too. Along the way, he also tries to buy a gun.

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

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 21/03/2015

Great Canal Journeys 22-03-2015 (YouView app)Caribbean with Simon Reeve (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 22nd March 2015)

Simon begins his journey on the island of Hispaniola and its two very different countries – the Dominican Republic, a tourist hotspot, and Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. He ends this first leg on Puerto Rico, a Caribbean island that is practically America’s 51st state. From flying boats to drug busts, Simon explores both the light and dark sides of the Dominican Republic. He joins the police anti-narcotics division in the war against international drug cartels before crossing the border to Haiti, where he visits the notorious tented camps of Cite Soleil. From voodoo ceremonies to dolphin watching, Simon also discovers a vibrant, colourful and thriving side to life in Haiti born. Finally, Simon reaches Puerto Rico. He visits the tiny, paradisiacal island of Vieques, billed as the Caribbean’s next major tourist destination. However, not everything here is as it seems, and Simon examines the impact of six decades of bombing and weapons testing.

(Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 22nd March 2015)

Timothy West and Prunella Scales have lived all their married life in London, but have never explored the canals on their doorstep. In this episode, they journey along the London Ring, as it’s known to narrow-boaters, in a voyage of discovery through their home city. Starting in Brentford, they follow the Union Canal, and then the Regent’s Canal, through the heart of the capital, until it meets the Thames at Limehouse. They meet up with Andrew Sachs and Sir Ian McKellen, and visit the cemetery at Kensal Green, and the grave of friend Harold Pinter. It’s a tale of two cities: from the urban edge of Kentish Town, to the glorious grandeur of Regent’s Park; from idyllic daylight moments, when they encounter nature and wildlife, to the darker night times when they become strangers in their own city.

More Tales From Northumberland with Robson Green (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Monday 23rd March 2015)

Robson explores some of Northumberland’s greatest natural wonders. At Chillingham, he comes face-to-face with one of the world’s oldest breeds of cattle – who also prove to be among the most dangerous. Setting up camp in the countryside, he joins a couple who call themselves wild gourmets, as they prepare dinner with ingredients hand-picked from Kielder Forest. Finally, Robson learns about Northumberland’s unique rock formations as he joins geologist Dr Ian Kille and abseils down a sheer cliff face at Cullernose Point.

Tom Felton Meets the Superfans (BBC 3/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 23rd March 2015)

Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, meets the world’s most committed fans in a bid to understand what drives them. For Tom, being involved in such a global phenomenon has meant being followed by many millions of dedicated fans all over the world. And over the past seven years he has become increasingly aware of one fan in particular – she follows him to almost every event he attends – and it has got him thinking about exactly what it takes to become this devoted. From Wizard World to the streets of New York and Comic Con, Tom takes viewers into the reality of his world. He spends an evening with Brian from New York, who dedicates most nights to tracking down his favourite stage and screen stars for a selfie. He meets Steve from Pittsburgh, the self-proclaimed world’s biggest Harry Potter fan, who has turned a basement into his very own Hogwarts. Tom also talks candidly with celebrity friends including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and JK Rowling.

World’s Toughest Jobs (BBC 3/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 24th March 2015)

Three young Brits desperate to sort out their lives and their bank balances sign up for a month working in the wool sheds of New Zealand. Shearing sheep that weigh in at up to 80kg is relentless, backbreaking work, but can Tomi, Jack and Gemma make it through to pay day? Or will the long hours and sweltering conditions send them bleating back to the UK?

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

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 14/03/2015

Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite  (YouView app)Great Canal Journeys (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 15th March 2015)

Timothy West and Prunella Scales return for a brand new series of the popular show. They begin their first canal journey of the second series in the romantic city of Oxford. It’s here that Tim and Pru began their courtship many years ago and where they went on their first ever canal trip together. They follow the gentle contours of the Oxford canal through the Cherwell Valley, where they meet author Philip Pullman and are joined by their son Samuel West. Tim and Pru follow in the footsteps of author Tom Rolt, whose vivid account of his journey down this canal in 1939 ignited a campaign that went on to save Britain’s canals from extinction. Tim enters the National Town Crier’s competition to extol the virtues of the Oxford Canal, and issue a warning to those who would seek to destroy it.

More Tales From Northumberland with Robson Green (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Monday 16th March 2015)

He joins the community boat project at Amble that is aiming to revive the traditional wooden boat building skills that were once an integral part of the north east coast. Later, Robson joins the team in a boat race in Amble Harbour. He joins the Dodd family on Britain’s last horse-powered farm, then meets the die-hard steam enthusiasts who are bidding to re-build the now disused Alnwick to Alnmouth railway line.

World’s Toughest Jobs (BBC 3/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 17th March 2015)

Three young Brits desperate to sort out their lives and their bank balances sign up for cattle ranching in the wilds of the Australian outback. But how will Daisy, Sian and Laurence cope with working 14-hour days in the searing Aussie sun, herding thousands of cattle over stations the size of Wales? Will they make it to payday or will the sweltering heat, swarms of flies and angry cows send them stampeding back to the UK?

Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite (Channel 5 | 10:00pm to 11:30pm | Wednesday 18th March 2015)

Special programme to mark the 30th anniversary of the popular Australian soap, presented by Stefan Dennis and Tim Phillips. Cast members past and present come together to relive memorable moments from the past three decades. Contributors include Anne Charleston, better known as Madge Bishop, Ryan Moloney, otherwise known as Toadie and Natalie Bassingthwaite, or Izzy Hoyland, among others.

The Truth About Sugar (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 19th March 2015)

Journalist Fiona Phillips is on a mission to find out the truth behind the recent headlines on sugar. She discovers why some people have more of a sweet tooth than others, which sugars can be enjoyed guilt-free, why there is so much sugar hidden in food that is thought to be purely savoury and what effect sugary drinks have on the appetite. Fiona also helps four Brits, whose sugar-heavy diets could be putting their health at risk, to change their ways. From coming up with low-sugar recipes to finding ways to beat the sweet cravings, they will see whether cutting back to the levels suggested by health authorities is really achievable and what the benefits actually are. As the dieters progress on their journey, it soon becomes clear that the transformations will be dramatic.

Barging Round Britain with John Sergeant (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Friday 20th March 2015)

Series in which John Sergeant sets off on a rich and colourful voyage along the eight best canal journeys Britain has to offer, exploring their extraordinary stories as he goes. Today, John barges from Bath towards London, where he proves useless at beer barrel making, but better at steam engine stoking. However, he proves to be quite a natural with Freddy the narrow boat horse.

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