Just added another vinyl to my collection. This time Sherlock OST Vinyl Art Edition, by David Arnold and Michael Price. It’s the second pressing of 500 on 180g black vinyl.
UK TV programmes to watch this week : 14/01/2017
Sherlock (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:30pm | Sunday 15th January 2017)
Contemporary crime drama, based on the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. In the final episode of this series, long-buried secrets finally catch up with the Baker Street duo. Someone has been playing a very long game indeed and, alone and defenceless, Sherlock and Dr Watson face their greatest ever challenge. Is the game finally over?
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Monday 16th January 2017)
Armed with his Bradshaw’s Handbook, Michael Portillo begins a journey across Ireland. In the port of Wexford, he takes to the seas in a 100-year-old lifeboat and discovers a hero of the American navy. He tunes in to the Meeting of the Waters at the Vale of Avoca, then heads for Wicklow, where he learns of a Victorian project to combat sickness and disease in the capital, Dublin. Embracing the gentler pace of life of a traditional Irish traveller in Victorian times, he ends this leg in a beautiful horse-drawn, barrel-top caravan.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 16th January 2017)
A woman’s body found floating in the Thames leads Nikki and Jack to a riverside community scarred by grief after the disappearance of a teenage girl three years ago.
Britain’s Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 16th January 2017)
Three-part series in which Neil Oliver, Chris Packham, Andy Torbet and Dr Shini Somara join hundreds of archaeologists from around the world who have gathered in Orkney to investigate at one of Europe’s biggest digs. Andy Torbet dives below the waves in search of the inspiration for the first stone circle, Chris Packham and Neil Oliver spend the night on an abandoned island as they hunt for clues as to why cultures change, Shini Somara tests the technology behind a Bronze-Age sauna and the archaeologists uncover a remarkable find. e
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Tuesday 17th January 2017)
At Trinity College, Dublin, Michael Portillo discovers one of Ireland’s greatest treasures and learns how it became the symbol of the nation. There is a chance to sample the black stuff in a Dublin pub before Michael learns how Victorian royals were deployed to calm rocky relations between Britain and Ireland. He explores the magnificent house and gardens of Powerscourt in County Wicklow. Finding an angle on triangulation helps Michael to understand how Ireland was put on the map – and why.
The Paper Thistle: 200 Years of the Scotsman (BBC 2 Scotland & BBC iPlayer only | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 17th January 2017)
Documentary telling the story of The Scotsman, one of Britain’s most famous newspapers. The Scotsman has been at the heart of Scotland, uncovering corruption, skewering politicians and celebrating the arts for over two centuries, while both reflecting and shaping the nation.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Wednesday 18th January 2017)
Michael Portillo gets up to speed with modern archaeology in County Meath and uncovers a controversial Victorian dig at the sacred Hill of Tara. He investigates leaping salmon in Leixslip and discovers an electrifying breakthrough at an historic seminary. At Mullingar, Michael bangs the drum for the town’s marching band.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 18th January 2017)
After bereaved mother Ali attacks suspect Aaron, Nikki is under fire for leaking information. Jack and Thomas must bridge internal divisions to track down the killer.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Thursday 19th January 2017)
With his Victorian Bradshaw’s guidebook in hand, Michael Portillo crosses the Emerald Isle uncovering Irish identity, forged at a time of political strife. Travelling through the beautiful landscape, Michael learns how it inspired one of the 20th century’s greatest poets, WB Yeats. In Dromod, Michael learns how to make an Irish staple – a potato pancake, known as boxty. At the home of the father of Irish fiddling, Michael attempts to master a traditional Irish dance.
Death in Paradise (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 19th January 2017)
Detective drama series set on a Caribbean island. Humphrey and Martha’s romantic weekend at the remote Hotel Cecile is disrupted by the murder of the hotel owner on the first night of their stay.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Friday 20th January 2017)
On the last leg of Michael Portillo’s long journey from Wexford to Westport, a fashionable Victorian seaweed bath is followed by a steamy scene in Ballina. On tenterhooks in Foxford, Michael discovers the visionary charity of an entrepreneurial nun. He learns of a double tragedy at Clew Bay and begins a pilgrimage to the summit of Ireland’s holy mountain, Croagh Patrick.
Best Walks with a View with Julia Bradbury (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Friday 20th January 2017)
Julia Bradbury chooses some of her favourite and most accessible family treks from across the UK. This episode sees Julia heading to Loch Lomond’s bonnie banks for her favourite lake walk – with two walks in one. Taking in the popular West Highland Way, it is just a quick boat ride to the idyllic island of Inchailloch, a jewel in Loch Lomond’s crown, for stunning views over the Loch.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
UK TV programmes to watch this week : 07/01/2017
Class (BBC 1/HD | 10:45pm to 11:40pm | Monday 9th January 2017)
Doctor Who spin-off series. When Coal Hill School comes under attack from deadly monsters, four alienated students must form an unlikely alliance to defeat them. But this incursion is only the beginning.
Class (BBC 1/HD | 11:40pm to 12:15am | Monday 9th January 2017)
The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo. Katherine Kelly, Greg Austin, Fady Elsayed, Sophie Hopkins, Vivian Oparah, Jordan Renzo. Doctor Who spin-off series. Ram struggles to cope following events at the prom, isolating himself from the others. But when the school is faced with a dreadful new threat, the gang must unite to fight it.
Sherlock (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:30pm | Sunday 8th January 2017)
Contemporary crime drama, based on the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock faces perhaps the most chilling enemy of his long career: the powerful and seemingly unassailable Culverton Smith – a man with a very dark secret indeed.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Monday 9th January 2017)
There is terror on the tracks in Blackpool as Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey across Bradshaw’s Britain with his Victorian guidebook. He makes potent new friends in Fleetwood then heads to Manchester, where George Stephenson built the world’s first modern railway line. This epoch-defining achievement is being incorporated into a new multi-million pound rail link between Manchester’s Victoria and Piccadilly stations and Michael lends a hand with the welding. At a moving ceremony in Manchester Piccadilly station, Michael unveils a new monument to 87 railwaymen of the London and North Western Railway, who lost their lives in the Great War.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 9th January 2017)
Forensic crime drama series. When a photogenic young schoolteacher goes missing, Jack and Nikki are called to the scene and quickly find themselves at the centre of a media storm. Meanwhile, Thomas fights a lone crusade for justice for a troubled young woman who was killed in puzzling circumstances.
Britain’s Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 9th January 2017)
Three-part series in which Neil Oliver, Chris Packham, Andy Torbet and Dr Shini Somara join hundreds of archaeologists from around the world who have gathered in Orkney to investigate at one of Europe’s biggest digs. Andy Torbet and some local seafaring volunteers build a boat made of just willow and cow hide and set out to cross the dangerous Pentland Firth as the ancient Orcadians would have done. Neil Oliver investigates the extraordinary discovery of some human bones, Chris Packham goes in search of whales and Shini Somara uncovers the powers of the tides.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Tuesday 10th January 2017)
Michael Portillo’s journey from the Irish Sea to the North Sea continues by tram from Manchester. At the imposing town hall of the world’s first industrial city, Michael comes face to face with the Victorian scientist who invented modern atomic theory. He then heads to the city’s National Graphene Institute, where he learns to make the groundbreaking material invented there by two Nobel prize-winning scientists. His Bradshaw’s leads him to an 18th-century settlement built by refugees from Europe. Next, deep underground at Standedge, Michael discovers an ambitious Victorian engineering marvel. At Silkstone Common, he tracks down the forge where a Victorian metallurgist created wrought iron axles strong enough for railway rolling stock and is delighted to discover the works operates its own miniature train.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 10th January 2017)
Forensic crime drama series. Having found a link between the two cases, the team struggles to make sense of it. Nikki visits a disgraced former colleague who may hold the key. Thomas uncovers the bizarre truth about how Tina died.
Sighthill (BBC 2 Scotland & BBC iPlayer only | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 10th January 2017)
Documentary following the day-to-day life of some of the residents of Glasgow’s Sighthill Estate before its last two blocks were demolished. Consisiting of ten huge tower blocks and built in the 1960s, this iconic development was home to thousands of residents before a historic regeneration project swept through the estate demolishing all the high rises. Award-winning film-maker Darren Hercher follows some of the residents as they go about their day-to-day life on the estate.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Wednesday 11th January 2017)
From Chapeltown, Michael heads to Wharncliffe Crags, where he plucks up courage to follow in the terrifying footholds of the Victorian daredevil who made rock climbing a sport. The relative calm of academia beckons at Sheffield University but, face to face with a hagfish, Michael’s visit to the Alfred Denny Collection proves an eye-opener. At Conisbrough, Michael learns how Victorians flocked to visit the castle which inspired Sir Walter Scott’s immensely popular novel, Ivanhoe. This leg of his journey, following what was once known as the North Country Continental service, finishes in the engineering centre of Doncaster, where Bradshaw’s leads him to investigate an enlightened Victorian’s school for deaf children.
Italy’s Invisible Cities (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 11th January 2017)
Venice. Documentary series. Using the latest 3-D scanning technology, Alexander Armstrong and Dr Michael Scott explore the watery wonderland of Venice. They uncover how a city built in a swamp became one of the most powerful in medieval Europe and dive into its canals to experience how the city remains standing. Plus they reveal how the city’s beauty once masked a ruthless secret state and a world of excess and vice.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Thursday 12th January 2017)
Steered by his Bradshaw’s railway handbook to Gainsborough, Michael Portillo wraps his head around an ingenious Victorian machine which changed shopping forever. In Lincoln, he discovers the verse and popularity of 19th-century Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and finds poetry thrives today in a city pub. In the Cambridgeshire Fens, Michael recycles rails and ballast at what was once the largest freight marshalling yard in Europe. At Ely, Michael discovers that the city’s magnificent cathedral was restored by the Victorian architect George Gilbert Scott.
Death in Paradise (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 12th January 2017)
Detective drama series set on a Caribbean island. Florence finds herself emotionally involved in a case when a former schoolmate is found dead at the foot of a cliff.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Friday 13th January 2017)
Michael Portillo is on the final leg of his journey following the route of the North Country Continental service to Harwich. Along the way, he meets volunteers on the Mid-Suffolk Light railway and is allowed to drive The Middy. In Leiston, Michael uncovers an intriguing industrial pioneer – the world’s first purpose-built assembly line. The work of a young Victorian engineering prodigy impresses Michael in Ipswich. In Harwich, he discovers how the port became a gateway to the continent and was then superseded by a new deep-water port further inland. Michael lends a hand below decks to ensure all is shipshape before one of the vast ferries leaves for the Hook of Holland.
Best Walks with a View with Julia Bradbury (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Friday 13th January 2017)
Julia Bradbury chooses some of her favourite and most accessible family treks from across the UK. This episode features a walk with a wow factor as Julia’s favourite fell walk takes her on the classic ascent of Pen-y-ghent. Although it is the smallest fell on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, this dramatic summit affords far-reaching views above the magnificent Dales, with plenty of surprises en route.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
UK TV programmes to watch this week : 31/12/2016
Sherlock (BBC 1/HD | 8:30pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 1st January 2017)
Contemporary crime drama, based on the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock waits to see where Moriarty will make his posthumous move. One mysterious case in particular baffles Scotland Yard, but Sherlock is more interested in a seemingly trivial detail. Why is someone destroying images of the late prime minister Margaret Thatcher? Is there a madman on the loose? Or is there a much darker purpose at work? Something with its roots deep in Mary Watson’s past…
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Monday 2nd January 2017)
Michael Portillo embarks on a journey from London to Edinburgh with the help of his 19th-century guidebook. A once-in-a-lifetime journey aboard the most famous train in history, the Flying Scotsman, begins for Michael before dawn at London’s King’s Cross. Excitement builds on the platform as the world’s media, fans and 300 passengers await the arrival of railway royalty. Boarding a vintage carriage, Michael recaptures the glamour of the 1930s, when the Flying Scotsman’s passengers dined, sipped cocktails and had their hair done en route to Scotland. Among his fellow passengers are a former Flying Scotsman driver and a previous owner of the locomotive. But all does not go to plan, and the historic non-stop service is forced to halt for trespassers on the track. Arriving at York, Michael meets the restoration team and gets his hands on the hallowed controls.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 2nd January 2017)
Forensic crime drama series. When a people smuggler is found dead in the City, Nikki must delve into London’s illegal immigrant community. She meets a vulnerable Syrian teen called Akka who is in need of help, putting Nikki in a moral dilemma – and the killer is still on the loose.
Britain’s Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 2nd January 2017)
Three-part series in which Neil Oliver, Chris Packham, Andy Torbet and Dr Shini Somara join hundreds of archaeologists from around the world who have gathered in Orkney to investigate at one of Europe’s biggest digs. Seven miles off the coast of Scotland and cut off by the tumultuous Pentland Firth, Orkney is often viewed as being remote. Yet it is one of the treasure troves of archaeology in Britain. Rather than an outpost at the edge of the world, recent finds suggest an extraordinary theory – that Orkney was the cultural capital of our ancient world and the origin of the stone circle cult which culminated in Stonehenge. Chris Packham uncovers the secrets revealed by the DNA of Orkney’s unique vole, Neil Oliver explores Orkney’s tombs and monuments, Dr Shini Somara experiments to discover how the Orcadians could have moved giant blocks of stone over rough ground and Andy Torbet climbs Orkney’s most challenging sea-stack to unlock the story of Orkney’s unusual geology. episode 1.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Tuesday 3rd January 2017)
Michael Portillo continues his journey from London to Edinburgh with the help of his 19th-century guidebook. After the excitement of his ride on the Flying Scotsman, Michael begins a new journey with his Bradshaw’s guide book north from London, following the historic service’s path at a more leisurely pace. Along the way he is forced to expend more effort than usual on the rails as he pumps a track inspection trolley. A Swiss garden in Bedfordshire delivers an unexpected spectacle of early 20th-century engineering marvels and the chance to drive a ‘locomobile’. Michael then goes back to school at Haileybury, once a training college for the East India Company, where the master is unimpressed by Portillo’s exam performance. At Rothamsted Research, Michael discovers the Victorian origins of the fertiliser industry and a treasure trove of plant and soil samples.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 3rd January 2017)
Forensic crime drama series. When Nikki, Jack and Thomas make a horrific discovery in the van, they are confronted with the work of a killer who preys on illegal immigrants. With the help of Clarissa, they must work out where the killer will strike next before more vulnerable people meet the same fate.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Wednesday 4th January 2017)
Michael Portillo continues his journey from London to Edinburgh with the help of his 19th-century guide book. Following his trip from London to York on board the Flying Scotsman, Michael uses his Bradshaw’s to trace the path of the famous service, beginning in the ‘Key of the North’ Newark-on-Trent and finishing in the cradle of the railways, Stockton-on-Tees. Michael rallies the choristers of a Tudor song school and admires the art of the railways before travelling to Retford, where he discovers a high-tech application for a Victorian rubber technology. A scandalous novel written in Thirsk leads Michael to a wildlife centre, where he is enlisted to feed a hungry young hedgehog named Charles.
Italy’s Invisible Cities (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pn to 10:00pm | Wednesday 4th January 2017)
Documentary series. Using the latest 3-D scanning technology, Alexander Armstrong and Dr Michael Scott uncover 2,500 years of hidden history in Naples from its earliest Greek and Roman origins. They explore how the volcano of Mount Vesuvius both nurtured the region and exacted a terrible price on the local population. Plus, they delve into a labyrinth of fascinating underground spaces that helped build and sustain the city.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Thursday 5th January 2017)
Michael Portillo continues his journey from London to Edinburgh at a leisurely pace up the East Coast Main Line. In Newton Aycliffe, he tests a state-of-the-art passenger train on tracks which follow the route taken by George Stephenson’s steam engine on its historic journey in 1825. Through the looking glass at Croft-on-Tees he discovers a curious potion at the childhood home of Victorian writer Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, and finds the author was also a fan of Bradshaw. In the coastal village of Craster, Michael discovers the Victorian smokehouses of a family firm still active today and learns how to smoke a kipper. Crossing the Scottish border he reaches Dunbar, birthplace of a visionary Scot who made his mark on the landscape of America. Michael ends this leg rocking the boat on the River Tyne in a coracle.
Death in Paradise (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm t0 10:00pm | Thursday 5th January 2017)
Detective drama series set on a Caribbean island. The death of a scientist on the side of a live volcano proves a difficult case to crack for Humphrey and his team when everything appears to point to a death from natural causes.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Friday 6th January 2017)
Michael Portillo concludes his journey from London to Edinburgh. Steered by his Bradshaw’s Handbook, Michael helps himself to a ukulele lesson in Haddington, birthplace of Victorian self-improvement guru Samuel Smiles. In Musselburgh, he gets a taste of life as a fishwife before exploring the Scottish capital Edinburgh, where a popular 19th-century mode of transport is making a comeback. The city’s proud medical heritage, highlighted in his guide book, takes Michael to the Royal College of Surgeons, where he discovers the macabre history of body snatchers and murderers who contributed to the science of anatomy. At the University of Edinburgh Medical School, Michael learns from the Queen’s surgeon in Scotland how students use sophisticated technology to study anatomy today.
Best Walks with a View with Julia Bradbury (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Friday 6th January 2017)
Julia Bradbury chooses some of her favourite and most accessible family treks from across the UK. In this episode, she sets off on her favourite coastal walk to one of the most famous landmarks on the Jurassic Coast – Old Harry Rocks. Taking in miles of golden sandy beaches and the dramatic history of the bay, Julia’s walk offers a fantastic example of the British coastline at its best.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
UK TV programmes to watch this week : 26/12/2015
Gareth Malone’s Great Choir Reunion (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 29th December 2015)
To mark the 10th anniversary of The Choir, Gareth Malone tracks down members from all his choirs for one huge reunion party. The centrepiece will be his Choir of Choirs, made up of his most talented singers from across the decade. But he has got just four short weeks – can he bring them all together and pull off a performance worthy of a decade’s work getting the nation singing? In the first of two episodes, Gareth tracks down ex-pupils from the first two choirs he created at Northolt High School and Lancaster Boys School. He discovers how being part of the choir changed their lives, and how they have gone on to successful careers, many in music. When he gets a group of them together to start rehearsing for the big reunion, they immediately feel the old bonds of camaraderie, and Gareth can’t resist suggesting an impromptu performance for friends and family.
David Beckham: For the Love of the Game (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:30pm | Tuesday 29th December 2015)
David Beckham sets himself the challenge of a lifetime: playing a football match on all seven continents of the globe and getting back in time for his own star-studded Unicef fundraising match at Old Trafford. On the journey, David discovers what football means to the many different people he meets and plays with, as well as some of the universal truths about the game itself, like its unique ability to inspire and unite people across the world. David plays with tribes in Papua New Guinea, children from an earthquake-damaged school in Nepal and refugees from neighboring African countries at a refugee camp in Djibouti. He flies on to Argentina, where he plays a community youth team in Buenos Aires, then to Antarctica to play with an international team of scientists, then to the USA to play the University of Miami women’s soccer team, before finally flying on to Old Trafford in Manchester for the Unicef fundraiser match.
What Britain Bought in 2015 (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 30th December 2015)
What Britain Bought in 2015 is an eye-opening and intriguing look back at how we shopped in 2015 and what the £6 billion-a-week shopping habit says about the nation. Mary Portas discovers the must-haves, can’t-resists, and why-did-we-ever purchases of 2015, meeting the high street buyers, trend forecasters and retail gurus who spotted their potential – but who also reveal the products that took them by surprise. With exclusive inside information from some of the nation’s biggest retailers – including M&S, Lakeland, Waitrose, Superdrug, JD Sports and John Lewis – Mary lifts the lid on a year of British spending. If you haven’t purchased a spiralizer, colouring book for adults, coconut oil, dyed your hair pastel, grown a beard sporting athleisure wear, or 70s-style clothing, before sipping from a magnum of Prosecco – where have you been?
Gareth Malone’s Great Choir Reunion (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 31st December 2015)
To mark the 10th anniversary of The Choir, Gareth Malone tracks down members from all his choirs for one huge reunion party. The centrepiece will be his Choir of Choirs, made up of his most talented singers from across the decade. But he has got just four short weeks – can he bring them all together and pull off a performance worthy of a decade’s work getting the nation singing? In the second half, Gareth continues to spread the word of his reunion to the remainder of his choirs and tracks down some of the best singers from South Oxhey Community Choir, the Military Wives and the nine workplace choirs he formed for his choral contest Sing While You Work. Frenzied rehearsals and preparations for the reunion culminate in a hugely emotional and joyous reunion party with choir members from across the country coming together to celebrate ten years of The Choir.
Sherlock (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:35pm | Friday 1st January 2016)
Special of the crime drama which sees Sherlock Holmes and John Watson transplanted to Victorian London. Thomas Ricoletti is a little surprised to see his wife dressed in her old wedding gown, since just a few hours before, she took her own life. Mrs Ricoletti’s ghost now appears to be prowling the streets with an unslakeable thirst for revenge. From fog-shrouded Limehouse to the bowels of a ruined church, Holmes, Watson and their friends must use all their cunning to combat an enemy seemingly from beyond the grave.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
UK TV programmes to watch this week : 11/01/2014
Speed with Guy Martin (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 12th January 2014)
Motorcycle racer and lorry mechanic Guy Martin loves pushing the boundaries of speed in search of a buzz. He claims that nothing can match the adrenaline rush he gets when he’s racing on public roads around the Isle of Man TT course at 200mph. Now he wants to see if he can find anything that can give him the same kick. In this new series, he creates four-speed based challenges, exploring the boundaries of physics and learning about the science of speed. Guy is on a mission to do the seemingly impossible: fly using muscle power alone. He wants to build the world’s fastest human powered aircraft: a plane without an engine that Guy will cycle into the air. He heads to Southampton University where, on 9 November 1961, Derek Piggot became the first man to fly under his own power. Forty two years later, Guy is ready to break into the history books with another team from the university.
Sherlock (BBC 1/HD | 8:30pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 12th January 2014)
Contemporary crime drama, based on the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes encounters Charles Augustus Magnussen, the one man he truly hates, through a case of stolen letters. How will he tackle an enemy who specialises in blackmail and knows the personal weakness of every eminent person in the Western world?
Operation Grand Canyon with Dan Snow (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 12th January 2014)
Dan Snow and his team continue down the Grand Canyon in antique wooden boats as they rediscover one of the Wild West’s great adventures.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Monday 13th January 2014)
Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey guided by his Bradshaw’s Handbook from London’s Euston station to Leeds. In this first leg, he finds out what happened to the once proud Euston Arch then braves the watery depths under Camden Town to see how goods were transported by rail, road and canal. Clad in his old school blazer, Michael heads north to explore the Harrow of his childhood and remembers the tragic rail disaster of 1952. At the country estate of one of the world’s wealthiest banking families in Tring, he discovers an exotic collection in need of special attention before alighting at Cheddington, scene of the Great Train Robbery.
Dogs: Their Secret Lives (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 13th January 2014)
Following the public response to his original programme, vet Mark Evans looks again at how our lives and those of our dogs have radically changed in the last 50 years. Man’s best friend is spending more and more time home alone. Using hidden cameras, a ground-breaking study from the world’s leading dog scientists and the results of an extensive viewer survey, this updated documentary reveals what our dogs get up to while we’re out. Footage from dozens of homes shows sleepy, active, howling and fretful dogs. Infrared cameras reveal what’s happening inside Bruno the boxer/Rottweiler cross’s head, while a dog vocalisation expert analyses Max the Alsatian’s howling to understand what he’s trying to communicate. Evans, the former chief vet at the RSPCA, catches up with the treatment of these dogs’ separation issues. He discovers whether new technology allowing dogs to make phone calls and watch TV is the key to keeping our canine companions happy in the modern British home.
Go Hard or Go Home (Channel 5 | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 13th January 2014)
Adventure challenge series in which transatlantic yachtswoman Hannah White prepares ordinary members of the public for some of the world’s most extreme endurance races. In this episode, four GPs must train for The Bonebreaker, a 127-mile bicycle race across the towering peaks of the Pyrenees, twice crossing the border of France and Spain. The event has around 8,000 entrants, all of whom train 12 months a year and consider themselves to be amongst the best cyclists in the world.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Tuesday 14th January 2014)
Michael Portillo is guided by his Bradshaw’s Handbook on a journey from London’s Euston station to Leeds, on Robert Stephenson’s first inter-city railway line from the capital. Along the line at Bletchley he meets one of the Second World War’s most secret agents, discovers a poet in Olney whose words are still sung today and explores the first purpose-built railway town at Wolverton. Michael’s last stop on this leg is Newport Pagnell, where he learns the ancient craft of vellum making.
Death in Paradise (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 14th January 2014)
Detective drama series. A university reunion party that DI Richard Poole is attending is brought to an abrupt halt when one of the group is murdered with an ice pick. With the case proving particularly sensitive, a new British detective, DI Humphrey Goodman, arrives on the island to help the team get to the bottom of the mysterious case. As the station’s newest recruit with his own set of methods, will Humphrey be able to adjust to his new team and surroundings?
Underage and Over the Limit (BBC 3/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 14th January 2014)
Documentary which follows Phil Tye, a youth worker on the frontline fighting against the underage drink epidemic in the north east of England. The region has the country’s highest percentage of 11 to 15-year-olds drinking alcohol and it also has double the national average of under-18s in treatment for drink-related problems. The film also asks teenagers why they start so early and drink so much.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Wednesday 15th January 2014)
Michael Portillo is guided by his Bradshaw’s Handbook on a journey from London’s Euston station to Leeds, on Robert Stephenson’s first inter-city railway line from the capital. Heading north, Michael stops in Northampton, the land of shoemakers, where Victorian ‘clickers’ have been making shoes for more than 130 years. In Rugby, Michael discovers the legacy of Dr Thomas Arnold and trains with the school’s 1st XV before heading to Coventry, where he finds out how the city’s craftsmen learned to adapt to survive. Michael ends this leg of his journey in Nuneaton, birthplace of an author whose identity was once a closely guarded secret.
The Restoration Man (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 15th January 2014)
Having never lived together before, architect Neil Worrell and his partner Jackie Robinson decided to cement their relationship by purchasing a forgotten church in the picture perfect fishing town of Brixham in Devon. What began as a project that would bring them closer together, becomes the ultimate test as the restoration pushes them to their limits. George Clarke brings his own design expertise to the project to help them realise their dream; and at the same time discovers the rich history that links this church directly to Brixham’s celebrated fishing community.
Waterloo Road (BBC 1/HD | 8:30pm to 9:30pm | Wednesday 15th January 2014)
School-based drama. In an attempt to resolve her money worries, Carol gets a temporary job in the school kitchen, until George gets in the way. Meanwhile, Nikki considers the future of her relationship with Vix, and George and Christine go on a date to the theatre.
Britain’s Oldest Family Businesses (BBC 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm)
Series of three documentaries following the bosses of three of Britain’s oldest family businesses as they go on a journey into their remarkable pasts. Richard Balson’s family have been butchers for almost 500 years, since Henry VIII was on the throne. He goes back through centuries of butchery, to the origin of the British high street. Along the way he discovers how the Balsons have stayed in the butchery business despite scandal and tragedy.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Thursday 16th January 2014)
Michael Portillo is guided by his Bradshaw’s Handbook on a journey from London’s Euston station to Leeds, on Robert Stephenson’s first inter-city railway line from the capital. He begins this leg in Leicester, where he picks up the trail of ‘the famous crook-backed King Richard III’, who Bradshaw’s informs him was buried at the Grey Priory. Michael finds out about the hunt for the king’s remains and how scientists managed to prove that the skeleton found under a car park was him. From Rothley, Michael works his passage on the Great Central Railway to Loughborough, where the bells have been tolling since 1839.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 16th January 2014)
Forensic crime drama series. Nikki and Jack head to Scotland to help earnest rural detective DS Jason Ross investigate the chilling murder of a lap dancer found in a remote forest. In their search to find a suspect, the team clash with rogue city detectives DS Mike MacNeil and DI Simon Laing. But as more human remains are unearthed in the forest, it becomes horrifyingly apparent that a dangerous serial killer is at large. News of the murders unsettles new mother Sarah, who is harbouring a dark secret from her partner Steve.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Friday 17th January 2014)
Michael Portillo is guided by his Bradshaw’s Handbook on a journey from London’s Euston station to Leeds, on Robert Stephenson’s first inter-city railway line from the capital. On the final leg of his journey, Michael Portillo rediscovers a once-famous poet in Nottingham. In Mansfield he travels on a railway line resurrected by popular demand after falling victim to Beeching’s cuts, then heads to Worksop, where he learns about the burrowing activities of an eccentric Duke. Michael’s next stop is ‘railway city’ Doncaster, where in the nineteenth century thousands laboured to build trains and where in the twentieth century, rail workers shaped British political history. His last stop on this journey is Leeds, where he auditions at the Venus and Venice of Variety on the stage at Britain’s oldest continuously working music hall.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 17th January 2014)
Forensic crime drama series. Nikki, Jack and DS Ross find themselves under pressure to urgently close the net on a serial killer abducting young women. Concerns grow over missing Sarah, and solving her mysterious disappearance becomes an urgent priority for Nikki and Jack. Local huntsman Niall Wallacemakes a surprising admission under questioning from DS MacNeil. However, Nikki’s confidence in the detectives is diminished when she suspects a cover-up in the past case of a murdered prostitute and her pimp.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
UK TV programmes to watch this week : 04/01/2014
Speed with Guy Martin (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 5th January 2014)
Motorcycle racer and lorry mechanic Guy Martin loves pushing the boundaries of speed in search of a buzz. He claims that nothing can match the adrenaline rush he gets when he’s racing on public roads around the Isle of Man TT course at 200mph. Now he wants to see if he can find anything that can give him the same kick. In this new series, he creates four-speed based challenges, exploring the boundaries of physics and learning about the science of speed. Guy attempts to set the world record for riding a motorcycle on the surface of water. With the help of a Cambridge professor and a team of marine engineers, Guy’s stunt hinges on Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion: that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If he can maintain enough speed on his bike, the 250-year-old theory says he should be able to achieve the seemingly impossible: to ride on water.
Sherlock (BBC 1/HD | 8:30pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 5th January 2014)
Contemporary crime drama, based on the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock faces his biggest challenge of all – delivering a best man’s speech on John’s wedding day.
Operation Grand Canyon with Dan Snow (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 5th January 2014)
Dan Snow and team take on the rapids of the Grand Canyon in antique wooden boats to rediscover one of the wild west’s great adventures of discovery.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Monday 6th January 2014)
Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey from Manchester, birthplace of George Bradshaw, the publisher of his trusted guide, to Chesterfield, burial place of George Stephenson, the father of the railway. In the first leg of the jourey, Michael finds out how the world’s first industrialised city also gave birth to a revolutionary political movement and hears how railway workers founded one of the most successful football clubs in the world. Along the way, Michael does the washing in Port Sunlight and discovers the legacy of an American named George Francis Train in Birkenhead.
Secrets of the Sales (BBC 1/HD | 10:35pm to 11:35pm | Monday 6th January 2014)
With exclusive access to some of Britain’s biggest high street chains, Cherry Healey goes behind the scenes to find out how the sales work from the inside. Cherry goes backstage in the John Lewis summer sale, gets inside a critical mark down meeting where sale prices and sale strategy are set, and she discovers the addictive way bargain hunting can affect our bodies. Cherry also uncovers hidden sales offering huge price cuts, learns how major high street retailers use scent to try and influence our behaviour, and meets with a sofa manufacturer willing to admit furniture sales can be a psychological trick.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Tuesday 7th January 2014)
Michael Portillo continues his journey through the North West of England. He begins in the elegant Lancashire resort of Southport, where the railways brought thousands of visitors to enjoy the pier and all the fun of the fair. Michael discovers Victorian entrepreneurship in Wigan, traces the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in Bolton and drives a hundred-year-old commercial vehicle in Leyland.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Wednesday 8th January 2014)
Michael Portillo continues his journey through the North West of England. He celebrates Victorian trade with the Preston Guild then heads to Rochdale where he discovers a pioneering movement that helped improve the lot of working families. Michael follows in the tracks of swathes of nineteenth-century working people who made day trips from the industrial towns to Hebden Bridge to walk in the beautiful Calder Valley.
The Restoration Man (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 8th January 2014)
Alan Appleby and his wife Dora might be restoration experts, but they’ve never taken on a project as ambitious as this. They’ve saved a flint mill in Stone, Staffordshire, which was about to fall down. Since Alan is a building surveyor, he shouldn’t have a problem fixing the massive structural damage. But his passion for old buildings soon takes over and they end up ploughing everything they have into this build. George Clarke helps them every step of the way and uncovers its unique history and the link between this building and the world-renowned pottery and ceramics of Josiah Wedgwood.
Waterloo Road (BBC 1/HD | 8:30pm to 9:30pm | Wednesday 8th January 2014)
The school drama returns, and chaos descends when what appears to be a masked intruder disrupts the start-of-term assembly. However, the intruder is soon revealed to be new PE teacher Hector Reid. Meanwhile, new girl Gabriella Wark causes a bit of a stir.
24 Hours in A and E (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 8th January 2014)
The award-winning series, filmed round the clock at King’s College Hospital in South London, returns with an episode filmed on Red Nose Day. For most of the people being treated at King’s it may be no time to laugh, but patients and staff reflect on the importance of being able to focus on the brighter side of life. Dilson, who’s 33, is rushed in by ambulance with severe knife wounds after being repeatedly stabbed in the head and neck as he tried to stop a fight outside a nightclub. Dilson is agitated when he arrives and the staff have to calm him down before they can properly assess his injuries. It’s vital he has a CT scan as it’s incredibly difficult to judge how serious a stabbing is from a visual inspection.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Thursday 9th January 2014)
Michael Portillo begins this leg of his journey from Manchester to Chesterfield at the home of the three Bronte sisters in Worth Valley, Yorkshire. He then moves on to Oakworth where he learns how the station and its heritage railway line secured a starring role in one of the most popular films ever made. In Bradford, Michael finds out how nineteenth-century workers could save to buy a home of their own, and in Halifax discovers how the railway contributed to the town’s sweet success.
Dolphins: Spy in the Pod (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 9th January 2014)
Remote-controlled Spy Creatures reveal dolphins as never before, as we meet the orca and discover the intimacy of its remarkable family life. There are also the dolphins that wear sponges on their noses, and the Dall’s porpoise, the fastest dolphin in the world. There is the story of a real dolphin secret agent that carries a camera into the pod to uncover their mysteries of communication and interactions, and a young bottlenose begins a life on his own.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 9th January 2014)
This episode of the crime drama sees Nikki delivering ground-breaking testimony in the high-profile appeal court case of David Bennetto, a convicted killer who has spent the last six years behind bars for the murder of two gay teenagers. But bitter DI Rachel Klein remains unconvinced that she caused a miscarriage of justice and cannot hide her contempt, especially when another young man is found dead bearing the same hallmarks of the previous murders. Meanwhile, Nikki’s professionalism is brought into question due to her increasingly close relationship with lawyer Greg Walker.
Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2/HD | 6:30pm to 7:00pm | Friday 10th January 2014)
On the last leg of his journey from a notorious slum in Manchester to the grandeur of a ducal seat in Derbyshire, Michael Portillo tunes in to the music of the mills and collieries of Victorian England, testing his puff with the brass band at Honley. In Holmfirth, Michael finds out about a nineteenth-century tragedy that struck the town and led to a tourist boom on the railways. At Chesterfield, Michael pays homage to the father of the railway, George Stephenson, before finishing his journey in style at one of the first stately homes to welcome visitors by rail – Chatsworth.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 10th January 2014)
Nikki’s professional reputation is on the line in the latest episode of the forensic crime drama, as her romantic involvement with lawyer Greg Walker leads her face-to-face with a raging Bennetto. Thomas is under mounting pressure from DI Rachel Klein and the Home Office as he battles to save the Lyell Centre’s reputation in the midst of a media storm. Grieving for the death of his murdered son, newspaper hack Peter Masham strikes an unlikely deal with Bennetto’s brother-in-law. Meanwhile, Jack and Clarissa uncover the true identity of murder victim Byron Lee.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
UK TV programmes to watch this week : 28/12/2013
Speed with Guy Martin (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm Sunday 29th December 2013)
Motorcycle racer and lorry mechanic Guy Martin loves pushing the boundaries of speed in search of a buzz. He claims that nothing can match the adrenaline rush he gets when he’s racing on public roads around the Isle of Man TT course at 200mph. Now he wants to see if he can find anything that can give him the same kick. In this new series, he creates four-speed based challenges, exploring the boundaries of physics and learning about the science of speed. Whether it’s slip-streaming a racing driver to ride a bicycle at over 100mph using pedal power, or seeing if he can ride a motorbike across a lake, Guy finds out what makes things go fast, by getting his hands dirty in a range of unique engineering projects. Celebrities who are well known in the world of speed help him in his challenges.
Sherlock (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:25pm | Wednesday 1st January 2014)
Contemporary crime drama, based on the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Two years after the devastating loss of his best friend, Dr John Watson has got on with his life. New horizons, romance and a comforting domestic future beckon. But with London under threat of a huge terrorist attack, Sherlock Holmes is about to rise from the grave with all the theatricality that comes so naturally to him. Even though it is what he wanted more than anything, for John Watson it might well be a case of ‘Be careful what you wish for’.
Glasgow Big Night Out (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 1st January 2014)
An affectionate portrait of Glasgow’s rich entertainment history, featuring interviews with the stars who braved some of the toughest venues in showbusiness, alongside footage of classic performances and archive of a city that has played host to everyone from Laurel and Hardy to The Beatles.
Dolphins: Spy in the Pod (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 2nd January 2014)
The award-winning team behind Penguins – Spy in the Huddle use hidden cameras to go into the heart of the dolphins’ world. The camera eyes of thirteen different ‘Spy Creatures’ allow behaviour to be captured that has never been filmed before, including a vast superpod of spinner dolphins hunting huge shoals of lanternfish while dodging the gaping mouths of giant rays. A newborn bottlenose dolphin learns from his mother as they follow a gathering of stingrays and hunt kingfish. He practices his sonar and plays with bubbles while nearby males play chicken with supertankers, visit a coral health spa and surf the waves. When they try to woo the females their direct approach threatens the baby, but bouquets of seaweed have the desired effect. Other sights include dolphins using rings of mud to catch fish and the spectacular leaps and corkscrews of spinner dolphins. There is humour too, when Spy Turtle encounters real amorous turtles and Spy Squid has a near miss with a hungry potato bass.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 2nd January 2014)
Top-flight footballer Isaac Dreyfus’ days at the top are numbered when a sex tape links him to the brutal murder of a young woman, threatening to destroy his reputation and marriage. Nikki struggles to come to terms with Leo’s death following the arrival of the new Lyell Centre boss, pathologist Thomas Chamberlain. However, her feelings surface when DI John Leighton and DS Anne Burchett demand results in two unsolved cases – a mother and son murdered in their wealthy London home and the disfigured body of a young woman.
The Restoration Man (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 2nd January 2014)
George Clarke returns for a brand new series as he travels up and down the country to new locations, new restorations and amazing stories of people who have gone to extraordinary lengths to build their dreams homes by restoring and rejuvenating some of Britain’s most cherished but forgotten buildings. George is passionate about restoration, and helping people realise their property dreams. Not only does he offer valuable design and architectural advice, but he follows them every step of the way, lends a hand when things get tough, and discovers the fascinating history hidden behind each building.
Silent Witness (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 3rd January 2014)
Footballer Isaac Dreyfus desperately fights to prove his innocence, whilst disillusioned Adam Freedman turns to a mysterious source for help to avenge the murder of his wife and child. Under scrutiny from the press, the police are determined to nail their prime suspect and pile pressure on The Lyell Centre to deliver results. However, when Nikki questions the motive behind the murders, a re-examination of the Freedman crime scene leads Jack to make a startling discovery.
James May’s Toy Stories (BBC 2 /HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 3rd January 2014)
James May attempts to build a motorbike and sidecar entirely out of Meccano to take round the Isle of Man’s famous TT circuit. But designing a machine capable of carrying James and his passenger, wine expert Oz Clarke, around the daunting 37-mile course is not a task for the faint-hearted. Fifteen thousand pieces of Meccano must be assembled to create a full-size, road-legal motorcycle that James hopes will be more than a match for the circuit’s treacherous twists and turns, steep climbs and dizzying descents. And as in the real TT, the bike must race against the clock.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
OMG! Can’t wait till the third series of Sherlock
OMG! I am counting down the days, till the third series of Sherlock starts on BBC One. It starts on BBC One/HD on Wednesday 1st January 2014 at 9:00pm!