Toughest Place to be a… (BBC 2/BBC HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 17th March 2013)
Series in which British workers are challenged to do their job under some of the toughest conditions in the world. Dairy farmer Richard Gibson is swapping the damp surroundings of Devon to live and work with Samburu tribesmen, who herd their cattle in the parched and desolate mountains of northern Kenya.
The Railway: Keeping Britain on Track (BBC 2/BBC HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 19th March 2013)
Documentary series which goes behind the scenes of the rail network, revealing the inner workings of one of Britain’s biggest and oldest institutions. Keeping trains running on Scotland’s rail network is a huge challenge as it passes through some of the UK’s busiest urban commuter routes and stretches on through frozen highland mountains. With winter looming large, the country’s train, station and engineering staff are entering their toughest season. When overhead power lines are ripped down by a freight train, it spells chaos. Yet even without engineering problems, this is a network under constant strain, particularly at Edinburgh’s Waverly station. Yet what really makes Scotland stand-out from the rest of the UK are its vast and remote wilderness railways, such as the West Highland Line. Here, rail engineer Iain MacKinnon spends his days inspecting miles of mountain track on foot, clearing dead stags from the line and tightening every loose bolt that he finds.
Madness Live: Goodbye Television Centre (BBC 4 | 7:30pm to 08:30pm | Friday 22nd March 2013)
As the BBC makes its exit from the iconic west London site of Television Centre, BBC Four presents a special night of celebration of the building and its 53-year history. To kick start proceedings, the nation’s favourite nutty boys and national treasures Madness take to the stage at the front of BBC Television Centre to perform an hour long concert in front of an assembled audience nine days before TV Centre closes its doors. To help launch this celebration of over 50 years of programme making at TVC Madness treat us to new material and classics alike, such as One Step Beyond, I Never Knew Your Name, Baggy Trousers and Our House.
Goodbye Television Centre (BBC 4 | 8:30pm to 10:35pm | Friday 22nd March 2013)
After 53 years Television Centre, the BBC’s TV headquarters, is closing its doors and host Michael Grade gathers together many of its best-loved faces as they stroll down memory lane for the very last time. It was the dream factory, the symbolic home of British television – iconic, eccentric, more than just a building.
Richard Thompson: BBC Four Session – Goodbye Television Centre (BBC 4 | 10:35pm to 11:40pm | Friday 22nd March 2013)
As part of the Goodbye TV Centre celebrations, guitarist, singer and songwriter Richard Thompson plays a one-off concert filmed in TC8. Thompson has been performing in BBC TV studios since 1969, starting on Top of the Pops with Fairport Convention and then making frequent appearances on the Old Grey Whistle Test, The Late Show and Later with Jools Holland as a solo artist and bandleader. Filmed before the opening night of the tour celebrating the Top 20 placing of his album Electric, Thompson leads his current power trio through songs from that album, including Salford Sunday and Stony Ground, alongside classics from his songbook like I Want to See the Bright Lights and Tear Stained Letter. Thompson is joined on a couple of acoustic songs by former Fairport bandmate and master fiddler Dave Swarbrick, frequent collaborator Pete Zorn adds sax to Al Bowlly’s In Heaven and his daughter Kami Thompson harmonises on Waltzing for Dreamers.
The Last Leg (Channel 4/Channel 4 HD | 9:30pm to 10:00pm | Friday 22nd March 2013)
The award-winning live gang show takes a joyful, offbeat take on the week; aiming to celebrate all that is best about Britain. Host Adam Hills, alongside co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker, provide an intelligent, alternative commentary on the significant moments of the past seven days, as well as pulling out hidden gems, and weird and wonderful talking point stories. In front of a live studio audience, celebrity guest Jo Brand joins Adam, Alex and Josh on The Last Leg sofa, as the gang tackle the issues of the week.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.