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.