Britain’s Winter: Storm Heroes (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 12th April 2015)
With first-person footage from those facing the brunt of the weather, including rescuers on the frontline, this documentary tells the story of Britain’s ferocious winter weather. The programme witnesses the work of the rescue services, often manned by volunteers, battling wind, rain, snow and hail to reach those in danger. This winter saw Scotland battered by 113mph storm winds while the north of England faced freak snow drifts. Some of Britain’s biggest winter storms however were in the North Sea. For the 12-man crew of one emergency response and rescue vessel on call for oil platforms, hurricane force winds make for fearful conditions as they encountrer waves as high as 20 metres.
Secret Britain (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 15th April 2015)
Series exploring the hidden corners of the UK and revealing landscape secrets. In North Yorkshire, Adam Henson meets the farmer whose dad discovered a secret Roman villa while ploughing. Ellie Harrison tries to solve the puzzle behind Britain’s highest pub – why was the Tan Hill Inn built atop the moor, miles from the nearest customers? Adam discovers the remains of a forgotten glass-making industry, Ellie visits the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, a teenage boy whose ambition is to be become a gamekeeper shares his favourite secret places in the Yorkshire countryside, and Adam and Ellie’s journey reaches a climax with a hunt for Yorkshire’s finest view.
The Secret Life of the Pub (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:00pm | Thursday 16th April 2015)
The average British man spends a year and a half of his life in a pub. For many, it’s a place of sanctuary, somewhere to unwind and just be themselves, or, to quote one boisterous patron: ‘Women go to pubs to talk about their problems. Men go to pubs to get away from them.’ The Lord Nelson, a traditional boozer in London’s East End, has been rigged with cameras to see what men really say when women are not around and they’re not on their best behaviour. Expect plenty of witty banter, a little argy-bargy and an end-of-night drunken sing-along. This fresh, funny and engaging documentary meets a diverse mixture of men.
Have I Got News for You (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 9:30pm | Friday 17th April 2015)
Regular team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop are joined by guest host Victoria Coren Mitchell and guest panellists Alun Cochrane and Lord Prescott.
Slow Train Through Africa with Griff Rhys-Jones (itv/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 17th April 2015)
Griff Rhys Jones attempts five remarkable train journeys across the world’s most spectacular continent, Africa. In episode two, Griff attempts to zigzag his way across 1,200 miles through Kenya and Tanzania. The journey proves a challenge, with large sections of the railways relics from colonial days. Boarding a vintage steam locomotive built in Glasgow, Griff begins his journey on the high plateau of south west Kenya. Built by the British, this railway became the backbone of a colony and Griff visits a cattle ranch established by an English aristocrat a century ago. The climate of the Kenyan highlands is pleasant enough for Griff to go for a run, and he meets two young athletes who are aiming to compete in major international competitions. In Nairobi, he finds the very railway carriage which was the scene of one of the country’s most gruesome tales – the man-eating lions of Tsavo.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.