Joanna Lumley’s Trans-Siberian Adventure (itv/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 26th July 2015)
The last leg of her 6,400-mile train journey from Hong Kong to Moscow finds Joanna is in deepest Siberia. First stop is Lake Baikal, one of the deepest lakes in the world. She drinks vodka with a local fisherman before getting back on the train for Krasnoyarsk to meet an oligarch. From there she travels across the vast emptiness of Siberia to Yekaterinburg, a city with a dark history. The last tsar and his family were murdered here in 1918. She finds Moscow a very different city to the one she knew in the 1960s. Visiting Stalin’s nuclear bunker, she meets some models before finding the spot where she was photographed in 1966 – her inspiration for the whole adventure.
The Pennine Way (BBC 2/HD | 7:30pm to 8:00pm | Monday 27th July 2015)
Explorer Paul Rose presents a four-part documentary on the Pennine Way, Britain’s first national trail, as it celebrates its 50th birthday. In this edition, he discovers how the route, which at 268 miles stretches from the Peak District in Derbyshire to the Scottish Borders, has changed in the last half century. He learns that the Pennine Way owes its existence to the right to roam movement in the 1930s, hears about ghostly sightings along the trail and meets actor and director Barrie Rutter to explore the literary roots of the south Pennines.
Britain at the Bookies (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 27th July 2015)
Documentary examining the winners and losers in Britain’s gambling revolution. Saturday is the biggest day of the week for bookmakers and the day for up to four million regular punters to try their luck against the industry’s experts – the traders. The second episode of this three-part series takes the viewer through the unfolding drama of one big race day at Doncaster from completely opposing points of view, as the battle between punter and bookie plays out. The traders set the odds that will attract the most punters. Trackside at Doncaster, independent bookmaker Keith Johnson tries to offer better odds than the high-street giants like Coral. And passionate race-goers like Andy and his girlfriend Gosia study every tiny detail of the horses and trainers before placing their bets.
The Pennine Way (BBC 2/HD | 7:30pm to 8:00pm | Tuesday 28th July 2015)
Celebrating the Pennine Way’s 50th birthday. Paul Rose’s journey along the Pennine Way takes him to the Yorkshire Dales to the village of Malham, where the Pennine Way was launched fifty years ago. He hears from those who remember the opening ceremony, before having a go at the limestone cliff face of Malham Cove. He also visits the sheep mart in Wensleydale – and enjoys a pint in Britain’s highest pub.
The Pennine Way (BBC 2/HD | 7:30pm to 8:00pm | Wednesday 29th July 2015)
Celebrating the Pennine Way’s 50th birthday. Paul Rose heads for the North Pennines in the latest stage of his journey along the Pennine Way. He goes white-water rafting down the River Tees and takes in one of Britain’s best views at High Cup Nick. Paul also hears about a weather phenomenon unique to the range, and spends a night at a remote mountain refuge close to the highest point of the Pennine Way.
The Pennine Way (BBC 2/HD | 7:30pm to 8:00pm | Thursday 30th July 2015)
Celebrating the Pennine Way’s 50th birthday. Paul Rose embarks on the last stage of his Pennine Way journey, heading into the wilds of Northumberland. He makes a remarkable discovery at the Roman archaeological dig at Vindolanda, finds out what lies beyond the red flags while on exercise with the Grenadier Guards – and learns why Pennine Way walkers can have a magical experience in the dark skies capital of Europe.
Coast (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 30th July 2015)
Coast investigates how the Irish Sea has shaped our island story. Nick Crane explores a unique seasonal phenomenon of this sea – a current called the gyre. It’s the lifeblood of these fish-rich waters. Mark Horton is at Maryport, where archaeologists have discovered two Roman temples and one of the earliest Christian churches in Britain. Tessa Dunlop uncovers a story that could have come straight from the pages of a spy novel! How did one small yacht change the course of British and Irish history? Cassie Newland and Miranda Krestovnikoff join forces – on land and underwater – to investigate a shipwreck mystery to rival the Titanic’s. RMS Tayleur was heralded as the fastest, safest, most advanced vessel of her day, but the ship sank on her maiden voyage with horrific loss of life. And singer-songwriter Ruth Keggin tells the story of the Irish sea god Manannan – first ruler of the Isle of Man, who is now said to reside on an underwater island.
Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 30th July 2015)
Three-part documentary about the Atlantic ocean. In the wild North Atlantic, massive whale pods, giant turtles and monstrous jellyfish ride the Gulf Stream – a huge ocean current that becomes a migration super-highway and helps warm northern Europe. Meanwhile, fishermen battle for survival in mountainous seas as they try to reap the current’s natural fertility.
The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:05pm | Friday 31st July 2015)
The award-winning show continues in its sixth series of unique irreverent satire. Adam Hills and co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker tear into the week’s main talking points, joined by a live studio audience and John Cleese.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.