Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Saturday 5th March 2016)
Penelope returns to a landscape she knows and loves, as she travels across the South Downs and The Weald of Sussex and Kent. Going in search of quintessential village scenes such as the country garden, the timeless war memorial and cricket on the green, Penelope’s journey starts in Sussex, where she spent her school days. She relives the marvellously eccentric Cuckfield Donkey Races. At Burwash and Batemans she sheds light on the life and times of Rudyard Kipling, and his role in the war memorial movement. Penelope visits the village workshop that’s made cricket bats for the greats of the game, from WG Grace to the current England captain. She boards a steam train into Kent through the former hop fields of the Rother Valley and uncovers the remarkable tale of the Biddenden maids.
Call the Midwife (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 6th March 2016)
As Poplar moves towards the season of goodwill, the time has come to accept the things that have passed and look to the future. Dr Turner is forced to do so when the cause of the recent spate of infant limb deformities is finally uncovered. Realising that his own prescriptions could have exacerbated the tragedy, he jumps into action in an attempt to prevent further damage. Meanwhile, Nonnatus House is thrown into disarray by a tragedy even closer to home. Although Sister Evangelina is back at work it is clear that her recent stroke has affected her badly, and that her health problems are not over. Elsewhere, Poplar matriarch Tessie is forced to accept that her grandchild has been conceived out of wedlock, but there’s joy all round when the baby is born at the couple’s wedding reception.
The X Files (Channel 5 | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 7th March 2016)
A younger version of Mulder and Scully apply to our heroes for help in an effort to communicate with a terrorist in a coma in an effort to prevent other members of his cell from carrying out a future attack. Mulder’s suggestion involves magic mushrooms.
The Secret Life of the Zoo (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 8th March 2016)
Chester Zoo is home to ten critically endangered black rhinos. With numbers in the wild dwindling rapidly, the zoo’s breeding programme is a key part of preserving the species. In the final episode of the series, female rhino Kitani is introduced to her new mate Magadi. But with injury a high risk during mating, keeper Babs is concerned that Kitani may struggle to defend herself, since she lost her horn after the death of her calf earlier in the year. When there’s a surprise birth in the orangutan house, older sibling Tuti has to fend for herself and set out on the road to independence. There’s a glimpse into the complex and fascinating courtship behaviours of Rodrigues fruit bats. A new male Sulawesi macaque is introduced to 30 eager females. And young jaguars Napo and Goshi go head to head in a battle of wills.
Dunblane: Our Story (BBC 1 Scotlannd/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 9th March 2016)
Documentary commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Dunblane shooting, the worst firearms atrocity to date in the UK, when a gunman shot and killed 16 primary schoolchildren and their teacher in the school gym. The film features testimony from people who have never spoken about the event before, including a young woman who was shot as a five-year-old, Ron Taylor, the headmaster of Dunblane primary at the time of the shooting, and Debbie Mayor, whose mother Gwen Mayor was the teacher who was shot dead. Other contributors include two girls who speak about the sisters they never knew and parents of the survivors and the deceased.
Ugly House to Lovely House with George Clarke (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 10th March 2016)
George Clarke shows that even the ugliest house can be transformed into a home to be proud of. Sue and Simon believe that their Hertfordshire house is the ugliest on their street. The couple bought the four-bedroom property in 2014 for £440,000, but a bizarre fake-Victorian extension means the bad layout is a nightmare. Architect Laura Jane Clark specialises in breathing new life into unlovely spaces, but Sue and Simon have a tight budget of just £50,000. Can Laura unlock the property’s internal space by moving the staircase, introducing an innovative revolving wall, and putting in some skylights? And what about the brash exterior? And can she do all of this on budget and on schedule?
Best Walks with a View with Julia Bradbury (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Friday 11th March 2016)
Julia Bradbury chooses some of her favourite and most accessible family treks from across the UK, in search of the perfect walk with a view suitable for all experience levels. The series explores coastal, mountain, valley and river walks and features accessible route maps, pub and picnic options and stunning aerial perspectives. Julia sets off from the ancient village of Dufton in search of one of Britain’s best kept secrets. Hidden beneath the hulking mass of the Pennines is High Cup Nick, a remarkable natural formation known as the Grand Canyon of the North. Part of the Pennine Way, this hanging valley was 500 million years in the making and commands a magnificent view not to be missed.
The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:10pm | Friday 11th March 2016)
The critically acclaimed award-winning show continues with its unique brand of irreverent satire for a seventh series. Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker tear into the weird and wonderful talking points of the week. A celebrity guest joins the team each week in front of a live studio audience.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.