The Mystery of the Crossrail Skulls (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 24th April 2016)
Engineers digging for Crossrail have made a chilling discovery: dozens of skulls under London’s Liverpool Street station. It’s clear the skulls are from Roman London, but nothing like this has been found before. This documentary unravels the mystery, using ground-breaking archaeological investigation. Who are these people and how did their skulls get there? There are many theories: they could be victims of a massacre, or gladiators; they could have naturally washed out of cemeteries in times of peace or be executed rebels; they could even be the victims of some grisly, long-lost ritual. Now the tools are available to solve the mystery. The investigation covers Boudicca’s rebellion, the bloody gladiatorial arena, and head-hunting sites in France. Does the investigation answer the mystery of the Crossrail skulls?
The Tube: Going Underground (Channel 5 | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 25th April 2016)
Documentary series following the work of the staff who keep London’s underground train service running smoothly. Management has decided to crack down on fare dodgers, but it is revenue inspectors Simon and Paul who have to deal with an aggressive passenger refuses to pay at the Angel. At Tottenham Court Road, John is supervising the tricky restoration of Eduardo Paolozzi’s famous mosaics. At Walthamstow, the installation of a new escalator is causing bottlenecks. On Poppy Day, Dame Barbara Windsor helps to fund-raise by becoming a Tube driver for the day.
How Scotland Works (BBC 2 Scotland & BBC iPlayer only | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 26th April 2016)
Documentary series exploring life in 21st-century Scotland. In Scotland today, travel and transport is changing, with trains, planes and ferries all busier than ever. New services like the Borders Railway and a seaplane to Skye are connecting remote communities. In Aberdeen, hydrogen-powered buses are revolutionising public transport and cutting carbon emissions, while in Dundee electric taxis are making travel cheaper and cleaner. Meanwhile, older systems like the Glasgow subway are being updated for the modern world. This documentary tells the story of Scotland on the move through a diverse cast of characters including a train driver, a ferry captain, the subway nightshift engineers, a pioneering pilot and one of the original architects of Glasgow’s groundbreaking urban motorway system.
Caravanner of the Year (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 27th April 2016)
It’s the final, and all three couples who have made it to this stage have been working on their winning strategy. Whether it’s planning and precision; soft toys and costumes or breaking out new recipes – they all want the title. The Caravan Club has promised even tougher challenges and a demanding navigation test with road restrictions and no sat navs quickly takes its toll. While some search for missing landmarks crucial to their route, a cake break is the stress-reliever for others. To pile on the pressure, driving skills also come under scrutiny when the judges take a back seat, literally. Grenville Chamberlain, Caravan Club Chairman, and motorhome journalist, Andy Harris, are joined by guest judge, Martin Dorey, the camper van cook, to face a stamina trial of their own when the competitors go all out to impress in the crucial hospitality challenge. From unusual recipes to amateur dramatics and a full 60s revival, these competitors all want the title of Caravanner of the Year.
Secret Britain (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 28th April 2016)
Series exploring the hidden corners of the UK and revealing landscape secrets. Ellie Harrison, Chris Hollins and Denise Lewis explore Northern Ireland. As one of the least touristy places in the UK, the province is brimming with secrets. Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis is chastised for a lack of focus when she competes in an unusual and unique local competition. Chris Hollins goes in search of a witch’s lair on the top of a mysterious mountain. And Ellie Harrison uncovers the secret history of an army training base that has been closed to the public for over a century.
Barging Round Britain with John Sergeant (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Friday 29th April 2016)
John Sergeant enjoys some of the best canal journeys Britain has to offer. John barges along the Rochdale Canal from the busy city centre of Manchester and over the beautiful Pennines. Along the way, he struggles to get to grips with traditional 19th century technology at a cotton mill, tries to make his own pair of clogs in one of the country’s few remaining clog factories and gets well and truly stuck when the canal springs a leak.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.