UK TV programmes to watch this week : 30/07/2016

Cycling – RideLondon Classique (BBC 2/HD | 6:00pm to 7:00pm | Saturday 30th July 2016)

Jill Douglas introduces live coverage of the RideLondon Classique, a newly credited UCI women’s WorldTour race. The event boasts the strongest ever field assembled for a one-day race in Great Britain as the world’s top 20 teams battle it out through the streets of central London. The new 5.5km circuit takes in many of the capital’s most iconic landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Strand and Trafalgar Square before it concludes on the Mall. In a watershed moment for women’s cycling, the prize money on offer is the highest ever for a women’s one-day race, matching that of Sunday’s men’s race. Simon Brotherton provides commentary with expert analysis from Chris Boardman and Rochelle Gilmore.

Cycling – Ridelondon-Surrey Classic (BBC 1/HD | 3:30pm to 6:35pm | Sunday 31st July 2016)

Jill Douglas presents live coverage of the RideLondon-Surrey Classic, the world’s richest one-day men’s race. Seven UCI WorldTour teams race over the closed roads of London and Surrey, with 2015 champion Jean-Pierre Drucker returning with his BMC Racing team. A strong field has been assembled, including German sprint star Andre Greipel, former world champion Tom Boonen and Britain’s rising sprinting star Dan McLay, which should ensure the eventual run into the line is once again fast and furious. Live rider data and onboard cameras add to the coverage as the peloton heads out from Horse Guards Parade into the stunning Surrey countryside, before heading back to the iconic finish at The Mall. Simon Brotherton provides commentary, with expert analysis from Chris Boardman and David Millar.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 3rd August 2016)

Documentary following the men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). In the summer months, millions of Britains flock to the UK’s 11,000 miles of coastline, making it the busiest time of year by far for the RNLI. The army of unpaid volunteers has to contend with everything from overly ambitious novice sailors caught in a storm, to a little girl who has become trapped in the rocks below the high-water mark. The dangers of the water are further put into perspective when a father gets himself into serious difficulties after swimming out to try and rescue his young son, whilst a YouTube prankster deliberately flings himself from Tower Bridge for ‘a dare’.

Full Steam Ahead (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 4th August 2016)

Series exploring how the expansion of railways in the Victorian era transformed Britain. Historians Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn find out how the railways transformed the British diet, rescuing a nation that was struggling to feed itself. Alex and Peter load a flock of sheep onto a train, discovering how the mass transportation of livestock by rail transformed the quality and quantity of meat available to Victorian consumers. Ruth follows in the footsteps of Britain’s herring girls, revealing how the North Yorkshire Moors Railway revived the fortunes of Whitby, turning it into a thriving fishing town. Alex looks at how pioneering farmers attempted to use steam power to increase production. Peter discovers how steam-powered engines revolutionised production at Britain’s oldest brewery. In Yorkshire, Ruth sees how farmers created a monopoly on rhubarb. Meanwhile, Alex boards a locomotive on the watercress line in Hampshire.

Amazing Spaces: Shed of the Year (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 5th August 2016)

George Clarke’s mission to find Britain’s shed of the year continues. George and his fellow judges look at the Eco and Unexpected categories. Eco includes a mud hut in Norfolk and a shed on wheels. Featuring in the new Unexpected category is a shed located in a flood plain designed to rise up with the water. There is also an allegedly haunted shed.

Olympics 2016: Opening Ceremony (BBC 1/HD | 11:40pm to 4:00am | Friday 5th August 2016)

Clare Balding introduces live coverage of the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as the games head to South America for the first time. The ceremony is a chance for participants from all 207 competing nations to parade with their flag in the iconic Maracana Stadium.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.