Speed with Guy Martin (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 9th October 2016)
The inside story of Guy Martin’s fastest and most dangerous speed challenge to date: his recent attempt to become the fastest man on two wheels and break the motorcycle land speed record. The existing record is 376mph; to beat it Guy has to master a special one-off machine. The 1000-horsepower Triumph Rocket Streamliner, likened to a fighter jet without wings, uses two engines, has parachutes for brakes and is steered in a lying down position with two joysticks. The programme follows Guy through every step of the project, from his job interview in Portland, Oregon, to the ‘fastest place on Earth’: the iconic Bonneville Salt Flats in Nevada, where this daredevil has to learn how to ride all over again, using training wheel stabilisers.
Grand Tours of the Scottish Islands (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only)
Paul Murton visits the islands lying off the Scottish coast. In this final episode, Paul’s difficult journey sees him travel to the once-inhabited island of Heisgeir, sail around the gannet city of Sula Sgeir and endure rough seas to finally make landfall on the extraordinarily remote island of North Rona.
Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 12th October 2016)
In the final episode of the series, Penelope travels coast to coast across the stunning Welsh peninsula of Pembrokeshire. Although remote, this area is nonetheless a magnet for fascinating villages, clinging to cliffs and estuaries, or nestled beside beaches, farms and castles. Penelope visits Manorbier, with its tea shops and connections to both Virginia Woolf and Narnia. Then it’s the waterside villages of the Cleddau Estuary, from Llangwm to Lawrenny. In the wild Preselli Hills to the north, Penelope encounters the Welsh-speaking villages of Cwm Gwaun and Mynachlogddu. There is also St Dogmaels, home of one of Britain’s best food markets, and Abereiddy, one of the venues for the cliff diving World Series.
Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 12th October 2016)
After artist and teacher Michelle Parsons recovered from serious illness, she and her architect husband David decided it was time to seize the day and build the private hideaway they’d always yearned for. David devised a sleek, black-clad, three bedroom house for a beautiful plot in an Essex woodland, with a separate studio for Michelle. The couple project manage the build, which gets off to a sticky start, including a dangerous gas leak and torrential rain. As the building finally starts to take shape, the big question remains: by choosing to eliminate windows on two sides of the property, could their new home turn out to be a gloomy bunker?
The Cars That Made Britain Great (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 14th October 2016)
Rufus Hound continues his guide through Britain’s ‘proud’ motoring history, with some celebrity-selected models that have rightly been consigned to history including the Robin Reliant and the Austin Allegro.
Britain’s Greatest Bridges (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 14th October 2016)
Documentary series. Engineer Rob Bell sets out on a journey to discover how six of Britain’s most iconic bridges were designed, and reveals the sweat, sacrifice and scandals that went into their construction. The last of the truly great Victorian Engineering triumphs, the Forth Rail Bridge has grown to symbolise Scotland as much as Edinburgh Castle, bagpipes or kilts. But, as Rob discovers, this incredible engineering achievement was born from tragedy and paid for in blood.
The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:05pm | Friday 14th October 2016)
Fresh from their hugely successful run at The Paralympics in Rio, the award-winning show returns live to Friday with its unique brand of irreverent satire for its ninth series. Hosts Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe examine the biggest and most entertaining news stories via the #isitok twitter handle, where viewers tweet in edgy current affairs questions that other shows might duck. Guest John Bishop joins the trio in the studio to help dissect the week’s events.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.