UK TV programmes to watch this week : 08/09/2018

How the Victorians Built Britain (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Saturday 8th September 2018)

Michael Buerk travels Britain to explore the innovations of the Victorian age. Michael reveals how Victorians created the sewer system, providing fresh, clean water for all. The revolution began in Liverpool, which suffered the highest mortality rates in the country. But it took the Great Stink of 1858 to convince Parliament to create a sewer system for the capital.

Bodyguard (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 9th September 2018)

The home secretary’s principal protection officer David Budd struggles to come to terms with the fallout from the devastating events of the last 24 hours. The police retake control of the investigation into the attacks from the suddenly weakened security service, and David is questioned by counterterrorism detectives DCI Deepak Sharma and DS Louise Rayburn. Pushed to breaking point, David is helped back on his feet by his estranged wife, Vicky, and is determined to play an active role in the investigation, starting with those closest to Julia in government. At first Rayburn wants to keep David out of the enquiry, until he delivers a breakthrough.

Hidden Britain by Drone (Channel 4/HD | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Sunday 9th September 2018)

One of the hottest summers on record is creating an adrenalin rush among Britain’s aerial archaeologists. As their drones take to the skies, they are uncovering significant new finds emerging from the parched landscape. All over the country, hundreds of unknown historic sites have been revealed from the air. And it’s not just the professionals that are striking gold – an army of drone-flying amateurs have made some incredible discoveries. In this Heatwave special edition of Hidden Britain by Drone, history and archaeology enthusiast Sir Tony Robinson investigates how this summer’s long dry spell created the perfect conditions for the mysterious ‘parch marks’ that led to these remarkable discoveries. He meets the archaeologists and drone pilots that have been flying all over the country to record this transient phenomenon. Once it rains, the marks disappear, but the hidden secrets have been revealed – now it’s a question of what happens next to these hidden historic gems.

Grand Tours of Scotland’s Lochs (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 7:30pm to 8:00pm | Monday 10th September 2018)

Series in which Paul Murton takes a tour of Scotland’s lochs. In this edition, he explores the Argyll coast, travelling from the sacred sands of Kilmory Bay on Loch Sween. On the Lilly Loch in Knapdale forest he gets a glimpse of beaver, before joining a group of steam enthusiasts restoring an old puffer on the Crinan Canal. Stone Age rock art leads him north to Loch Awe, where he drives a herd of Highland cows towards his final destination – the mountainous heights of Ben Cruachan.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 11th September 2018)

Documentary following the men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The Porthcawl crew have just seconds to spare when two teenagers on holiday get caught on a rocky outcrop by a large swell and a rising spring tide.

DIY SOS (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 12th September 2018)

In this two-part series, Nick Knowles and the DIY SOS team attempt their biggest and longest build yet – constructing two brand new buildings for the Grenfell community. The team attempt to build a two-storey flexible-use centre that can be used by the community however it decides. Research indicated that there wasn’t enough low-cost space that different community groups could use in the area, so with the help of generous construction companies, suppliers and volunteers, the DIY SOS team attempt to do what they can to help. The team are joined by the Duke of Cambridge, who meets local residents and talks to firefighters who were among the first responders on the night of the fire. Along the way, Nick meets different groups who could benefit from the building of a new community space.

Fifth Gear (Quest/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 13th September 2018)

The team try out a range of new tests, new races and new motors from around the world. As well as meeting motoring legends, they put top supercars through their paces!

Britain by Bike with Larry and George Lamb (CHannel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 14th September 2018)

Travelogue series with the father-and-son duo, exploring Britain’s most spectacular cycle routes from the saddle. The Lambs spot seals around Stangford Lough, enjoy Guinness and oysters, investigate their family history and play the bodhran at Northern Ireland’s oldest thatched pub, the Cross Keys.

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