Britain’s Most Historic Towns (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Saturday 15th June 2019)
Alice Roberts visits Canterbury to explore the Plantagenet era, when the powerful house held the throne between 1154 and 1485. She discovers the secrets of the city’s cathedral, a centre of ecclesiastical power and also the site of the shocking murder of Thomas Becket. She also discovers the lasting impact of the Black Death and joins a modern-day pilgrimage in medieval garb. Aerial archaeologist Ben Robinson provides a bird’s-eye view of how the religious institutions of the era still dominate the city’s topography.
Top Gear (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 16th June 2019)
Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness take over as the latest hosting team of the motoring show. Their first episode takes them to Ethiopia, where they test cars to see how they can endure in the searing heat. Back at the track, Chris puts the Ferrari 488 Pista and McLaren 600LT through their paces.
Great Canal Journeys (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 16th June 2019)
Part two of two. Timothy West and Prunella Scales’ final journey takes them through Vietnam’s Mekong Delta and across the border into Cambodia. They visit the capital city of Phenom Penh, and conclude their travels at Angkor Wat, an ancient temple built by the clever use of canals.
Thatcher: A Very British Revolution (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 17th June 2019)
The concluding part of the documentary looks at how Margaret Thatcher’s leadership style and the issues of Europe and the poll tax split her cabinet and created public anger, leading to her downfall. Protests against the poll tax resulted in violence in central London, but more damagingly there was widespread disenchantment in Tory strongholds across the country. Fractures emerge with senior cabinet colleagues, worsened by her European policy and Geoffrey Howe’s resignation leads to a leadership challenge.
The Thames: Britain’s Great River with Tony Robinson (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 18th June 2019)
Reaching central London, the actor and presenter boards an industrial working ship on the Thames, learning it is a route not without risks as ships must squeeze under bridges at high tide and avoid running aground at low tide. At the Chelsea embankment, Tony explores the Physic Gardens where early botanical remedies were created from exotic plants brought in by river from all over the world. On the south bank, he goes mudlarking, scouring the shore at low tide for objects discarded by revellers past, before getting a bird’s-eye-view of the river from the Shard. Tony’s final stop is Tower Bridge.
The Yorkshire Steam Railway: All Aboard (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 21st June 2019)
Under pressure to bring in extra revenue now that the somewhat challenging season is nearing its end, the North York Moors Railway team decides to put on a special `curry train” night together with a massive bash for Halloween. Visitors and staff alike put in the effort to make it a night to remember, though proceedings are threatened when the lights in the carriages suddenly stop working. The Bishop of Wakefield comes to bless Eric Treacy, an engine that has been through a £500,000 overhaul taking over two years.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
