Britain’s Most Historic Towns (Channel 4/HD | 8:30pm to 9:30pm | Saturday 12th December 2020)

Alice Roberts explores Edinburgh and its role in the union between England and Scotland. She discovers how the famous case of Burke and Hare’s bodysnatching influenced British medical law, and visits the Royal Bank of Scotland, where she uncovers evidence of the world’s first overdraft. Plus, the role played by Henry Dundas, whose statue stands in St Andrew’s Square, in the continuation of the slave trade.

The Vicar of Dibley (BBC 1/HD | 8:55pm to 9:05pm | Monday 14th December 2020)

As lockdown drags on, Geraldine finds that getting a much-needed haircut from a friend may not always result in complete gorgeousness, especially if the scissors are held by someone rather more used to working with animals. Then, given an opportunity to share some time with some of the children from the local primary school, she finds that their knowledge of the miracles of Christ is somewhat muddled with that of Dynamo and Penn and Teller. Dawn French stars, with James Fleet.

Paddington Station 24/7 (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 14th December 2020)

A high-speed train comes to an abrupt halt in the station as there are fears it has collided with something on the track. In Swindon’s route control, staff are dealing with the knock-on effect of an incident on a level-crossing, while a major points failure jeopardises the afternoon peak-time services.

The King’s Speech (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:50pm | Wednesday 16th December 2020)

The younger son of George V struggles to cope with an uncontrollable stammer, prompting his wife to enlist the aid of an eccentric Australian speech therapist. The support and friendship of the doctor prove invaluable when a crisis places the repressed prince on the throne, just as the outbreak of the Second World War leaves the country in need of a strong king. Oscar-winning fact-based drama, starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter and Guy Pearce.

Walking Britain’s Lost Railways (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 18th December 2020)

Rob Bell follows traces the course of the Great Central Railway, the final great line of the Victorian era and the last main line built before the Channel Tunnel rail link more than a century later. Starting near Nottingham, Rob is taken aback by the scale of demolition and excavation needed to build this line through the city. Around Loughborough, Rob catches up with the major project that is now rebuilding bridges and 500 yards of track in order to link two heritage lines and restore a 20-mile section of the old route. He also visits Leicester Central station – once derelict but now set for a new life as a bowling alley.

The Sound of TV with Neil Brand (BBC Four/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 18th December 2020)

Neil reveals how television scores have grown in importance, from their origins in the 1960s and 1970s to reach a peak in the big-budget world of Netflix and HBO. He demonstrates how music has driven the success of BBC natural history programmes, talking to George Fenton, the film composer behind such landmarks as Blue Planet. Fenton was also pivotal in the development of music in TV drama, with his score for Jewel in the Crown. Plus, maverick creators of the TV score, including Roxy Music’s Andy MacKay, who wrote the songs that powered radical ’70s drama Rock Follies and David Chase, music buff and creator of The Sopranos.

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