Tag: Michael Palin: Into Iraq

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 01/10/2022

Inside Central Station (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 3rd October 2022)

A staff absence means the pressure is on for Jackie as she tackles her biggest-ever tour, while a gaming competition on the concourse causes staff to get competitive. In the tunnels beneath Central, the engineers tackle complex steel repairs and the closed lines allows Paul to explore the history of some of Glasgow’s forgotten stations. Outside the station, the team at Polmadie depot works against the clock to get the Caledonian Sleeper back on for its nightly service.

Michael Palin: Into Iraq (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 4th October 2022)

As he begins the final part of his journey into Iraq, Michael finds a local school in Baghdad and talks to the children about their lives and future hopes. He also heads to Kerbala and the shrine of Imam Husayn, one of the most sacred religious sites in Iraq, visited by millions of Shia pilgrims each year. A truly humbling and extraordinary sight that is very rarely seen, it makes Michael weigh up this country’s recent troubled past and its incredible history.

The Repair Shop (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 5th October 2022)

Jay Blades and the team lovingly resuscitate four treasured family heirlooms and the memories they hold. First into the barn are siblings Marc Maderson and Melanie Henry with a 50-year-old childhood toy. They’re hoping bookbinder Chris Shaw will be able to make their tattered and torn paper kite flight-worthy once again. The kite was made by Marc’s stepfather and Melanie’s father Roddy, who died six years ago. It’s a reminder of fun days out, seeing the once-vibrant and colourful kite soaring in the sky. However, having been grounded for the past 20 years, Chris has his work cut out on this delicate paper repair.

Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 5th October 2022)

Kevin McCloud meets retired racehorse breeder John and his wife Helen in Dunstable. The couple met at Newbury races in 2005 and wed two years later, living together in a 17th-century farmhouse until illness struck in 2018. Helen had a catastrophic stroke, severely affecting her mobility and leaving her with aphasia, which affects her ability to communicate. Constrained by the steep stairs, narrow doorways and changes in level of their current home, John resolved to make a big change in their lives with the purchase of a nearby two-acre plot. Following the demolition of an old, dilapidated house on site, a new high-tech accessible pavilion, complete with wildlife garden, will be built in its place for £1.3million.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 6th October 2022)

In Eastbourne, a routine day at the station changes in an instant when a boat catches fire just outside the harbour. In Trevone, north Cornwall, 18-year-old lifeguard Alfie races to the rescue of a surfer caught in a notorious rip current. On the Northumberland coast, the Blyth crew face a frantic search for a dog that’s been swept out by the tide.

All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 6th October 2022) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

James is finally succeeding with the farmers’ uptake of the Ministry of Agriculture’s TB testing scheme, but is struggling with the complicated paperwork – a fact that he is keen to keep from Siegfried. Tristan decides that he is outgrowing running the small animal surgery and buys a car to help with errands at the practice, which also provides him with transport for taking Florence, the daughter of Siegfried’s rival, George Pandhi, out on a date.

Martin Compston’s Scottish Fling (BBC 2/HD | 9:30pm to 10:00pm | Friday 7th October 2022)

Martin and Phil MacHugh travel through the Central Belt to explore why performance is such a big part of Scottish culture. They visit Scotland’s National Sporting Performance Centre just outside Edinburgh to meet the men’s football team, whose performances pretty much define the mood of the nation, and chat to actor and comedian Greg McHugh about Gary: Tank Commander and the Edinburgh Festival.

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

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 24/09/2022

Inside Central Station (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 26th September 2022)

It’s Easter Weekend and an influx of rival football fans at Glasgow Central puts extra pressure on the staff and transport police, as they segregate the fans heading to Hampden. There is a new team member on the concourse as police dog recruit, Marvin, is put through his paces during training. Outside Central, the Network Rail ecologists work to help a peregrine falcon nesting on one of their bridges. And the engineering team get to work on the Argyll line track repairs.

Michael Palin: Into Iraq (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 27th September 2022)

Michael continues his journey into the heart of Iraq, arriving in Kirkuk and the exact spot where the British discovered oil in 1927, when the country was under British rule. The next day, he heads towards Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s home town and, having been stopped at several military checkpoints along the way, and met with severe military authority, is surprised when he receives a warm welcome from the local commander.

The Repair Shop (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 28th September 2022)

A brother and sister who hail from a family of variety performers hope that bike expert Tim Gunn can get their mother’s unicycle back in gear for future generations, while bookbinder Chris Shaw restores a large bible that he believes could date back to the 1880s. Will Kirk sets to work on a wooden table damaged after an unfortunate accident with a fish tank and goldsmith Richard Talman faces a tough challenge with a ring that is badly scorched after spending weeks lost in a fireplace.

Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 28th September 2022)

Kevin meets Mike and Sarah, who bought a remote smallholding in the Derbyshire Dales, somewhere to rear animals and provide a home for themselves and their elderly parents. Kevin follows the couple as they set out to build a 21st-century version of a historic Derbyshire longhouse. Enormous, corrugated and with a highly complex roof shape, it was never going to be an easy build. But soon they face delays and their schedule begins to slide. However, that is nothing compared with the problems of a more personal nature that hit the project.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 29th September 2022)

In Eastbourne, new recruit Chris is put through his paces when two casualties are cut off by the tide near Beachy Head. On the coast of south Wales, Penarth crew member Tom is called up for his first shout when a female paddleboarder is caught out by the tide.

All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 29th September 2022) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

Siegfried receives some difficult news and becomes even more irascible than usual. The perfect distraction comes along in the form of Major Sebright Saunders, who asks Siegfried to look at a difficult young racehorse called River. Drama, starring Nicholas Ralph and Samuel West.

Martin Compston’s Scottish Fling (BBC 2/HD | 9:30pm 10:00pm | Friday 30th September 2022)

Actor Martin Compston and his friend Phil MacHugh set off on a sporty exploration of the North of Scotland by taking part in their own Highland Games. They begin their journey at Britain’s most northerly racetrack, the Little Ferry Circuit in Golspie, home to the North of Scotland Kart Club. Here, they meet ex racer Abi Munro and discover how the track plays a major part in the local community’s lives.

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