Monday 12 August 2013

TV Picks: 12-18 August 2013 (Boom Town, Breaking Bad, Crazy About One Direction, Low Winter Sun, Ramsay's Hotel Hell, etc.)

Monday 12 August 2013

Below are my picks of the most notable shows returning/premiering to UK screens this week...

MONDAY 12th
Storage Hoarders (ITV, 2pm) Series 2 of the show where Aggie MacKenzie tries to get hoarders to sell their belongings. (1/30)
Fightback Britain (BBC1, 8.30pm) New series showing how the public are helping the police fight crime. Presented by Julia Bradbury & Adrian Simpson. (1/4)
Benefits Britain 1949 (Channel 4, 9pm) New series where benefits claimant volunteer to spend a week living by the rules and values of 1949. (1/3)
Stacey Dooley Investigates (BBC3, 9pm) New series where the presenter investigates various issues, beginning with a look at the global drugs trade. (1/3)
Dreaming the Impossible: Inbuilt Britain (BBC4, 9pm) New series where architectural investigator Dr Olivia Horsfall Turner reveals the stories behind some of the country's grandest buildings. (1/3)
Ramsay's Hotel Hell (Channel 4, 10pm) New series where the chef travels around the US helping struggling hotels, motels and B&B's. (1/6)
My Cyberstalking Hell: Liz McClarnon (Channel 5, 10pm) Documentary looking at the downside of fame, as singer/presenter Liz McClarnon talks about her own experiences of cyberbullying.
PICK OF THE DAY Breaking Bad (Netflix UK) Season 5 of the US drama continues, with episodes made available one day after its AMC premiere. (Also available on Blinkbox every Tuesday.)


TUESDAY 13th
This World: India's Supersize Kids (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary where Anita Rani travels to Mumbai to investigate the obesity epidemic.
PICK OF THE DAY You're Killing My Son: The Mum on the Run (Channel 4, 9pm) Documentary about parents who had a difference of opinion about how best to treat their seven-year-old son's brain tumour.
Football, Madness & Me (BBC3, 9pm) Documentary following three young men playing in a football league for people with mental health issues.
On the Run (ITV, 9pm) Documentary about the 90,000 people who skip trial and are expected to be recaptured by the police despite limited resources. Presented by Natasha Kaplinsky & Mark Williams-Thomas.

WEDNESDAY 14th
Britain's Lost Treasures Returned (BBC4, 9pm) Documentary on Robert Walpole's art collection, which was sold to Russia in the 1770s. Presented by Dan Cruickshank.
PICK OF THE DAY Boom Town (BBC3, 10pm) New reality show about eccentric people, including a white witch, home-made superheroes, a temptress and a fashion designer. (1/6)
Boston's Finest (Watch, 10pm) Documentary following Boston cops. (1/8)
I'm Spazticus (Channel 4, 10.50pm) Series 2 of the hidden-camera show from a team of disabled performers. (1/5)

THURSDAY 15th
Paul O' Grady's Working Britain (BBC1, 9pm) Two-part documentary looking at the history of Britain's working class. Presented by Paul O'Grady (1/2)
PICK OF THE DAY My Dwarf Family (ITV, 9pm) Documentary following three families who live with dwarfism.
Crazy About One Direction (Channel 4, 10pm) Documentary about some of the craziest fans of British boyband One Direction.

FRIDAY 16th
Big School (BBC1, 9pm) New sitcom about a group of secondary school teachers. Starring David Walliams, Catherine Tate, Philip Glenister, Frances de la Tour, Steve Speirs & Daniel Rigby. Written by David Walliams & the Dawson Bros. (1/6)
The Burrowers (BBC2, 9pm) Wildlife series looking at underground animals. Presented by Chris Packham. (1/3)
PICK OF THE DAY Low Winter Sun (Fox, 10pm) US remake of the 2006 UK crime drama about two Detroit detectives who murder a corrupt colleage and try to get away with it when Internal Affairs get involved. Starring Mark Strong, Lennie James, James Ransone & David Costabile. (1/10)


SATURDAY 17th
PICK OF THE DAY Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies (Channel 4, 11.10pm) Standup comedy recorded live in 2011.

SUNDAY 18th
PICK OF THE DAY Antiques Roadshow (BBC1, 8pm) Series 36 of the antiques valuation show. Presented by Fiona Bruce. (1/26)