Monday 14 September 2015

TV Picks: 14-20 September 2015 • Doctor Who • Downton Abbey • The Gamechangers • The Go-Between • Richard Hammond's Jungle Quest • Six Degrees of Separation

Monday 14 September 2015

Below are my picks of the most notable new shows, returning or premiering on UK screens over the next 7 days...

MONDAY 14th
Countdown to Life: The Extraordinary Making of You (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary investigating how the human body is made, from conception to birth. Presented by Michael Mosley. (1/3)
All Change at Longleat (BBC1, 9pm) New series going behind-the-scenes of the Wiltshire stately home as its flamboyant owner, the Marquess of Bath, prepares to retire. (1/3)
Girls Can Code (BBC3, 9pm) New series looking for young girls with a talent for learning computer coding; an industry dominated by men, despite the fact half of gamers are women. Hosted by Alice Levine. (1/2)
Six Degrees of Separation (BBC2, 10pm) New game show where two teams have to find the scientific connection between six unlikely objects. Hosted by Professor Brian Cox with team captains Ben Miller & Hugh Dennis. Guests are Dr Hannah Fry, Professor Steve Jones, Professor Alice Roberts & Jim Ali-Khalili.

TUESDAY 15th
Parkings Wars (ITV, 8pm) New series following a team of traffic enforcement officers. (1/3)
Britain's Biggest Adventures with Bear Grylls (ITV, 9pm) New series where the survivalist goes on a journey around the British Isle seeking adventures and memorable experiences. (1/3)
The Gamechangers (BBC2, 9pm) Single drama about a controversial period when the British creator of Grand Theft Auto faced opposition from parents concerned about its impact on children. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Bill Paxton, Joe Dempsie, Lex King, Nick Boraine & D. David Morin.
The Changing Room (Channel 4, 10pm) New series where cameras have been installed inside top high street store fitting rooms, and fashion designer Henry Holland helps shoppers with their sartorial problems. (1/3)


WEDNESDAY 16th
The Sound of ITV: The Nation's Favourite Theme Tunes (ITV, 8pm) Countdown of the UK's best-loved ITV theme tunes, marking the channel's 60th anniversary. Narrated by Victoria Wood.
Richard Hammond's Jungle Quest (Sky1, 9pm) New series where the presenter head to the Amazon River to fulfil a childhood dream and photograph the wildlife there. (1/2)
Later Live - with Jools Holland (BBC2, 10pm) Series 47 of the live music show. Guests include Foals, Mr Morning Jacket, Sam Smith, Rickie Lee Jones & Squeeze.
Frontline Fighting: The Brits Battling ISIS (Channel 4, 10pm) Documentary about three British men who volunteered to fight Islamic State militants in Syria alongside Kurdish peshmergas.

THURSDAY 17th
George Clarke's Amazing Spaces (Channel 4, 8pm) Series 5 of the show that finds some of the country's strangest, most imaginative small builds. (1/9)

FRIDAY 18th
Sarah Millican Hijacks Deal or No Deal (Channel 4, 8pm) Special edition of the game show, to celebrate its 10th anniversary, with comedian Sarah Millican hosting an episode where presenter Noel Edmonds plays the game for charity.

SATURDAY 19th
Doctor Who (BBC1, 7.40pm) Series 9 of the sci-fi action-adventure drama. Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Michelle Gomez, Jemma Redgrave & Jami Reid-Quarrell. (1/12)


SUNDAY 20th
Downton Abbey (ITV, 9pm) Sixth and final series of the period drama. Starring Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Joanne Froggatt & Robert James-Collier. (1/9)
The Go-Between (BBC1, 9pm) Drama adaptation of LP Hartley's novel about an impressionable boy invited to stay at his upperclass friend's home in 1900. Starring Jim Broadbent, Jack Hollington, Samuel Joslin, Tim McMullan & Joanna Vanderham.


For a look at what the rest of the year's going to bring,