Monday 9 July 2012

TV Picks: 9-15 July 2012 (Adam Buxton's Bug, Alan Partridge's Mid-Morning Matters, Angelos Epithemiou Show, The Newsroom, Twenty Twelve, Volcano Live, etc.)

Monday 9 July 2012

For any new readers, this is a regular Monday feature where I choose the best TV shows that are having a premiere in the UK this week...

MONDAY 9th
The Farm Fixer (BBC2, 6.30pm) Series where The Apprentice's Nick Hewer helps Nothern Ireland farmers develop their businesses. (1/4)
Faster, Higher, Stronger: Stories Of The Olympic Games (BBC2, 7pm) The history of the Olympic Games, focusing on the various events and the athletes who push the limits of human capabilities. (1/4)
Volcano Live (BBC2, 8pm) Live series from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaitt. Presented by Kate Humble & Iain Stewart. Continues every night until Thursday. (1/4)
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? The People Play (ITV1, 9pm) Return of the gameshow phenomenon, returning to the original format of ordinary people vying to win a million, but broadcast live. Continues every night until Wednesday. (1/3)
Double Cross: The True Story Of The D-Day Spies (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary adaptation of Ben Macintyre's book, telling the true story of WWII double agents.
Riots: The Aftershock (BBC3, 9pm) Documentary on summer 2011's UK riots. Presented by Gemma Cairney.
Alan Partridge's Mid-Morning Matters (Sky Atlantic, 9pm) Compilation of Steve Coogan's hit webseries. (1/6)
Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model (Sky Living, 9pm) Return of the modelling reality show.
PICK OF THE DAY Adam Buxton's Bug (Sky Atlantic, 9.30pm) Brand new comedy were Adam Buxton explores hilarious user comments and creations on the internet. (1/8)
How To Live Beyond 100 (BBC1, 10.35pm) Documentary on the 12,000 centenarians living in the UK.
I Took My Baby's Life (ITV1, 10.35pm) Documentary on Melanie Ruddell, who killed her two-year-old son after suffering a psychotic breakdown.

TUESDAY 10th
Beauty & The Beast: The Ugly Face Of Prejudice (Channel 4, 8pm) Series where British people with specific conceptions of beauty, meet people with disfigurements. (1/4)
Half Built House (Channel 5, 8pm) Series aiming to help people who started renovating their homes, but never completed the project. (1/4)
New Girl (E4, 9pm) Season 1 of the US sitcom about a quirky single girl flat-sharing with three men continues. (12 & 13/24)
Heart vs Mind: What Makes Us Human? (BBC4, 9pm) Documentary that explores the history of the heart as an emotional symbol and physical organ.
PICK OF THE DAY The Newsroom (Sky Atlantic, 10pm) Season 1 of the US drama about a cable news team who decide to approach topical events with a more crusading attitude. Written by Aaron Sorkin. Starring Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, Dev Patel, Alison Pill, Olivia Munn, Sam Waterston, John Gallagher Jr, Thomas Sadoski & John F Carpenter. (1/10) [pilot review]
Twenty Twelve (BBC2, 10pm) Series 3 of the mockumentary about the Olympic planning committee. Starring Hugh Bonneville & Jessica Hynes. (1/3)



WEDNESDAY 11th
Super Tiny Animals (ITV1, 8pm) Two-part documentary on the appeal of mini-mammals. Narrated by Jane Horrocks. (1/2)
Building The London Underground (Channel 5, 8pm) Documentary on the world's first subway system, which is today the world's second biggest network.
PICK OF THE DAY The Town That Never Retired (BBC1, 9pm) Series where pensioners are put back to work, to see if they can cope with the challenges of the modern world, and if their old-school values have something to teach contemporary businesses. Presented by The Apprentice's Nick Hewer & Margaret Mountford. Concludes tomorrow. (1/2)
A Horizon Guide To The Senses (BBC4, 9pm) Kevin Fong looks back at Horizon's 40-year archive, to see what science has learned about the human senses.
Show Me Your Money (Channel 4, 10pm) Documentary where the employees of a plumbing business learn the details of each other's salaries, to see if the various discrepancies affect worker's performance.

THURSDAY 12th
PICK OF THE DAY Case Sensitive (ITV1, 9pm) Crime drama. Starring Olivia Williams & Darren Boyd. Concludes tomorrow. (1/2)
Bank Of Dave (Channel 4, 9pm) Documentary about a businessman called David Fishwick and his attempt to create and open a profitable bank in Burnley, Lancashire. (1/2)
Guts: The Strange & Mysterious World Of The Human Stomach (BBC4, 9pm) Science special where Michael Mosley takes viewers on a journey through his own digestive system, by swallowing a tiny camera.
Rupture: Living With A Broken Britain (BBC4, 10pm) Documentary about former Bond girl Maryam d'Abo and her fight to overcome a cerebral hemorrhage.
June Brown: Respect Your Elders (BBC1, 10.35pm) Documentary aiming to encourage more help for the country's ageing population. Presented by EastEnders' June Brown.

FRIDAY 13th
BBC Proms 2012 (BBC2, 8.30pm) The start of the 118th season of world-class music from the Royal Albert Hall over two-months—with 76 concerts live on BBC Radio 3.
Download Festival 2012 (Sky Arts, 9pm) Coverage of the rock festival in Donnington Park. Featuring Metallica, Soundgarden, Machine Head, Biffy Clyro, Megadeth, Slash & Anthrax. (1/2)
PICK OF THE DAY The Angelos Epithemiou Show (Channel 4, 10.35pm) Chat and entertainment with the burger van owner made famous on BBC2's Shooting Stars. Starring Dan Renton Skinner & Gaby Logan. Guests are Dr Christian Jessen & Conor Maynard. (1/6)

SATURDAY 14th
PICK OF THE DAY The Cube (ITV1, 7pm) Special edition of the gameshow, where 5000m world champion Mo Farah takes on the challenge. Hosted by Phillip Schofield.

SUNDAY 15th
PICK OF THE DAY Engineering Giants (BBC2, 9pm) Brand new science series looking at the inner workings of enormous machines, beginning with a look at a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. (1/3)