Monday 17 August 2015

TV Picks: 17-23 August 2015 • The Americans • Nightingale • The Scandalous Lady W • Show Me a Hero • Top Coppers

Monday 17 August 2015

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

MONDAY 17th
The Great Barrier Reef (BBC2, 3.45pm) Documentary focusing on Australia's famous underwater ecosystem. (1/3)
Rebound (ITV, 5pm) New quiz concerning quick-fire questions. Hosted by Sean Fletcher. (1/10)
Dog's Best Friend (Eden, 7pm) New wildlife series about animals and their unexpected companionships with other members of the animal kingdom. (1/13)
The Scandalous Lady W (BBC2, 9pm) Fact-based drama about an 18th-century woman who left her husband for his best-friend, Captain George Bisset, which saw her become the centre of a public trial. Starring Natalie Dormer, Shaun Evans, Aneurin Barnard, Robert Morgan, Alex Beckett & Kirsty Hoiles.
Andrew Marr on Churchill: Blood, Sweat & Oil Paint (BBC4, 9pm) Documentary focusing on the iconic Prime Minister's love of painting, and how his hobby shapes his life and career.
Show Me a Hero (Sky Atlantic, 9pm) New drama set in 1980s New York, about an ex-cop and city council member who becomes the focus of a racial controversy when the federal court rules that low-income homes must be built in white middle-class suburbs. Starring Oscar Isaac, Alfred Molina, Winona Ryder, Jon Bernthal, Catherine Keener, Carla Quevedo & Jim Belushi. Written by David Simon. Directed by Paul Haggis. (1/6)
Revenge Porn (Channel 4, 10pm) Documentary about the repercussions of a spurned lover seeking revenge by posting intimate photos and videos with the world. Presented by Anna Richardson.


TUESDAY 18th
School Swap: The Class Divide (ITV, 9pm) Fly-on-the-wall documentary about a private and public school, whose heads and six pupils swap establishments for awhile. (1/2)
Terror on Everest: Surviving the Nepal Earthquake (Channel 4, 9pm) Documentary about the earthquake that hit Nepal on 24 April 2015, killing more than 8000 people.

WEDNESDAY 19th
Britain's Spending Secrets (BBC1, 9pm) Documentary examining how British people spend their money. Presented by Anne Robinson. (1/2)
Top Coppers (BBC3, 10pm) Spoof police drama following two detectives in Justice City. Starring Steen Raskiopoulos, John Kearns, Donovan Blackwood, Rio Myers & Gabby Best. (1/6)
The Americans (ITV Encore, 10pm) Season 3 of the U.S drama about two Russian sleeper agents living in America with a family. Starring Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell, Lev Gorn, Susan Misner & Costa Ronin. (1/13)


THURSDAY 20th
Trapped in a Cult (Channel 5, 9pm) Documentary looking at the stories of British people who have been part of various cults.
Nightingale (Sky Atlantic, 9pm) Psychological drama about a war veteran whose mental illness compels him to kill his mother. Starring David Oyelowo, Heather Storm & Barlow Jacobs.


FRIDAY 21st
Nothing. Are there any nature trails in your area?

SATURDAY 22nd
Still nothing. Did you walk that nature trail yesterday?

SUNDAY 23rd
Big Blue (BBC1, 7pm) Live series investigating the undersea world of California's Monterey Bay. Hosted by Matt Baker, Liz Bonnin & Steve Backshall. (1/3)
Animal Mums (ITV, 8pm) New wildlife series looking at how animal mothers raise their offspring. Presented by Adam Henson. (1/3)


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