Wednesday's TV tips
When it comes to the great outdoors, Chris Packham is your go-to man – that’s a no-brainer. What he doesn’t know about the world’s nature, probably isn’t worth knowing. So given that we’re racing through this series, we’d better listen up.
Chris may have been involved with in all kinds of interesting wildlife projects before now, but this time around he’s been keen to reveal the natural world in a way that’s never been seen before.
Last week, Chris explored the capabilities of bears and explained all about how they can endure extreme conditions, but this week, he’s examining new scientific research that shows how subtle adaptations in the anatomy and physiology of big cats contribute to the success of all stages of the hunt.
He takes a look at how leg hairs help leopards stalk their prey, and how an enlarged area of lionesses’ brains benefit them.
Just what is it that makes Bake Off one of the most highly anticipated, most-watched programmes of the year?
It could be that virtually non-stop stream of gentle innuendo, Mel and Sue’s hilarious running commentary, or the fact that every few episodes there’s always one contestant who thinks they know better than Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood (who could forget Iain scoring his Swiss roll and the look on Mary’s face?).
Whatever the appeal of GBBO, we’ll be tuning in in our hoards again tonight, as Paul and Mary assess the remaining contestants’ dessert-making skills.
Their first challenge is to create a sponge containing a gooey sauce filling, or a saucy surprise at the bottom. But if the amateur bakers think they’ve got off lightly there, they shouldn’t get too cocky, as they’re then challenged to make a tiramisu cake in the technical round, and prepare a baked Alaska for the showstopper.
Fly-on-the-wall documentaries following staff in top hotels around the world always do well because, quite simply put, we’re a nosey bunch.
And so we dare say that this new series, which pokes around at the five-star Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, is going to go down a treat.
The hotel is one of India’s oldest and most famous and is where the world’s super-rich go to be treated like the maharajahs of the country’s past.
Cameras were allowed behind the scenes for six months for this new four-part series, and we follow the 1,500-strong staff as they tend to the demands of the guests.
In tonight’s opening episode, general manager Gaurav and executive housekeeper Indrani make countless checks ahead of VIP visits to the Tata suite.
Meanwhile, oil trader Captain Bhasin hosts a cocktail party in his rooms.
Ah, how the other half live...
While we’ve always been a nation of animal lovers, it seems our love for all things cute and furry is out of control.
These days, animals on the internet are big business – in fact, many pets are attracting more fans than Hollywood celebrities.
Needless to say, the bigwigs in the advertising industry aren’t daft. They’ve cottoned on to the trend and are desperate to snatch up the most famous animals for their campaigns.
This documentary tells the story of the professional animal agents and pet owners whose job it is to supply a new wave of animal stars to appear in some of the world’s favourite adverts.
Camera’s follow singing kitten Bronte, one of our most famous cats thanks to Three’s ad campaign, and we hear from Bronte’s owner Caroline.
We also meet veterinary surgeon Richard Best who’s responsible for casting the Labrador puppies for Andrex adverts, and professional animal agent Chris as he tries to find a lion for a bank’s TV commercial.
An intense and beautifully shot documentary exploring the legacy of violence handed down through generations of gypsy fathers to their sons, told through the poignant stories of two Irish traveller and Romany gypsy families.
Award winning photographer Leo Maguire spent three years gaining the trust of the notoriously closed communities, immersing himself in a world where male honour codes remain deeply ingrained.
Fathers and sons, raised to prove themselves in bare-knuckle fights, explain their lives in their own words, with the brutal realities portrayed through stunning footage and incredible still photographs.
Marvel’s quartet are less than thrilled at finding out they’re not the only individuals on Earth with superskills.
The Silver Surfer is the henchman for Galactus, the kind of villain who eats planets for breakfast – literally.
If Reed Richards and company are to stop him chomping down on their own happy home, they must catch his sidekick. But that proves easier said than done. And, just to make things even trickier, Dr Doom turns up again.
The first film in the franchise was nothing more than a colourful romp designed to grab kids by the eyeballs, but the second is a tad more grown-up and should be a hit with fans young and old alike.
Arguably the reason for this is the Silver Surfer himself, who’s far more interesting than any of the Fantastic Four.
Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, Laurence Fishburne, Julian McMahon
The origins of the friendship between psychic Charles Xavier and metal-bending concentration camp survivor Erik Lensherr are examined in this stylish period fantasy adventure.
When a gifted villain unleashes his power, the world is under threat thanks to the resulting Cuban missile crisis.
Despite some ropey effects, there are top turns by James McAvoy as the young Xavier, and Michael Fassbender chewing the scenery as the man who would become Magneto.
Jennifer Lawrence is also unmissable as shape-shifter Mystique.
Perhaps best of all is the lashings of style, with director Matthew (Kick-Ass) Vaughn making nods to 007 classics of the early Sixties era, and cult TV show The Avengers.
James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult
A big city doctor on his way to a lucrative plastic surgery job in LA suffers a car accident in a small American town.
He’s forced by the local judge to stay and perform medical duties until the grumpy local MD recovers from an illness. While there, he falls in love with the laid back way of life – and a local girl.
With the exception of a smattering of bad language and one nude scene, the whole thing feels like a Jimmy Stewart comedy from the golden age of cinema.
Funny, charming and beautifully shot, it’s a love letter to a disappearing way of life and owes a debt of gratitude to any amount of classic movies from the good old days.
Michael J Fox is perfectly cast in the lead role but it’s Julie Warner as his love interest who catches the eye. Viewers will be left wondering why she never went on to bigger things.
Michael J Fox, Julie Warner, Woody Harrelson, Bridget Fonda
