TV Weekly: From a German Shepherd detective to succulent Georgian dumplings

Telly picks for the coming week…

Back for a seventh series, Hudson & Rex’s Detective Charlie Hudson (John Reardon) and his extraordinary German Shepherd partner Rex resolve complex cases each week with the help of Dr. Sarah Truong (Mayko Nguyen), techie turned detective, Jesse Mills (Justin Kelly), and Superintendent Joe Donovan (Kevin Hanchard) in the seaside metropolis of St. John’s, Newfoundland.

In the new series, Detective Charlie Hudson and his remarkable German Shepherd partner, Rex, realize the true strength of their unbreakable bond when Charlie is called away from active duty to help save his brother.

Without skipping a beat, Rex and the members of the Major Crimes division step up to carry on the duo’s detective legacy.

With their community depending on them, it’s critical that the Major Crimes division is more in sync than ever before. United by Rex, Superintendent Joe Donovan, Dr. Sarah Truong, and tech
specialist Jesse Mills work together to bring justice in an extraordinary series of crimes unfolding in St. John’s.

In the first episode of the eight-part series; Double Dog Dare sees a murder investigation devolve into a kidnapping. Rex’s nose leads him and Charlie to Bell Island – and right into the middle of a double murder plot.

U&Alibi, Sunday, May 25th at 7 pm

A retired actor. A disarming young detective. They’d make the perfect crime-fighting duo – if only they could get along.

Written and created by Paul Doolan (Mammoth, Trollied) and set in Wales, Death Valley follows the unlikely crime-solving partnership between eccentric national treasure John Chapel a retired actor and star of hit fictional detective TV show ‘Caesar’ and disarming Welsh detective sergeant Janie Mallowan.

DS Janie Mallowan is desperate to solve the big cases and progress her career. While investigating the death by apparent suicide of wealthy property developer Carwyn Rees, she meets none other than John Chapel, a retired actor who played her TV detective idol, Inspector Charles Caesar. Eccentric and reclusive John uses his insight into character to deduce that Carwyn was murdered, though Janie is initially sceptical of his conclusions.

When forensics prove his theory right, Janie quietly asks him to help with the case. Having shut himself away from the world for years, John is initially reluctant to help. But together they work to solve an intriguing mystery involving an environmental activist, a grieving widow and a bitter business rival, painting the portrait of a man who kept a lot of secrets from those closest to him. Although John and Janie are not ready to admit it, this first case is the start of an iconic crime-solving partnership, and a friendship, too.

Starring Timothy Spall as John Chapel/Inspector Charles Caesar, Gwyneth Keyworth as DS Janie Mallowan, Steffan Rhodri as DCI Barry Clarke, Alexandria Riley as Helen Baxter, Rithvik Andugula as DC Evan Chaudhry, Mike Bubbins as Desk Sergeant Tony, Jim Howick as Constable Atkins and Oliver Ryan as Ceri Richardson.

BBC One, Sunday, May 25th at 8.15 pm

With unprecedented access to one of the biggest joint inquests the country has seen, this Cause of Death special follows senior coroner Dr James Adeley as he investigates the tragic deaths of four pedestrians in brutal road traffic collisions.

Astonishingly, they were all killed in extremely similar circumstances, but the grieving families all feel that these heartbreaking events can’t just be coincidence. As the investigation continues it becomes clear that the deaths were the result of drivers still on the roads with dangerously defective eyesight. Eyesight that has given them licence to kill.

Friends Marie Cunningham and Grace Foulds were killed while crossing the road together in Southport, while Anne Ferguson was struck down in Lancashire just metres from her front door. In a tragic irony, one of the killed pedestrians – Peter Westwell – had recently given up his own driving license because of concerns about his own eyesight.

Heartbroken families and friends of the victims share the devastation of their loss and raise the questions they have about how the drivers who killed their loved ones were ever able to be on the road.

As Dr Adeley tries to discover what happened as the police’s serious collision investigation units are called in to painstakingly build a case against the drivers involved. The coroner and police establish the facts with the help of pathologists, medical experts and eye witnesses who describe the moments after the crashes and their efforts to save the victims. What soon becomes clear is that the four crashes are likely the tip of a national iceberg.

When the coroner digs deeper into the background of the drivers, he begins to find that all three drivers involved knew they were unfit to be behind the wheel but continued to drive regardless. As the final inquest draws in, Dr Adeley shines a spotlight on whether Britain’s licensing system is fit for purpose or is hopelessly failing the public, in a powerful investigation into systemic failings with tragic stories and grieving families who demand answers, action and accountability.

5, Sunday, May 25th at 9 pm

In a one-off special, Jamie Oliver heads to eastern Europe to dive into the fascinating cuisine of Georgia, soaking up inspiration from its people, ingredients, techniques and traditions.

From exploring the capital city of Tbilisi to the wine region, Jamie immerses himself with the locals and the culture, joins a traditional Georgian gathering and brings what he’s learnt to his cooking back home.

Jamie kicks off his trip in Tbilisi, on the ancient Silk Road. At the city’s largest food market, the Dezerter Bazaar, local chef Meriko inspires Jamie with the innovative use of herbs in traditional Georgian cooking. Jamie explores the places where the locals love to eat and falls in love with Khinkali: succulent Georgian dumplings parcelled full of meat, fish or vegetables and served in deliciously slurpy stock.

He’s allowed into the restaurant kitchen for his own special lesson where he learns the traditional techniques that get his chef’s brain whirling. Then Jamie heads east to the wine region and the vineyards of Kakheti. Arriving at the perfect time to ‘birth the new wine’, he’s invited to his very first Supra – a traditional gathering of friends, old and new, for a feast of sharing dishes that celebrate the seasons. He joins in the preparations as they make traditional Chakapuli, a dish with young lamb and an abundance of fresh spring herbs; raw beetroot salad; cured meats; wild asparagus salads; locally made cheeses and sizzling juicy pork that’s cooked over vines and finished with the sweet and sourness of pomegranate juices.

Back home in Essex, Jamie is inspired to use what he’s learnt to create his own Georgian-inspired version of a Sunday roast chicken: herb-infused rotisserie chicken with Georgian spices cooked over the fire with charred vegetables and a Georgian-inspired walnut salsa verde.

Channel 4, Monday, May 26th at 7 pm

Sky Original documentary, The Girl Who Caught a Killer is a two-part series that tells the shocking story of Rachael Watts, who breaks her thirty-year silence to share her story for the first time on camera revealing how she survived a brutal abduction and assault, leading to the revelation of a devastating miscarriage of justice.

Seven-year-old Rachael Watts was roller-skating outside her home when she was kidnapped by paedophile Russell Bishop, bundled into the boot of his car, and driven to a remote part of the South Downs. Bishop assaulted her, strangled her, and left her for dead. Miraculously, Rachael survived.

Four years earlier, the ‘Babes in the Wood’ murders of schoolgirls Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway had shocked the nation. Despite the evidence, the killer Russell Bishop walked free – free to proclaim his innocence and, sickeningly, lead a hunt for the “real” killer. Rachael not only survived the appalling attack on her but was able to pick out her attacker from a police lineup. Bishop was found guilty of her attempted murder, and Rachael’s identity remained a secret.

Now, in a two-part documentary series, Rachael breaks her thirty-year silence to share her story for the first time on camera, revealing the long-term impact of her trauma, and her role in helping convict a murderer.

Sky Documentaries, Sunday, May 26th at 9pm