Telly picks for the coming week…
Iain Douglas-Hamilton – a contemporary of researchers Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey – is regarded by many as the pioneer of behavioural field-based African elephant research.
Much of what we now know about elephant society and movements stems from his pioneering research in Tanzania in the 1960s. Douglas-Hamilton then swapped research for conservation when he led a passionate crusade against the ivory trade in the 70s and 80s and went on to set up global charity Save the Elephants in the 1990s.
With exceptional access, newly discovered archive and emotional and passionate interviewees, the film follows Iain as he revisits his action-packed life.
It also features contributions from Jane Goodall herself and Iain’s daughter, TV presenter Saba Douglas-Hamilton.
Channel 4, Saturday, May 10th at 4.25 pm
Dreams of the perfect profession, pastimes and even partner often lure young people away from the their hometowns to the bright lights of a big city. As time passes and ambitions are fulfilled, many wish to swap the excitement of city life for a more settled lifestyle.
The new pilot programme Forever Home, a co-commission between BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Factual Entertainment, sees presenter Helen Skelton and Northern Ireland architect Patrick Bradley follow one such young couple. Jess and Colin are leaving London to return to Powys in rural Wales where they hope to create their dream house.
Having completed a restoration project of her own, Helen Skelton has experienced the trials and tribulations of turning a building site into a home. She wants to help Jess and Colin restore their run down Victorian cottage which they discovered has past connections to both of their families.
Helen enlists the help of Patrick – who specialises in breathing life back into old buildings – to provide the couple with creative design ideas at various stages of the build.
As the work begins, Jess and Colin soon face the reality of restoring this old property and adapting to life back in the Welsh countryside. Leaving friends and the bustling life they had created for themselves in London is a big adjustment, and Colin struggles to juggle the pressures of a hectic work schedule while trying to project manage the restoration. Building a forever home is a challenge that will take a toll on the couple’s finances and their relationship but ultimately deliver them the house of their dreams.
BBC Two, Thursday, May 15th at 7 pm and on BBC One Northern Ireland at the same time.
The 70s: TV we loved and lost
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This programme invites three modern families to take a trip back in time to enjoy a night of prime-time television from the 1970s, to discover what we watched, how we watched, and what it says about us then and now.
50 years ago, crowding around the TV for the evening was a great British pastime. Back then, shows from just three channels, provided the weekend entertainment for tens of millions of viewers, and a shared culture for the nation. Today, with unlimited hours of content available whenever we want it, wherever we want it, this shared viewing experience is a rarity and its role in family life diminished.
The families will be invited to a suitably 70’s location, to put down their mobiles, pick up their cuppas, and settle down on the sofas in their new ‘living rooms’, to enjoy a range of programmes, drawn from the Saturday night schedule from 1975.
Flicking between channels, their line-up will range from sitcoms and game shows to drama and news. These programmes will provoke personal memories and extreme responses, whether that’s a tea-time theme tune which catapults one of our viewers back to their childhood, the reminder of a dramatic storyline that gripped the nation, or a moment of risqué comedy that would raise an eyebrow today.
5 bring to screen those famous faces of the decade, from light entertainment hosts to heartthrob actors, and very serious newsreaders, and how they reflected the nation’s tastes and sensibilities. And, as the families enjoy reliving some 70s adverts, they and the 5 viewers get a glimpse of popular and newly emerging brands and products of the era, and how they spoke to our aspirations and daily lives.
5, Sunday, May 11th at 7.30 pm
Bangers & Cash: Under the Bonnet
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Exclusively on U, Under the Bonnet showcases some of the previously unseen footage from some of the most challenging and involved car restorations and rescues from the Bangers series.
Narrated by Toby Foster these new episodes include the Fastback, a car that took over three years to complete – not ideal for a TV series with a deadline and the Citroen DS, a French classic, which turns out to be stereotypically French
Also, an electrical first – which nearly bankrupted the programme and upset the traditionalists at Mathewsons at the same time.
U, from May 15th as a box set
The Mediterranean is home to some of the most spectacular islands and coastlines. Across this series, narrated by Joanna Lumley, the show meets locals and tourists, sample mouthwatering local cuisine and explore ancient traditions as we uncover the true Jewels of the Med.
Bathed in golden sunshine and kissed by the sparkling Ionian Sea, Corfu is a feast for the senses. Known as the Emerald Isle, this enchanting island is famed for its lush, green landscapes and long hot summers and attracts nearly two million visitors each year.
Visitors will often find themselves immersed in Corfu’s most treasured tradition: olive oil. Olive oil has been part of the Island’s tradition, culture and economy for many centuries. In the heart of the old town, one of the newest – and most surprising – establishments is the first Olive Oil bar.
Run by Spyros Dafnis, from a sixth generational family of olive oil producers, their product is sold worldwide and has received 85 international awards. The first harvest of the year, for any olive grower is a pivotal moment, and Spyros will soon discover if he has produced a bumper crop and if he’s set for a vintage year.
On the northeast coast, nestled along the clear blue waters of Kalami Bay, stands the ‘white house’. Once home to the celebrated Durrell family in the 1930s, this seaside retreat inspired Gerald Durrell’s delightful tales of Corfu’s beautiful wildlife. Today, his wife Lee Durrell continues this legacy as an ambassador for the Ionian Environment Foundation, championing over 40 vital conservation projects to protect the Island’s beautiful wildlife Gerald was so fond of.
5, Friday, May 16th at 7 pm
