TV Picks of the week

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  • ?TUESDAY

    29 September

    ?↔️RANKIN’S 2020

    ?Sky Arts, 8pm

    ↔️NOMADS OF THE SERENGETI (UHD)

    A trip through the Serengeti with migrating wildebeest.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 8.10pm

    TOP PICK!

    ?↔️LIFE?

    The residents of a large house which has been divided into flats lead complicated lives which interact with each other. Belle’s life on her own is interrupted when her difficult to handle niece    arrives needing a place to stay; Gail is preparing for her 70th birthday and now re-evaluates her life; and a married English teacher is seduced by a student. This is said to be a drama that would appeal to fans of Dr Foster!

    ?BBC1, 9pm

    ??OPEN 24 HOURS?

    After attacking her boyfriend, a paranoid woman lands a job at an all-night gas station. You really don’t want to fill up there....

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm

    ?SECRETS OF THE ROYAL

    TREASURES

    This will get the anti-monarchists going!

    ?Channel 5, 10pm

    ?↔️GOLD RUSH QUARANTINE

    ?Discovery, 10pm

    ?THE FIXING CHALLENGE

    Two brothers are on a mission to improve their father’s health.

    ?BBC2, 11.30pm

    ?WEDNESDAY

    30 September

    ?↔️INDIA FROM ABOVE

    Starting with rather large religious events.

    ?National Geographic, 8pm

    ?↔️FORBIDDEN HISTORY (SD)

    Looking for treasure buried by retreating Japanese forces at the end of the Second World War.

    ?Yesterday, 8pm

    ?↔️THE SAVOY

    Documentary about those who work at the hotel and the guests they serve.

    ?ITV, 9pm

    ?LAWRENCE OF ARABIA: BRITAIN’S GREAT ADVENTURER

    He may have united the tribes of Arabia against the Turks, but this military officer was a very troubled man.

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ?THE IMITATION GAME (2014)?

    Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, who is famous for having broken Nazi codes but was also a homosexual at a time when gay sex was a crime.

    ?More4, 9pm 

    TOP PICK!

    ?↔️THE COMEY RULE?

    Drama about the relationship between FBI Director James Comey and President Trump. In the first episode, Barack Obama is still in office and invites bad feeling from Democrats when he re-opens investigations into Hillary Clinton’s emails just 11 days before the election.

    ?Sky Atlantic, 9pm

    ??3022 (2019)?

    Well into their decade long space mission, an explosion causes damage and severs contact with Earth.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm

    ?↔️LOVE LIFE

    Comedy. A college graduate working as a New York tour guide has a number of romantic encounters.

    ?BBC1, 10.45pm

    ?THURSDAY

    1 October

    ?COME INSIDE MY MIND (2018)

    A portrait of Robin Williams.

    ?Sky Arts, 9pm

    ?THE APPRENTICE BEST BITS

    A new programme made up of repeated clips! 

    ?BBC1, 9pm

    ?↔️SEWERMEN (SD on Sky)

    ?Paramount Network, 9pm

    ??THE QUARRY (2020)?

    A criminal fugitive kills the priest who gives him a lift in this suspenseful but slow-moving drama.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm

    ?↔️FIRST DATES

    ?Channel 4, 10pm

    ?MOURINHO vs PEP: THE FEUD

    This documentary explores how their differing styles of football and personalities clashed.

    ?Channel 5, 11.05pm

    ?FRIDAY

    2 October

    TOP PICK!

    ??JUST MERCY (2019)?

    Having graduated from Harvard, a young lawyer opens a law practice to help death row inmates. This real-life drama is a fierce indictment of the whole criminal justice system in the US.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    ?↔️MOUNTAIN VETS

    ?BBC2, 8pm

    ?↔️TOP OF THE POPS: BIG HITS 1990

    A look at the changing musical diversity during the decade. This evening is devoted to music programmes from 7.30pm until close down, including music by The Smiths and Toots and the Maytals, as well as a programme with former Spice Girl Geri Horner (Ginger Spice) recalling the social and political moments of the decade.

    ?BBC4, 8pm

    TOP PICK!

    ?↔️BRAVE NEW WORLD ?

    In a future city of New London, a seemingly perfect existence is not all it seems. A visit to the dangerous and poor Savage Lands are a revelation to Lab Worker Lenina and her counsellor Bernard.

    ?Sky One, 9pm

    ?↔️HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU

    Satirical quiz.

    ?BBC1, 9pm

    ?JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE

    Rep John Lewis fights for Civil Rights, voting rights, gun control and health care reform.

    ?Sky Documentaries, 9pm

    ?GRETA (2018)?

    No, not that Greta! This one gets more than she bargained for when she returns a lost handbag.

    ?Sky Cinema Thriller, 9pm

    ?JOHN WICK - CHAPTER 2 (2017)?

    Action thriller in which John Wick embarks on another murderous episode.

    ?Channel 5, 10pm

    ?LIMMY’S OTHER STUFF

    A compilation of the comedian’s non-TV material.

    ?BBC Scotland, 10pm

    ?↔️THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW

    With Dolly Parton, Rupert Everett, Lolly Adefope and Riz Ahmed.

    ?BBC1, 10.45pm

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  • TV PICKS

    Week commencing 03/10/2020

    For Virgin Media subscribers who can also access Sky Atlantic through Now TV.

    CODE

    SD: Presented in standard definition on VM.

    UHD: Presented in 4K on VM


    ? - Sounds good

    ? - Might be worth a look

    ? - New to TV

    ↔️ - Series

    ? - Film

    All programmes are presented in HD on Virgin Media unless otherwise indicated.

    ***OLD BOY’S TOP PICKS ARE IN BOLD!

    ?SATURDAY

    3 October 2020

    ?EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE (2019)?

    True story about serial killer Ted Bundy as seen from his girl friend’s perspective.

    ?Sky Cinema Hits, 7pm

    TOP PICK!

    ??HARRIET (2019)??

    In the 19th Century, Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery and makes a name for herself rescuing other slaves.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    ?THE THIRD DAY: AUTUMN 

    A 12-hour theatrical event following a single day of the drama being shown on Sky Atlantic.

    ?Sky Arts, 9.30am

    TOP PICK!

    ?12 YEARS A SLAVE (2013)??

    Historical true drama about a free man who is kidnapped and sold into slavery.

    ?Channel 4, 9pm

    ?LAYER CAKE (2004)?

    A drug dealer wants to retire but mob boss Price has other ideas.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ?↔️THE WALL

    Game show.

    ?BBC1, 9.15pm

    ??YARDIE (2018)

    Idris Elba stars in this crime drama. A man sets out to wreak vengeance following his brother’s murder.

    ?BBC2, 9.45pm

    TOP PICK!

    ?JUST MERCY (2019)??

    Based on a true story about a condemned prisoner on Death Row who appeals his conviction.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10.10pm

    ?MOTLEY CRUE: THE END (2016)(UHD)

    The last show of their final tour recorded at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 10.55pm

    ?THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE: AN ID MURDER MYSTERY (SD)

    A collective panic overtook a small town when it became a common belief that the murders were connected with cult activity.

    ?Quest Red, 11pm

    ?11 CLOVERFIELD LANE ?

    A woman discovers the horrifying truth about the outside world while living in an underground shelter with two men.

    ?Film4, 11.10pm

    ?NOW YOU SEE ME (2013)?

    Thriller in which a team of magicians pull off a series of crimes which the FBI find difficult to solve.

    ?Film4, 11.10pm

    ?SUNDAY 

    4 October

    ↔️SECRETS OF WILD AUSTRALIA

    ?Love Nature, 7.20pm

    ?VIENNA SUMMER NIGHT CONCERT

    ?BBC4, 7.30pm

    ??WAVES (2019)?

    The epic emotional journey of a suburban African American family. Pushed by his father to succeed, a black high school student becomes inwardly very angry, despite his comfortable life.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    ?↔️TAKE TWO ?

    I’m not a great fan of American comedy, so I don’t know whether this will be worth watching or not. The former star of a cop series shadows a real-life private investigator as part of a plan to restart her stalled career.

    ?Fox, 8pm

    ?↔️TOP GEAR

    With Andrew Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness.

    ?BBC1, 8pm

    ↔️BIG CAT COUNTRY (UHD)

    An intimate portrait of three dynasties of lions in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 8pm

    ?↔️MICHAEL PALIN: TRAVELS OF A LIFETIME

    Snippets from his travel series.

    ?BBC2, 8pm

    ?↔️HOW TO SURVIVE A MURDER

    Documentary. A film-maker receives a call about his mother-in-law, who has not shown up for work.

    ?Sky Crime, 9pm

    ?WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017)?

    In a post-apocalyptic future, mankind and the intelligent apes are engaged in deadly conflict.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ?FIRSTBORN (2016)(SD)?

    A newly-born baby girl appears to be surrounded by evil influences.

    ?Horror, 9pm

    ?↔️SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

    US satirical sketch show.

    ?Sky Comedy, 9pm

    ?I AM NOT A WITCH (2017)?

    A child is taken to a travelling witch camp, where she is told that should she cut the ribbon to escape, she will be cursed and transformed into a goat.

    ?Channel 4, 12.15am

    ?MONDAY

    5 October

    ?↔️THE GREAT HOUSE GIVEAWAY

    Couples are offered the opportunity of buying properties through an auction process.

    ?Channel 4, 4pm

    ?TRACKER (2010)(SD)?

    A search party commissions a Boer tracker to hunt down a Maori sailor.

    ?Sony Movies, 6.55pm

    ?↔️MASTERMIND

    ?BBC2, 7.30pm

    ?↔️IN THE FACE OF TERROR

    The accounts of people seeking justice and closure following acts of terror.

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ?PRINCE WILLIAM: A PLANET FOR US ALL

    ?ITV, 9pm

    ?↔️999: WHAT’S YOUR EMERGENCY?

    Documentary investigating how empty high streets are attracting criminality.

    ?Channel 4, 9pm

    ?HANNA (2011)(SD)?

    A father trains his daughter to be the perfect assassin.

    ?Sony Movies, 9pm

    ?↔️GUESSABLE

    Game show.

    ?Comedy Central, 9pm

    ?↔️CSI: CYBER (SD)

    Second series begins. 

    ?CBS Justice, 9pm

    ?↔️PEN15

    Comedy in which Maya and Anna look back at how they were at age 13.

    ?Sky Comedy, 9pm

    TOP PICK

    ↔️PURE (UHD) ?

    A newly elected Mennonite pastor is determined to rid his community of drug traffickers by betraying a fellow Mennonite to the police.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 9.45pm

    ?↔️ADULT MATERIAL ?

    Jolene balances her role as a mother with her high profile role in the porn industry but when naive new girl Amy arrives, Jolene’s world destabilises.

    ?Channel 4, 10pm

    ?BARRY MANILOW: LIVE ON BROADWAY

    ?Sky Arts, 10pm

    ?SIR TERENCE CONRAN ON CULTURE

    A short interview in which Alan Yentob talks to one of Britain’s greatest designers about the revolutionary transformation he made to British life and style.

    ?BBC4, 10pm

    ?↔️HEY TRACEY!

    Game show.

    ?ITV2, 10pm

    ?EIGHTH GRADE (2018)?

    It’s been an awful year at her school, and a 13 year old girl has to endure one more week before she joins high school in this comedy drama.

    ?Sky Cinema Drama, 10.20pm

    ?PREDESTINATION (2014)(SD)?

    A temporal agent embarks on a final time-travelling mission to prevent an elusive criminal from launching an attack that kills thousands of people.

    ?Sony Movies Action, 12.45am

  • ?TUESDAY

    6 October

    ?↔️SURGEONS: AT THE EDGE OF LIFE

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ?ALISON HAMMOND: BACK TO SCHOOL

    Documentary about black figures who have contributed to the history of Britain.

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ?↔️BOSWELL & JOHNSON’S SCOTTISH ROAD TRIP

    ?Sky Arts, 9pm

    ?STAR TREK (2009)?

    Star fleet graduate James T Kirk crosses swords with a Vulcan officer called Spock.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ?NOVEMBER MAN (2014)(SD)?

    An ex-CIA operative is brought back on a very personal mission and finds himself pitted against his former pupil in a deadly game involving high-level CIA officials and the Russian president-elect.

    ?Sony Movies, 9pm

    ?↔️MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT

    Series 5 of this reality show commences.

    ?Channel 4, 9.30pm

    TOP PICK!

    ?↔️MURDER CASE?

    A brutal assault in Renfrew is captured on CCTV, but the culprit cannot be identified.

    ?BBC Scotland, 10pm

    ?↔️THE TWILIGHT ZONE?

    A second series of these supernatural stories begins. A single man discovers a telepathic link to a stranger.

    ?Sky One, 10pm

    ?↔️SORRY, I DIDN’T KNOW

    Game show in which the panel is taken on a tour of black British history.

    ?ITV, 10.45pm

    ?CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES (2014)(SD)

    Indebted to a ruthless crime boss, four friends must kidnap a family member of a rival kingpin as payback.

    ?Sony Movies, 11.15pm

    ↔️MYSTIC BRITAIN

    Starting with the secrets of Stonehenge.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 12 m’t

    ?WEDNESDAY

    7 October

    ↔️ARCTIC SECRETS (UHD)

    Starting with the Western Arctic’s Mackenzie Delta, which is the second largest in North America after the Mississippi.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 7.20pm

    ?↔️THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

    The bowel of a baby needs to be re-attached to his body. Stapler, anyone...?

    ?BBC Scotland, 8pm

    ?↔️LONE STAR VET

    ?National Geographic Wild, 8pm

    ?AMERICAN HUSTLE (2013)?

    A conman is brought in to work with the FBI on a sting to bring down a corrupt politician.

    ?More4, 9pm

    ?↔️TOMMY?

    Tommy becomes the first female police chief of Los Angeles and has a lot of responsibility to live up to within the agency.

    ?Alibi, 9pm

    ↔️MURDER CASE

    A man found brutally murdered in Glasgow is one of the cases covered in this documentary.

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ?AGATHA AND THE MIDNIGHT MURDERS?

    Agatha is trying unsuccessfully to manage her financial problems and makes a decision to sell her novel Poirot to a private buyer.

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ?↔️MOUNTAIN MEN

    As a winter descends, Jake’s first lion hunt ends in near-disaster. Tom and Nancy face a surge in the coyote population and Jason comes face to face with a marauding black bear. You can see this from the beginning of series 1 on demand.

    ?Sky History, 9pm

    ?THE BOX (2009)(SD)?

    A couple receive a box, which they are told would provide them with a money fortune if they press the button inside, but someone they don’t know would die.

    ?Sony Movies, 9pm

    ?↔️URBAN MYTHS

    Starting with Les Dawson.

    ?Sky Arts, 10pm

    ?THE NEW EVIDENCE: WHITE HOUSE FARM MURDERS

    Documentary examining the case of Jeremy Barber, who was convicted of murdering his parents, sister and her six-year-old twin sons at their family farmhouse in August 1985.

    ?Channel 5, 11.05pm

    ?THURSDAY

    8 October

    ↔️AMERICA’S WILD SEASONS (UHD)?

    Across the continent, the land and its wildlife breathe in warmth and renewal. For some animals, courtship rituals begin to heat up as battles for dominance break out. For others, it’s the time to tend to a brand new life.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 6.30pm

    ↔️STRANGE CREATURES

    ?Love Nature, 6.30pm

    ?WALKING OUT (2017)

    A teenager’s hunting trip with his father becomes a battle for survival when they encounter a grizzly bear.

    ?Film4, 6.55pm

    ?THE CHOICE 2020: TRUMP vs BIDEN (SD)

    ?PBS America, 7.55pm

    ↔️INSIDE THE FACTORY

    How one of Britain’s largest bakeries makes up to one and a half million loaves of bread a week and what it takes to make the perfect flour.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 8pm

    TOP PICK

    ?THREE BILLBOARDS, OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (2017)?

    A woman becomes frustrated at the lack of police action to investigate her daughter’s murder.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ?↔️COMEDY LEGENDS

    ?Sky Arts, 9pm

    ??THE BIG UGLY (2020)

    Not the best film you will ever see about two gangsters who go to West Virginia to do some money laundering.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10.30pm

    ?CHELTENHAM LITERATURE FESTIVAL

    ?Sky Arts, 11.30pm

    ?FRIDAY

    9 October

    ↔️ALASKA AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS

    Documentary about an elite air crash investigation team in Alaska.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 6pm

    ?A GOOD YEAR (2006) (SD)

    A stockbroker inherits a French vineyard and must choose whether to carry on with his career or move to the Provence. Oh, to have such a choice!

    ?Sony Movies, 6.40pm

    ?↔️BETWEEN THE COVERS

    Calm yourselves! This is a programme about books.

    ?BBC2, 7.30pm

    ?↔️FRIDAY ON THE FARM

    Helen Skelton and Jules Hudson commence preparations for autumn.

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ?↔️JACK STEIN: BORN TO COOK (SD)

    ?Food Network, 9pm

    TOP PICK

    ↔️DARKLANDS (UHD)?

    An aspiring fighter wants to fight in a cage rather than on the streets but his brother’s involvement with the local drugs gang drags him into the world he is trying to avoid.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 9pm

    LENNON: THE NEW YORK YEARS

    An account of John Lennon’s emigration to New York with his wife, Yoko Ono. There is a whole evening devoted to John Lennon and the Beatles on this channel from 7.30pm to 2.45am.

    ?BBC4, 9.30pm

    ?TEN: MURDER ISLAND (SD)(2017)

    A weekend retreat to an island goes wrong as a young woman must race against time to solve the connection between herself and nine other guests, none of whom may be as innocent as they seem.

    ?Lifetime, 9.30pm

    THERE WE WERE - AND HERE WE ARE: THE MAKING OF OASIS

    ?Sky Arts, 10pm

    OASIS: LIVE BY THE SEA

    ?Sky Arts, 11.15pm

    JOHN LENNON

    ?Sky Arts, 12.30am

    ?JOHN LENNON: THE LAST WEEKEND?

    ?Sky Arts, 1.45am

  • TV PICKS

    Week commencing 10/10/2020

    For Virgin Media subscribers who can also access Sky Atlantic through Now TV.

    CODE

    SD: Presented in standard definition on VM.

    UHD: Presented in 4K on VM

    ? - Sounds good

    ? - Might be worth a look

    ? - New to TV

    ↔️ - Series

    ? - Film

    All programmes are presented in HD on Virgin Media unless otherwise indicated.

    ?SATURDAY

    10 October 2020

    ?AGATHA CHRISTIE: 100 YEARS OF POIROT & MISS MARPLE

    Documentary looking at the author’s life and her success.

    ?Channel 5, 8pm

    ?MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL (2011)?

    The team attempt to prevent a Russian scientist from engineering a nuclear war.

    ?Channel 4, 9pm

    ?X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (2016)?

    Wolverine is tasked to prevent a war by changing the past.

    ?E4, 9pm

    ?LAUNCH AMERICA: MISSION TO SPACE

    The mission of NASA and Space X to the International Space Station.

    ?National Geographic, 9pm

    TEDDY PENDERGRASS: IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME 

    A soul singer by the name of Teddy Pendergrass had a successful career as lead singer with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, but then a car crash left him paralysed.

    ?BBC2, 9.45pm

    ??THE WRETCHED (2019)?

    A teenager encounters a child-snatching witch when he goes to stay with his father to help out at his marina.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm

    ?NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (2016)(SD)?

    An art gallery owner is appalled by the violent film she sees which has been written by her ex-husband.

    ?Sony Movies, 10pm

    ?CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)?

    Comic book thriller sequel. A soldier with super powers confronts a cyborg assassin.

    ?BBC1, 10.25pm

    ↔️PURE (UHD)?

    Noah takes matters into his own hands to be sure that Gerry Epp and his crew go to jail.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 10.55pm

    ?THE GREEN CARPET FASHION AWARDS

    ?Sky Arts, 11pm

    ?SUNDAY

    11 October

    ↔️DEADLY AUSTRALIANS (UHD)

    Australia is home to the world’s most toxic, venomous and dangerous creatures.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 6.55pm

    ??SEBERG (2019)?

    The true story of Jean Seberg, who put herself on the wrong side of J Edgar Hoover when she came to support the Black Panther movement.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    ?↔️HOTEL CHOCOLATE: UNWRAPPED

    Documentary about Britain’s biggest independent chocolate manufacturers.

    ?Channel 5, 8pm

    ?↔️DEADLY HUNTERS

    ?Sky Nature, 8pm

    Top pick

    ?↔️THE FAMILY?

    The mayor of Red Pines is shocked when a boy turns up at a police station claiming to be her son who was kidnapped and presumed dead 10 years previously.

    ?Fox, 9pm

    ?50 SHADES OF SHARKS

    ?National Geographic Wild, 9pm

    ?DIANA: THE INTERVIEW THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ?↔️THE BRIDGE

    Twelve contestants attempt to win a huge money prize by building an 850 foot bridge.

    ?Channel 4, 9pm

    ?↔️ENSLAVED WITH SAMUEL L JACKSON

    Samuel investigates 400 years of slavery.

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ?SLAVESHIP MUTINY

    Yet another programme about slavery, this time telling the story of a shipment of over 100 slaves from Madagascar.

    ?Sky History, 9pm

    ?GET OUT (2017)?

    A young photographer uncovers a dark secret when he meets his girlfriend’s seemingly friendly parents for the first time at their posh estate.

    ?Channel 4, 10.55pm

    ?A UNITED KINGDOM (2016)?

    On the eve of his return from his studies in London to Bechuanaland where he is to become king, Prince Seretse Khama falls in love and marries Ruth Williams, a white woman from south London.

    ?BBC2, 11pm

    ?BRAVEN (2018(SD)?

    A logger and his father head to their hunting cabin, hoping for a quiet weekend. Instead, they find themselves in a kill-or-be-killed stand for survival when they encounter a gang of ruthless drug traffickers.

    ?Sony Movies, 11.15pm

    ?MONDAY

    12 October

    ?↔️RICHARD OSMAN’S HOUSE OF GAMES

    Celebrity contestants take on a series of quiz rounds.

    ?BBC2, 6pm

    ??ROB BURROW: MY YEAR WITH MND

    Rugby league star Rob Burrow fights motor neurone disease and we also hear from his family and friends.

    ?BBC2, 7pm

    ?↔️INSIDE MUSEUMS

    ?BBC2, 7pm

    ?DIRTY SECRETS OF AMERICAN FOOD

    A Dispatches documentary which no doubt will give remainers plenty of ammunition.

    ?Channel 4, 8pm

    ?↔️POLICE INTERCEPTORS

    This series looks at the work of West Yorkshire’s crime units.

    ?Channel 5, 8pm

    ?↔️WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

    Jodie Whittaker discovers some of her family history.

    ?BBC1, 9pm

    ?↔️JOHN BISHOP’S GREAT WHALE RESCUE

    Two whales are released from captivity.

    ?ITV, 9pm

    ?↔️YELLOWSTONE (SD)

    Return of this drama in the first of the second series.

    ?Paramount Network, 9pm

    ?↔️THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF CHESHIRE

    (If you like reality shows).

    ?ITV Be, 9pm

    ?CLOSED CIRCUIT (2013)(SD)?

    An MI5 cover-up after a London bombing is discovered by two barristers.

    ?Sony Movies, 9pm

    ??SPINSTER (2019)?

    Gaby is not sure if it’s worth the palaver of finding someone to settle down with in this amusing film.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm

    ?BARBRA STREISAND: BACK TO BROOKLYN

    ?Sky Arts, 10pm

    ↔️UNFORGOTTEN?

    Cassie and Sunny investigate the discovery of a body in a suitcase. Worth watching, whether or not you saw the first series.

    ?ITV3, 10.10pm

    ↔️THE PATH (UHD)

    Cal leads the Meyerist Movement on a disaster relief mission in New Hampshire.

    ?Virgin Ultra TV, 11.25pm

  • ?TUESDAY

    13 October

    ?CRAIG AND DANNY

    Craig Charles and Danny John-Jules present this look at comedy legends.

    ?ITV, 8pm

    Top pick

    ?LUCE (2019)?

    Thriller in which a boy from a decent family becomes of deep concern to his teacher.

    ?Sky Cinema Drama, 8pm

    ?↔️ESCAPE TO THE FARM

    Kate Humble is on her farm in Monmouthshire.

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ?↔️LOVE ISLAND: WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

    ?ITV2, 9pm

    Top pick

    ?STORYVILLE ?

    Two ordinary men embark on an outrageously dangerous ten-year mission to penetrate North Korea.

    ?BBC4, 9pm

    ?↔️GEMMA COLLINS:,DIVA FOREVER AND EVER

    More reality...

    ?ITV Be, 9pm

    ?↔️THE FAMILY CHANTEL

    ... And there’s more!

    ?TLC, 9pm

    ?↔️999 RESCUE SQUAD

    ?W, 10pm

    ?↔️DR 90210

    Following the days in the lives of women plastic surgeons.

    ?E!, 10pm

    ??THE BYGONE (2019)?

    An investigation into the disappearance of a girl from a reservation uncovers a disturbing past.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm

    ?↔️THE REDEMPTION PROJECT

    A father who lost his daughter in a gang-related shooting meets with the man who took his daughter’s life to find answers.

    ?CI, 10pm

    ?ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD (2019) ?

    Actor Rick Dalton and his longtime stunt double struggle to find work in a Hollywood they don’t recognise anymore.

    ?Sky Cinema Hits, 10.30pm

    ?WEDNESDAY

    14 October

    ?↔️ICE ROAD RESCUE

    ?National Geographic, 8pm

    ?↔️THE KENNEDYS: TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH

    Documentary which looks at the influence of John Kennedy on his sons’ career choices. His determined ambition was passed to his first son Joe, and then more slowly, to the youngest son Jack.

    ?More4, 9pm

    ?↔️INSIDE THE TOWER OF LONDON

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ?↔️HENRY VIII: RISE OF A TYRANT

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ?↔️WARRIER

    Series 2 begins.  A new anti-Chinese group is confronted.

    ?Sky One, 10pm

    ?DANDO

    This documentary recalls the case of murdered TV presenter Jill Dando.

    ?Channel 5, 10pm

    AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS ?

    National Geographic presents some of North America’s most beautiful natural wonders.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 10pm

    ?THURSDAY

    15 October

    ↔️TIN STAR?

    A second chance to see this Canadian police drama starring Tim Roth. Ex undercover cop turned police chief of a small town in the Canadian Rockies does what he must to defend his family from those in power - the oilmen, the preachers and the gangsters.

    ?Sky Atlantic, 8pm

    ??A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (2019)?

    Biopic of children’s TV show host Fred Rogers.  Cynical Matthew Rhys is commissioned to write a profile of the presenter, and his initial scepticism eventually turns into a friendship between the two.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    ?↔️THE TRUMP SHOW?

    A three part guide to the presidency of Donald Trump, as viewed from the inside.

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ??THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (2013)?

    Fact based drama of a stockbroker who lives his life to the limits and becomes very rich through fraudulent activities using money from investors.

    ?Sky Cinema Thriller, 9pm

    Top pick

    ?↔️RIVIERA?

    Return of this very watchable and glossy series. To see this programme from the first series, Now TV and Sky Box Sets both have them.

    ?Sky Atlantic, 9pm

    ?SWEET COUNTRY (2017)?

    A posse is convened to find an Aboriginal farmhand who shot a white man in self defence.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ?↔️TASKMASTER

    The celebrity challenge competitors are Johnny Vegas, Katherine Parkinson, Daisy May Cooper , Mawaan Rizwan, Richard Herring.

    ?Channel 4, 9pm

    ?LAND OF THE DEAD (2005) (SD)?

    In the future, zombies have dominated over the living, but the wealthy survivors are holed up in a fortress.

    ?Horror, 9pm

    ?↔️THE CHOP

    Contestants have to furnish a homestead from the American Frontier period. No 4K big screen TVs, then...

    ?Sky History, 9pm

    ?↔️DR PIMPLE POPPER: BEFORE THE POP

    Do people actually enjoy watching this revolting stuff?

    ?TLC, 10pm

    ?MO GILLIGAN: BLACK, BRITISH AND FUNNY

    Mo questions why British black comedians never achieve mainstream success. H’mmm.... Lenny Henry did quite well for himself.

    ?Channel 4, 10pm

    ?MISCARRIAGE: OUR STORY

    ?Channel 5, 10pm

    ?EXPOSURE: HUNTING THE PEOPLE SMUGGLERS

    ?ITV, 10.45pm

    ?DEMOLITION (2015)

    A sympathetic woman and her young son form a strong bond with an investment banker whose life begins to unravel following the death of his wife.

    ?Channel 4, 1.50am

    ?FRIDAY

    16 October

    ?SIR CLIFF RICHARD AT THE BBC

    Featuring some of the artist’s biggest hits. Fans will be interested in the film ‘Summer Holiday’, which is featured just before this programme, at 8pm. Rock ‘n’ Roll Britannia follows at 10.50pm.

    ?BBC4, 9.50pm

    FROM ELTON JOHN TO GARY BARLOW

    Celebrating 100 concerts over the past 18 years of Eden Sessions.

    ?BBC4, 12.20am

  • TV PICKS

    Week commencing 17/10/2020

    For Virgin Media subscribers who can also access Sky Atlantic through Now TV.

    CODE

    UHD: Presented in 4K on VM

    ? : Presented in standard definition on VM

    ? - Sounds good

    ? - Might be worth a look

    ? - New to TV

    ↔️ - Series

    ? – Film

    All programmes are presented in HD on Virgin Media unless otherwise indicated.

    ?SATURDAY

    17 October 2020

    BRAZIL’S EMERALD OASIS?

    An astonishing range of wildlife is attracted to the Pantanal’s Rebel Lake including 600 pound tapirs, Jaguars, graceful spoonbills and hundreds of caimans.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 6pm

    ??THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (2011)?

    After glimpsing his future, an ambitious politician battles the agents of fate itself to be with the woman he loves.

    ?Sony Movies, 6.55pm

    UNCHARTERED AMAZON?

    Life in the remote jungles surrounding the Las Piedras River basin in the Peruvian Amazon.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 7pm

    ?↔️STRICTLY COME DANCING LAUNCH SHOW

    ?BBC1, 7.50pm

    ??UNDERWATER (2020)?

    This is a fantasy sci-fi horror thriller which sounds quite enjoyable to me. There are strange sightings at an underwater mining station six miles deep. Then disaster strikes after a devastating tremor which leads to a fight for survival.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    ?ROYAL ACADEMY SUMMER EXHIBITION

    ?BBC2, 8.15pm

    ?WIDOWS (2018)?

    When four women find themselves lumbered with their husbands’ debts, they decide on carrying out a robbery to make ends meet.

    ?Sky Cinema Thriller, 9pm

    ?↔️THE MILLION POUND CUBE CELEBRITY

    ?ITV, 9pm

    PANAMA’S ANIMAL HIGHWAY?

    The Isthmus of Panama is a thoroughfare and rest stop for birds, mammals and reptiles.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 9pm

    ?THE APOLLO

    Documentary on this Harlem venue and its history.

    ?Sky Arts, 9pm

    ?MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION (2015)?

    The Mission Impossible agents become fugitives in their mission to stop the activities of a group of assassins.

    ?Channel 4, 9.15pm

    ?BEATRICE AND EUGENIE: PAMPERED PRINCESSES?

    ?Channel 5, 9.15pm

    EPIC ANIMAL MIGRATIONS?

    Looking at one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, featuring spectacular migrations of grey whales, Olive Ridley turtles, American flamingos and monarch butterflies.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 10pm

    ?↔️THE JONATHAN ROSS SHOW

    ?ITV, 10.15pm

    ?↔️MADONNA: SECRETS OF HER BIGGEST HITS

    ?Channel 5, 10.45pm. 

    CHICAGO: GREATEST HITS (UHD)

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 11.40pm

    ?SUNDAY

    18 October

    ?THE STORY OF ANVIL (2008)

    Despite the release of an influential heavy metal album in 1982, big time success eludes a Canadian rock band called Anvil, but its steadfast members refuse to give up on their dream.

    ?Sky Documentaries, 1.25pm

    ?↔️?THE WEDDING DRESS SHOP (HD in Wales, SD elsewhere)

    A mother of three wants a ‘Game of Thrones’ inspired wedding dress for her renewal of vows to her husband and there is a very moving reason behind the plans.

    ?BBC 1 Wales, 4.35pm

    ↔️REEF WRECKS

    Bonaire’s fringing reef is home to thousands of species of corals, fish and other marine animals.

    ?Love Nature, 5pm

    ?101 ADORABLE PUPPIES

    ?Channel 5, 5.05pm

    MYSTERIES OF EVOLUTION (UHD)

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 6.35 pm

    ?KONG: SKULL ISLAND (2017)?

    The beasties are none too friendly when a team with a secret mission land on a remote island.

    ?ITV2, 6.45pm

    TOP PICK

    ?THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (2017)?

    Musical drama about a man who loses his job and sets out to establish an incredible circus in this entertaining family story. Well worth a watch.

    ?Channel 4, 7pm

    ?↔️CITY LIFE TO COUNTRY LIFE

    ?Channel 5, 7pm

    SHERYL CROW: LIVE AT CAPITOL THEATRE (2018) (UHD)

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 7pm

    ??SKY ARTS BOOK CLUB

    ?Sky Arts, 7pm

    ?↔️HUDSON & REX ?

    A detective and his dog deal with a variety of serious crimes in this new drama from Alibi. Not sure about this one - the dramas on this channel can be variable - but I will give it a go when I’m in a good mood!

    ?Alibi, 7pm

    ↔️SEASONS OF THE WILD?

    In Southern Florida, a unique and complex ecosystem known as the Everglades has entered its winter season. Predator and prey are forced to live in close proximity due to a limited supply of water.

    ?Love Nature, 7.20pm

    ?PRISTINE SEAS: THE POWER OF PROTECTION

    ?National Geographic Wild, 8pm

    ?QUEEN: THE BAND THAT ROCKED THE WORLD?

    Including archive footage and contributions from celebrities.

    ?Channel 5, 8pm

    ?THE LAST FULL MEASURE (2019)?

    An airman is awarded the highest military honour 34 years after his death despite the initial scepticism of a government lawyer.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    ??SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009)?

    Sherlock and Dr Watson have to deal with a plot to bring down Parliament.

    ?TCM Movies, 8pm

    TOP PICK

    ?↔️ROADKILL?

    Hugh Laurie stars in this political thriller as an ambitious politician with a controversial and scandal-ridden past which he tries to keep under wraps.

    ?BBC1, 9pm

    ?CATCHING A SERIAL KILLER: SAM LITTLE

    Documentary about America’s most prolific serial killer.

    ?Sky Crime, 9pm

    ??DETROIT (2017)?

    Fact based drama set in the middle of the 1967 Detroit riots. The police respond to a complaint with violence on their minds.

    ?BBC2, 10pm

    ↔️COLLATERAL ?

    A detective leads the investigation into the unexplained shooting of a pizza delivery driver.

    ?BBC4, 10pm

    ??MONEY MONSTER (2016)?

    A TV host is held hostage live on air.

    ?Sony Movies, 10.55pm

    ?SPACE LAUNCH: SPLASHDOWN

    Covering the water landing of the SpaceX Dragon Capsule. More about this mission on ‘Journey to the Future’ at 9pm on this channel.

    ?Discovery, 11pm

    ?UNBROKEN (2014)

    During World War II, Olympian and war hero Louis Zamperini survives for 47 days at sea, only to be captured by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner of war camp.

    ?Channel 4, 12m’t

    ?#TEAMPLUTO

    ?Discovery, 1am

    ?MONDAY

    19 October

    ?↔️DEFENDERS U.K.

    Officers go undercover in Birmingham to find out which shops are selling knives illegally to children. 

    ?BBC1, 11am

    ?↔️?HAUNTED GINGERBREAD SHOWDOWN

    ?Food Network, 1pm

    ?↔️IMPOSSIBLE

    Game show.

    ?BBC1, 1.45pm

    ?↔️THE BIDDING ROOM

    ?BBC1, 4.30pm

    ↔️COLOMBIA’S WILD COAST (UHD)

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 6.30pm

    ↔️SECRETS OF WILD AUSTRALIA (UHD)

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 7.20pm

    ?SPORT’S HIDDEN CRISIS

    Focussing on eating disorders. A Panorama documentary.

    ?BBC1, 7.40pm

    ?TRUMP’S CORONAVIRUS CATASTROPHE

    ?Channel 4, 8pm

    ?↔️WILD KINGDOMS

    ?Sky Nature, 8pm

    ?↔️FISH MY CITY

    ?National Geographic Wild, 8pm

    ?↔️ ?THE HIGHLAND VET

    ?5Select, 9pm

    ?↔️?THE OSBOURNES WANT TO BELIEVE

    Jack Osbourne tries to persuade his parents of the reality of the paranormal and aliens.

    ?Really, 9pm

    ?THE BILLION DOLLAR ART HUNT

    ?BBC4, 9pm

    ?↔️ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM (2005)?

    ?Sky Documentaries, 9pm

    ?↔️IN ICE COLD BLOOD 

    ?Sky Crime, 9pm

    ↔️MONKEY ISLAND?

    Not everyone in Sri Lanka’s monkey paradise is equal. Anna sits at the bottom of the social ladder and with a newborn baby, life is getting tougher.

    ?Love Nature, 9pm

    ?? POSSESSION (2012)?

    A little girl becomes possessed.

    ?Horror, 9pm

    ?FENCES (2016)?

    A father raised his family while coming to terms with his experiences. Sounds indulgent, but you might be tempted to give it a go.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ?↔️SCHITT’S CREEK?

    After losing everything, the Rose family are forced to move to their only remaining asset, the town of Schitt’s Creek. Sounds a promising move...

    ?E4, 10pm

    ??BURDEN (2018)?

    A man of the cloth tries to keep the peace when a museum celebrating the Ku Klux Klan opens in an American town.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm

    ?↔️?GHOST ADVENTURES: SCREAMING ROOM

    ?Really, 10pm

    ↔️UNFORGOTTEN ?

    A second chance to watch this drama series. A teenager’s body is discovered at a building site.

    ?ITV3, 10.10pm

    ?PLUS SIZE PORN: ADULTS ONLY

    ?Channel 5, 10pm

    ?↔️?MY PARANORMAL NIGHTMARE

    ?Really, 11pm

    ?TUESDAY

    20 October

    ?BEEN SO LONG

    Song and dance musical starring Michaela Coel and Arinze Kene. A single mother has an unusual night on the town.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ?↔️OUT OF HER MIND

    Sitcom in which Sara Pascoe plays a singleton who is getting over a break-up.

    ?BBC2, 10pm

    ?↔️CHANNEL HOPPING WITH JON RICHARDSON

    TV clips from around the world.

    ?Comedy Central, 10pm

    ?SCOTLAND, SLAVERY & STATUES

    ?BBC Scotland, 10pm

  • ?WEDNESDAY

    21 October

    ?↔️THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MOVIES

    Alan Carr competes the comedy panel show.

    ?Sky One, 9pm

    ?↔️BILLIONS?

    Fifth season begins.

    ?Sky Atlantic, 9pm

    ?↔️HARLOTS?

    The second series begins as Isaac and Hal have acquired the tavern and Lucy joins forces with Elizabeth and her son.

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ?DIANA: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE INTERVIEW

    ?Channel 4, 9pm

    ?↔️SIREN?

    Return of the drama about mermaids. As an old friend visits Helen, a new mermaid arrives leaving Ryn questioning their motives.

    ?Syfy, 9pm

    ?↔️MINORITY REPORT ?

    If you like science fiction, this may well appeal to you. First shown on Amazon Prime, this drama features a precognitive who can see crimes before they occur, which gives the authorities an opportunity to save potential victims.

    ?Fox, 9pm

    ?WRONGLY RELEASED AUSTRALIA

    ?Sky Crime, 9pm

    TOP PICK

    ?ARGO (2012)?

    True story of an audacious bid to rescue six American diplomats holed up in Iran at the time of the revolution.

    ?Sky Cinema Thriller, 9pm

    ?BELLE(2013)?

    The daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral

    befriends a lawyer and plays an important role in the campaign to abolish slavery.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ?↔️THE NOUGHTIES

    Exploring changes in society during the course of the decade.

    ?BBC2, 10pm

    ??THE WORLD’S SMALLEST WOMAN

    ?Quest Red, 10pm

    ??MINE 9 (2019)?

    Miners are trapped in a mine two miles below the surface after an explosion.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm

    MADAGASCAR: AFRICA’S GALAPAGOS?

    In terms of evolution, it may be the world’s weirdest island.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 11pm

    ?LOCKE (2013)?

    A man’s life unravels after he leaves a construction site at a critical time and drives to London to be present for the birth of a child conceived during a one-night stand.

    ?Channel 4, 2.50am

    ?THURSDAY

    22 October

    ↔️AMERICA’S MISSISSIPPI?

    Starting as a stream in Minnesota, before the big rush south, it carries some of nature’s most endearing creatures, from raccoons and black bears to mayflies that live for only one day.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 5pm

    ?↔️?BANGERS AND CASH

    ?Yesterday, 8pm

    ?↔️BILLION POUND CRUISE

    A staggering 6,680 passengers arrive for a holiday on the cruise ship ‘Symphony of the Seas’.

    ?More4, 9pm

    TOP PICK

    ↔️MR MERCEDES (UHD)?

    Two years after retiring, former homicide detective Bill Hodges is still haunted by his last case - a massacre they left 16 people dead. When the demented culprit begins to torment hodges, he is compelled to revisit the case.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 9pm

    ?↔️FERNE McCANN: FIRST TIME MUM

    ?ITV Be, 9pm

    ?↔️HOW I CAUGHT THE KILLER

    ?Sky Crime, 9pm

    ?HIDDEN FIGURES (2016)?

    Three African-American mathematicians have to overcome prejudice as they work on the IS space programme.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ??IDENTITY (2003)?

    After guests are stranded by a storm in a hotel they begin to die in turn.

    ?Horror, 9pm

    ??ABDUCTION (2019)

    In this soppy story, a man’s daughter is kidnapped by aliens. I wouldn’t recommend this unless you were in a very silly mood.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm

    ?↔️CELEBRITY JUICE

    Keith Lemon with two new team captains Laura Whitmore and Emily Atack.

    ?ITV2, 10pm

    ?SECOND COMING (2014)?

    A woman is nonplussed when she finds she is pregnant despite being months since she slept with her husband. God!!!

    ?Film4, 11.30pm

    ?FRIDAY

    23 October

    ??THE SECRET GARDEN (2020)?

    Re-telling of the story of a young girl who discovers a magical garden when she is sent to live with her uncle in this family drama.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    ?GOGGLEBOX CELEBRITY SPECIAL FOR SU2C

    This being the Stand Up to Cancer appeal.

    ?Channel 4, 9pm


    ?COUNT BASIE THROUGH HIS OWN EYES

    ?BBC4, 9pm

    TOP PICK

    ?↔️THE SAME SKY ?

    I would not normally flag up a subtitled programme, but this is worth a look. This gripping story concerns an East German spy who is sent to seduce a British Intelligence Officer in West Berlin during the Cold War.

    ?More4, 9pm

    LAST EMPEROR OF MEXICO

    Maximilian’s dream comes true when he becomes Emperor of Mexico, but the dream turns into a nightmare.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 12m’t

    HOT CHOCOLATE AT THE BBC

    Performances and interviews by the group.

    ?BBC4, 12.45am

  • So - what do you think so far? Are you finding these lists useful? Are they too long? Should they be more targeted?

    I am conscious that we all have different tastes, and it is surprising when you get down to it how much you can extract from the schedules that could be worth watching (except when channel hopping, of course, when you can’t find anything at that time!).

  • TV PICKS

    Week commencing 24/10/2020

    For Virgin Media subscribers who can also access Sky Atlantic through Now TV.

    CODE

    SD: Presented in standard definition on VM.

    UHD: Presented in 4K on VM

    ? - Sounds good

    ? - Might be worth a look

    ? - New to TV

    ↔️ - Series

    ? – Film

    ?– Presented in standard definition

    All programmes are presented in HD on Virgin Media unless otherwise indicated.

    ?SATURDAY

    24 October 2020

    ↔️APOLLO’S MOON SHOT

    America is shocked when the Space Race begins with the launch of Russia’s Sputnik. NASA launches its first astronauts and President Kennedy raises the stakes, promising to put Americans on the moon.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 4pm

    ↔️DAVID ATTENBOROUGH’S WILD CITY

    ?Sky Nature, 4pm

    ↔️THE LEFTOVERS?

    A second chance to see series 2.

    ?Sky Atlantic, 5.30pm

    ↔️THE DUST BOWL

    The drought crisis of America in the 1930s.

    ?PBS America, 6.15pm

    ??THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (2014)?

    The story of Stephen Hawking and his life from his time at university when he first noticed his health deteriorating.

    ?Sony Movies, 6.35pm

    ?TOP OF THE POPS 1964-1975

    Some of the best performances from the first 12 years of the programme.

    ?Yesterday, 7pm

    ↔️AUSTRALIA’S HIDDEN ISLANDS (UHD)

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 7.20pm

    ↔️THE MART

    Documentary about a livestock market in Aberdeenshire.

    ?BBC Scotland, 8.30pm

    ?ACTS OF VIOLENCE (2018)?

    Three brothers are set on a deadly collision course.

    ?Syfy, 9pm

    ??RED EYE (2005) ?

    Thriller about a hotel manager who gets drawn into a terrorist scheme to assassinate a politician.

    ?TCM Movies, 9pm 

    ??THE GRUDGE (2019)

    A cop comes into contact with a deadly curse in this disappointing mystery film.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10pm

    ?GASCOIGNE (2015)

    Documentary about Paul Gascoigne.

    ?Sky Documentaries, 10.10pm

    JANE’S ADDICTION: RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL (UHD)

    Blockbuster live performance of this album in its entirety and more, performed in 2017.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 11.35pm

    ?SUNDAY

    25 October

    ↔️GREAT BARRIER REEF

    Narrated by David Attenborough

    ?Sky Nature, 7pm

    FOREIGNER:,DOUBLE VISION 40th ANNIVERSARY (UHD)

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 7.30pm

    ↔️?LES MISERABLES ?

    France is on its knees after defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

    ?Drama, 8pm

    TOP PICK

    ↔️BELGRAVIA ?

    A family becomes successful and crosses the class divide, but an embarrassing secret threatens to hold them to ridicule.

    ?ITV3, 9pm

    ?↔️PIERS MORGAN’S LIFE STORIES

    Commencing with Cliff Richard.

    ?ITV, 9pm

    ↔️SAHARA: WITH MICHAEL PALIN

    A second chance to see the actor/comedian as he treks across the desert.

    ?BBC4, 9pm

    ?THE BLACK BRITISH THEATRE AWARDS

    ?Sky Arts, 9pm

    ?ABBA: IN THEIR OWN WORDS

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    THE CASE OF CAYLEE ANTHONY

    Documentary about the disappearance and death of a toddler.

    ?Sky Crime, 9pm

    ?AFTERSHOCK: BEYOND THE CIVIL WAR

    Black Americans still encounter frightening levels of violence against them.

    ?Sky History, 9pm

    ?↔️ALASKA: THE LAST FRONTIER

    Documentary featuring a family committed to homesteading.

    ?Discovery, 9pm

    TOP PICK

    ↔️? WOLF HALL ?

    Cardinal Wolsey is dismissed as Lord Chancellor and forced to flee his palace at York Place. The old noble families of England, jealous of their own right to advise the king, have long waited for this moment.

    ?Drama, 9.20pm

    ??THE LIGHTHOUSE  (2020)?

    Annoyingly for some, this film was made in black and white. However, the story looks good as two lighthouse keepers begin a frightening shift on a remote lighthouse. Prepare for some shocks...

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 9.45pm

    TOP PICK

    ↔️MR MERCEDES (UHD)?

    Another chance to see this series from the beginning. Two years after retiring, former homicide detective Bill Hodges is still haunted by his last case - a massacre that left sixteen people dead. When the culprit begins to torment Hodges, he is compelled to revisit the case.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 9.50pm

    ?LOVING (2016)?

    Fact-based drama in which an interracial couple in 1950s Virginia take their case to the Supreme Court after violating a law that prevents interracial marriage.

    ?BBC2, 10pm

    ?THE OLIVIER AWARDS

    Jason Manford hosts the awards ceremony recognising the best of British theatre.

    ?ITV, 10.20pm

    ?MONDAY

    26 October

    ?↔️?EUROPE’S WATERWAYS

    ?PBS America, 1.35pm

    ?THE ADVENTURE OF A.R.I. MY ROBOT FRIEND

    Children’s story about a discarded robot that a teen brings back to life.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 4.30pm

    ↔️GANGS OF LEMUR ISLAND

    ?Sky Nature, 5pm

    ?↔️STRICTLY: IT TAKES TWO

    Zoe Ball reviews the celebrities’ first routines of the competition.

    ?BBC2, 6.30pm

    ?BUILDING THE WORLD’S BIGGEST PLANE

    A look at the Antonio 124 Ruslan cargo plane.

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ?HAS COVID STOLEN MY FUTURE?

    A Panorama documentary.

    ?BBC1, 7.35pm

    ↔️ICE AIRPORT ALASKA

    It’s the world’s only hub airport to operate in temperatures as low as -38C and contend with winds over 100mph.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 8pm

    ?HOW SAFE IS GOING OUT?

    A Dispatches documentary.

    ?Channel 4, 8pm

    ?↔️FOOD UNWRAPPED INVESTIGATES

    Food allergies.

    ?Channel 4, 8.30pm

    TOP PICK

    ?↔️THE SISTER ?

    The life of a married man falls apart when a figure from the past reappears that brings back the horror of his involvement in the death of his wife’s sister.

    ?ITV, 9pm

    ?↔️KILLER BRITAIN

    ?CI, 9pm

    ?INSIDE THE BATCAVE

    Documentary about the secret world of a bat colony.

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    TOP PICK

    ?↔️THE UNDOING?

    Starring Nicole Kidman as a therapist leading a perfect home life with her husband (Hugh Grant) and son. Her life is turned upside-down when her son goes missing following a violent death. Donald Sutherland plays the father.

    ?Sky Atlantic, 9pm

    ?PRESIDENT TRUMP: TWEETS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE

    ?Channel 4, 9pm

    ?↔️?SISTER WIVES: TELL ALL

    ?Quest Red, 9pm

    ?A QUIET PLACE (2018)?

    Surprisingly watchable film starring Emily Blunt. A family is terrorised by monsters with hypersensitive hearing abilities.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ?↔️PADDINGTON STATION: 24/7: OFF THE RAILS

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ?↔️FAMILY GUY

    ?ITV2, 9pm

    ??THE GUEST (2014)?

    A couple start to question the character of their dead son’s friend when he comes to stay.

    ?Sony Movies, 9pm

    Qqq

    ?PEPE THE FROG: FEELS GOOD MAN 

    A Storyville programme

    ?BBC4, 10pm

    TOP PICK

    ↔️HATTON GARDEN?

    Fact based drama about the old timers who were responsible for the audacious Hatton Garden heist.

    ?ITV3, 10.10pm

    ↔️SECRET LIFE OF THE KANGAROO

    ?Love Nature, 11.20pm

  • ?TUESDAY

    27 October

    THE OBAMA YEARS: THE POWER OF WORDS

    The story of Barack Obama told through some of the defining speeches of his political career.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 7pm

    ?↔️OUR NEW PUPPY

    A Labrador receives training as an assistance dog.

    ?Channel 5, 7pm

    ?↔️AUTUMNWATCH

    Tracking nature changes over the season.

    ?BBC2, 8pm

    ??YOU’RE NEXT (2011)?

    Home invasion thriller in which a family gathering is interrupted by masked intruders. One guest, however, possesses the necessary skills to fight back.

    ?Horror, 9pm

    ?THE PERFECT WEAPON

    ?Sky Documentaries, 9pm

    ??THE AMERICAN (2010)?

    An assassin builds a weapon for a fellow murderer.

    ?Sony Movies, 9pm

    ?DAMILOLA: THE BOY NEXT DOOR

    Documentary presented by one of Damilola Taylor’s friends.

    ?Channel 4, 9pm

    ?↔️ROOM 104

    Drama anthology.

    ?Sky Comedy, 9.40pm

    ??BANANA SPLIT (2018)

    After a break-up with her high school boyfriend Nick, April strikes up an unexpected relationship with his new girl friend, in this pleasant teenage comedy.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 9.45pm

    ↔️DEADLY AUSTRALIANS

    Australia is home to the world’s most toxic, venomous and dangerous creatures.

    ?Sky Nature, 10pm

    ?HAIR POWER: ME AND MY AFRO

    ?Channel 4, 10.15pm

    ↔️GREAT LAKES WILD

    ?Love Nature, 11.30pm

    ↔️RENT LIKE A BOSS

    ?BBC1, 10.45pm

    ?AFTER TRUTH: DISINFORMATION AND THE COST OF FAKE NEWS (2020) ?

    ?Sky Documentaries, 10.50pm

    ↔️VOLCANIC ODYSSEYS

    ?Love Nature, 11.20pm

    ?WEDNESDAY

    28 October

    TOP PICK

    ?↔️BLINDSPOT?

    Return of the series. The survivors of the drone strike are determined to bring down Madeline, but it won’t be easy.

    ?Sky Witness, 9pm

    ?PHILPOTT: 5 MISTAKES THAT CAUGHT THE KILLER

    Mick Philpott killed five of his children and their half-brother by causing a fire at their home.

    ?Channel 5, 10pm

    ?BACKTRACE (2018)?

    The sole survivor of a bank heist suffers amnesia as a result of the events that happen and is sent to jail for his part in the crime. However, seven years later he is sprung from jail by criminals who are determined to extract from his damaged mind the details of the whereabouts of the loot.

    ?Syfy, 9pm

    ↔️THE FIGHT

    Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union prosecute four cases against the Trump administration.

    ?Sky Documentaries, 9pm

    ?SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (2011)(Presented in SD on Sky)?

    Sherlock and Dr Watson tackle the evil genius responsible for a wave of assassinations.

    ?TCM Movies, 9pm

    ??ANTHEM OF A TEENAGE PROPHET (2018)

    A teenager has a premonition that his best friend will die. This does not appeal to me as it sounds a bit of a plodder, but some may like it.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 9.45pm

    ↔️THE RAP GAME U.K.

    Six MCs make an attempt at being the next big rap star. This programme is followed by ‘Rap Trip: Underground Scenes Uncovered at 11.40pm.

    ?BBC1, 10.45pm

    ??THE SECRET OF MARROWBONE (2017)?

    Having run away from their cruel father, four children take refuge in their dead mother’s family home, but they are tormented by a sinister presence.

    ?Film4. 11.05pm

    ?THE DARK SHADOW OF MURDER

    Murder victim Moira Jones’s mother tells her story.

    ?BBC2, 11.30pm

    ?THURSDAY

    29 October

    ?↔️POWERING BRITAIN

    The world’s biggest offshore wind farm.

    ?BBC2, 7.30pm

    ??ABOVE SUSPICION (2019)?

    A true story about a poverty stricken woman who starts an affair with a clean-cut FBI agent.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    ↔️THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS ?

    An updated version of this story. The discovery of a renewable energy supply from plants called triffids has huge consequences for the human race - not in a nice way...

    ?Syfy, 9pm

    ?↔️AGENTS OF CHAOS

    Putin - they are talking about you!

    ?Sky Documentaries, 9pm

    ?SICARIO (2015)?

    Emily Blunt stars. An FBI agent is recruited to an elite narcotics task force operating from the US/Mexico border.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ??THE HARD COPS (2006)?

    A combat veteran is hired as a bodyguard to protect an ex-boxing champion from a vengeful music mogul. (Not Taylor Swift, I hope...)

    ?Sony Movies Action, 9pm

    UNBELIEVABLE FLYING OBJECTS

    A hilarious countdown of aircraft that have embarrassed their builders, enraged their pilots and terrified their pilots. These are stories of aircraft that should never have been built.

    ?Smithsonian Channel, 9pm

    ?↔️MR INBETWEEN ?

    Dark Australian humour in this story about a contract killer who has to juggle his work with his paternal responsibilities while also looking after his disabled brother. 

    ?Fox, 10pm

    ??CARRIE (2013)?

    Remake of the original film about a withdrawn and bullied teenager living with her mentally deranged mum who finally snaps at the school dance. Well worth watching this!

    ?5STAR, 10pm

    ?OUR MIRACLE BABY: BRINGING KIRA HOME

    ?Channel 5, 11.05pm

    ??COLD SKIN (2017)?

    A meteorologist and a lighthouse keeper are terrorised every night by blue-skinned creatures from the ocean.

    ?Film4, 11.25pm

    ?FRIDAY

    30 October

    TOP PICK

    ??THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020)?

    Starring Elisabeth Moss and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. An abused woman is not believed when she says her ex is abusing her. But then again, did he not commit suicide? She ‘knows’ that he must be using his genius to make himself invisible. But that’s impossible, right?

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    PRIDELANDS: WILDERNESS REBORN (UHD)

    An Australian family go on an adventure to restore an old hunting ranch in South Africa. Their goal is to rebuild the overgrown habitat, create an eco-tourism ranch, and allow the natural wildlife, including predators, to move back in.

    ?Virgin Ultra HD, 8.10pm

    ?IT (2017) ?

    Stephen King chiller in which a group of young people plan to destroy a demonic clown.

    ?ITV2, 9pm

    ??THIS IS HALLOWEEN

    ?Really, 9pm

    ??GREEN ZONE(2010) ?

    An army officer hunting for Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction unearths a conspiracy.

    ?Sony Movies, 9pm

    ?↔️THE LATE LATE SHOW

    Highlights of the talk show commence this series.

    ?Sky One, 10pm

    TOP PICK

    ↔️LINCOLN RHYME: HUNT FOR THE BONE COLLECTOR 

    A second chance to see this series from the start. Three years after an enigmatic killer nicknamed ‘The Bone Collector’ ended his career, Detective Lincoln Rhyme forms an unlikely duo with an NYPD officer to investigate a series of murders that suggest the killer’s return.

    ?Sky Witness, 10pm

    ?DRIVE ANGRY (2011)?

    Supernatural thriller in which a man from hell sets out to rescue his granddaughter from an evil cult.

    ?Comedy Central, 10.55pm

    ?THE WITCH (2015)?

    Panic and despair envelopes a father, his wife and children in 1830s New Hampshire when their youngest son vanishes.

    ?Channel 4, 12.15am

    ?THE AWAKENING (2011) ?

    A writer investigates a reported haunting at a boys’ boarding school.

    ?BBC2, 12.45am

  • So - what do you think so far? Are you finding these lists useful? Are they too long? Should they be more targeted?

    I am conscious that we all have different tastes, and it is surprising when you get down to it how much you can extract from the schedules that could be worth watching (except when channel hopping, of course, when you can’t find anything at that time!).

    I think they're brilliant and cover lots of different genres. I just wish I had the time to see the stuff, but at least I have a ever building mountain of stuff to watch in the future.:)

  • TV PICKS

    Week commencing 31/10/2020

    For Virgin Media subscribers who can also access Sky Atlantic through Now TV.

    CODE

    SD: Presented in standard definition on VM.

    UHD: Presented in 4K on VM

    ? - Sounds good

    ? - Might be worth a look

    ? - New to TV

    ↔️ - Series

    ? - Film

    ? - Presented in Standard definition

    All programmes are presented in HD on Virgin Media unless otherwise indicated.

    ?SATURDAY

    31 October 2020

    ?THE SECOND BEST MARIGOLD HOTEL (2015)?

    A delightful comedy starring Dev Patel, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Richard Gere. The owner of a retirement home must impress an inspector to secure much need investment.

    ?Channel 4, 6.45pm

    ??RICHARD JEWELL (2020)?

    A security guard is hailed as a hero after saving lives following the discovery of a bomb during the 1996 Olympics, but then he is accused of planting it.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    ?A BIG HISTORY OF AMERICA

    Documentary depicting America’s progress from a land with its wild beginnings to the familiar global superpower we all recognise today.

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ↔️McDONALD & DODDS?

    Drama. The series commences with a police investigation into the death of a homeless man.

    ?ITV3, 9pm

    ?LONG HOT SUMMERS: THE STORY OF THE STYLE COUNCIL

    ?Sky Arts, 9pm

    ?↔️GRANT?

    Documentary about Ulysses S Grant who rose to be an important Civil War General, eventually becoming US President.

    ?Sky History, 9pm

    ?BLOCKERS (2018)?

    A group of young women plan to lose their virginity on prom night but their parents have other ideas.

    ?Channel 4, 9pm

    ?DOOM (2005) (SD on Sky)?

    The Marines on a spaceship are ordered to go to Mars after a disaster.

    ?Paramount Network, 9pm

    ??MAKE UP (2019)?

    Mysterious psychological drama in which a teenager thinks her boy friend is being unfaithful. An unusual film which is well worth giving a go.

    ?BBC2, 9.45pm

    ?SPITTING IMAGE: US ELECTION SPECIAL?

    The original series of this show was very funny, so I hope this turns out to be as good. If you like it, the full series is on Britbox.

    ?ITV, 10pm

    ?WHITNEY (2018)?

    Documentary about the singer’s life and her descent after getting hooked on drugs.

    ?Channel 4, 10.55pm

    THE KENNEDYS: MONEY, MURDER & MARILYN

    ?Channel 5, 10.55pm

    ??DEVILS ROAD: THE TRUE STORY OF ED AND LORRAINE WARREN

    A profile of this paranormal power couple.

    ?Really, 11pm 

    ?↔️TUNE

    In this first first programme, YUNGBLUD joins LaFontaine’s frontman, Kerr Okan, to share the songs and stories which have shaped his life and career.

    ?BBC Scotland, 11.30pm

    ?THE RING (2002)

    A journalist faces a race against time when she investigates the legend of a strange videotape which allegedly claims the life of the viewer one week after watching it.

    ?BBC1, 12.35am

    ?SUNDAY

    1 November

    ?THE NATURE OF THINGS

    The life of a single bee, through its own eyes.

    ?Sky Nature, 2pm

    ?↔️AMAZING CAKES & BAKES

    ?Channel 5, 8pm

    ?AMERICA’S WILD BORDER: NORTHERN EXPOSURE

    Along the world’s longest border between Canada and the USA, wildlife lives with one foot in two worlds. Animals walk a tightrope of barriers and conflicting regulations, where one step over the line can mean the difference between life and death.

    ?Sky Nature, 8pm

    ?↔️ALASKA: THE LAST FRONTIER

    ?Discovery, 9pm

    ?TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL: TRUMP AND COVID-19

    Documentary. The title says it all.

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ?PRIDE OF BRITAIN AWARDS

    Ceremony for Britain’s unsung heroes.

    ?ITV, 9pm

    ?ELVIS: THE MAN WHO ROCKED THE WORLD

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ?FINAL ASCENT

    Documentary about mountaineer Hamish MacInnes.

    ?BBC4, 9pm

    ?AMERICAN NIGHTMARE: TRUMP’S BREADLINE KIDS

    A look at poverty through the eyes of three children in Ohio.

    ?Channel 4, 10pm

    ?↔️PERFECT HARMONY

    Comedy. When a former Princetown music professor stumbles into choir practice at a small-town church, he finds that the singers are out of tune in more ways than one.

    ?Fox, 10pm

    ??RESISTANCE (2020)

    Before he became a world- famous actor, Marcel Mangel joins the French Resistance to save thousands of orphaned children.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10.15pm

    ?↔️DARK LAND: HUNTING THE KILLERS (SD except in Wales)

    Documentary about a reinvestigation of the unsolved murder of 23-year-old Maureen Mulcahy of Port Talbot. After a major breakthrough, the team identifies a new prime suspect.

    ?BBC1 Wales, 10.30pm

    ?EXPOSURE

    This documentary investigates what it is like to be a Muslim in a country where you feel you don’t belong.

    ?ITV, 10.50pm

    ??BEATRIZ AT DINNER

    Black comedy in which holistic healer Beatriz receives a friendly invitation to stay for a business dinner after her car breaks down. She soon finds herself in a war of words with a ruthless real estate mogul who cares more about money than people.

    ?BBC2, 11pm

    ?MONDAY

    2 November

    ?↔️MY KITCHEN RULES: AUSTRALIA

    ?W, 7pm

    ??ETERNAL POMPEII

    Documentary focussing on the Pompeii volcanic eruption in 79AD.

    ?PBS America, 7.50pn

    ?BRITAIN’S COVID JOBS CRISIS

    A ‘Dispatches’ documentary.

    ?Channel 4, 8pm

    ?↔️MEET, MARRY, MURDER

    Documentary. A woman and her husband carried out the murder of her lover before the woman kills her husband as well.   

    ?CI, 8pm

    ?↔️PREDATOR BLOODLINES?

    A leopard who has lost its family learns to survive.

    ?Wild, 8pm

    ?↔️MURDER AT MY DOOR

    A 17 year old killed his girlfriend and arranged the crime scene to look like a suicide after she broke up with him.

    ?CI, 9pm

    Top pick

    ??THE CHILDREN ACT (2017)?

    Starring Emma Thompson and Fiona Whitehead. When a 17-year-old refuses a blood transfusion on religious grounds, a judge is brought in to determine the case.

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ??DON’T ROCK THE BOAT

    Celebrities row the entire length of Britain.

    ?ITV, 9pm

    ?DELIVEROO: SECRETS OF YOUR TAKEAWAY

    ?Channel 4, 10pm

    ?↔️ADULTS ONLY: PORN STAR PARENTS

    ?Channel 5, 10pm

    ↔️WHITE HOUSE FARM?

    Another chance to watch this fact-based drama about the murder of a family at a farmhouse in 1985.

    ?ITV3, 10pm

    ?LIFE (2017)?

    Terror strikes when astronauts aboard the International Space Station discover a rapidly evolving and hyper-intelligent life form that threatens Earth.

    ?Channel 5, 11pm

    ?↔️BASKETS?

    Start of the fourth series, which sees Chip searching for a new home.

    ?Fox, 11pm

  • ?TUESDAY

    3 November


    ?AUNG SAN SUU KYI: THE FALL OF AN ICON

    Documentary about the Myanmar leader and her fall from grace on the world stage.

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ?KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES (2016)?

    A couple in a suburban neighbourhood discover that the couple next door are spies for the government.

    ?E4, 9pm

    ?↔️BLACK MONDAY?

    Dawn and Blair consider a new deal.

    ?Sky Comedy, 9pm

    ?THE GRAPES OF WRATH: THE GHOST OF MODERN AMERICA

    A film examining the scandalous cult book by John Steinbeck. 80 years on, and the themes in the novel are as relevant as ever.

    ?Sky Arts, 9pm

    HITSVILLE: THE MAKING OF MOTOWN

    ?Sky Documentaries, 9pm

    ?↔️?CORNWALL AIR 999

    ?Really, 9pm

    ?↔️BEST OF MONSTERQUEST

    Reports of serpentine creatures lurking in dark waters are investigated.

    ?Sky History, 9pm

    ?↔️EDUCATING GREATER MANCHESTER

    Documentary about life at Harrow Fold School.

    ?Channel 4, 9.15pm

    ?THIS IS OUR LAND

    The hopes and the worries expressed by young Scots living in the countryside.

    ?BBC Scotland, 10pm

    ?ALTON TOWERS: A ROLLER COASTER YEAR

    ?Channel 4, 10.15pm

    ??KILLER INSTINCT (2019)?

    A woman rents out a house from a widower who has killer tendencies.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10.15pm

    CATCH HER IF YOU CAN

    Tamara discovered that her husband had transferred large sums of money to a ruthless fraudster, Maria Mola, from their current account.

    ?BBC1, 10.45pm

    ❗️Live ❗️US ELECTION

    Wall to wall news coverage of the incoming results of the US presidential election.

    ?BBC1, 11 pm

    ?ITV, 11pm

    ?BBC News, 11.30pm

    ?CNN, 11pm ?

    ?SON OF A GUN (2013)

    A teenage criminal finds himself locked up for a minor crime and is forced to adapt to the harsh realities of prison life. Australia’s most notorious criminal, Brendan Lynch, offers him protection, but it comes at a price.

    ?Channel 5, 3am

    ?WEDNESDAY

    4 November

    ❗️Live❗️US ELECTION

    Larry Kay and Andrew Neil present the results of the US presidential election

    ?BBC1, 6am

    ?↔️MONEY FOR NOTHING

    ?BBC1, 3.45pm

    ?CHILDREN IN NEED: 40 FABULOUS YEARS

    ?BBC1, 8pm

    ?↔️?A BLOODY LEGACY

    Conflicts between Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

    ?PBS America, 8.15pm

    ?ON BOARD BRITAIN’S NUCLEAR SUBMARINE: TRIDENT

    ?Channel 5, 9pm

    ?THE DISORDERED EYE

    Richard Butchins questions whether good vision equals good art.

    ?BBC4, 9pm

    ?↔️GORDON RAMSEY: UNCHARTERED - EXTRA HELPING

    ?National Geographic, 9pm

    ?GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF ?

    ?Sky Documentaries, 9pm

    ?THE TAKE (2016)?

    A CIA agent gets the help of a thief who has stolen top secret information to bring down a conspiracy.

    ?Film4, 9pm

    ↔️GREAT PARKS OF AFRICA

    In the northern reaches of the Kruger National Park, life depends on one thing - water.

    ?Love Nature, 10pm

    ?↔️THE EMILY ATACK SHOW

    ?ITV2, 10pm

    ?↔️LIFE & RHYMES

    ?BBC4, 10pm

    ??ASH IS PUREST WHITE (2018)?

    A story of female resilience and survival over two decades in a rapidly changing China. This might be quite good, so it is flagged up here despite being subtitled.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10.15pm

    ?SWALLOW (2019)?

    Thriller in which an abused housewife is compelled to consume dangerous objects.

    ?Sky Cinema Drama, 10.25pm

    EUGENICS: SCIENCE’S GREATEST SCANDAL

    Investigating the controversial idea that the human race can be improved by selective breeding.

    ?BBC4, 10.30pm

    ?WEE CHEF! (SD except in Northern Ireland)

    Without enough young people coming up the ranks, restaurants are facing a crisis. The hunt is on to find a new generation of chefs.

    ?BBC1 Northern Ireland, 10.45pm

    ?STORYVILLE: NOTES ON BLINDNESS

    ?BBC4, 11.30pm

    ?CHILD 44 (2015) ?

    A serial murderer in 1950s Russia is hunted by a secret police agent.

    ?Film4, 1am

    ?THURSDAY

    5 November

    ?HOW TO LOSE A STONE FOR CHRISTMAS

    ?Channel 5, 7pm

    ?BEING FRANK: THE FRANK GARDNER STORY

    Documentary about the BBC reporter who was disabled after being shot by Al Qaeda while carrying out his duties.

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ?↔️WICKED TUNA: NORTH v SOUTH

    ?National Geographic, 9pm

    ??OUTBACK (2019) ?

    Tense thriller in which two American high-school sweethearts get lost in the Outback when their satnav sends them in the wrong direction. Their dream holiday turns into a desperate fight for survival.

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 10.15pm

    ?FRIDAY

    6 November

    ?↔️LAOSHAN: CHINA’S HOLY MOUNTAIN

    Documentary about the mountain that is home to many Taoist and Buddhist sites.

    ?National Geographic, 7pm

    ??DOCTOR SLEEP (2019)?

    The boy we know from the original film ‘The Shining’ is now an adult. We find him as a recovering alcoholic after his traumatic childhood experiences. Plenty of shocks await us as a band of psychic vampires are hell bent on tracking down and killing a teenage girl with strong telepathic powers. Not for the faint-hearted!

    ?Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

    Top pick

    ?↔️TRACKERS ?

    In South Africa, the Presidential Bureau of Intelligence launches a covert investigation into a terrorist plot after an informant is executed by Islamic extremists. This action drama has proved a big success in South Africa.

    ?Sky Atlantic, 9pm

    ?↔️ROYAL HISTORY’S BIGGEST FIBS WITH LUCY WORSLEY

    ?BBC2, 9pm

    ??LAKEVIEW TERRACE (2008)?

    An LAPD officer will stop at nothing to force out the interracial couple who just moved in next door.

    ?Horror, 9pm

    ?PUNK/NEW WAVE YEARS WITH ANNIE NIGHTINGALE

    Two programmes about this era - back to back. The second programme starts at 10pm if this is not covered by a series link (due to slightly differing titles).

    ?BBC4, 9pm

    ?↔️ICON: MUSIC THROUGH THE LENS

    ?Sky Arts, 10pm

    ??DRIVE (2011) ?

    A movie stunt vehicle driver-cum-getaway car driver allows his involvement with an attractive neighbour to lead him into conflict.

    ?Sony Movies, 1.40am

  • Thank you, Horizon. I just hope that my aim, which is to improve the viewing experience for as many people as possible through recording preferences in advance, is actually working!

    Any suggestions for improvement would be welcome! (I am pretty thick-skinned, so don’t hold back!).

    Seems fine to me OB with a wide range of stuff to cater for all tastes.

    I tend to take a few notes, ie there was a film you posted about on Sony Movies a few weeks ago that I was interested in, but unfortunately I missed it when it was on. So, I have set a reminder to record it when it next shows and it's something I would've completely missed from normal tv listings, so thanks for that.:thumbup::)

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