Television: Highlights for the week ahead
POLICE
Devon And Cornwall Cops/The Detectives: Inside The Major Crimes Team
STV offer two documentaries this week about the police. First up is a three-part series about the work of Devon and Cornwall Police Force, which has the biggest geographical area in England – and 700 miles of coastline – to patrol, from the Isles of Scilly to the crowds of Plymouth.
Advertisement
Hide AdThe stunning landscape offers a stark juxtaposition to the issues the force deals with, from officers working alone in moorland areas when back-up can be miles away, to policing their friends and neighbours in close-knit communities and keeping the population safe as 11 million tourists join the 1.7 million locals over the summer.
The second programme, also a three-parter, follows the work of detectives from Lancashire Police as they investigate serious crimes, from the initial call through to charging the suspects. In the first episode, investigations are launched after a young mother is raped by a man she met through a dating website and a Polish man is stabbed to death in Blackpool.
Monday, STV, 8pm/Thursday, STV, 9pm
COMEDY
Peter Kay’s Car Share
The beautifully observed and performed comedy starring Peter Kay and Sian Gibson returns for a four episode run. After being forced to commute together in a supermarket car share scheme, assistant manager John Redmond (Kay) and promotions assistant Kayleigh Kitson (Gibson) find themselves, reluctantly, having to make the daily commute to work separately now that Kayleigh has moved in with her sister.
In a bid to compete with the likes of Netflix, the whole series will be available on the BBC iPlayer as a box set immediately after this episode airs on BBC1.
Tuesday, BBC1, 9pm
DOCUMENTARY
The Knowledge: World’s Toughest Taxi Test
For the first time, a fixed camera rig has been allowed inside the nerve-wracking oral exams which candidates known as ‘Knowledge Boys or Girls’ must pass to show they have the necessary expertise to become a London taxi driver. To pass, the candidates must memorise and be able to recall the capital’s 25,000 plus streets, 100,000 points of interest and how they all fit together.
The film follows the surprising range of characters who are each at various stages of the process, including a single mum, a Kosovan immigrant and a bus driver. It takes an average of four years to pass The Knowledge, but the drop out rate is 70 per cent.
Wednesday, Channel 4, 9pm
MUSIC
An Evening With Take That
Advertisement
Hide AdWith a new album and a UK tour beginning next month, Take That warm up with a TV special performed in front of an audience of fans from across Europe. Expect some tracks from new release, Wonderland, plus plenty of old favourites.
Today, STV, 8:30pm
COMEDY
Our Friend Victoria
The life and work of the late, great Victoria Wood is celebrated in this six-part series with re-runs of famous sketches and contributions from those she worked with, including Julie Walters, Celia Imrie and Duncan Preston.
Tuesday, BBC1, 9:30pm
MILITARY
Warship
Follow Britain’s biggest warship, HMS Ocean, and her crew on a sensitive seven-month active deployment to the Middle East.
Monday, Channel 4, 8pm