A definitive guide to the best telly on air next week!
Monday 15th February
C4, 9pm – Undercover Police: Hunting Paedophiles
The second episode of a three-part series which goes undercover with the covert police officers who target people who pose a sexual threat to children online. With the National Crime Agency estimating that there are now 300,000 people in the UK posing a sexual threat to children, this hard-hitting series, three years in the making, has gained exclusive access to a previously unseen undercover unit. This episode follows an officer who assumes a new identity 'Keira' and begins engaging online with people who have demonstrated a sexual interest in children. 'Keira' is a 13-year-old from Essex who like many children her age is looking for love and friendship online. But in reality she is a middle-aged male undercover officer who needs to convincingly pass as a young teenager as he swaps messages with the men who target her. Within minutes of creating an account on a social media site for teenagers, 'Keira' is bombarded with highly sexualised messages from other users, many of whom are adult men. This is a pattern which mirrors the online reality for many girls. But this time behind the undercover officer is a team racing to identify and catch a user who has shown that he is intent on sexually abusing 'Keira', but also claims to be in contact with several other, real children. The episode exposes the risks social media poses for children throughout the UK and explores the new phenomenon of young men who have grown up with online pornography and are now being drawn into the disturbing and illegal world of online child sexual exploitation.
M4, 10pm – Coastal Railways With Julie Walters
Julie Walters, one of the country's best-loved actors, travels along Britain's beautiful coastal railway routes, exploring dramatic landscapes and uncovering surprising historical secrets. In this episode, Julie rides the West Highland Railway in Scotland, on board the famous Jacobite steam train, which has a starring role in the Harry Potter films. She gets some practical training in blowing up railway lines at Arisaig House, home to the Special Operations Executive from the Second World War. There's also herring gutting in Mallaig, a traditional Scottish storyteller on Skye and cattle wrangling at Duirinish.
Tuesday 16th February
C4, 8pm – Secret Safari
Kenya's breathtaking conservancy Ol Pejeta is one of the last remaining untamed places on Earth and one of the most important wildlife conservancies. Ol Pejeta is home to a vast range of species, from elephants, rhinos, hippos and lions, to hyenas, ostriches and cocktail ants. This series takes viewers on an intimate journey into the lives of an incredible cast of 13,000 wild animals. Narrated by actor Andrew Scott, this episode shows how growing up can be tough, especially in the wilds of the Kenyan savannah. Endangered black rhinos Harry and Lucky must grow up fast as they face the wild for the first time. Young jackals Teddy and Freddy are given their first test of responsibility looking after their younger, and wilder, siblings. And the long reign of alpha male baboon Alan comes under threat from a much younger and stronger candidate.
M4, 10pm – Back to the 80s with Lenny Henry
In the four decades that have passed since the inception of Channel 4 - a uniquely British institution tasked with ripping up the rule book - which shows have cemented its name in TV history and which would never see the light of day in 2020? In this series, four iconic faces and some special celebrity contributors take us on a guided tour of all things Channel 4, from live autopsies and award-winning documentaries to Russian roulette with real guns, anarchic live shows and some of the most ground-breaking comedy ever seen. In this episode, Sir Lenny Henry steers us through the 80s. Within a week of Channel 4 launching in November 1982, conservative activist Mary Whitehouse was decrying blasphemy in Brookside, and a certain game show involving word and number tasks made its debut at teatime. The 80s also played host to the channel's highest-rating transmission ever, cult live music show The Tube, and improv game show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and introduced the now national treasures behind The Comic Strip Presents.
Wednesday 17th February
C4, 8pm – Kirstie and Phil’s Love It Or List It: Brilliant Builds
It's been a strange 12 months, with many of us stuck indoors and the way we see and use our homes changing forever. In this new series, Kirstie and Phil look back at their most brilliant builds and deliver countless tips and tricks to help you maximise the spend on your precious bricks and mortar. As well as catching up with favourite families, Kirstie and Phil reveal some of the famous Love It or List It methodology when it comes to tackling that life-changing build: focusing on the layout issues and dilemmas that many of us now face in a very different world. This episode is all about future-proofing, as two families at very different stages of their lives tackle tricky renovations in a last-ditch attempt to make their homes work for the long term. In Clifford in Yorkshire, Vic and Paul Miller need help with their idyllic property. The arrival of their twins, Raphael and Grace, three years ago has accentuated the serious problems with the layout and Vic has had enough. She longs for a house with more bedrooms for the kids and more space for her parents to stay, so they can ditch the caravan when they visit from Southport. Will Kirstie's clever plan solve their woes? Also in need of help are the Lindleys from Ashtead in Surrey. Having built up a business empire from home, cyber security expert Bill has inadvertently taken over their detached chalet bungalow, turning it into his own personal control centre. But retired civil servant Pippa has had enough of their 'tatty little bungalow'. Will Kirstie's reconfiguration help Pippa to fall back in love with her house? And what happened after their life-changing decision of whether to love it or list it?
M4, 10pm – Jon Snow’s Very Hard Questions
Jon Snow hosts the quiz show where the brightest quiz teams from across the UK go head-to-head as they face the toughest quiz questions on television, on any topic, from science and nature to sport, world history and pop culture. A collection of clues are available to help the teams find the answers, but using them comes with a cost: the more clues they use, the more points they lose. Which teams have the general knowledge skills to conquer Jon Snow's Very Hard Questions? Intelli-Gents and Assassins' Guild compete for a place in the grand final, where the top two teams on the leaderboard will battle it out for the series champion crown.
Thursday 18th February
E4, 9pm – Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion Finale
Brand new: For the very first time, the celebs and their potential matches all bed down together in one very plush mansion, under the ever-watchful eyes of dating experts Paul C Brunson and Anna Williamson. After four intense weeks, the celebs and singletons' dating journey at the mansion comes to an emotional close with a Commitment Ceremony, where the celebs are faced with their biggest decision yet. With speeches, poetry, passion and a romantic revelation that shocks everyone, which couples are ready to take their relationship into the real world and which decide to call it a day?
E4, 10.15pm – Wife Swap Australia
Brand new: The reality TV show heads to Australia, seeing couples from different backgrounds temporarily switch spouses as they navigate emotive issues such as politics, class, gender and race. The end result is eye-opening and emotionally charged and - ultimately - where life lessons from both wives, families and children, are shared and learned. The opening episode see Elle, a glamorous Gold Coast Mum who's obsessed with fashion, makeup, and taking selfies, swap lives with Sheree, a simple, salt of the earth country Queenslander who lives in rural Gin Gin, and devotes her entire day to cooking, cleaning and looking after her children and grandchildren.
Friday 19th February
E4, 7.30pm – Married At First Sight Australia
Brand new: It's the final week of the experiment and the couples continue to embark on their final dates - will their bonds continue to flourish?
C4, 9pm – It’s A Sin
Final episode of the drama from Russell T Davies about five friends living and loving in the shadow of AIDS. November 1991, and Michael Jackson is Number One. As the situation darkens, life inside the Pink Palace is bound by love and compassion, and all the flatmates try their best to help. Jill (Lydia West) and Roscoe (Omari Douglas) work extra hours, while Ritchie (Olly Alexander) clings to past success, and even Carol (Tracy-Ann Oberman) finds a kinder side. But time is running out. And the truth must be told, no matter what the cost. As the final days of the old gang unravel, everyone must face up to the spectre of AIDS and the prejudice and fear that walk alongside it. But when Valerie (Keeley Hawes) goes on the warpath, terrible confrontations are made. It's up to Jill to find hope and reconciliation for Ritchie in the darkest days of their lives.
Saturday 20th February
M4, 8pm – The Great British Dig: History In Your Back Garden
In this new series, actor and comedian Hugh Dennis is joined by a team of expert archaeologists to excavate back gardens around Britain, in an attempt to uncover the lost history buried beneath our lawns and flower beds, while recruiting local people to get digging too. In this series, the team go in search of a Roman fort connected to Hadrian's Wall to shed new light on the Roman military, as well as a lost Viking burial ground to uncover further information about the lives of the Anglo-Saxons laid to rest there. They also dig deep to try and discover more about William the Conquerors' lost priory and the mysteries of the monks that walked its hallowed halls, and the secrets of a World War military base before it is lost to coastal erosion forever. In this episode, the dig gets underway as Hugh and the team attempt to uncover a Roman fort, connected to Hadrian's Wall, that's buried beneath the back gardens of the quiet suburban streets of Benwell in Newcastle. With a team of Roman specialists by their side, they pull back the layers of history to uncover a plethora of Roman artefacts and structure. New discoveries begin to shed new light on Romano-Britain and before long, the team unearth some exciting new evidence regarding civilian settlements and the military fort.
C4, 9pm – Mission Impossible - Fallout
Tom Cruise stars in part six of the espionage action-thriller series, written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. In Belfast, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) takes receipt of his latest autodestructing mission. He's told that, two years on from his capture of Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), Lane's remaining followers are wreaking havoc around the world. Calling themselves the Apostles, they've become terrorists for hire. Their worst act so far is unleashing smallpox on the borders of India, China and Pakistan, threatening a third of the world's population. But recently they've been contacted by an unknown entity called 'John Lark', who is seeking to destroy world order and has been linked with the disappearance of a Norwegian nuclear weapons expert. The Apostles have been communicating with Eastern European criminals who possess three stolen plutonium cores. If Lark and the Apostles get their hands on the cores, they could have three portable nuclear bombs operational within 72 hours. Can Hunt and his team prevent unprecedented global devastation? Co-starring Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby and Alec Baldwin.
Sunday 14th February
M4, 7.25pm – A Taste Of Italy
In this new culinary travel series, chef and restaurateur Nisha Katona embarks on a less-travelled path to reveal Italy's hidden foodie gems. On a voyage to uncover recipes and ingredients passed down for generations, Nisha shows us a different side of Italy and the unique, mouth-watering dishes that go beyond pizza and pasta. Travelling to the beautiful regions of Umbria, Puglia and Tuscany, Nisha takes in the stunning landscapes and historic architecture of each location and meets a local chef to learn the regional secrets that influence their dishes. Nisha shows us Italian cookery in a new and exciting way, inspiring us to try more authentic Italian cuisine for ourselves. In this episode, Nisha travels to the sunny port town of Bari in the Puglia region, where she's introduced to family recipes over 400 years old. Visiting Nonna Nunzia's house, Nisha discovers orecchiette con cima di rapa - handmade orecchiette pasta with broccoli - and tries a potato and mussel dish and street food favourite scaligiozi - a fried polenta snack. And inspired by her adventures in Bari, Nisha cooks steamed mussels in white wine with potato and broccoli.
C4, 9pm – The Great
Golden Globe-nominated comedy drama. Peter (Nicholas Hoult) - upset by the war - wants to achieve victory through more bloodshed. But Catherine (Elle Fanning) convinces him to negotiate, so she and Orlo (Sacha Dhawan) go with Peter and Velementov (Douglas Hodge) to meet the Swedes at a dacha in Denmark. Leo (Sebastian De Souza) is afraid Catherine might be falling out of love with him, so he decides to leave court. Marial (Phoebe Fox) discovers his intentions, and tries to stop him.
