From one of the biggest media moguls in the world, to the cats and dogs at risk from the coronavirus crisis.
Here are our TV picks for this week.
Paramedics: Britain’s Lifesavers
Channel 4
Monday 13th July, 9pm
The Covid-19 pandemic has put a lot of strain and pressure on many of our essential services, but especially on the ambulance service who have seen an unprecedented increase in demand.
Outside of London, the West Midlands Ambulance Service has been dealing with some of the hardest hit areas of Covid-19, with cameras following paramedic staff as they try to stay on top of the crisis.
The documentary was filmed during the peak of the pandemic in April, which saw calls to the ambulance service quadrupled and the 111 call centre in the West Midlands saw a 300 percent increase in calls with only 4 percent answered.
Featuring shocking real-life stories from a range of patients, the broader impact of the pandemic is explored, including the mental health problems many people have suffered due to months in lockdown.
The Plot Against America
Sky Atlantic
Tuesday 14th July, 9pm
Adapted from Philip Roth’s alternate history novel, The Plot Against America introduces a world in which America in the 1950s is under the rule of real-life historical figure Charles Lindbergh (Ben Cole) and has become a fascist state.
Lindbergh has mounted a campaign fuelled by xenophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric all the way to the Presidency and is advising against the US intervening in fighting the Nazis in World War Two.
Told from the perspective of a working-class Jewish family, the series stars Zoe Kazan as Elizbeth Levin, a mother scared for her family’s future, Morgan Spector as Herman Levin, an insurance agent desperate to hold onto a sense of normalcy.
Winona Ryder as Evelyn Finkel Elizabeth’s unmarried sister, who is ready to restart her life after caring for her sick mother, and John Turturro as Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf, a widowed rabbi who becomes a key figure in the Lindbergh administration.
The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty
BBC Two
Tuesday 14th July, 9pm
Rupert Murdoch is one of the most powerful men in the world. Owner of The Sun, The Times, The Sunday Times, Fox News and many more media outlets, his empire has influenced politics at the highest level.
The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty tells a story of power, family and money, delving into how Murdoch built such a formidable empire and the scandals that have rocked that empire over the years.
Murdoch’s power is so great, for over 40 years no British Prime Minister has won an election without him giving support to their campaign, which he has used in his favour to grow his empire.
Rarely seen archive material tells the story of private dinner meetings, tabloid newsrooms, private jets and exclusive parties, plus the battle amongst his children to ascend the throne once he steps down.
Paul O’Grady's For the Love of Dogs: Back in Business
ITV
Wednesday 15th July, 8pm
Paul O’Grady will once again return to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to discover the medical, rescue and re-homing achievements of the charity.
O’Grady is a Battersea ambassador and animal lover and in the special programme filmed in March, he follows Battersea’s attempts to find homes and temporary carers for over 80 cats and dogs before the sites had to close their doors because of coronavirus.
This is the first time Battersea has been forced to close their doors to the public in their 160-year history, but everyone rallies together to protect and care for the animals.
The Murder of Stephen Lawrence
ITV
Thursday 16th July, 9pm
Written and directed by Paul Greengrass, The Murder of Stephen Lawrence is just as relevant today as it was in 1999 when the film was made.
The film stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Stephen's mother, Doreen, and Hugh Quarshie as his father, Neville, and is based on the heart-breaking story of Stephen Lawrence, who was brutally murdered in 1993 in a racially motivated attack while simply waiting for a bus in Eltham in London.
The original investigation failed to convict the people responsible which sparked a campaign for justice and a national inquiry, but it was only 18 years later that just two of the gang of five were convicted of the murder.
A follow up series, Stephen, has been announced by ITV which will examines the struggles Lawrence’s parents Doreen and Neville faced in achieving justice for their son.
Cursed
Netflix
Friday 17th July
A re-imagining of the Arthurian legend, Cursed tells the story of the Lady of the Lake Nimue (Katherine Langford), who is on a mission to stake her claim to Camelot in order to save the fairy people.
Based on the New York Times best selling book by Frank Miller and Thomas Wheeler, the fantasy series also stars Gustaf Skarsgård as Merlin, Daniel Sharman as the weeping monk, Sebastian Armesto as King Uther Pendragon and Lily Newmark as Pym.
Nimue is a young woman with an extraordinary gift who is a member of a persecuted group and teams up with Arthur, a humble mercenary, to begin on a quest to deliver an ancient sword to Merlin.
During her journey, Nimue becomes a symbol of hope, courage and rebellion against the destructive Red Paladins and their corrupt King Uther.
