The Unbelievable Story of Carl Beech

Monday 24^th August

BBC Two, 9pm

Carl Beech was front page news in 2014 when he went public with allegations that he had been sexually abused by his stepfather, Jimmy Saville, and a group of prominent men, triggering a £2 million police investigation called Operation Midland.

Filmmaker Vanessa Eagle uses exclusive interviews from those close to the story at the time and Beech’s own words taken from his blogs and police and media interviews, to reveal the true story of Beech.

Beech gave the names of 12 abusers to the media and police, which included former prime minister Sir Edward Heath, Conservative MP Harvey Proctor, the former head of the British armed forces, Lord Bramall, and former Conservative home secretary Leon Brittan.

Beech then took the allegations further, stating that he had witnessed Lord Bramall, Harvey Proctor, and Lord Brittan murder three young boys.

However, as the Met dug deeper into these allegations, Beech soon became a suspect.

A League of Their Own

Tuesday 25^th August

Sky One, 8pm

Now hosted by Romesh Ranganathan with team captains Jamie Redknapp and Andrew Flintoff, the sports-based comedy quiz is now entering its 15th series and will once again be filled with sports-based trivia, challenges and games.

This series will feature famous faces in sport and beyond, with big names like Anthony Joshua, Rob Beckett, Andy Murray and Alan Carr joining the trio and providing plenty of laughs, even with social distancing in place.

The show isn’t without its risks however, with Ranganathan breaking his wrist and dislocating his thumb when racing Redknapp in a BMX challenge in the new series. 

The Truth About Cosmetic Treatments

Tuesday 25^th August

BBC One, 8pm

There are so many cosmetic treatments on the market now, there is a treatment to target any part of the body. As the industry opens its doors again, there has been a rise in new non-invasive procedures.

Treatments like injectable fillers and fat freezing are becoming more common, but with the UK industry unregulated, it puts into question how effective and how safe these treatments are.

Medical journalist Michael Mosley teams up with blogger and journalist Mehreen Baig to put these treatments under a microscope, from surgery-free nose jobs, to stem cell facelifts and skin tightening treatments.

Delving into the psychology behind the industry, Mosley will also perform an experiment to test if treatments like botox and fillers increase perceived attractiveness.  

Peter: The Human Cyborg

Wednesday 26^th August

Channel 4, 9pm

Scientist Peter Scott-Morgan has motor neurone disease, but rather than be held back by his disease, as soon as he was diagnosed, Morgan saw it as a chance to use robotics and create the world’s first human cyborg.

Over 18 months, cameras follow Scott-Morgan, doctors, scientists, engineers and designers as they combine surgery with AI computers and robot technology to capture Morgan using synthesized speech and a facial avatar.

This is the first time most of this technology has been applied in this manner and could change the way people with conditions like motor neurone disease live their lives going forward.

BBC Proms 2020

Friday 28^th August  

BBC Two, 8pm

The Proms are known as the world’s greatest classical musical festival and even in these unprecedented times, viewers will get to witness world-class performances from some of the greatest classical musicians.

There may not be an audience, but there will be a series of live performance from the Royal Albert Hall. In keeping with tradition, the BBC Symphony Orchestra will open and close the series, led by Principal Guest Conductor Dalia Stasevska.

This year the Proms turns 125 years old and as well as live performances, special moments from the archives will also be shown across BBC Radio 3, BBC Four, BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer. 

This year will include performances from Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, Mitsuko Uchida with the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle and The Aurora Orchestra led by Nicholas Collon, with many more to enjoy.

Strike: Lethal White

Sunday 30^th August    

BBC One, 9pm

Cormoran Strike is back for the fourth series of the detective drama based on the novels by JK Rowling, who published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

Tom Burke returns to play the war veteran and is joined by his clever and loyal investigating partner Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger). This series will see them investigate a case that takes them into the centre of parliament and to a mysterious country manor.

When a troubled young man visits Strike with memories of a horrific crime he witnessed as a child, despite not being able to remember specific details, Strike promises to help him and get to the truth of what happened.

At the same time, Ellacott is newly married and struggling to balance her relationship with her commitment to the job, plus the unique connection between her and Strike continues to complicate matters.