This week's top TV: 27 July - 2 August

This week's top TV: 27 July - 2 August

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Monday, 27th July 2015

This week's round up includes period dramas from the BBC and the return of Desi Rascals

Monday

Life in Squares

BBC Two, 9pm

Life in Squares
Maynard Keynes (Edmund Kingsley), Lytton Strachey (Ed Birch), Vanessa Bell (Phoebe Fox), Duncan Grant (James Norton), Virginia Woolf (Lydia Leonard), David ‘Bunny’ Garnett (Ben Lloyd Hughes), Leonard Woolf (Al Weaver), Supporting Artist, Clive Bell (Sam Hoare) at Charleston (Credit: BBC/Ecosse Films)

The tragic demise of author Virginia Wolf has often clouded stories of the iconic Bloomsbury group of creatives.

This new three-part drama by Amanda Coe (Room at the Top) has attempted to move the focus to celebrated painter Vanessa Bell, Virginia’s sister instead.

The bohemian group broke down 20th century societal norms, as they ‘lived in squares, painted in circles and loved in triangles,’ all of which makes for a dramatic tale of complicated love stories, work struggles and family suffering.

Tuesday

Taskmaster

Dave, 10pm

Frank Skinner, Taskmaster
Frank Skinner painting a horse on a horse (Credit: UKTV/Avalon)

Greg Davies is the Taskmaster, who takes comedians including Frank Skinner, Romesh Ranganathan and Roisin Conaty away from the safe confines of the panel show desk and the microphone stand, to set them a series of tricky tasks, from emptying a bath without using a plug, to painting a picture of a horse while astride said animal.

The show’s creator, Alex Horne, will encourage the contestants to be as creative as possible, using dodgy tactics, and bribery where necessary.

Wednesday

Desi Rascals

Sky1, 8pm

Desi Rascals
(Credit: Buccaneer Media/Chris O'Donavan/Sky 1)

If you thought Made in Chelsea had the monopoly on dramatic constructed reality shows based in West London, then you’ve obviously forgotten about Desi Rascals which returns for a second series this week.

This time, the cast are joined by more reality TV royalty, including The Apprentice’s Solomon Akhtar and Jasmin Walia from The Only Way is Essex.

Thursday

Prince Philip: the Plot to Make a King

Channel 4, 9pm

Prince Philip and the Queen
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Queen Elizabeth II by Dorothy Wilding chlorobromide print on tissue and card mount, 1947 (Credit: Channel 4/National Portrait Gallery London)

With German connections, an unpopular uncle and a lack of education, Prince Philip was hardly the most desirable candidate for the future queen’s husband.

Drawing on unpublished memoirs and interviews with Lord Mountbatten’s daughters and Prince Philip’s nephew Prince Rainer von Hessen, this film uncovers the challenges the young royal couple faced.

Friday

Ripper Street

BBC One, 9pm

Ripper Street
(Credit: BBC/Tiger Aspect/Bernard Walsh)

The making of Ripper Street is a spectacle in itself, with Amazon Prime picking up the series after it was axed by the BBC.

Now the third series of this Victorian drama is back on the Beeb, with its central characters in various states of chaos.

When a train accident kills 55 innocent people in Whitechapel, they unite to solve the mystery behind the tragedy.

Saturday

Tut

Channel 5, 9pm

Tut
(Credit: Channel 5)

Avan Jogia stars as 19-year-old King Tutankhamun, whose empire is controlled by his advisor Ay (Ben Kingsley), high priest Amun (Alexander Siddig) and army leader General Horemheb (Nonso Anozie).

The drama aims to shed light on the legendary Pharaoh, whose death has spent more time in the spotlight than his short life.

Sunday

Partners in Crime

BBC One, 9pm

Partners in Crime
David Walliams as Tommy Beresford (Credit: BBC Pictures/Endor Productions)

Though it cannot be denied that Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot have a knack for solving some of the most mysterious crimes of the 20th century, adventure doesn’t offer feature in Agatha Christie’s classic tales.

Cue Partners in Crime, Christie’s series focusing on Tuppence (Jessica Raine) and Tommy Beresford (David Walliams) who find themselves leaving a life of pleasant beekeeping for a world of murder, undercover agents and Cold War conspiracy.

This week Tuppence goes undercover and makes a discovery that she cannot let lie.

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This week's round up includes period dramas from the BBC and the return of Desi Rascals