Prepare to be informed, educated and entertained - this week's best TV has it all!
King Lear
Monday: BBC Two, 9.30pm
Anthony Hopkins (Westworld) holds court as the aged King Lear, who rashly divides his kingdom between his three daughters. Emma Thompson (Nanny McPhee) and Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island) are superb as icy older sisters Goneril and Regan to Florence Pugh’s gentle Cordelia. Striking set pieces in the Tower of London add an air of gravitas too that can sometimes be lost in contemporary adaptations.
4 Men, 175 Babies: Britain’s Super Sperm Donors
Tuesday: Channel 4, 10pm
Retired teacher Clive has an unorthodox approach to sperm donation. He’s traveling the length of the country in a white van on a solo mission to bring children to women who want them. Don’t worry, it’s all above board and there’s never any suggestion of anything untoward between Clive and the women – apart from the obvious. Clive claims to have altruistic intentions in offering up his sperm, merely wanting to “leave a legacy”. However legally, it’s a minefield. Will Clive have to park his van and walk away?
Pompeii’s Final Hours: New Evidence
Wednesday: Channel 5, 9pm
One of the most well-documented volcanic eruptions in history, the eruption caused the residents of the Italian city of Pompeii to be killed where they stood, providing one of the best preserved examples of an ancient civilisation. We are still learning about them through the remains of their petrified bodies. Presenter John Sergeant is joined by historian Bettany Hughes and archaeologist Raksha Dave to guide viewers through what might have happened in the days leading up to the event that led to the deaths of 3000 people.
Great Art
Thursday: ITV, 10.50pm
The focus this week is Edouard Manet, who was one of the most influential artists of the 19th Century. The Royal Academy of Arts’Artistic Director, Tim Marlow, guides us through an exhibition of Manet’s work including portraits of his wife, Suzanne Leenhoff. Though contemporaries on the whole didn’t appreciate his work, he is now considered the father of modern art.
Africa: a Journey into Music
Friday: BBC Four, 10pm
Rita Ray, presenter, DJ and singer from 1980s rhythm and blues revival band Darts, explores the continuing influence of African music on popular culture by talking three distinct areas and kinds of music across three episodes. In the first she explores the sounds of Nigeria, and meets Nigerian pop legend King Sunny Adé. Ray also outlines a history of the drumbeat found everywhere in Africa, the “source of the sound”.
Wheeler Dealers
Saturday: Quest, 6pm
The weather is looking great today – or possibly terrible (we write this in advance), so your attention will be far from your TVs. However Saturday sees the final episode in this series of Wheeler Dealers on Quest. Mike sets out to prove that you can make money on a car without spending a fortune. Plus it’ll give you an insight into what the show's about ahead of our RTS event, Making Shows Great Again next week.
Frankie Goes to Russia
Sunday: BBC Two, 9pm
In the lead up to this year’s World Cup, comedian Frankie Boyle explores the host nation, Russia. Taking a look at national stereotypes and exploring the country's football culture, this episode sees him visit the seaside town hosting the England team which is also a place notorious for football-related violence. Other highlights include him joining a daredevil motorbike football team, meeting the sabre-wielding Cossacks policing the World Cup stadiums and recording a world cup rap.