This week in TV, Miriam Margolyes and Alan Cumming explore the beauty of Scotland and the American West Coast and Emily Blunt goes on an adventure in an epic western story.
Mariupol: The People’s Story
Tuesday
BBC One, 9pm
In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that led to thousands of fatalities and people being forced to leave their homes.
Before the war, Mariupol was a flourishing city that was home to 430,000 people but the invasion of Putin’s army changed their lives forever.
The powerful and emotional documentary is filmed by the residents who document their experiences of loss, bravery and daring escapes.
The film shows those who were among the people who sought refuge in Mariupol Theatre thinking it was safe, only for it to be bombed.
The documentary will also look at the bombing of the maternity hospital and Azovstal steelworks where hundreds of Ukrainians hid in bunkers and forces made their last stand.
Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland and Beyond
Tuesday
Channel 4, 9:15pm
Hollywood actors Miriam Margolyes and Alan Cumming are back together to travel across Scotland and to the American West Coast, discovering some of the most beautiful and remote destinations the places have to offer.
Along the way they reconnect with old friends such as actor Brian Cox and take trips down memory lane.
The pair begin by taking the Harry Potter Express steam train before getting back into their campervan to explore the Cairngorms.
In California, they explore places where they spent their youth, travelling from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Aldi’s Next Big Thing
Thursday
Channel 4, 8pm
Small time food and drink producers compete and pitch for their products to be stocked on the shelves of one of Britain’s biggest supermarkets Aldi.
Aldi’s managing director of buying Julie Ashfield is joined by Anita Rani and Chris Bevan to decide which entrepreneurs have what it takes to become part of the Aldi family.
The judges look at factors such as price, packaging, customer demand and the ability to scale up.
Each week focuses on a different theme, from healthy and wholesome, to bakery, store cupboard staples and fresh and deli.
The English
Thursday
BBC Two, 9pm
Hugo Blick’s epic western tells the story of aristocratic English woman Lady Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt) and Pawnee ex-calvary scout Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), who find themselves drawn together in an adventure that explores race, love and power.
The pair travel across mid-America in 1890, which is a violent land built on dreams and blood.
Both share a clear sense of destiny, rooted in a shared past they are unaware they have.
Together they will face shocking obstacles that will test their mental and physical strength.
Mammals
Friday
Amazon Prime
Jez Butterworth's new dark comedy drama explores what happens after we find the one.
Jamie (James Corden) is a chef whose life is turned upside down when he discovers a shocking secret about his pregnant wife Amandine (Melia Kreiling).
With the help of his brother-in-law Jeff (Colin Morgan), he decides to find out the truth and hunt for answers, which causes a rift in Jeff’s marriage to Jamie’s sister Lue (Sally Hawkins).
The series explores the challenges of modern marriage and the complexity of fidelity.