David Attenborough

The Alistair Cooke Lecture


David Attenborough gave the final Alistair Cooke Lecture (Credit: BBC)

Sir David Attenborough. ‘Nature, Science and the Camera, 1998

Alistair Cooke. ‘60 Years.....Behind the Microphone. Before the Camera.....A Memoir’, 1997

Senator Alan Simpson and Congresswoman Pat Schroeder. ‘Television and Politics - After the Election’ (New York), 1996

This weeks’ top TV: 22 – 28 August

One of Us will explore morality, human nature, and family secrets (Credit: BBC)

Monday

Sarah Beeny’s Four Rooms

More 4, 9pm


Sarah Beeny (Credit: Channel 4)

RTS award-winning Four Rooms is back with a new host, Sarah Beeny. A cross between Antiques Roadshow and Dragons' Den, the programme sees members of the public try and sell their prized items to stone-faced dealers for a good price.

This week's top TV: 2 - 8 May

Monday

Posh Neighbours at War

Channel 4

7.30pm

Quite aside from having a title to die for, the documentary offers an insight into some of the most vicious spates between neighbours in some of the most expensive parts of the country.

In parts of London where properties can cost tens of millions of pounds, the residents are unsurprisingly a bit on edge about noisy neighbours and their property.

This week's top TV: 25 April - 1 May

Olivia Colman

Monday

Flowers

Channel 4

10pm

From writer/director Will Sharpe and starring Olivia Colman (Broadchurch) and Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh), the eccentric Flowers family are undergoing something of a meltdown. 

Maurice (Barratt) is a children's author, while his wife Deborah (Colman) is a trombone teacher. Both are dealing with their own demons, and are quietly helpless as their marriage falls apart. 

David Attenborough to present Planet Earth II

David Attenborough will present Planet Earth II

The six-part series comes ten years after Planet Earth redefined history filmmaking.

It will use state-of-the-art technology to help tell the story of our natural world, visiting jungles, deserts, grasslands and cities, and look at how animals survive within them.

Speaking about the new series, Attenborough, who this year celebrates his ninetieth birthday, said: “I am very excited to once again be working with the Natural History Unit on its latest landmark series and am especially looking forward to getting out on location in the next month or so.”

Grant celebrates pioneering natural history broadcaster Sir Peter Scott

Sir Peter Scott at Slimbridge

Scott, the son of Antarctic explorer Captain Scott, presented the BBC’s first ever natural history programme live from his studio lounge in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire in Mary 1953.

Today Slimbridge is a centre for science and conservation, and was opened to the public by Scott in 1946 to allow people to get closer to nature and promote the conservation of Britain’s wetlands and wildlife.

This week's best on demand TV

Catastrophe (Credit: Channel 4)

1. Catastrophe

Available on All4

Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney's acerbic comedy about a couple who get pregnant after a one-week-stand was one of this year's funniest new sitcoms. The second series has just started on Channel 4, and it's just as sharp, vulgar, and uproariously funny as the first. In the opening two episodes, the pair are adjusting to family life - and try to rekindle their romance with an ill-fated minibreak to Paris.

 

BBC launches online store

Top Gear

The BBC has launched a “treasure trove” of its content from the last 60 years.

BBC Store is a new digital service that aims to give audiences easy access to their favourite BBC programmes.

The website allows users to download individual episodes, series or bundles of several series of the same show for a one-off payment, which can then be watched through BBC iPlayer in a new My Programmes area.