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Drive to Survive
Friday 23 February, Netflix
A week ahead of the opening race of the 2024 Formula One series in Bahrain, Netflix’s excellent docuseries going behind the scenes of last year’s races returns for a much-anticipated sixth series. Lewis Hamilton fans might want to sit this one out (no wonder he’s moving to Ferrari in 2025) as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen dominates the podiums once again. Meanwhile, Lando Norris is upset with the state of his car over at McLaren and Lawrence Stroll balances being head honcho of Aston Martin with being father of driver Lance.
Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
Saturday 24 February, 7pm, ITV1
![From ITV Ant & Dec???s Saturday Night Takeaway: on ITV1 and ITVX Pictured: Ant & Dec This photograph is (C) ITV Plc and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned above, or ITV plc. This photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by ITV plc Picture Desk. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on the website www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms For further information please contact: michael.taiwo1@itv.com](https://wp.inews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SEI_192728890.jpg?w=760)
It’s the end of an era, as Ant and Dec are preparing to lay their long-running entertainment series to rest after 22 years. Will Saturday evenings still be the “happiest 90 minutes of the week”? There are a few episodes to go before we’ll be forced to find out and this weekend’s opening episode promises lots of family-friendly laughs and – as ever – plenty of prizes. Simon Cowell gets pranked, Stephen Merchant is in the studio as Guest Announcer, and pop star Becky Hill helps Ant and Dec in the traditional (and usually bananas) End of the Show Show.
Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough
Sunday 25 February, 8pm, Sky Nature
After a brief stint back at the BBC (for David Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster and a third series of Planet Earth III) the world’s eminent naturalist returns to Sky for a new series all about how animals use sound. Attenborough narrates as cutting-edge technology reveals a never-before heard world of nature’s noises. From baby caiman who can communicate with each other from inside their eggs to the eerie hum of a fish, super-sensitive microphones capture sounds that are usually often out of reach of the human ear.
The British Airways Killer
Monday 26 February, 9pm, ITV1
![From Moonshine Features THE BA KILLER Monday 26th February 2024 Part 1 Thursday 29th February 2024 Part 2 On ITV1 and ITVX Pictured: Diana Parkes ???Joanna Simpsons mother On Halloween 2010 at the age of 46 Jo was battered to death by her husband BA Captain Robert Brown in the vicinity of her children aged just 10 & 9 at the time, this was just 1 week before the finalization of their divorce. Halloween, 2010. Britain is rocked by the disappearance of Joanna Simpson, a wealthy heiress and mother of two from Ascot. The following morning her husband, a British Airways Captain makes a 999 call to report a domestic issue. Despite handing himself in, Robert Brown then refuses to help the police with their missing persons investigation. With full access to the unseen Robert Brown police interview tapes, and Joanna???s friends and family, this is the gripping story of a complex investigation by Thames Valley Major Crime Unit. It charts an acrimonious divorce and a pre-nuptial agreement of a wealthy heiress that was to change British legal history and leads to the tragic discovery of a body in a shallow grave in Windsor Great Park. (C) Moonshine Features For further information please contact Peter Gray Mob 07831460662 / peter.gray@itv.com This photograph is (C) *** and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned herein. Once made available by ITV plc Picture Desk, this photograph can be reproduced once only up until the transmission [TX] date and no reproduction fee will be charged. Any subsequent usage may incur a fee. This photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by ITV plc Picture Desk. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on the website www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms](https://wp.inews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SEI_192731094.jpg?w=760)
On Halloween night in 2010, wealthy heiress Joanna Simpson went missing from the affluent town of Ascot in Berkshire. Eventually her husband, British Airways pilot Robert Brown turned himself in to the police and admitted he had bludgeoned her to death and buried her body in a shallow grave. Over two harrowing episodes, this true crime documentary recounts how officers gathered evidence against Brown while interview tapes reveal how the murderer initially refused to help with the investigation. Simpson’s friends and family also pay tribute to their lost loved one.
The Jury: Murder Trial
Monday 26 February, 9pm, Channel 4
Juries have been an integral part of our judicial system since the 12th century, when Henry II appointed 12 free men to pass judgment in land disputes. But is it still an effective way to convict or acquit in 2024? This experiment aims to find out by presenting the exact same murder trial – itself a replica of a real trial – to two different juries. They must decide whether the defendant, who admits to killing his wife, is guilty of murder or the lesser sentence of manslaughter. If they come up with different verdicts, there are surely questions to be asked about the efficacy of jury trials.
Shōgun
Tuesday 27 February, Disney+
Based on the first novel in James Clavell’s Asian Saga series, this historical drama is set in 16th century Japan. It follows English sailor Pilot Major John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), who is shipwrecked along the shore of a country that is going through political turmoil. As he settles in Japan, fate brings him into the path of Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a powerful daimyo – a Japanese feudal magnate – who will stop at nothing to quieten his opponents, and a mysterious, fearsome samurai, Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai).
Rob Beckett’s Smart TV
Thursday 27 February, 9pm, Sky Max
It’s quite brave of Sky to launch yet another comedy panel show, following the death of Mock the Week and the slow but inevitable decline of Have I Got New for You?. Perhaps Rob Beckett’s new series will be safe from audience apathy, though, as it steers well clear of politics and instead focuses on something that (almost) everyone loves – TV. Alison Hammond and Josh Widdicombe are regular team captains, while a conveyor belt of celebrities will join the trio each week to prove who knows the most television trivia.
Things You Should Have Done
Thursday 27 February, 9pm, BBC Three
If you’ve spent any amount of time on TikTok over the past few years, you’ll recognise comedian Lucia Keskin’s face – but you probably know her better as Chi with a C. This off-the-wall sitcom is her first foray into television, in which she plays stay-at-home daughter Chi, who is used to having everything done for her. But when both her parents die, she learns she can only inherit their house if she completes a list of tasks drawn up by her father. With the challenges ranging from the simple (pet a dog) to the more grown-up (get a job), each episode sees Chi attempt to leap towards independence – much to the dismay of her Auntie Karen (Selin Hizli, Am I Being Unreasonable?), who also has her eyes on the house.
The Mighty Mississippi with Nick Knowles
Thursday 27 February, 9pm, Channel 5
Getting in with Channel 5 bosses is the best thing that ever happened to Nick Knowles, who has swapped making housing programmes to become a travel presenter. So far he’s made series on California’s Death Valley, the Grand Canyon and enjoyed multiple Amazing Railway Adventures. Now he’s travelling along the Mississippi River, which stretches through an impressive 10 states and is the second longest river in the USA. Knowles starts in Minneapolis, taking in the river from a helicopter before zooming south on a Harley-Davidson towards his end destination of New Orleans.
Darren McGarvey: The State We’re In
Thursday 27 February, 9pm, BBC Two
In this unforgiving and resolute documentary series Scottish writer, rapper and social commentator Darren McGarvey – otherwise known as Loki – examines the state of the UK’s institutions. Across three episodes and with privileged access to prisons, schools and hospitals, he aims to expose the problems with the nation’s judicial, education and healthcare systems before attempting to find solutions that would benefit us all, not just the few.
