BEAR ABOUT THE HOUSE: LIVING WITH MY SUPERSIZED PET
C4, 8pm


WHEN we first got our dog, the biggest difficulty was tearing ourselves away from him. All he had to do was roll over on the rug and offer up his tiny white tummy and I’d be straight down on the floor to give him tickles, abandoning everything else.

But it seems other pets offer bigger problems. In this documentary we meet people who live with terrifying animals, such as crocodiles and bears.

One couple has a huge Russian bear, a former circus animal, who sits at the table with them for tea. This is simply unnatural, and part of me longed for the bear to rear up, smash the teapots, and charge out into the hills.

Another couple owns a pet buffalo which takes baths in the local car wash and then grabs a few beers in the pub.

For heaven’s sake, just get a dog!

JODI’S LOVELY LETTERS
BBC1, 7.30pm


HOW can anything with “lovely” in the title be of interest? Shouldn’t such a saccharine word belong on daytime TV or CBeebies?

I started watching this with a sneer, ready to feel nauseous at all the lovely loveliness. But this documentary wasn’t syrupy sweet; it was actually quite … lovely.

“This is a little note to remind you of how incredible you are.

You are strong and so loved.” That’s the kind of thing Jodi writes to people, to anyone who might need a bit of support or cheer.

She set up a project called One Million Lovely Letters in which people can visit her website and she’ll send them a friendly letter if they’re in need.

A personal, handwritten letter conveys a warmth and closeness an email, tweet, or silly emoji never could, so Jodi “changes lives by doing something very simple – writing letters to complete strangers”.

But what made her start this project, and what qualifies her to dish out so much love?