REFORMATION, BBC4, 10pm
THE Reformation was something I was vaguely aware of, but didn’t properly learn about until university. Then, after one lecture in particular, it all fell into place: Aha! So THAT’S why Rangers and Celtic don’t like one another…
Seriously though, the Reformation is a fascinating topic even though it concerns weighty legal and religious matters. There is such satisfaction to be gained from learning about it and then drawing direct lines through time and connecting them with the present day, but for those who still find it a forbidding topic, here’s a drama to tempt you in.
In German, with English subtitles, this two-part series tells the story of Martin Luther, the priest who kicked it all off.
It starts in 1517, in Wittenberg, where one man’s rebellious thinking would change the entire course of history, and the face of Christian civilisation, by defiantly nailing his ideas to the door of the church – and unleashing chaos.
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF, C4, 8pm
I’VE loved this new series. The move to Channel 4, and the shuffle in presenters, hasn’t dented the Bake Off’s charm and popularity at all. They have got things precisely right: just a tiny bit of change, but not too much.
However, tonight brings in something new, and the die-hard fans might shudder slightly. In the immortal words of Garth from Wayne’s World: “We fear change.”
This evening’s episode has a brand-new theme: it’s Forgotten Bakes Week, and this has never been tried before.
“Forgotten Bakes” are surprising and unfamiliar recipes that have long since fallen out of fashion, such as the brilliantly named Bedfordshire Clanger, and which are designed to catch the remaining bakers off guard, and push them out of their floury comfort zones.
There’s also an incredible showstopper round, which some describe as “disgusting!”
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