Impossible Railways
Yesterday, 8pm
SINCE their meteoric rise in the 19th century, railways have been at the cutting edge of engineering and transport. Here, six more extraordinary stories of engineering feats of the railways are brought to life, and this first episode showcases wilderness lines that have pushed the frontiers of human endeavour into previously unknown territories. There are examples from around the world, along with high-tech graphics and stunning on-location footage.
The Great British Sewing Bee,
BBC2, 9pm
THE Great British Sewing Bee is returning for a new series and although there’s no Claudia Winkleman this time around, the producers have found a highly suitable replacement presenter in comedian Joe Lycett. In the opening episode he meets 10 of Britain’s best amateur stitchers, who are vying to impress judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young in the first challenges.
Shetland,
BBC1, 9pm
THE latest run of Vera may have recently come to an end but the good news for fans of acclaimed detective dramas based on the novels of Ann Cleeves is that Shetland is back with a new six-part tale. The latest mystery begins when a jogger discovers a severed hand on the beach during her morning run. When Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall) and his team investigate, they make an even grislier find: a holdall containing more body parts. Forensics reveal that the parts all came from the same victim, who is later identified as a young Nigerian man spotted in Lerwick a few days before.
Inside the Real Saudi Arabia: Why I had to Leave,
BBC1, 11.45pm
SAUDI Arabia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a woman. Despite this, Saudi-born stylist Basma Khalifa has been persuaded to travel back to the country she hasn’t been to since her parents moved to Northern Ireland when she was three. She’s never felt at home in the UK so maybe she can start a new chapter of her life in Saudi Arabia under the new crown prince. However, days after arriving in the country, news breaks of the murder of the Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
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