Secret Scotland with Susan Calman (C5, 8pm)
CALMAN is back for a third series and her latest journey begins with a hunt for secrets in the former industrial powerhouse of Falkirk. She embarks on a canal boat trip, and takes a look inside the Falkirk Wheel and at the Kelpies, before meeting the inspiration behind the latter – one of the largest breeds of horse, the Clydesdale. A few miles from Falkirk, Calman visits giant Georgian pineapple, and ventures into Midlothian to explore a royal hideaway filled with stories of passion, betrayal and daredevil courage.
Gardeners’ World (BBC2, 8pm)
WHILE we wonder what happened to summer, it’s anyone’s guess what autumn will bring. But there’s obviously plenty of work still to do for green-fingered enthusiasts. In this week’s offering, the seasonal planting of bulbs begins at Longmeadow, and Monty Don adds in some spring-flowering daffodils. Frances Tophill chats to a gardener whose allotment is filled with traditional and exotic vegetables, and there’s another chance to see Mark Lane’s visit to Oxfordshire and pick up some top tips about ornamental grasses, perennials and annuals.
Atlantic: A Year in the Wild
(C5, 9pm)
AS winter draws to a close, the Atlantic springs back to life. Temperatures rise, days lengthen and food is plentiful again. However, spring in the north is short, the animals only have a few months to find food, a mate and start a family – all the while avoiding predators. Around the British and Irish coast, thousands of gannets must find a place to nest before they can raise a family. Meanwhile, killer whales leave Iceland and head to the Shetland Isles, where they hunt harbour seal pups.
The Romantics and Us with Simon Schama (BBC2, 9pm)
THE historian recounts the story of how the Romantics, fuelled by the failures of the French Revolution and horrors of the Industrial Revolution, retreated from the tragic uproar of public life to take a journey into their own minds. Here, long before Freud and Jung and the modern psychological revolution, they discovered the subconscious – something that would have a profound effect on the modern world. Contributors include Tobias Menzies, Peter Doherty, Piotr Anderszewski
and David Attenborough.
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