Winterwatch (BBC2, 8pm)
IT takes a special kind of dedication to be outdoors on these cold January lockdown nights. But they do not come more professional and enthusiastic than the Winterwatch team, who are back to sit around a roaring fire in big padded jackets. Chris Packham will be in the New Forest with his step-daughter Megan McCubbin, while Iolo Williams is at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales, hoping to see some amazing murmurations. Gillian Burke is at The Beaver Project in Cornwall and young naturalist Indy Greene hunts for one of our most elusive birds of prey – the goshawk.
Outbreak: The Virus That Shook the World (STV, 9pm)
ALTHOUGH it is still unknown exactly where the coronavirus outbreak began, many early cases were attributed to people who visited the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, located in Wuhan, China. On February 11 last year, the World Health Organisation named the disease Covid-19, and soon the pandemic spread across the world. This documentary explores that spread. Medical professionals look back at the initial outbreak in China, with suggestions that the authorities attempted to cover up the danger.
Silenced: The Hidden Story of Disabled Britain (BBC2, 9pm)
PREPARE to be shocked, horrified and moved by this documentary from writer, actor and CBeebies presenter Cerrie Burnell. Born without the lower part of her right arm, Bernell was shocked to discover that some parents thought her being on TV would scare her core audience of youngsters. Now she’s investigating where such attitudes come from, and why they persist. It’s a journey that takes her back in time to the Victorian era, a period in which people with disabilities were often workhouse residents living under terrible conditions.
Staged (BBC1, 9.45pm)
IN last night’s episode, David and Michael continued to butt heads as they were forced to read with various new potential cast members. Tonight, the project is in real danger, as Simon hears desperate news from Georgia via Lucy, and tries yet again to get the bickering acting duo to work together. However, it ultimately falls to a final pair of new potential cast members to offer David and Michael a new perspective on their friendship.
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