This week's top TV: 2 - 8 May

This week's top TV: 2 - 8 May

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By Ed Gove,
Friday, 29th April 2016
This striped house hit the headlines around the country when the owner refused to paint over them (Credit: Channel 4)

Monday

Posh Neighbours at War

Channel 4

7.30pm

Quite aside from having a title to die for, the documentary offers an insight into some of the most vicious spates between neighbours in some of the most expensive parts of the country.

In parts of London where properties can cost tens of millions of pounds, the residents are unsurprisingly a bit on edge about noisy neighbours and their property.

Journalist Rachel Johnson tells of difficulties she experienced living next door to a basement renovation while actor Tom Conti complains about the proliferation of noisy leaf blowers in Hampsted - something everyone can sympathise with, I'm sure. 

 

Tuesday

In the Club

BBC1

9pm

Katherine Parkinson plays new mother in this popular returning drama (Credit: BBC)

The popular maternal drama is back for a second series - nearly two years since the first!

The mother-to-be that we met in the first series are now mothers-that-are, and are struggling through all the joys of new motherhood - screaming, crying, vomiting - as well as having to manage their own lives, deal with their husbands (who are varying shades of useless) and make time for themselves.

Jasmin (Taj Atwal) enjoyed it so much the first time that she's back in the club again, expecting twins. Meanwhile Kim (Katherine Parkinson) feels overwhelmed by her maternal responsibilities and takes to the web to share her deepest feelings, and Roanna (Hermione Norris) is having difficulties with her toyboy lover and their new baby. 

 

Wednesday

Her Majesty's Prison: Norwich

ITV

9pm

HMP Norwich in Norfolk houses more than 750 adult inmates and young offenders, including father-of-two, Rocky
(Credit: ITV)

HMP Norwich is home to a over 750 inmates ranging from first-timers to serial offenders, from petty burglars to violent murderers, but this documentary looks beyond the headline figures to the personal stories within the prison walls.

With half of the prison's population being fathers, the prison actively supports the building of family ties. In the show you'll meet Nick, doing for 13 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine, who records bedtime stories for his son to listen to.

The show also introduces Liam who bought a stun gun online and is now serving a 20-month sentence for possession of an illegal firearm, while his family are left reeling as they struggle to come to terms with it. 

 

Thursday

Peaky Blinders 

BBC2

9pm

Tommy has moved up in the world, rubbing shoulders with the rich and powerful 
(Credit: BBC/Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd/Tiger Aspect/Robert Viglasky)

The 20s are back on our screens as Tommy and his gang return for a third series, and Tommy has moved up in the world. The show opens in his luxurious Warwickshire mansion, where he regularly mingles with high society and where, somehow, he and the gang have found themselves caught up in the world of international affairs. 

He has not lost his edge though, and away from the champagne and swanky parties, Tommy is still the man that we all know.

 

Friday

Artsnight

BBC2

11.15pm

"The history of the world is the biography of great men" (Credit: BBC / George Cathro)

Comedian David Baddiel explores the idea of greatness and great men in this edition of Artsnight, asking whether the idea is even relevant in the arts and if so who can be called 'great'.

Along the way he speaks to writers including Martin Amis and Katie Roiphe to get their thoughts on how, in a world where cultures and ideas differ so hugely, anyone can be thought to be truly great.

 

Saturday

Attenborough's Passion Projects 

BBC2

6.30pm

David Attenborough using sign language to communicate with members of the Biami tribe, Papua New Guinea
(Credit: BBC NHU)

As part of the celebration of Sir David Attenborough's 90th birthday, the BBC is looking back at four passion projects from his career. 

The series starts with a look at his 1971 programme A Blank on the Map which saw Attenborough head to unknown territory in the middle of Papua New Guinea spending some time with the Biami tribe.

After spending a number of weeks in the jungle, Attenborough and his team see tree kangaroos, huge pythons and then, eventually come into contact with a group of tribal people, never before seen by Europeans. 

 

Sunday

The Durrells

ITV

8pm

Keeley Hawes stars in this adaptation of Gerald Durrell's autobiographical books about his time in Corfu
(Credit: ITV)

In this final episode of the series, the family are preparing for a big celebration, meanwhile Gerry is undergoing a personal crisis of his own as he questions whether keeping animals in his home zoo is a good thing to do or whether he ought to release them into the wild. 

That's it for The Durrells for now, however with filming for the new series pencilled in for this summer, fans can look forward to another great series of the popular family drama. 

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