Your guide to the best TV picks this week

With the good weather looking as though it is here to say we have picked out just one gem a day.

Sunday 22/07/18

Unforgotten (ITV, 9pm)

Nicola Walker is a very busy woman - and we should be pleased about that because it means we'll get to see more of her.

She's been on our screens for more than 20 years, but it feels as if it's only now that she's coming into her own - and we probably have Sally Wainwright to thank for that.

Wainwright is the writer behind Last Tango In Halifax, in which Walker plays Gillian, the daughter of Derek Jacobi's character. She's somebody we should probably dislike - she makes terrible decisions that continually land her in trouble and never learns from them - and yet in Walker's hands, she's lovable and probably the one person in the show you feel you could go for a pint with and really enjoy their company.

More recently she underwent what looked like a corporate makeover to play Hannah Stern, a top divorce lawyer in the BBC's enjoyably soapy legal drama The Split. But now she's back as DCI Cassie Stuart in ITV's wonderful crime series Unforgotten.

For the uninitiated, do yourself a favour and tune in. Each series - the latest is the third - focuses on one cold case investigated by Cassie and her sidekick, DS Sunny Khan, portrayed by Sanjeev Bhaskar. They've become one of the most formidable double acts on TV.

Last week, the latest run began with the discovery of a body on a building site near a stretch of the M1. It was identified as that of a teenage girl who went missing around the turn of the millennium, and a group of now middle-aged male friends - played by James Fleet, Alex Jennings, Neil Morrissey and Kevin McNally - have become the police's prime suspects.

"It was fantastic having the new cast members join us," say Walker of her co-stars. "I actually did my first-ever job with James Fleet in Four Weddings And A Funeral, which I am in for a blink! I met James there and have done plays with him since. I think he is absolutely remarkable in this show.

"I had also worked with Alex Jennings on Spooks but hadn't worked with Neil Morrissey or Kevin McNally before, so that was exciting. That is always one of the best bits about this job, doing those first few scenes when we knock on the door with the new suspects behind it, knowing you are going to go on this interesting and long journey with them."

One of the reasons the drama has become so popular is the dynamic between Cassie and Sunny; they have a purely platonic relationship and it's clear they truly like and admire each other.

"Their relationship is unique for a TV drama," claims Walker. "It's great to see it because I know it is possible - I have wonderful male friends in my life who I rely on, but you just don't see it very often on screen."

In this week's episode, they work together well once again as they journey to Middenham to meet the parents and sister of the victim. They also call on retired detective John Bentley, who claims the original investigation was flawed from the start.

He also thinks Hayley's boyfriend could be the culprit - but a sudden moment of inspiration puts the duo on a different path.

Monday 23/07/18

Who Is America? (Channel 4, 10pm)

The arrival of Sacha Baron Cohen's new series Who Is America? last week caught some people on the hop when it became a very late addition to the Channel 4 schedules.

Some viewers may have thought that Baron Cohen coming back to the channel where he first found fame - his character Ali G was the breakout star of The 11 O'Clock Show - was the sort of news that Channel 4 would have been trailing for months.

But then, there is also a strong case to be made for keeping his return to the small screen quiet, both here and in the US, where the series airs on Showtime.

After all, along with the catchphrases, Ali G was most famous for his hilarious interviews with unsuspecting public figures, many of whom seemed so worried about being deemed out of touch that they went along with his line of questioning, no matter how outlandish it may have been.

But the more famous you become, the harder that trick is to pull off. Luckily, Sacha had other characters to draw on, including Borat, the Kazakh journalist who became the star of his own smash-hit, Oscar-nominated film which saw him travelling around America.

Sacha then unleashed the Austrian reporter Bruno on what seemed to be increasingly less unsuspecting public.

Some fans may have wondered if it was Sacha's increasing fame that led him to move into more conventional film stardom - as well as appearing in the comedies The Dictator and Grimsby, which he co-wrote and produced, he also cropped up in the Madagascar movies and Hugo. He even got to show off his musical chops in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Les Miserables, making it more of a shame that his plans to play Freddie Mercury never came to pass.

But maybe the actor and comedian was also just biding his time and lulling politicians into a false sense of security, because we now know that he's spent the past year undercover, speaking to people from across America's cultural and political spectrum.

And we knew he'd bagged some big names before the first episode had even aired, as a couple of them took to social media to register their displeasure.

Sarah Palin claimed she'd been 'duped' into taking part in an interview, saying: "Ya' got me, Sacha. Feel better now? I join a long list of American public personalities who have fallen victim to the evil, exploitive, sick 'humour' of the British 'comedian.'"

However, according to David Nevins, President and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc, it's not just about tricking famous faces. He says: "[Sacha] is the premier provocateur of our time, but not for the sake of 'gotcha' moments. Behind the elaborate setup is a genuine quest for the truth about people, places and politics. Nobody knows how to cause a stir like Sacha Baron Cohen..."

And given the reactions so far, expect this second episode to get people talking...

Tuesday 24/07/18

Love Your Garden (ITV, 8pm)

Betty Hicks is an amazing lady. Now 90 years young, the fearless lifelong volunteer and fundraiser, who lives in Fareham near Southampton, has raised thousands of pounds over the years and helped increase awareness for a number of causes, both locally and nationally.

Betty's last epic adventure saw her abseil down Portsmouth Harbour's Spinnaker Tower in 2016.

The structure, which represents sails billowing in the wind, is two and a half times as high as Nelson's Column, and can be seen from the Isle of Wight, the Manhood Peninsula and Highdown Gardens in Worthing. It is one of the tallest accessible structures in the UK outside London.

So what made Betty want to complete this feat of derring do and make her way to the top and then to the bottom of the 170-metre-tall structure?

Like many other elderly people, Betty suffers from macular degeneration (also known as age-related macular degeneration, AMD or ARMD) - a gradual loss of sight.

This common condition leads to a deterioration in the middle part of a person's vision and usually first affects people in their 50s and 60s.

Although it doesn't cause total blindness, it can make everyday activities like reading and recognising faces difficult.

Betty is understandably passionate about this, and chose to abseil down the giant structure on the south coast to raise funds and awareness of the condition.

Despite her youthful get-up-and-go attitude, Betty's garden in Fareham is actually a green-free concrete box, and there are so many levels and trip hazards, that it's currently off limits to the sight-impaired nonagenarian daredevil.

So in step Alan Titchmarsh and his team of experts, Yorkshire designer Katie Rushworth, Kent horticulturalist Frances Tophill and This Morning's resident gardening expert David Domoney.

They are returning with a new series of the popular gardening programme, as they share more inspirational ideas and green-fingered tips, while transforming the backyards of some of the nation's most deserving people.

The team sets about rejuvenating Betty's garden and turning it into a safe, and sensory haven for her.

Inspired by Betty's love of vivid colour - which her failing sight can still appreciate - the team creates an elegant formal garden that's brimming with the brightest of shades.

Alan shares some topiary tricks of the trade, and along with the other experts, they eventually astound Betty with the radical garden transformation.

However, along the way, it's brave Betty who leaves the team speechless.

She regales them with remarkable tales from a lifetime of feats and fundraising and explains why she is still putting others first, even at the grand old age of 90.

Despite Alan and the experts good deed in her garden, viewers will be left in no doubt as to who the real hero is.

Wednesday 25/07/18

The Bletchley Circle San Francisco (ITV, 9pm)

As New Order sang so memorably in their 1990 World Cup anthem World in Motion, "When something's good it's never gone."

That certainly seems to be the case with The Bletchley Circle.

ITV launched the first series in 2012 with a cast led by Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachael Stirling, Sophie Rundle and Julie Graham. They played women who met during the Second World War when they worked as codebreakers at Bletchley Park, deciphering messages from the Nazis.

Seven years after the end of the conflict, they were all bored with their ordinary, domestic lives and looking for a challenge - which came in the form of several suspicious deaths that one of the gang believes are linked and are the work of a serial killer.

Maxwell Martin quit before series two, which involved the remaining members trying to clear the name of another former comrade as she awaits trial for the murder of an old flame.

That run ended in 2014 and ITV decided not to recommission the period drama for a third run, despite the fact that it helped boost the presence of women on screen by having four female leads.

Four years on, the show is back - but not quite the same as it was before. It's been snapped up by the US streaming service BritBox, who have produced a new version that sees two members of the original team - those played by Stirling and Graham - transported to San Francisco.

"In 2018, BritBox will up the ante with our first commission, more co-productions and more popular programming and star power from all genres appealing to new subscribers along with our very loyal existing members," said the company's president Soumya Sriraman when the show was announced, before adding: "With this new continuation, we have the chance to build on its amazing legacy and give its loyal fans an exciting new chapter."

The Bletchley Circle isn't the first show to receive a new lease of life thanks to an online firm - the same thing happened to Ripper Street when the BBC axed it, only for Amazon Prime to give it a new lease of life.

When we meet up with Jean and Millie again it's 1956. Jean uncovers evidence that suggests the killer who murdered a Bletchley girl during the war may be up to his old tricks in the city by the Bay. They set sail for America in the hope of teaming up with one of their US counterparts who was employed at the famous Presidio.

Using a scrap of wartime code, they locate the woman in question, Iris, a musician and maths genius who, along with her engineering protege Hailey, agrees to lend a hand.

Their investigation takes them deep into the heart of the Fillmore District and closer than ever before to a killer who doesn't just take the lives of his victims, he mutilates them too.

Iris struggles to cope with the pressure - can she hold it together long enough to make sure justice is done?

Thursday 26/07/18

Eat, Shop, Save (ITV, 7.30pm)

TV bosses are clearly worried about our waistlines - and our bank balances.

For the past couple of weeks, we've had Gregg Wallace and Chris Bavin on BBC1's Eat Well for Less? trying to show families across the UK how they can cut down on their food bills and improve their diets in one fell swoop.

But clearly it's too big a job for just two men, so ITV is drafting in the re-enforcements with Eat, Shop, Save, which is back for a second series.

If you missed the first run, it pretty much does what it says in the title. It sees presenter Ranvir Singh and her team offering families across the UK advice on how they eat better and save money on their shopping. However, it's not all about the volunteers' diets, as they are also given tips on changing their lifestyles and getting fitter.

Speaking ahead of the first series, fitness consultant Tom Pitfield said: "Fitting exercise into your day is never easy when you've got children to look after. But I wanted to show the families in the series that finding just 15 minutes a day can make all the difference. And you don't need an expensive gym - these routines can be done in your own living room, so it couldn't be easier to get fit and healthy."

The rest of the team were equally enthused. Chef and nutritionist Dale Pinnock said: "Helping these families cook simple, cost-effective meals from scratch was a challenge, especially as most of them normally eat takeaways and ready meals. But the simple dishes, combined with the advice of using a weekly meal planner really helped them focus, and the results were amazing!"

Presenter Ranvir added: "I was thrilled with the results the families achieved, from losing weight to spending more time together. But the real eye-opener for me was how much money everyone saved because most people, including me, reckon being healthy costs loads more, but my team proved the absolute opposite is true!"

It seems the public agreed - the first series saw an average of three million viewers tuning in to pick up tips.

However, there's clearly still work to be done, especially as weekly grocery budgets are being stretched by high prices at the supermarket - and it's arguably even harder to tighten your belt when you live in the most overweight country in Western Europe.

So, Ranvir, Dale and Tom are back, and this time they are joined by savvy shopper Kate Hardcastle, ready to set more families an eight-week challenge.

Over the course of the series, we'll see them meet families who are living off ultra-processed food as well as a dad with an addiction to sugary energy drinks and a single mum who is worried that her own bad habits will have an impact on her children's health.

But they begin in County Durham with the Bassett family, who are currently splashing out on takeaways. Can the team convince them that home cooking will not only be healthier but also help them achieve a life-changing saving goal?

Friday 27/07/18

Celebrity 5 Go Caravanning (Channel 5, 8pm)

When the BBC launched The Real Marigold Hotel in 2016, some cynics may have initially seen it as an attempt to cash in on a successful movie. But in fact, it seems to have spawned a whole new subgenre, where TV bosses take a group of veteran celebs and pack them off on holiday together.

Sometimes, there's an added twist to the format - like Gone to Pot, the ITV series where Linda Robson, Pam St Clement, Christopher Biggins, John Fashanu and Bobby George travelled around America in a psychedelic bus to learn about the pros and cons of marijuana, or Last Laugh in Vegas, which saw the likes of Su Pollard and Bernie Clifton putting on a show - but usually the main draw is seeing the stars interact.

But what is that we find so entertaining about these series? Well, perhaps it's because seeing people enjoying themselves can be infectious - and the stars of Celebrity 5 Go Caravanning certainly seem to be having a good time.

Actress Sherrie Hewson admits she quickly bonded with her famous fellow travellers, telling What's On TV: "There was great camaraderie and some stories we told can't be televised!"

Over the past couple of weeks, we've seen the Benidorm star getting to know former Doctor Who Colin Baker, ex-EastEnder Todd Carty, legendary DJ Tony Blackburn and pop star Sonia, but this week there's a new recruit to their gang in the form of Brian Capron, who is best known for playing killer Richard Hillman in Coronation Street.

He hitches a ride as the caravanners meet at the Tamar Bridge before crossing from Devon into Cornwall - although Colin manages to get into a scrape before they even set off.

Once they are actually on the road, the gang get to swap anecdotes before arriving in Bodmin, where Brian's prior caravan experience comes in handy as he gives his new travelling companions a masterclass in awning arranging.

Tony then indulges in a slightly more adrenaline-fuelled activity as he takes a death defying leap from the edge of a disused quarry, while the other guys do a spot of ghost-hunting at Jamaica Inn.

But it seems for Sherrie, the most frightening element of the Cornish leg of their journey involved taking to the road on two wheels. She told What's On TV: "I haven't cycled for 25 years and in Cornwall they put me on a bike but I couldn't balance and got scared."

There's more trouble brewing when the heater fails in the girls' caravan, but maybe a cream tea will warm everyone up...

We can rest assured that any strife won't last for long as Sherrie has revealed that the caravanners are still keeping in touch via a WhatsApp group and were planning a meet up.

And if the news that this is the penultimate episode leaves you wondering where your next fix of holidaying celebs is coming from, ITV is currently showing Our Shirley Valentine Summer on Thursdays.