Celebrity Hunted and The Undeclared War: TV highlights this week

Hitler’s Games: Berlin 1936 In Colour (Saturday 01/08/2026, Channel 4, 8pm)

Words by Richard Jones

Many people think that US President Donald Trump had far too much sway at the recent men’s FIFA World Cup. But world leaders using a major sporting event for their own means and self-promotion is nothing new.

The 1934 World Cup took place under Mussolini’s rule in Italy, while controversy was rife when 1978 edition of the tournament was staged in Argentina at a time when thousands of people were disappearing at the hands of a murderous military junta.

Meanwhile, as recently as 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the World Cup in 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin was accused of using the events as political power tools and that they were textbook cases of sportswashing, an allegation which was also aimed at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

However, none of those events compare to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, when Adolf Hitler used the Games to promote ‘Aryan supremacy’ and legitimise his Nazi regime. Despite calls for boycotts, arguments that sport should not interfere in politics prevailed and the Games went ahead.

They were impeccably staged and were a propaganda triumph for the Führer. But for the rest of the world, they were, in hindsight, a disaster.

Hitler’s Games: Berlin 1936 in Colour begins in 1931, when Germany was awarded the Olympics in the hope this would draw the nation into the international community and world peace would be promoted through sport.

For 16 days in August 1936, cameras captured the sporting spectacle, including the Gold Medal triumphs of record-breaking American sprinter Jesse Owens.

The Berlin Olympics were groundbreaking – many innovations introduced in 1936 such as television coverage and the torch relay became part of every subsequent Games.

This documentary tells the story of the remarkable amateurs who excelled 90 years ago, but also how Hitler used the Games as propaganda for his brutal regime, to show the Nazis as benign and their military ambitions as modest.

Using black-and-white archive, transformed by cutting-edge restoration and colourisation, this is the story of the Olympics that fooled the world.

That programme is followed by the first part of Dictator: The Hitler Interviews (9pm), a three-part series featuring never previously broadcast and deeply disturbing interviews with some of the Führer’s closest friends and enablers.

Today, we know Hitler as the epitome of evil. But it wasn’t always like that. There was a time when people worshipped him, went to war for him, and were willing to die for him.

For the first time, we see Hitler from a different perspective as former classmates, war criminals and people who were at his side as he tried to conquer the world shed new light on who he was and how he wielded his power.

The first instalment starts with looking at his upbringing, explaining what motivated his extremist political views and the socio-economic conditions in Germany that made him so appealing to everyday citizens.

Hitler’s rise to power came a few years before the mid 1930s, when he used the world’s greatest sporting event to promote his beliefs and increase his power. However, as the programme shows, the warning signs were there for all to see.

Richard E Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey (Sunday 02/08/26, Channel 4, 8pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

The world has gone Odyssey mad at the moment. And who can blame it?

Christopher Nolan’s star-studded, epic adaptation of Homer’s Ancient Greek poem has been doing amazing business at the box office since it opened last month, despite early criticism for its use of modern language, American accents, lack of Greek actors and a supposed absence of historical accuracy.

However, those who have seen it have mostly been swept away by Nolan’s vision, something he’s been carrying around with him for many years, it seems: “I remember seeing a school play of [the Odyssey] when I was five or six years old,” he claimed during an interview with Empire magazine. “When you start to break down the test and adapt it, you find that all of… the films I’ve worked on – you know, they’re all from the Odyssey. (His wife) Emma Thomas said it best when we first announced the project: it’s foundational.”

Production companies Silverlining and Emporium Productions haven’t been slow to jump on the bandwagon either, recognising, like Nolan, that Homer’s tale can be told in a number of ways – including with a modern angle. Now they’ve teamed up to make a new Odyssey-inspired four-part travelogue hosted by a national treasure.

“Christopher Nolan’s movie is creating a huge amount of interest in the reality behind the myths of The Odyssey,” states Bethan Corney, founder and MD of Silverlining. “Emporium has cleverly brought in Richard E Grant, who is loved all over the world, to deliver a beautifully packaged series which combines ancient history with lush landscapes and modern-day locals.”

“The magnificent legend of Odysseus’s decade-long journey home has enthralled readers and audiences for millennia,” adds Emma Read, Founder and Managing Director at Emporium Productions. “With this series we wanted to travel to the locations popularly associated with Homer’s epic and reveal the history behind them while discovering the draw they still have for travellers today. Silverlining has always been a fantastic partner, bringing in international funding to help greenlight content, and we’re delighted to be working together again on this series.”

Grant is no stranger to the travelogue, having previously hosted BBC Four’s Write Around the World, in which he followed in the footsteps of famous authors, including Charles Dickens, Patricia Highsmith and F Scott Fitzgerald, while exploring Italy, France and Spain. He also presented two series of Hotel Secrets for Sky Atlantic and co-hosts the podcast Hotels with History with Jules Perowne.

Soon he’ll be seen staying in a lavish setting for a very different reason – he’s among the participants in the second run of Celebrity Traitors, which has already been filmed at Ardross Castle.

In fact, his Very Modern Odyssey was his last filming commitment before heading to the Scottish Highlands: “It’s an incredible privilege of my job that I get to travel to places and meet experts in their field that I’d never normally come across in civilian life, and I’m paid to do this!” he wrote on Instagram. “Lucky, lucky beggar!”

And we’re pretty lucky too – thanks to Grant, we can sample the Odyssey without ever leaving the comfort of our living rooms.

Celebrity Hunted (Monday 03/08/2026, Channel 4, 9pm)

Words by Richard Jones

The hunt is back on. Following last year’s successful series in which Duncan James and Christine McGuinness evaded the elite team of Hunters, Celebrity Hunted returns to Channel 4 with a new star-studded line-up of fugitives going on the run.

Once again, the real-life thriller sees pairs of stars attempt to vanish into mainland Britain, cutting themselves off from the lives – and the fame – they’ve always relied upon.

For 14 relentless days, they must stay hidden, think fast and trust no one, because the moment they leave a trail, they risk getting caught.

Pursuing them is Ray Howard and his army of brainy and brawny Hunters, drawn from policing, military and intelligence backgrounds.

They have the full arsenal of the modern state at their disposal including CCTV, ANPR, facial recognition, helicopters, drones, search dogs, cyber investigations and media appeals.

Taking part in this series are Strictly Come Dancing stars and professional dancers Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu.

As the primary goal of Celebrity Hunted is to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer, Amy is keen to do well and raise as much awareness as possible for a charity that is close to her heart.

“Well, I’ve always loved the show, but also, it’s for Stand Up To Cancer,” she says.

“And especially after my cancer diagnosis, I want to give back and do all I can.”

They are joined in the line-up by entertainer Brian Conley and his daughter, comedian Lucy Conley, who says: “I’m really excited. Especially once we’d met everyone, it’s such a lovely bunch.”

Love Island duo Chris Taylor and Toby Aromolaran reckon they might be tough to catch.

“I actually don’t think we’ll get caught in a foot race,” Toby says. “If we saw the Hunters, we actually identified them and they’re even five metres away from us, I think we can outrun them.”

Meanwhile, TV presenters JJ Chalmers and Sophie Morgan are hoping they have a few off-the-cuff tricks to outrun the Hunters.

“We’re trying to be unstructured because apparently that really does help,” she says. “So that’s kind of our plan, to not have a plan.”

TV presenters, property experts and siblings Scarlette and Stuart Douglas think the differences in their personalities could be good for the competition.

“I’m probably a bit more of a risk-taker,” he says. “I think it will be good for Scarlette to rein me in at times.”

Finally, comedians Jen Brister and Laura Smyth are hoping for some help from their kids.

“My son’s really excited about the prospect of being on telly,” Laura says. “And if they come around the house to look for us, he says, ‘Mum, I’ve got a plan. I’m going to play dumb. I’m going to say, ‘Mum? I ain’t got a mum.’”

The chase begins tonight with the celebrities flying through central London in two helicopters.

This triggers a dramatic pursuit through the capital’s famous skyscrapers, as the celebs flee from the historic Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich as fast as they can.

Scarlette and Stuart disappear under the Thames, and the first fugitive pair to attract the Hunters are Chris and Toby.

Meanwhile, JJ and Sophie make a rookie error, and Brian and Lucy find themselves firmly in the Hunters’ gaze.

Will there be an early capture? The series continues tomorrow.

The Victorians with Rob Rinder and Ruth Goodman (Tuesday 04/08/26, 5, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

The history series examining how key events in British history affected real people at different ends of the social scale is back for a new run.

If you missed the first set of episodes in Rich Lives, Poor Lives strand though, let Rob Rinder sum up the concept for you. He says: “History has never really been about kings, queens or battles for me. It’s always been about people. The extraordinary thing about this series is that it asks what life actually felt like depending on where you stood in society. It’s about privilege and poverty, hope and disappointment and those tiny moments where someone’s future changed forever.”

The barrister-turned-TV presenter adds: “I loved that it refuses to flatten the past into dates. Instead, it reminds us that history was lived one ordinary day at a time by people who worried about paying bills, finding work, protecting their families and making sense of a rapidly changing world. Those concerns don’t feel remotely ancient.”

So, no wonder he’s glad to be back for a new series, especially as it reunites him with historian Ruth Goodman. Rob says: “Ruth has that rare gift of making scholarship feel wonderfully alive. She has endless curiosity and absolutely no pretension, which is a combination I rather admire.

“Also, she’s tremendous company. Television is much easier when you genuinely enjoy the person standing next to you.”

Future episodes will see the pair focusing on Emperor Hadrian’s visit to Britain and the arrival of the Spanish Armada, but the first edition takes us back to the 1840s when railway mania was sweeping the nation.

Rob learns how businessman George Hudson saw the craze as a chance to build his empire. Rising from humble beginnings in a draper’s shop, Hudson became one of the most powerful men in Britain and gained the nickname the Railway King. However, when the railway boom slowed, his fortune hung in the balance.

Rob also shares the story of Lord Morpeth, an aristocrat who allowed a new station to be built on his land, and also made the then unusual move of opening his grand country house to ordinary people.

Meanwhile, historian Ruth Goodman investigates the lives of the people who built and worked on the railways, including Mary Arguile, a working-class woman who was able to use the advent of railways to rise through society and become Britain’s first station mistress.

While Mary’s story may be inspiring, Rob points out that the series doesn’t shy away from addressing the social inequalities of the time.

He says: “We love stories that suggest determination alone is enough because they’re comforting. Of course resilience matters enormously. But the series repeatedly reminds us that where you begin in life shapes the choices available to you.

“Luck opens doors. Wealth keeps them open. Determination is often what allows people to walk through them but not everybody is given the same entrance.

“That doesn’t diminish human courage. If anything it makes those who overcame impossible odds even more remarkable.”

The Undeclared War (Wednesday 05/08/26, Channel 4, 9pm & 10pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

What drew actress Siân Brooke to the role of Dr Barbara Napier in the thriller The Undeclared War, which concludes tonight with a double bill?

Well, it seems it wasn’t the chance for international travel, as not all of the scenes were filmed on location. Siân, whose previous roles include Sherlock and House of the Dragon, laughs: “When they told me Wales was going to double for Hong Kong, I joked that I could definitely see the similarities.”

Luckily, it turned out to be more convincing than she expected. She says: “In all seriousness, it was incredible. We have the most extraordinary art department, and their attention to detail is remarkable.

“For one sequence, they transformed a Mexican restaurant into a Chinese tea shop. Outside, they created an entire alleyway filled with food stalls, steam and bustling activity. It was astonishing.

“I spent half my time filming little videos because I couldn’t believe what they had achieved.”

As well as the inventiveness of the art department, Siân was also drawn in by the script. She says: “For me, the main attraction is always great writing and strong characters. In this instance, when I read the script, I felt this world had been explored brilliantly. It’s a story set within the worlds of espionage and global relations, which was a huge draw.

“Then there was Barbara herself. She’s been an absolute joy to play. Seeing a character on the page is one thing, but it’s the process of bringing that character to life that really intrigues me as an actor. With Barbara, I immediately thought, ‘Wow, that’s going to be quite a ride.’”

So, how would she describe her character? Siân says: “Barbara is the senior Chinese linguist at GCHQ. She also happens to be married to Danny Patrick, played by the wonderful Simon Pegg, and she’s the mother of their two children.

“She’s fiercely intelligent, determined and funny. At times she’s idealistic, and she’s a character with many layers, which makes her incredibly rewarding to play.”

Although the drama may have started with a cyber-attack on GCHQ and the hunt for a mole, the marriage between Barbara and Danny has also been central to the drama. Siân explains: “It’s an ambitious show because it explores enormous themes such as global politics, international relations, espionage and patriotism.

“At the same time, it dives into the domestic lives of these characters. We see how their work impacts their relationships with partners, friends and colleagues.”

The penultimate episode of the series finds Charlie (Danny Sapani) keeping a very close eye on Barbara as tragedy strikes at GCHQ. Meanwhile, Danny joins Saara (Hannah Khalique-Brown) and Roz (Chloe Pirrie) in trying to help Vadim (German Segal) escape, but he’s about to make an earth-shattering discovery.

Then in the final episode at 10pm, Danny has to put everything on the line to right some very big wrongs. Meanwhile, Roz and the team are running out of time to find out exactly what the malware is searching for.

Renovation Rescue (Thursday 06/08/26, Channel 4, 8pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

Move over Stacey Solomon, there’s a new revamp queen on the box – and she really knows her stuff.

The decluttering expert was the first presenter of Channel 4’s Renovation Rescue, but it seems that, thanks to her other shows and gorgeous family, she had a good look at her schedule and realised she couldn’t fit it in any more.

The programme’s makers then had a look around, cast their net wide and landed a real catch in Vogue Williams – not only is she a hugely professional presenter, she has a degree in Construction Design and Management, and another in Quantity Surveying. Pretty impressive, eh?

And if that’s not enough for you, she’s grown up watching buildings either being constructed from scratch or being whipped into shape – her stepfather is a property developer.

Joining her is former Love Island star Luke Mabbott, who took part in 2020’s sixth season, in which he came third. He’s bringing the skills he honed as a heating and plumbing engineer to the party – he’s also a pretty mean DIYer too.

“I’ve done a lot of exciting projects in my career, but I am so delighted to be given the opportunity to roll up my sleeves and get stuck into the second series of this truly brilliant show,” says Vogue, who is currently expecting her fourth child with husband Spencer Matthews.

“Home renovation is a huge passion of mine, and I am excited to put my degrees in Construction and Quantity Surveying to the test! I’m very happy to be joining forces with Luke – we get on like a house on fire and I think I’m gonna learn a lot of DIY skills from him.”

Luke adds: “The fact that Channel 4 are putting their trust in me to be part of this series is just mind blowing to me, but I am so excited. I can’t wait to work with Vogue and help change the lives of people who need just a little bit of encouragement and some simple tips and tricks to make their dream project a reality.”

The dynamic duo aren’t the only people pleased to have them working together – Clemency Green, Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor, thinks it’s a match made in heaven: “We’re really excited to bring Vogue Williams into the fold and it’s going to give viewers a chance to see her phenomenal talents and skills in a completely new light. Renovation Rescue is also providing us with an opportunity to nurture exciting new talent such as Luke. I know for a fact that they will both bring their unique, warm and, most importantly, authentic flare to the format and I can’t wait to see how the pair shine on screen.”

In last week’s opening episode, we saw their chemistry first hand. Now they work together again, this time in West Sussex, where retired artist Penny’s dream home renovation has gone over budget.

Here’s hoping Vogue and Luke can help her create a masterpiece.

Granite Harbour (Friday 07/08/26, BBC1, 8pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

It was recently announced that 5 will be rebooting Monarch of the Glen, the hit comedy drama that ran for seven series in the early 2000s.

However, anyone flicking over to BBC1 on Friday nights could have been forgiven for thinking that the show was already back as the current series of Granite Harbour has been something of a reunion for Dawn Steele and Alastair Mackenzie, who played Lexie and Archie in the original run.

Dawn, who returned for this third series of Granite Harbour as DCI Cora MacMillan, is certainly glad to be back on screen with her former co-star: “We are still friends and in touch a lot but haven’t worked together in 25 years. It was so lovely and very easy… like no time had passed!

Alastair, who has been guest starring in this run as Richard Loughty, feels the same, saying: “It was an utter joy to be on set with her again, although we did not have many scenes together. It was very nostalgic too.

“Monarch was a very happy time and so well-loved by so many people and Dawn was so fabulous as Lexie. She’s a national treasure really. It was lovely but we always giggle a lot, so we had tried hard to be very professional! I think it worked.”

Neither of their characters will have much to giggle about though as the series concludes tonight after what has been a gripping run.

Dawn sums up the series so far, saying: “Audiences will see a different side of Aberdeen as the story centres on the Traveller community, which is rocked by a shocking murder. It’s a real whodunnit, and I hope people have fun trying to work out who’s responsible.

“We also delve much more into the detectives’ personal lives this series. It’s probably the most emotional series we’ve made, and you really feel for a lot of the characters.”

She adds: “Cora faces a personal health scare, and I loved having the chance to show a more vulnerable side to her. At the same time, she’s under immense pressure to solve the case while also dealing with the SPIS investigation into Malik’s dismissal from last series.”

The pressure is certainly mounting tonight as the discovery of another body throws the investigation into chaos. MacMillan, Bart and Lindo suspect this murder is linked to the deaths of teenagers Lisa and Matty, and also uncover links between the fire that nearly claimed Rose Gough’s life and a long-hidden agreement that could change the rights of the Travelling community to be on the Loughty estate.

When the case takes another dramatic turn, the team once again focus on Matty’s missing phone, which they believes hold the key to identifying the killer.

With fingers pointing in numerous directions, Lindo and Bart must untangle a web of lies to separate fact from fiction and discover what really happened during Matty and Lisa’s final hours.