D-Day: Secrets of the Frontline Heroes and Hidden Treasures of the National Trust - TV highlights

D-Day: Secrets of the Frontline Heroes (Saturday 25/05/2024, Channel 4, 8.20pm)

Words by Richard Jones

With the 80th anniversary of D-Day approaching a week on Thursday, there are a number of programmes being broadcast over the coming days to mark one of great turning points of 20th-century history.

Operation Overlord brought together unprecedented land, air, and sea forces in northwestern France on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

With three million soldiers and hundreds of thousands of ships, planes and armoured vehicles involved over the preceding weeks, it was a military operation of remarkable scale and logistic complexity, which was over a year in the planning.

Although the Allies actually failed to accomplish their objectives during the first day, they did gain a tenuous foothold in France that they gradually expanded before the Liberation of Paris on August 25 and the retreat of German forces east across the Seine five days later.

Thousands of men lost their lives during the Normandy landings, with countless photos and hundreds of hours of film recording the fierce fighting and the soldiers’ remarkable bravery on that fateful day and in the weeks that followed.

Nevertheless, little is known about the photographers, filmmakers, producers, and simple civilians who risked their lives to capture those images that have since made history.

Some died during their mission, others would live to tell the tale, but for 80 years, their remarkable personal stories were overshadowed by the dramatic events they managed to capture.

Documentary D-Day: Secrets of the Frontline Heroes brings together 30-years’ worth of material gathered at the National Archives and Records Administration and from personal family archives to tell the incredible story of those forgotten heroes.

Among them, the accounts of George Stevens, Jack Lieb, John Ford and Richard Taylor are seen through the personal diaries, letters and films they left behind.

The film asks several question: how did the filmmakers on the frontline survive those terrifying weeks? Were they willing to submit to the hell of combat? How did they manage, technically, to capture the events in film and photography and, above all, to get the footage from the battlefield to the rest of the world?

And finally, why were these images of such vital importance to the army and the intelligence services?

Featuring analysis of these exceptional archive images and a wealth of interviews with experts, the hour-long film invites us to experience the Battle of Normandy, first-hand, and to discover the unfolding events of that fateful summer through the literal lens of the forgotten heroes of Operation Overlord.

Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning drama Saving Private Ryan, which features a gut-wrenching re-creation of the D-Day landings on Omaha Beach, follows on Channel 4 at 9.05pm.

Meanwhile, on Bank Holiday Monday (May 27) at 9pm, BBC Two has D-Day: We Were There, in which the UK’s veterans – some now more than 100 years of age – provide first-hand accounts of the momentous day.

And, on the same evening over on the National Geographic Channel, Erased: WWII Heroes of Colour, which is executive produced by Idris Elba, tells the stories of three men of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion who landed in Normandy on D-Day.

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Red Eye (Sunday 26/05/24, ITV1, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

From the Raggy Dolls to Hollywood and beyond – Peter A Dowling has certainly had a widespread career to date.

The Salford-born writer-director started out in children’s animation before turning to live action projects, spurred on by winning the Fulbright TEB Clarke Fellowship in Screenwriting in 1996. After that he moved to the US and began selling screenplays; his first major success came with Flightplan, a psychological thriller starring Jodie Foster, in which she plays a widowed aircraft engineers whose trip from Berlin back home to the US turns into a nightmare when her daughter disappears.

Clearly the idea of being trapped on the flight from hell stuck with Dowling, because he adopted the same setting for Red Eye, which comes to its thrilling conclusion this Sunday.

“I’ve always been drawn to stories set in a confined location because I find that the restrictions, rather than hindering the storytelling process, actually ignite my creativity,” explains Dowling. “Settling on an Agatha Christie-type murder mystery on a plane, I decided the heart of Red Eye would be a police officer escorting a prisoner somewhere for a crime he claims he didn’t commit.

“But the project only fully sparked to life when the idea of a red eye flight to Beijing was decided upon, which would dictate that the police officer escorting our prisoner back to China, to avoid cultural misunderstandings, would probably be Asian, as would the flight staff and many of the passengers. Suddenly the show had a vitality and contemporary feel that reflected the multicultural world we live in.”

From there, Dowling began dreaming up his characters, with the female lead coming first: “As far as I knew, there had never been a Chinese-British policewoman leading an English show and, at that moment, DC Hana Li was born, a wonderfully complex woman who struggles inside with her own cultural identity but has no hesitance on the job or in her abilities as a detective.

“All that we then needed was an equally multifaceted prisoner and when we landed up on the idea of a surgeon, Dr Matthew Nolan, who had visited China to give lectures, we knew that he could be instrumental in helping Hana investigate the growing number of deaths onboard, someone who could grow from her antagonist to her partner.”

That has certainly happened, with other, equally intriguing characters popping up back in London, where the CIA and MI5 have also become interested on what’s been happening in the air.

Now we’re about to find out the truth of what’s been going on, who’s been behind the entire plot, and who lives to tell the tale.

Dowling claims that although he’s written and directed in Hollywood, “Red Eye is the project I am most proud of, so far, in my career. Spanning the globe from the nightclubs of Beijing to the streets of London, it is a fantastically visualised, brilliantly acted, wonderfully suspenseful series.

“Here’s hoping DC Hana Li can return for more.” And so say all of us!

Clive Myrie’s Caribbean Adventure (Monday 27/05/24, BBC Two, 6.30pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

He may have first found fame as a newsreader and journalist, but over the last few years, Clive Myrie has been proving to be one of the BBC’s most versatile presenters.

First, he took over from John Humphrys as the host of the iconic quiz show Mastermind in 2021, and then last year, he moved into celebrity travelogues with Clive Myrie’s Italian Road Trip.

That proved so popular, the Beeb is now sending him out on his travels again, this time for a Caribbean Adventure.

Or as BBC Commissioning Editor Muslim Alim commented: “Clive’s first travelogue was a BBC Daytime smash hit so I am very excited about this second season. It is a personal adventure for Clive too, diving into his links with the islands and their historical significance.

“I know that Clive will once again bring his amazing personality, endless curiosity about the world and talent for connecting with people, and I hope that audiences will enjoy the second series as much as his Italian trip.”

Both of Clive’s parents arrived in the UK from Jamaica in the early 1960s, but he’s only visited a handful of times. So, the country is his first port of call in tonight’s opening episode as he sets out to follow in his mum and dad’s footsteps.

He meets up with his sister, Judith, who recently moved to Jamaica from the UK, and together they explore a high-altitude coffee farm. Clive will also be heading out on some solo adventures, as he learns the secrets of making authentic Jamaican jerk pork and meets up with the descendants of a rebel community that made their home in the mountains.

Across the course of the 15-part series, Clive will also be visiting Cuba. He knows that one of his grandfathers spent time there but is keen to learn more about his family’s connection to the country. It’s also a chance to discover more about the indigenous Taino people – some of the first inhabitants of much of the Caribbean.

His adventure then takes in the Dominican Republic, where Clive gets a bird’s eye view of the oldest city in the Americas, dives into Dominican Santeria – a heady blend of African and European religious belief – and pitches in on a banana farm.

The presenter’s final destination will be Barbados, where he is surrounded by signs of British culture, even as this popular tourist destination begins to drift away from UK influence and the Commonwealth. He also meets the people who (like his sister) have decided to reverse their parents’ journey and swap Britain for the Caribbean.

Reflecting on his adventure, Clive says: “I can’t wait to share my journey and the beauty of the Caribbean – a place I’m proud to call my ancestral home. It’s been such an amazing experience exploring this lush part of the world and I’ve loved discovering more about the communities and traditions behind each place.

“I hope viewers enjoy the incredible landscapes and people who make-up this slice of paradise.”

Into the Amazon with Robson Green (Tuesday 28/05/2024, Channel 5, 9pm)

Words by Richard Jones

He is well known for his adventuring – having hosted adrenaline-fuelled TV shows focusing on Extreme Fishing and Wild Swimming.

However, Robson Green says his new series is his most challenging and rewarding yet.

The 59-year-old, who has also acted in high-profile TV shows including Grantchester, Soldier Soldier and Strike Back, as well as topping the charts alongside Jerome Flynn with their 1995 single Unchained Melody – said his journey into the Amazon was “the adventure of a lifetime” and that he was “living the dream”.

Before heading to South America, he said: “I’ve a feeling going Into the Amazon Rainforest will be a unique and unparalleled experience.

“Its vast and mysterious wilderness will provide the perfect opportunity for exploration, observing wondrous wildlife in their natural environment, beautiful birds and immersive encounters with diverse ecosystems.

“From traversing the mighty Amazon River to trekking through dense jungles and discovering hidden flora and fauna along with meeting larger than life people doing extraordinary things, the Amazon Rainforest will present an adventure like no other.

“Not one second of this journey will be taken for granted.

Last week, we saw the keen fisherman arrive in the largest rainforest on earth, and tonight Robson experiences a truly astonishing natural phenomenon.

At the ‘meeting of the waters’, two rivers run side by side, refusing to come together like oil and water.

But as this is Robson Green, he doesn’t just observe it from the comfort of a boat or a helicopter, he gets on a water bike and pedals himself out to the spot where the waters meet.

Next, the host boards a traditional boat, which will be his home for the next few days as he navigates the inky waters of the Rio Negro, a tributary of the mighty Amazon River.

His indigenous guide Saru gives him a tour of the vessel before immersing him into the forest to learn some essential survival skills.

It’s not long before a giant bee gives Robson a painful reminder of the myriad of mysterious creatures who call the Amazon their home.

Travelling north, deeper into the wilderness, Robson visits a remarkable school on the banks of the river where pupils are taught in both Portuguese and their own indigenous language.

Then, in a touching moment, Saru shares his own shame at not being able to speak his dialect and his admiration for this intercultural way of teaching. Even more astonishingly, Robson discovers this school, in the middle of the rainforest, is producing Olympic athletes, who are primed and ready to show off their skills.

Back on the boat, Robson pits his Geordie fishing skills against Saru’s indigenous prowess. The fish the hunt happen to be meat-guzzling piranhas – delicious, but very dangerous.

As the sun sets, Robson and Saru listen as the soundscape of the jungle as it comes alive with the symphony of croaking tree frogs and humming insects.

Turtles have long been a delicacy in the Amazon, with locals selling and eating them, but Robson meets one man on a mission to change that.

At Vicelli’s sanctuary, Robson witnesses a baby turtle hatching and helps to release yellow spotted river turtles back into the wild.

The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan (Wednesday 29/05/24, BBC Two, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

For some comedians and presenters, landing a TV series that took them off the beaten tourist track would be a dream job.

Not Romesh Ranganathan, though. By his own admission, he’s a reluctant globetrotter whose dream holiday would be a relaxing fortnight in the Algarve. So perhaps that’s why the producers of The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan thought he would be the perfect person to visit some less popular destinations to see if they could become future holiday hotspots.

The results have been a hit with viewers and critics alike – it won a Bafta in 2020, and has run for three series (as well as re-edited lockdown version called Misadventures from My Sofa).

But, after visiting everywhere from the Canadian Arctic to the Sahara, with trips to Albania, Mongolia and Sierra Leone thrown in too, Romesh is ready to hang up his passport as he’s announced that this fourth run, which finds him exploring Africa, will be his last.

Perhaps he’s tired of being pushed out of his comfort zone, or perhaps as one of TV’s hardest-working men, he simply can’t fit the excursions into his schedule anymore.

Romesh says: “After six years of travelling, this three-week trip through Africa felt like the perfect way to bring it to a close. Next year, my Misadventures go to Tenerife with the family.”

The first of the final three episodes sees him visiting Uganda. Most of Romesh’s knowledge of the country relates to the 1970s military dictatorship of Idi Amin, but his guide is keen to show him that there’s more to Uganda than its brutal past.

So, the comedian goes white-water rafting on the Nile, does a bit of wildlife spotting in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and takes part in a banana gin tasting session that leaves him feeling a little worse for wear.

While may be fun, Romesh is aware that for many people, not all of Uganda’s troubles are in its past. He arrives in the country just weeks after an anti-homosexuality bill was voted for nearly unanimously by the country’s parliament. So, while he may be seeing a picture-perfect wildlife idyll, he gets a different view during a phone call with a local LGBTQ+ activist.

In next week’s second episode, Romesh will be heading to Rwanda, where he learns more about the country’s harrowing history at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, but also gets a chance to create indigenous art using a surprising – and pungent – material.

Then, for his last Misadventure, he visits Madagascar to see if he’ll “find an island full of talking lions and dancing lemurs”. It’s not much of a spoiler to say that he doesn’t, but he does get to encounter some real-life, non-dancing lemurs, goes on a spectacular hike and sees, first-hand, the effects of the devastating famine caused by the country’s worst drought in four decades.

That mix of comedy, history and a glimpse into places rarely seen on British TV proves why The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan has proved so popular – and why many viewers will be sad to see it end, even if the presenter is a little relieved.

The Outlaws (Thursday 30/05/24, BBC One, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

We’re heading to Bristol for a showdown with the most unlikely bunch of outlaws the screen has ever seen.

Yes, Stephen Merchant and co are back for a third series of thrilling yet comedic adventures in which they attempt to stay one step ahead of the law – and as far away as possible from the villain known as The Dean.

It was Merchant himself who came up with the original idea; he’s also written most of the scripts.

“Growing up, my parents used to work for Bristol Community Service,” he explains. “I was always intrigued because it was such a mix of people. You’d have the businessman who’d got caught drink-driving or some student who’d got in trouble for some minor thing. Or there was an old guy who was stealing cabbages from allotments just to get community service, because he was lonely and he liked the social aspect of it.

“What was interesting to me was that it was a way of bringing completely disparate groups of people together. You could have a random cross-section of society and it was totally legit that they were all there doing community service. Also, I liked the idea of doing something which had a crime thriller aspect but that didn’t just involve policemen or private detectives.”

One of the great joys of the series is seeing the cast in action. Hollywood legend Christopher Walken grabbed most of the headlines when it was announced he would be playing one of those serving community service, but the likes of Rhianne Barreto, Gamba Cole, Darren Boyd, Clare Perkins and Eleanor Tomlinson are just as important to the ensemble.

We can also add Jessica Gunning to that list. The West Yorkshire-born star’s profile has been raised recently by the success of Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, in which she plays a stalker, so a few of that show’s fans may tune in to The Outlaws to see her in action in a very different role.

“Diane is persistent, she’s ruthless, no-nonsense, she never misses a trick – or so she thinks!” says Gunning of her alter ego in this show. “In a dream world she would become a police officer. She’s Cagney & Lacey’s number one fan.”

The star adds: “It’s been lovely all being back together, and I felt very lucky that I was in the writers’ room this time as I co-wrote an episode with Stephen, episode five. It’s been really exciting to be a part of helping draft the storyline for series three and get to know the characters more than I did before.”

When we catch up with the gang, The Dean is behind bars awaiting trial, although it might not be long before he’s back on the streets to make their lives a misery.

But first, when one of their number discloses a dark secret, the rest of the group realise that fading away to get on with their lives is not an option because they’re about to be plunged into mortal danger.

It seems that Bristol really is in the Wild West.

Hidden Treasures of the National Trust (Friday 31/05/25, BBC Two, 9.30pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

You don’t have to be a regular visitor to National Trust properties to find this behind-the-scenes series fascinating. It provides an intriguing insight into the challenges faced by the people who are working to preserve our heritage – think of it as The Repair Shop, where instead of having huge sentimental value to one family, the items have massive historical significance to the nation.

That’s particularly true of this week’s episode of Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, which focuses on the teams who care for the some of the most important legacies left to the organisation.

Our first port of call is the Cambridgeshire mansion Anglesey Abbey, which is home to 15,000 objects amassed during the lifetime of one man – Urban Huttleston Rogers Broughton, 1st Baron Fairhaven.

An American-born Anglophile and avid collector, he spent 40 years and a chunk of his inherited fortune on transforming the once dilapidated Anglesey Abbey into a luxurious home filled with treasures.

A team of staff and volunteers now have the huge responsibility of preserving his legacy, and one important piece is in need of urgent conservation.

The exquisite Pagoda Clock does more than just tell the time – the three-tiered, 200-year-old bejewelled creation puts on an automated spectacle every three hours. Now though, time has caught up with it, and clock conservator Matthew Read will need all his expertise to return it to its former glory.

Although the words National Trust may conjure up images of grand houses and aristocratic art collections, this edition reminds us that the organisation also offers an insight into the lives of seemingly ordinary people.

So, the second property featured tonight is a seemingly modest semi-detached family home in Worksop.

Endcliffe Villa, known as Mr Straw’s House, was left to the Trust by William Straw Junior, the last surviving son of a successful family of Midlands grocers who moved into the property in 1923. They threw little away, leaving a collection of over 30,000 objects, meaning the house is a perfectly preserved time-capsule of early 20th century life. (It’s also something to think about if Stacey Solomon’s Sort Your Life Out has got you considering a declutter.)

However, a leak in the roof means William Junior’s bedroom needs replastering, which presents collections and house officer Danielle Lander-Brown and her team of trusted volunteers with a huge logistical puzzle – they need to carefully remove every single item in William’s bedroom and then replace in exactly the same location, one item at a time.

Finally for this edition, we meet the team that care for the Trust’s largest fashion collection, based at Killerton House in Devon.

Their annual exhibition is looming, and selecting the pieces to display is a big job, especially as the they have 20,000 items choose from.

One eye-catching piece is a Victorian child’s fancy dress costume, which is sent to the Trust’s specialist textile studio in Norfolk for essential conservation treatment, while the team at Killerton uncover the unexpected story of its original owner.