Formula 1 British Grand Prix, Grand Designs and Who Do You Think You Are?: TV highlights

50 American Music Icons at the BBC (Saturday 04/07/26, BBC2, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

Today, the United States is celebrating 250 years of independence, and how better to mark the occasion than with three hours dedicated to one of America’s best-loved exports – music?

The epic 50 American Music Icons at the BBC features some of the biggest US-born stars who went on to become globally famous – and found the time during their rise to the top to perform for the BBC’s cameras.

Of course, the traffic across the Atlantic hasn’t been all one way. The UK has sent many pop stars to the USA, including the so-called ‘British Invasion’ of the 1960s, which was spearheaded by the Beatles. However, the Fab Four would have been the first to admit that their biggest influences came from America. In the words of George Harrison: “America has everything, why should they want us?”

That ‘everything’ included jazz, country and rock ‘n’ roll, which are all featured here, along with grunge, pop and modern R’n’B in a retrospective that stretches back 70 years.

Among the earlier stars featured is jazz great Louis Armstrong, who often claimed to have been born on July 4, 1900 (although other sources have suggested August 4, 1901, as a more likely date). Either way, his career took him from playing in brass bands and on riverboats in New Orleans in the 1910s to having a UK number one with What a Wonderful World in 1968.

There’s also archive footage of Armstrong’s fellow jazz legend (and sometime duet partner) Ella Fitzgerald, and pianist Liberace, who was something of a trailblazer in that he was quick to realise that TV rather than radio would be his ideal medium.

There’s also a classic clip of Johnny Cash, whose own life story sounds like a classic American country song – he was born during the Depression, helped his family to pick cotton from the age of five, and was signed by Sun Records, where his labelmates included one Elvis Presley.

Naturally, soul is represented too, with artists including Tina Turner, and there’s also an appearance for Carole King, who was arguably best-known for writing hits for other people before becoming a solo star with her smash hit 1973 album Tapestry.

There’s a move into the grunge era of the early 1990s courtesy of Nirvana, while the likes of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars help bring us firmly into the 21st century.

Some viewers may be wondering whether any of these icons might mixed feelings about being part of a programme that’s waving the stars and stripes.

After all, although Bruce Springsteen may seem like the quintessential American artist, his fans will tell you (possibly at some length) that Born in the USA isn’t the patriotic anthem you might think if you’d only listened to the chorus.

So, will the BBC decide to go with that hit tonight when they dig a Bruce clip out of the archive, or will we be treated something different?

Live Formula 1 British Grand Prix (Sunday 05/07/2026, Channel 4, 2.30pm)

Words by Richard Jones

The rivalry between an established old master and a young pretender can be one of sport’s most compelling narratives.

Pitting wily experience, craftiness and historical dominance against the raw speed, stamina and fearlessness of an emerging generation, we have seen many examples over the years when an established champion has locked horns with a young upstart.

After eight rounds, the current Formula One season is shaping up to be one of those memorable old-versus-new battles, as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton slugs it out with 19-year-old Mercedes starlet Kimi Antonelli at the top of the drivers’ standings.

After a difficult debut season with his new team Ferrari, 41-year-old Hamilton is now enjoying somewhat of a career renaissance.

Last month, he secured his first Grand Prix victory for the Prancing Horse in Barcelona (and also the constructors’ first since Mexico in October 2024), justifying his decision to leave Mercedes in 2024 and establishing himself as a potential title contender.

“You’ve got to continue to believe in yourself at the core,” he said after his memorable win at the Circuit de Catalunya.

“And those are the things that I’ve managed to reimplement into my mentality. I’ve rebuilt my mind to this point, to get myself back to where I was.”

In an interview with Channel 4 and presenter Ariana Bravo during last year’s race weekend at Silverstone, Hamilton described the venue as “a really special place”.

So can the British driver win in what will be his 20th home Grand Prix and secure a record-extending 10th victory at the Northamptonshire track?

Standing in his way could be Italian teenager Antonelli, who dominated the first few rounds of the season, winning five races in a row after his second-placed finish behind teammate George Russell in the F1 curtain-raiser in Melbourne.

Although Russell began the 2026 season as odds-on favourite to win his first championship, Antonelli now holds a commanding lead in the standings.

And after his win at the iconic Monaco circuit in June, he made it clear he had no intention of letting up.

“It’s still a long season,” he said. “We are going to keep pushing and keep raising the bar.”

F1 fans and terrestrial TV viewers are in for a treat this afternoon as Channel 4 is airing coverage of the full race, as well as all the build-up before and reaction afterwards.

Presenter Steve Jones is joined by journalist Lee McKenzie, 1999 and 2000 British Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, former Williams principal Claire Williams, retired Australian driver Mark Webber, 2010 Formula Renault championship winner Alice Powell and ex-driver and commentator Billy Monger for expert analysis, exclusive interviews and tours of the pit lane at Silverstone.

McLaren’s Lando Norris triumphed at the British Gran Prix last season on the way to securing his first drivers’ championship.

And whoever claims the chequered flag this afternoon, it may give us a better idea as to who – whether it’s the old stager or young pretender – will come out on top at the end of the season.

Expert Witness (Monday 06/07/2026, Monday-Friday, BBC One, 10.45am)

Words by Richard Jones

Viewers can’t get enough of true-crime documentaries.

And they’re in for a treat this week as presenter Ashley John-Baptiste returns with five brand-new episodes and 10 wide-ranging cases for them to get their teeth into.

As before, Expert Witness explores how specialists have helped solve some of the UK’s most complex major cases.

Rather than focusing solely on detectives, it champions the laboratory and niche experts, such as gemologists and soil scientists, who unearth clues that directly secure convictions and even overturn wrongful imprisonments.

John-Baptiste says: “It has been truly fascinating to learn how the intelligence and expertise of some remarkable individuals has helped solve some of the biggest criminal cases known to the British public.”

Each daily episode features two different cases, and we begin this morning in Liverpool, where 28-year-old Ashley Dale is found with a gunshot wound in the back yard of her house in the Old Swan area of the city. She later dies in hospital.

As rumours of a gang feud circle, police believe that Ashley was not the intended target, but with no one talking to police, it will take CCTV to find the gunman and the expertise of ballistics expert Andre Horne to solve the case.

By recreating the events of that night and the bullet trajectories, a suspect’s claim of an accidental shooting turns into murder.

We then go back to 1986, and after a child is abducted and sexually assaulted in Berkshire, police work tirelessly to catch the offender, but the case goes cold.

Two decades later, the investigation is reopened and forensic scientist Andrew Parry is brought on board, but he hits a dead end when the majority of forensic evidence no longer exists.

With one single piece of forensic tape from the crime scene, he eventually makes a match to a suspect and finally brings justice to the victim.

The series continues tomorrow with a look at the investigation into the murders of two young police officers, Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone.

Meanwhile, in central London, a phone snatcher on an electric bike gets more than he bargained for when he attempts to steal a phone.

On Wednesday, we follow the baffling deaths of married couple Carol and Stephen Baxter, who were found slumped in chairs in their Essex conservatory on Easter Sunday in 2023.

And in the second case, detectives believe that two separate murders are the work of the same suspect.

Thursday’s fourth episode looks at the killing of Elaine Collie who was found tortured and killed in her flat in Muirhouse, Scotland, in 1999.

There is then one of the most extraordinary murder investigations in British history – the murders of reclusive couple Patricia and William Wycherley in 2013.

Finally, on Friday, we start in 1993, in Reading, Berkshire when the body of David Watkins, is discovered in a remote woodland.

Meanwhile, in 1986, the body of 22-year-old Teresa de Simone, was found in her car outside a pub in Southampton.

In that particular case, forensic science consultant Dr Colin Dark not only proves that the man convicted of the crime is innocent, by using ground-breaking DNA analysis, he also identifies the real killer.

Grand Designs (Tuesday 07/07/26, Channel 4, 9pm)

Rachael Popow

If you feel like the TV schedules are nothing but sport and repeats this week – well, you’re on to something, to be honest. However, tonight’s repeat of Grand Designs does at least have some historical significance.

That’s because it finds the long-running property series’ host, Kevin McCloud, turning back the clock by 27 years and revisiting the first ever project from Grand Designs history.

It may be hard to believe that the series has been going since 1999, but Kevin thinks the early episodes did belong to another era, at least architecturally speaking. Talking ahead of a previous run, he said: “We were still at the end of the 20th century and we were still in a little bit of an insecure relationship with that century in many ways. It was the century of modernism, of international architecture, of functionalism, of brutalism, of trying to design for modern use.

“And actually, back then we were still building houses with dining rooms in them. It seemed at odds with the way that we had been living for 30 or 40 years, I think we’ve moved on.”

Although he admits that he doesn’t tend to rewatch old episodes as he doesn’t like seeing himself on TV, he also thinks viewers may notice some changes to the way the series is made. “One of the things you can detect now is that TV was much slower back then, editing speeds have since increased.”

Yet somethings never change, including the mistakes people make when trying to create their ambitious dream homes. He explains: “Of the people we’ve filmed, I think the most common mistake is one which is so bound up with human nature and over-confidence.

“Those of us who are blessed with a degree of normal self-doubt are hugely nervous of the idea of embarking on a project like this. And so those that do, tend to be pretty well-empowered individuals. The majority of people we film have a degree of self-belief, that’s what’s got them there in the first place. That brings with it a belief that I hear again and again, which is; ‘This project is going to come in on time and on budget.’

“And my answer is; ‘I’ve never really seen a project do that.’”

Some of what would become recurring themes can be spotted in this episode, as Kevin takes us back to 1999, when paragliding school owners Tim and Jules wanted to build a new family home on the cliffs of the East Sussex coastal town of Newhaven in just three months. The reason for the haste was that Jules (in what would become a familiar Grand Designs story) was pregnant and the couple were keen to have their first baby in their new house.

However, in another sign of things to come for the series, things didn’t go entirely to plan as they dealt with everything from unexpected costs to materials not arriving in time. When Kevin first revisited Tim and Jules, newborn Tiger had arrived but the house was barely finished.

A quarter of a century later though, it’s a different story…

How to Get Filthy Rich with Gary Stevenson (Wednesday 08/07/26, Channel 4, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

For anyone not familiar with Gary Stevenson, he made millions in finance and is now a YouTube sensation and best-selling author.

So, when you see that he has made a documentary called How to Get Filthy Rich, you may be expecting a guide to how to make cash fast. However, as his followers will have predicted, that’s really not what this programme is about.

Instead, it finds him investigating the growing wealth inequality which he believes is tearing UK society apart. It’s a mission that takes him across the country, as he meets people who are struggling, as well as multi-millionaires and even some billionaires.

Along the way, Gary finds out more about what’s driving the growing divide between the rich and poor and also shares what he believes is the answer – a wealth tax, with the super-rich contributing more to address what he sees as a broken system.

He talks to economists, financiers, public sector workers and individuals from across society, hearing from the people who think he’s on to something, but also those who are critical about his theories.

Shaminder Nahal, Commissioning Editor for Channel 4, certainly believes they’ve found the right person to tackle such a difficult subject, saying: “Gary Stevenson is one of the most distinctive and provocative voices in Britain right now on the subject of inequality. This film combines his personal experience inside the world of high finance with a passionate examination of the growing divide between rich and poor in the UK.

“At a time when many people feel the system is no longer working for them, this documentary asks urgent questions about wealth, power and who gets left behind – all told through Gary’s unique perspective and ability to connect with audiences far beyond traditional economics programming.”

Perhaps one of the reasons Gary has been able to connect with followers who wouldn’t normally give much thought to taxation policy is because he does have something of a rags-to-riches story himself.

Gary grew up in a low-income household in Ilford, London, (and had a brief stint as a teen grime MC) before studying at the London School of Economics.

He went on to work as an interest rate trader in 2008, where he made millions but became disillusioned with job and retired in 2014 at the grand old age of 27. Since then, he has gone back to university and become a prominent campaigner, but can still understand why some people may be looking to emulate his early career.

He told GQ magazine: “We think our job is to be selfish, to take care of yourself but I don’t think that makes even the rich happy.

“I know what it’s like to be a young man and to be poor and to be judged. I understand this obsession with ‘I want to get rich’. The key thing is, it doesn’t really work.”

So, in this documentary, can he suggest something that will work, not just for individuals but for society as a whole?

Who Do You Think You Are? (Thursday 09/07/26 BBC Two, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

How much of a surprise are some of the facts dished up by the genealogy show?

Sometimes viewers are left wondering whether the celebrities actually know more than they’re letting on, particularly those who admit they have done a little digging into their family histories themselves.

Despite that, head of the latest run hitting our screens a few weeks ago, Simon Young, BBC Head of Commissioning, History, claimed: “This series never fails to astonish and surprise,” and that certainly was the case for its latest subject, Ruth Madeley. Yes, she’s a fine actress who is perhaps best known for her work with Russell T Davies on Years and Years and Doctor Who, but there’s no faking her genuine shock at the revelation unearthed by researchers at the start of her episode.

Genetic genealogist Rachel King explains that as there is no birth record for her paternal Grandma under her known name, Beatrice Burrows, she must have been adopted, something even her own son, Ruth’s father, had no idea about. He’s asked to supply a DNA sample, and sure enough, there is no link to other members of the Burrows family – but there is one, further back in time, to a couple called Lucy Wilson and Charles Frost.

It’s believed they could be Ruth’s three-times great-grandparents, and now it’s her job to fill in the missing generations, a task that takes her to Peckham in London, far from her North West roots. Historian Dr Vicky Holmes reveals that someone else on the family tree, another Lucy, married Henry Osbourne, but the union was not a happy one – he accused her of drunkenness and assault, but he was certainly no angel, having absconded to Manchester after being prosecuted for embezzling money from his employer.

Nevertheless, they had several children, one of whom, Adelaide, is believed to be Beatrice’s mother, and therefore, Ruth’s great-grandmother; she gave birth to an illegitimate daughter in a workhouse hospital in 1914. Ruth can’t wait to tell her dad, but he has shocking news of his own to impart – he knew Adelaide, she was a friend of his adoptive grandmother.

This news throws up more questions – how did the two women know each other, and why did Elizabeth Burrows, Beatrice’s adoptive mother, take in Adelaide’s little girl?

Well, we’re not going to spoil your enjoyment of the episode too much by giving the entire game away, but what we will say is that the story has plenty more twists and turns to come – as well as a few surprises involving faces from Ruth’s family’s past who pop up to add even more colour to an already intense and fascinating tale.

Hopefully the actress’s old mate Russell T Davies will be watching. He recently gave up his regular gig as Doctor Who’s showrunner, so probably has time on his hands and is looking for a new project to get his teeth into – maybe he could turn Ruth’s ancestry into a compelling period drama.

Now, who could take the lead role…?

Austin (Friday 10/07/26, BBC One, 10.40pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

We do love an Australian comedy.

The likes of Colin from Accounts (a third series of which is currently in production), Ja’mie: Private School Girl and Summer Heights High have all gone down a storm on the small screen in recent years, while the likes of Muriel’s Wedding, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Crocodile Dundee have kept cinema goers laughing in the aisles for decades.

But arguably the best of the lot is Austin, the heartwarming tale of an autistic young man from Down Under keen to form a bond with his British-based biological father, self-centred children’s author Julian, who has no idea of his existence.

The first series appeared last spring and focused on the ups and downs of their relationship, with Julian initially deciding to forge a bond with Austin, not for emotional reasons, but because he feels it will help him restore his damaged reputation following an ill-advised social media post. It ended with the screening of a documentary about the pair.

The second run has taken a while to get to us (it aired in Australia last autumn) but, as the saying goes, all good things come to those who wait.

Michael Theo, who plays the title character, is thrilled to be back, not least because Austin is based on Michael himself.

“I actually felt surprised by that but also honoured,” says Michael, who hadn’t acted before the making the debut season, having initially caught the eye of the programme’s makers while appearing in the reality show Love on the Spectrum. “What appealed to me is that it has a family-oriented concept, and another theme is autism, because I’m actually on the autism spectrum. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s.

“I know the term is not used anymore, but that is what I was diagnosed with. That’s what drew me to the character of Austin, who is on the autism spectrum, in the first place.”

This time around, the tables are about to be turned – while Julian and his wife Ingrid’s literary success is on the slide (they’re forced to make ends meet by selling the rights to it to Australian TV), Austin’s is on the rise; his guide to autistic Britain has been snapped up by a publisher and is on its way to becoming a bestseller. But there’s a twist in the tale too…

Whether there will be any rivalry between father and son remains to be seen, but there certainly isn’t any between Michael and his co-stars Ben Miller and Sally Phillips, who play Julian and Ingrid.

“I just love being around them, even off-screen, because they’re just really amazing people,” he explains. “They’re easy to get along with and they’re not just co-stars, they’re also new friends in my friendship circle. For some reason I feel like they’re family members, despite the fact that they’re not related to me by blood.”

He’s a big fan of other UK stars too: “There are a lot of British actors that I really admire and am quite keen to work with. Rosamund Pike, Keira Knightley, Hayley Atwell, John Cleese, Jack Davenport, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rowan Atkinson… the list goes on.”

Maybe he should contact them about a guest appearance – Billie Piper played herself in the first series, so who knows who might pop up this time around…?