Wrestling with Trump and Hidden Treasures of the National Trust among TV highlights this week

Angela Rippon’s River Cruises (Saturday 09/05/26, 5, 8pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

She may have been one of the first female news presenters on British TV, but there was always a lot more to Angela Rippon than an ability to read an autocue.

As she once remarked in an interview with the Guardian: “If you’ve half a brain you want an opportunity to use it. When I read the Nine O’ Clock News, I kept my brain active by working on programmes like Antiques Roadshow, Top Gear and In the Country.”

Rippon also high-kicked her way into the nation’s hearts via a memorable guest appearance on the 1976 Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special, as well as via her stints as the host of Come Dancing and, three years ago, by competing in Strictly Come Dancing; at the age of 79, she is the latter’s oldest-ever participant.

In 1990 she made her debut as a travelogue presenter when she embarked on a trip along the Kennet and Avon Canal, a journey that formed the basis of the series A Summer Journey with Angela Rippon. Now she’s dipping her toe back into the genre with the latest such series from 5; over the years it has scored numerous successes with celebrity-led trips, and there’s no reason why this one won’t be a hit either.

Across four episodes, the veteran broadcaster – she’s currently celebrating 60 years on our screens – will explore the Mekong and the Danube, travelling through Cambodia, Vietnam, Hungary, Austria and Germany along the way. In each nation, she will take time out to explore the towns, cities and villages close to their banks, meeting the people who make their homes there, and finding out what attracts them to the region.

Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor, 5, can’t wait for everyone to see the show: “As UK river cruise bookings reach a new high, I’m thrilled to welcome Angela to the channel to embark on a voyage of incredible discovery and help us understand why more and more Brits are choosing this type of travel adventure. The series promises to be a rewarding watch.”

And while Barnett is delighted, Rippon herself is probably even more excited at what lies ins store. She says: “I’m truly thrilled to be given the opportunity to explore these mighty rivers. The Mekong and the Danube offer two very different and uniquely fascinating travel experiences and I can’t wait to share them with the viewers on 5. It’s going to be quite an adventure!”

Rippon begins in the stunning Hungarian capital of Budapest, taking a whistlestop tour of the city and learning about its complicated past. If that leaves a bad taste in her mouth, she can get rid of it during a stop in Vienna, where tasting some fabulous cakes at a local eaterie is on the menu ahead of a tour of the famous Spanish Riding School.

And, of course, there’s time for some dancing – Rippon learns how to do a traditional Viennese Waltz, although one imagines she could teach the instructors a thing or two herself…

Believe Me (Sunday 10/05/26, ITV1, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

Think of the biggest TV dramas of the past 20 years, and many of them will feature one man – Daniel Mays.

The Essex boy has popped up in the likes of EastEnders, Red Riding, Ashes to Ashes, Mrs Biggs and Line of Duty. He’s no slouch in the movie world either, having appeared in Vera Drake, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and The Thursday Murder Club, among many others.

So when it’s announced that he’s taking a lead role in a new project, you really should sit up and take notice.

He’s no stranger to tackling real-life characters either, but he admits that playing London taxi cab driver and convicted serial sex offender John Worboys is his biggest challenge to date.

“It was a very isolating character to play, by its very nature,” claims Mays. “When I was announced to play him, I got this tirade from family and friends and work colleagues who can’t quite believe it, going, ‘Why would you want to play something like that?’ So, the challenge was to humanise him, really, and that was a very difficult and unsettling thing to take on.”

He adds: “When you’re playing a real person in any drama, there’s always a huge responsibility that comes with it, but this was a whole other level. This isn’t a drama about the motives of John Worboys, and rightly so.

“This is told from the perspective of the victims, and for them to tell their truth, have their stories told – the ordeals that they went through and the fight they took on against the Metropolitan Police and the court systems. So, when you’re dealing with that, the onus was on me to get it absolutely 110 per cent right. That was paramount to me.”

The result is a superb performance in a powerful drama that that won’t be easy viewing – and it wasn’t easy to make either.

“I actually underestimated how much it was going to affect me,” says Mays. “I’ve been a professional actor for 26 years, so I’ve done a lot of true crime and played a lot of wrong ‘uns.

“When I got these scripts, it absolutely terrified me, because I’m a father myself. My head immediately went to my 13-year-old daughter Dixie. She’s venturing out, going on trains, and before long, no doubt she’ll be in the back of a taxi. So as a father, I found it an incredibly disturbing and terrifying read.”

Aimee-Ffion Edwardes and Aasiya Shah co-star as Sarah and Laila, Worboys’ victims who had to fight to gain a conviction. We’ll see how the Metropolitan Police failed to thoroughly investigate their allegations, leaving them feeling as if nobody believed what had happened to them. Rachael Stirling, Miriam Petche and Philippa Dunne are also among the cast.

The facts of the case can, of course, be found via a quick online search, but the importance of a dramatisation such as this is that it reaches a wider audience and, hopefully, helps prevent such matters happening again.

Children of the Blitz (Monday 11/05/2026, BBC Two, 9pm)

Words by Richard Jones

On September 1, 1939, the day Germany invaded Poland and the Second World War began, the British government implemented a massive evacuation plan.

Over the course of three days, around 1.5 million civilians – the overwhelming majority of them children – were transported from urban ‘target’ zones to rural areas that were believed to be safe.

This mass relocation, called Operation Pied Piper, was the largest internal migration in British history, and photographs of children, excitedly waving from packed trains with name tags round their necks, became some of the most emblematic images of the war.

But despite government calls to “leave the children where they are”, around two million children stayed at home, and by January 1940, around 900,000 evacuees had returned to target areas in towns and cities.

Subsequent waves of evacuation followed though, with another 1.25 million people leaving later that year, as Britain faced the threat of invasion.

Then, on September 7, 1940 – the date that became known as Black Saturday – the Luftwaffe began its ‘Lightning War’ otherwise known at the Blitz.

Around 350 German bombers dropped explosives on London, particularly targeting the East End.

For the next eight months, more than 35,000 tonnes of bombs and incendiaries were dropped on the capital and other towns and cities including Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Coventry, Southampton, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Bristol, Newcastle upon Tyne, Hull, Swansea, Belfast and Clydeside.

While the Luftwaffe’s sustained aerial campaign damaged Britain’s infrastructure and war production, it also killed over 43,000 innocent civilians and left thousands of others homeless.

This landmark documentary, from the producers of the Bafta-winning The Last Survivors and Atomic People, tells the stories of those children who remained at home during the Blitz, often to help their families, or because their parents couldn’t bear to send them away.

Through the eyes of survivors who are mostly in their nineties and beyond, the film examines the stark reality for those whose childhoods were largely shaped by the experience.

A lot of the people featured saw their homes destroyed, while those who lost parents, relatives and friends were left to fend for themselves.

Many grew up with their stories going unheard, but now they’re finally able to describe what happened to them and how their childhood experiences continue to affect them to this day.

In light of the stoicism against the horrors of war, the term ‘Blitz Spirit’ emerged as a way to describe the characteristics of the British civilian population soldiering on in a crisis.

It is still held up as a defining characteristic of Britishness today.

Executive Producer Morgan Matthews said: “Recording the experiences of some of the last survivors of the Blitz across the UK is a true privilege.

“Their combined testimony invites us to reflect on the reality of living through the most devastating aerial bombing campaign the UK has ever endured, and on how that experience has shaped not only their lives, but also the physical geography of our cities and our psychological sense of what it means to be British.”

Eighty-five years on, the Blitz will forever be remembered as a crucial episode of the Second World War.

It was time when people needed to stick together, help each other and continue life as best they could.

And as this documentary shows, the children at the time were often forced to bear the brunt of the attacks, take responsibility, and grow up very quickly.

Wrestling with Trump (Tuesday 12/05/26, Channel 4, 10pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

Love him or loathe him, it’s fair to say that Donald Trump’s approach to the presidency is unlike anything we’ve seen before. But comedian and satirist Munya Chawawa is asking if Trump’s love of showmanship and trash-talking his detractors might have its roots in something other than international politics and diplomacy.

Munya says: “In 2026, it feels like we’re all living under the enormous, eclipsing shadow of Donald Trump. At every moment of every day, we know what he’s doing, but so often – we’re left asking why. My theory is: wrestling – as in ‘sweaty men in tiny hotpants’ wrestling.”

Now, Munya is exploring this seemingly unlikely idea in his new documentary, Wrestling with Trump, which not only gives a new perspective on one of the world’s most talked about and over-analysed men, but also turns into something of a journey of self-discovery.

To gather evidence, Munya, who first found fame with his viral online sketches, and has since gone on to appear in everything from Taskmaster to Prince Andrew: The Musical, heads to the US, meeting wrestler and Trump sidekicks alike.

The people he encounters include wrestling legend Brutus Beefcake, who recalls steak dinners with Trump at WrestleMania, while Marc Copani reflects on portraying a controversial post-9/11 character in WWE.

Former campaign advisor Sam Nunberg also offers an insight into how the pageantry of wrestling may have influenced Trump’s own way of blurring the lines between reality and spectacle.

In fact, the deeper Munya digs, the more he learns that the relationship between wrestling and politics may predate the current presidency.

Munya joins forces with a travelling group of independent wrestlers, including ‘Handsome’ Beau James, which gives him a chance to explore the concept of kayfabe – the name the wrestling industry has given to an audience’s willing suspension of disbelief and acceptance of staged elements in the name of entertainment.

According to James, this idea has long been an influence on public life, and he thinks Trump isn’t the only politician to have harnessed its power.

It’s not all grappling with abstract concepts though – Munya also undergoes training so he can step into the ring for a tag team match under the guidance of Beau James and his crew. It gives the comedian a new appreciation for the physical and psychological demands of the wrestling world – even if the storylines and rivalries are manufactured, it still takes strength, stamina and dedication.

But will Munya conclude that the dangers extend beyond possible injuries or hurt pride?

The comedian says: “This documentary was the ultimate bittersweet adventure that interprets one of the most contentious men on the planet, through the lens of my fondest childhood nostalgia. It’s equal parts crushing and compelling, to know the bodyslams and bombastic smack talk we all enjoyed growing up, may have actually been creating a strategic blueprint for the President of the United States.

“You have to see it to believe it.”

The Future with Hannah Fry (Wednesday 13/05/2026, BBC Two, 7.30pm)

Words by Richard Jones

What does the future hold? Is it really possible to live in a world where cars fly, computers can read our emotions, and we order coffee from a robot?

In this new series, first available on Bloomberg in 2023, Professor Hannah Fry explores the science, technology and people on the cusp of some of the most transformative breakthroughs of our age.

The Future with Hannah Fry sees her meet those trying to solve some of the biggest challenges of our time and investigates the latest technological advances that will affect all our futures – for better or worse.

The 42-year-old mathematician will interview experts, explainers, scientific seers and technology leaders, as well as visiting facilities to explore breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, crypto, climate, chemistry and ethics.

The future and, in particular, technology’s role in it, is something that fascinates Fry, who is Professor of the Public Understanding of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and president of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

Earlier this year, her three-part series AI Confidential with Hannah Fry, which followed people using artificial intelligence to imitate dead relatives, drive cars, and as friends and lovers, was broadcast on the BBC.

“I’m genuinely obsessed with helping people better understand science and maths’ daily impact on our everyday lives,” Fry said when The Future… was first announced back in 2022.

“The world needs more and more critical exploration of its issues, from different types of voices that blend facts with creativity, along with a deeper look at how we relate to one another interpersonally as we act to solve them.”

In future episodes, the presenter will look at whether artificial intelligence read emotions better than a human, and if the death of privacy is putting society at greater risk.

She’ll also examine potential impact of nuclear fusion and clean energy, consider how revolutionary technology could transform the lives of disabled people, and ask if rewilding can help to heal the environmental wounds we have inflicted on our planet.

In tonight’s first edition, The 150 Year Life, Professor Fry explores the scientific, ethical and societal implications of extreme longevity and the logistical challenges of a world where people routinely live to 150.

The elixir of life has been sought for thousands of years, and Fry explores some of the technologies aimed at pausing or reversing the aging process, asking whether aging is a curable disease.

She joins bio-hackers in California, and meets those living a traditional, healthy life in Okinawa, Japan.

Fry also joins a neuroscientist along the streets of Tokyo to experience the latest age-defying techniques and questions what it means to live to a healthy, happy old age.

As well as all that, the mathematician examines the strain on the world’s pensions, the necessity of working longer, and how to structure a 150-year life.

Beyond technology, the programme also raises questions about what constitutes a ‘good life’ and whether living longer is inherently better.

What will extended lifespans mean for society, and will all the effort be worthwhile in the end?

The Hardacres (Thursday 14/05/26, 5, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

The first series of 5’s hit period drama followed The Hardacre family as they rose from poverty to staggering wealth in 19th-century Yorkshire.

Now, Mary (Claire Cooper) and Sam (Liam McMahon), their children Joe (Adam Little), Liza (Shannon Lavelle) and Harry (Zak Ford‑Williams) and Mary’s mother Ma (Julie Graham) are back for a new run.

They’re joined by some new faces, including Michele Dotrice as Lady Imelda Hansen, the formidable mother of Lady Emma Fitzherbert – and Julie Graham in particular couldn’t be more excited to welcome her into the fold.

Julie, whose own impressive CV includes Willam and Mary, The Bletchley Circle, and The City is Ours, says: “Oh, my God, I adore her. She came in and she was the boss immediately. She was so much fun…

“I don’t know about the rest of the cast, but Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em was my show when I was a kid. I watched it religiously with my mum, my mum was such a huge fan of the show. So, for me, Michele was already a legend, before I even met her – and then when I did meet her, I absolutely adored her. I can’t even tell you how much we got on.”

She adds: “She’s such a huge addition to the cast, and she’s going to be a firm favourite within seconds of the audience seeing her.”

Julie’s character, Ma, is also having fun and making friends as we catch up with the family in 1895. The actress says: “Ma is in a very good place, to be honest. She’s settled into her very comfortable life. She’s got no time for any other distractions, apart from her own pleasure and her own family. She’s taken over the running of the gardens and the grounds, and she’s also formed this really lovely friendship with George Fitzherbert, or Georgie, as she calls him.”

She’s also taking up bridge, although Julie stopped short of learning that herself. She laughs: “They sent me some YouTube links to bridge but I lost interest within two seconds. It’s not my bag. It’s impenetrable. I thought, ‘Well it’s in the script, so we have to play, but obviously we don’t have to really play.’

“It’s like doing Chariots of Fire. You don’t have to really run a marathon.”

However, the Hardacres might not be able to avoid some of the challenges coming their way in the new series. It begins with electricity arriving at Hardacre Hall, along with other changes.

As the pressure of the recession mount, Sam decides to expand the business by converting the fish shops into general stores, and reluctantly promotes Joe to lead the venture.

Maggie is also given more responsibility, but when she messes up an order, Mary realises she needs extra support and sets up adult education classes in the village, just as Harry decides he’s done with his own schooling.

And Emma is less than pleased to discover her mother is planning a visit.

Hidden Treasures of the National Trust (Friday 15/05/26, BBC2, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

The fascinating series going behind the velvet ropes at some of the UK’s most beautiful and significant houses returns for a fourth series.

As previous runs of Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, which have featured everything from an attempt to reveal the graffiti on the walls of Paul McCartney’s former bathroom to the work to preserve one of Winston Churchill’s D-Day mementoes, have shown, the Trust has plenty of hidden gems to explore.

Speaking ahead of a previous series, Tarnya Cooper, Curatorial and Conservation Director at the National Trust, says: “History comes to life before you at National Trust properties. Across hundreds of places we have well over a million objects, which tell fascinating stories of the generations of people who commissioned, made and loved them.

“Looking after such diverse objects and places takes dedicated teams of people as well as expert conservators, and we hope BBC viewers will enjoy learning more about them and their work on wonderful collections ranging from must-see paintings and furniture to books and textiles to amazing architectural features.”

The new run begins with a look at two properties with links to celebrated British authors.

First up is Greenway, the beloved holiday home of the world’s most famous crime writer, Agatha Christie. With its views of the River Dart in Devon, it inspired one of her Hercule Poirot mystery novels, Dead Man’s Folly, and is a popular destination for fans of detective fiction from across the world.

The episode follows the staff who are working to preserve Christie’s personal belongings, including a beautiful Chinese silk robe that once belonged to her mother, Clarissa. The fragile garment is now splitting and disintegrating, and needs to be sent away for specialist conservation.

Another piece of history at Greenway is also in need to attention. During the Second World War, an American officer who was stationed at the house painted a colourful frieze on the library wall ahead of the D-Day landings. It’s currently peeling away from the wall, and conservator Ruth McNeilage faces the difficult task of stabilising the paint.

Viewers are also whisked to Dorset, and Max Gate, the former home of Thomas Hardy, author of Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the d’Urbervilles. The writer designed the building himself, and he also created the unusual wooden sundial mounted high on the front of the house.

After nearly a century of exposure to the elements, the sundial (which carries the mysterious Latin inscription Quid de Nocte?, meaning ‘what of the night?’), is flaking, rusting and telling the wrong time. So, Peter Meehan needs to carefully remove and dismantle it, while repainting Hardy’s original markings.

When he wasn’t making sundials, Hardy drew inspiration from the landscape, and the National Trust works to maintain that too. In this episode, a team of rangers and volunteers get to work to bring the chalk outline of the famous Cerne Abbas Giant back into focus.