TV Times top picks for tonight
What’s on telly tonight? Here the TV Times team of expert reviewers highlight the best shows on Thursday 4th October
The Placebo Experiment: Can My Brain Cure My Body, BBC2, 9pm
Michael Mosley, the doctor who brought us the 5:2 diet, is in Blackpool to undertake a fascinating experiment for Horizon. The town, made famous by its tower and ballroom, has one of the highest rates of chronic back pain in the country, which is why the trial is taking place here. Over a three-week period, 117 sufferers are given a ‘new painkiller’ to treat their illness, with nearly half reporting that they feel better, bringing a new lease of life to some of the group. However, all the volunteers have actually been taking a placebo, which proves recent research that the power of the mind is underrated, and that the brain, in some people, can produce a painkiller stronger than any drug. Rating: ****
Canada: A Year in the Wild, 8pm, Channel 5
In Canada right now, the autumn landscape is a riot of reds and russets, and while tourists are snapping the stunning Fall colours, the wildlife readies itself for the hardships ahead and the sub-zero temperatures. While birds fly south, larger animals remain to see out the winter. For black bears, a bumper crop of wild berries, and maybe an occasional caribou, will help fatten them up for hibernation. Wood frogs survive by going into suspended animation until spring, but for Arctic foxes, protected by their thick fur, the snow does not hinder hunting for voles. This is nature at its most extreme and beautiful. Rating: ****
No Offence, 9pm, C4
DI Viv Deering may have failed to get her hands on killer Beckett, but she has 48 hours to get Dennis Caddy to betray his best friend and turn informant. Viv reckons the only way to crack the far-right fanatic is to reveal that his ‘girlfriend’ Bonnie is actually an undercover cop working for her. Dennis thinks she’s bluffing, until Bonnie confirms the truth – but now that her secret is out, can she rely on Deering to protect her? Rating: ***
More previews tomorrow.
