TV Times top picks for tonight
What’s on telly tonight? Here the TV Times team of expert reviewers highlight the best shows on Friday 30th November
Portillo’s Hidden History of Britain, 9pm, Channel 5
The New Victoria Cinema in Bradford was once known as the ‘Palace of Dreams’. The biggest and most luxurious of its kind outside of London, it united people of all ages and backgrounds as they came together to watch the 1930s phenomenon of talking pictures. Michael is digging around in the now abandoned shell of the once grand 3,000-seat auditorium and the faded glory of its ballroom to see what impact such a huge building had on the local people. Although it’s sad to see the state of the building today, there are, thanks to the local people of Bradford coming together once more, grand plans afoot for this elegant building. Rating: ****
Stevie Wonder: A Musical History, 10pm, BBC4
A celebration of an incredibly talented man and his music, this film, the first in a three-part series, looks back at the work of one of our greatest singer/songwriters. Stevie Wonder signed his first record deal at the age of 11 and is still going strong at 68, with over 100 million records sold and 25 Grammys. Famous fans including actor Martin Freeman, singers Alexander O’Neal, James Morrison and Beverley Knight, and DJ Trevor Nelson all pay tribute to the man who has provided the soundtrack to so many of our lives. From Signed, Sealed, Delivered to Superstition and, of course, I Just Called to Say I Love You, this is a fabulous trip down memory lane with a musical mastermind. Rating: ****
Britain by Boat, 8pm, Channel 5
Michael Buerk and John Sergeant are in Portsmouth, on the second leg of their journey. They get off to a slow start as they spend too long preparing their boat, the Bonaventure, and miss the morning tides. But they use the extra time to have a nosey around Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory, before setting sail for Cowes on the Isle of Wight. They enjoy a fancy dinner at the Royal London Yacht Club and the next day challenge each other to a dinghy race – with slightly sore heads… Rating: ***
More previews tomorrow.
