BBC Children in Need (BBC1, 7.30pm)
The annual telethon used to last one night only, but these days it’s almost a festival. This week we’ve been treated to a DIY SOS special and Rylan Clark-Neal performing a 24-hour karaoke marathon on Radio 2, among other shows. A couple of weeks ago we were treated to Got It Covered, in which actors recorded a fundraising album, while It Takes Two announced which EastEnders stars were set to take part in a Strictly spin-off. But now, at long last, the main event is here.
Unreported World (C4, 7.30pm)
Reporter Adnan Sarwar meets the pupils, parents and teachers trying to survive at a primary school caught in a turf war in Cape Town, South Africa, between lawless, drug-dealing gangs. As Sarwar and his director Tom Cross discover, the Cape Flats have long had a notorious reputation for lawlessness and violence, but with 279 children killed in the last year alone, the government has now sent in the military.
Mountain Vets (BBC2, 8pm)
The Mountains of Mourne in the south-east of Northern Ireland have been declared an Area of Outstanding Beauty. They also contain more animal residents than people – humans are outnumbered six to one. As a result, the nine local vets and nurses are always kept busy, and in this new six-part series we’ll get to see them in action.
The Mayflower: Great British Ships (Channel 5, 9pm)
Rob Bell uncovers the story behind a merchant ship that changed the world – The Mayflower. He reveals how a group of religious dissidents, the Pilgrims, hired the craft to undertake a desperate voyage to the new world. Facing fierce storms, mutiny, deprivation and death, the Mayflower’s crew and the Pilgrims overcame incredible odds to establish the colony that ultimately gave birth to the United States of America. In Mystic, Connecticut, Rob examines a full-size replica of the Mayflower and explores Plymouth, Massachusetts.
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