Mediterranean with Simon Reeve - BBC2

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The Mediterranean with Simon Reeve
(Image credit: BBC/Craig Hastings)

Presenter Simon Reeve journeys the Mediterranean, examining the challenges currently facing the nations he visits - first stop Malta, Italy and Albania

Taking a trip around the Mediterranean coastline sounds like a dream come true, but for this four-part documentary series, Simon Reeve finds himself exploring the darker side of the countries we think we know.

Taking in Malta, Italy and Albania in this first episode, Simon uncovers money-laundering and organised crime in Malta and joins the police on the frontline as they fight a Mafia-style organisation, the ’Ndràngheta, in southern Italy – where he witnesses the incineration of more than a ton of seized cocaine.

The Mediterranean with Simon Reeve

Simon at the ruins of the Roman city of Leptis Magna in Libya later in the series

Simon also meets an Albanian boy who is too frightened to leave his home because of an ancient code of revenge in his town, which means he’ll be murdered for his father’s crime.

TV Times rating: ***

Mandy Cooper
Mandy Cooper
TV Times Highlights Editor

As TV Times Highlights Editor I get to hear about all the latest TV shows coming soon. Here at TVT HQ we are in the privileged position of selecting the best programmes from across all the channels and streaming platforms. Our mission is to make it easier for our readers to decide what to watch - and give them lots of choice of genres - all the latest shows, plus some nostalgic choices we call hidden gems, too. My career began with a postgraduate degree in periodical journalism (ahem, yes old school!) in 1991 and I’ve worked in TV media since 2000.