TV Times top picks
What’s on telly tonight? Here the TV Times team of expert reviewers highlight the best shows on Friday 8th June
Cruising with Jane McDonald, 9pm, Channel 5
Hot on the heels of her recent BAFTA win, Jane McDonald is back at sea for more tip-top cruises. In a two-part special to kick things off, Jane takes a trip Down Under. In Sydney, she pops into the Opera House – will she take the opportunity to belt out a note or two? It would be rude not to! Following an encounter with a wombat at a wildlife sanctuary in Tasmania, it’s off to New Zealand, where she explores Christchurch and uncovers Scottish influences in Dunedin (and has a go on the bagpipes!). Then there’s just time to sample the local grape harvest as she visits the wine region of Marlborough before she treats us to a tune. Rating: ****
The Bridge, 9pm, BBC2
Anyone hoping for a chink of light will be waiting in vain with this episode, a gnarly, twisty and dark hour piling even more mystery into the mix. As if Saga didn’t have enough to do tracking the killer of immigration official Margrethe, she’s still trying to find out what happened to Henrik’s family. Taxi driver Dan – the last person to see Margrethe alive – might not be the straight arrow the police had thought. In fact thuggish Dan has tracked down his wife and son… it’s going to get ugly. Rating: ****
Africa: A Journey into Music, 10pm, BBC4
DJ Rita Ray continues to explore the history and legacy of African music. In this week’s episode of the enthralling three-parter, she’s in South Africa – and it’s all about the voice. Rita starts her odyssey in Ladysmith, Durban, where she dropsin on an all-night singing contest and listens to songs that use the ‘call and response’ harmonies. Rita learns about the heart-wrenching lyrics behind these Zulu a cappella chants, originally sung by miners as a rallying cry. Later, Rita meets prayer singer and national treasure Madosini, as well as Sipho Mabuse, whose uplifting beats became synonymous with the anti-Apartheid struggle and learns how music brought the civil rights movement to the global stage. Rating: *****
More previews tomorrow.
