Could a massive volcanic eruption devastate a major Italian city? asks Channel 5

May 31, 2019

Telly Today: The end of the week, and the end of the month, highlights for Friday May 31st.

One to Watch: The Pompeii Proversy: Countdown To Devastation , Channel 5, 9pm

Could a massive volcanic eruption devastate a major Italian city?

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius is the ancient world’s most celebrated and haunting catastrophe. Within hours of its awakening in AD 79, deadly clouds of burning ash and gas swept down through the bustling Roman city of Pompeii, burying thousands. But few of today’s inhabitants of nearby Naples realize the existence of another volcano right under their feet.

In fact, the city’s suburbs and outlying towns are home to more than half a million people, who live inside the giant collapsed crater of an ancient supervolcano. Its last major eruption killed 6,000 people in 1631. Now, a team of geologists has found evidence that a huge volume of magma is stirring beneath the surface of the crater and could break through the crust in the near future, triggering an explosive eruption that could kill tens of thousands.

In this special film, investigators hunt for clues hidden beneath the surface and assess the risk of a new and potentially devastating eruption. The show also follows historians and geologists as they discover the latest evidence of Pompeii’s fiery destruction, unpacking the chain of events that led to the ancient world’s most notorious disaster. What lessons does the tragedy of Pompeii hold for Naples’ citizens, who face a mounting threat from the unseen forces beneath their feet?

Lurcio of Up Pompeii, played by Frankie Howerd, never realised the dangers of Mount Vesuvius until it was too late.

The Looming Tower, BBC Two, 9.30pm

Embedded in the CIA’s Alec Station, FBI agent Vince Stuart (Louis Cancelmi) pesters Diane Marsh (Wrenn Schmidt) for permission to share knowledge of a suspect Saudi citizen present in America. After consulting her demoted mentor Martin Schmidt (Peter Sarsgaard), Marsh takes a carrot-and-stick approach to ensuring Stuart’s silence.

In New York, John O’Neill tries to mend fences with his by-the-book new chief, Jason Sanchez (Yul Vazquez), who instead orders him to a retirement preparation conference in Florida. O’Neill is distracted by a call from his NYC-bound mistress Sheri and his briefcase – containing classified files – is stolen. Even though the case is recovered with the files intact, he questions if should he report its disappearance. He seeks the advice of his other mistress Liz (Annie Parisse), who is staying with him in the hotel.

Unreported World, Channel 4, 7.30pm

The final episode in this series is entitled Forest of Fear.

Unreported World tonight ventures deep into the rainforests of the Republic of the Congo to meet members of the Baka tribe, who are under threat as the forests they’ve hunted in for generations are turned into a national park.

Reporter Ade Adepitan and director Karim Shah investigate claims that heavily-armed ‘eco-guards’, part-funded by the World Wildlife Fund, are not only preventing the Baka from hunting the food which keeps them alive, but also abusing and intimidating them to the extent that the whole tribe now lives in fear.

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, from today on Netflix

The second run of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman welcomes Kanye West, Ellen DeGeneres, Tiffany Haddish, Lewis Hamilton, and Melinda Gates. All five episodes will be available on Netflix from today (Friday, May 31st).

David Letterman returns to the host seat bringing humor, curiosity and in-depth conversations with extraordinary people. David Letterman is best known for his chat shows on both NBC and CBS stateside. He first hosted a celebrity talk show in 1982 with Late Night. His final series The Late Show, ended in 2015.