 One to Watch, Doug’s TV Pick
At a time when we’ve never been more divided as a nation, 999: What’s Your Emergency? returns for a brand-new run of episodes, focusing on the work of police in Northamptonshire where, with resources stretched to breaking point, officers are struggling to meet the increased demand on their services.
This opening episode focuses on relationships. The divorce rate in the UK is at its lowest for 45 years, but last year there were more than 13,000 domestic incidents in Northamptonshire. Wendy Rigby is a call handler at force HQ, and thinks ‘we’re becoming a society of dysfunctional people. There’s a lot of people out there that use the police as marriage counsellors’.
And, after a decade of austerity, money is one recurring issue that couples argue about. PC Dan Foster separates one warring couple. ‘I think times are hard. I think it’s difficult for people that are really struggling with money and it is causing domestic violence issues’. In recent years, the number of people who admit being trapped in unhappy relationships has doubled. Officer Sam Clulow is forced to make an unusual intervention in one couple’s domestic dispute.
‘I have had some experience of dumping girlfriends myself, probably not in the best way, but I’ve never got someone to do it for me’. For PC Hannah Lambert every domestic she attends is personal. ‘I am the face they look to for reassurance to look after them and be there for them, and now I am sitting here saying, I was once that person, I couldn’t protect myself, how do I protect you?’
999: What’s Your Emergency?, Channel 4 at 9pm
Also Today…
It’s the second week of Springwatch, and Michaela Strachan, Iolo Williams and Chris Packham are back to catch up with all the latest news from the nest cameras.
Meanwhile Gillian Burke has moved north to Birmingham for a week of live reports about the health of our urban wildlife, and paddle boarder and conservationist Cal Major starts a week-long mission to inspire the people of Britain to engage with their local wildlife
Springwatch, BBC Two at 8pm
The story of a village’s recovery from severe flooding will be told in a new STV programme which sees Sean Batty tour Scotland. Sean’s Scotland will follow the weather presenter as he explores the country, from the wilds of Sutherland down to Dumfries and Galloway and the Isle of Colonsay across to Aberdeenshire. He will learn how Scotland’s ever-changing weather affects people’s lives and about the work that goes into protecting the environment.
The village of Ballater, in Royal Deeside, was battered by Storm Frank in December 2015, with 4ft of water driving families from their homes and forcing businesses to close. In the first episode of Sean’s Scotland on Monday night, Sean meets residents who have pulled together to get the village back on its feet. The rest of ‘Channel 3’ in England, Wales on ITV and UTV in Northern Ireland will be treated to Alan Titchmarsh and an edition of Love Your Garden in this slot.
Sean’s Scotland, 8pm on STV
Sean Batty is STV’s popular weather personality.
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