What to watch on TV on Tuesday 18 June, from Peacock to Sewing Bee

WHATEVER genre of TV tickles your fancy, there’s something for everyone on the box tonight.

Whether it’s the real-life adventures that come with running a farm, the return of a hit comedy for a full series, an engrossing talent show or powerful, heart-wrenching documentaries, you need not leave your sofa this evening.

Here are TV Mag’s six telly picks for Tuesday 18 June 2024…

The Yorkshire Vet (8pm C5)

No matter how many times you witness the birth of a new animal, it’s never short of miraculous.

This week, Shona and David are reminded of this once again when they’re on hand to help deliver a newborn calf by Caesarean.

Elsewhere, the Thirsk practice gets a unique patient in the form of Vinnie the vulture, who is having problems with her leg, and Julian operates on his friend Jeffery’s playful dog, Timmy.

Peacock (9pm BBC3)

After a three-part pilot run, Peacock flexes its muscles with a full six-episode series, following the adventures of crisis-stricken personal trainer Andy Peacock (People Just Do Nothing’s Allan Mustafa).

Andy’s now running body-positive fitness classes, but younger personal trainer Jay (Lucien Laviscount, Emily In Paris) is still an alpha-male-shaped thorn in his side.

And that’s before they both go for the same promotion…

The Great British Sewing Bee (9pm BBC2)

“Welcome to India Week,” says host Kiell, as the sewers are challenged to work their magic on a complex Nehru jacket, a Madras check summer outfit, and, later, a Sari-inspired dress.

As ever, the pressure’s on as the contestants are up against the clock, all while under the watchful eyes of Patrick and Esme, plus special guest judge Priya Khanchandani.

Super Surgeons: A Chance At Life (9pm C4)

It’s the return of the heart-wrenching series following world-leading operations on cancer patients at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in London.

Tonight’s episode introduces us to Anthea, who was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in her arm just a week after her 18th birthday.

A local surgeon recommended amputation, which would end her dream of being a midwife, but Consultant General Surgeon Professor Andy Hayes disagrees.

“I think anyone looking at those MRI scans would be concerned that this wasn’t do-able,” he says. “By nature I’m inclined to take risks – if one is too risk-averse, you’ll end up denying patients the possibility of an operation which, if it goes well, will be of huge benefit to them.”

Warning: the surgeries performed are extremely graphic.

Code Blue: One Punch Killers (9pm ITV1)

Over the past five years, 82 one-punch killings (in which just one strike has left a person dead) have been reported in the UK – many of which were in the same small stretch of South Wales.

This documentary tells just some of the individual stories that make up that shocking statistic in vivid and heartbreaking detail, including the cases of Andrew Nicholas and Matthew Thomas.

Featuring interviews with the victims’ grieving loved ones, as well as detectives who worked on the cases, it’s a harrowing but heartfelt watch.

As one consultant who has worked on similar incidents concludes: “It may be one punch, but it’s many lives.”

Painting Birds With Jim And Nancy Moir: Kids Special (8pm Sky Arts)

Nancy and Jim are joined by birders Toby, Dottie, Omeed and Bailey, aged 10 and 11, in this charming Kent-based special.

The children certainly know their feathered friends, and are very talented artists too.

Comedian Harry Hill does some harbourside painting with Jim, while urban birder David Lindo challenges the kids to a spot of “bird bingo“.