What's on? 22 top telly tips for Wednesday

There's a debate called Can Science Beat the Virus? while Rick James gets the Mike Judge treatment, Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson continue to Run, and Joe Lycett hosts The Great British Sewing Bee...

Pick of the Day

Can Science Beat the Virus? 9.00pm, Channel 4

This is a special debate about the coronavirus pandemic, with only scientists on the panel.

As people - well, the smarter ones - increasingly looks beyond politics to science for reassurance about how and when the crisis will end, this programme brings together experts to take part in a straight-talking, fact-based discussion providing scientific answers to the most difficult questions.

The discussion covers the psychology of isolation, the technical issues behind mass production of ventilators, and, crucially, gives viewers the chance to explore the fascinating science behind this extraordinary outbreak.

Don't Miss

Run, 9.00pm, Sky Comedy

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It's only week two of the HBO dramedy about a woman who escapes her boring life by running away with her old boyfriend, but already it's looks set to be a cracker - the opening episode was compulsive viewing.

Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson are already proving to have great chemistry, which should carry this train-bound tale along.

This week, Wever's Ruby and Gleeson’s Billy continue their volatile reunion as the train heads on to Chicago.

Mike Judge Presents: Tales from The Tour Bus, 9.35pm, Sky Comedy

This week’s edition of Mike Judge’s warts-n-all animated music documentary series is the first of a two-parter, which is understandable given the proclivities of the artist in focus.

The first part deals with the rise to fame of the superbly OTT Rick James, who came from humble beginnings to become a rock icon with the release of Superfreak.

New or Returning Shows

The Great British Sewing Bee, 9.00pm, BBC One

Joe Lycett welcomes twelve more contestants to the amateur sewer competition.

First up, the sewers are challenged to create seemingly straightforward wardrobe staples, and for their pattern challenge, the judges ask them to make a wrap skirt.

Rob & Romesh vs Usain Bolt, 8.00pm, Sky One

Comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan team up to meet their wish list of all-time greats from the world of sport and entertainment, beginning by travelling to Jamaica to join up with former sprinter Usain Bolt.

Jane Goodall: the Hope, 8.00pm, National Geographic

Documentary about the primatologist's advocacy work over the last 30 years to protect chimpanzees in both the wild and captivity, and encourage a new generation of conservationists.

The Story of Plastic, 7.00pm, Discovery

A detailed look into the environmental damage and human rights abuses that occur throughout the lifecycle of plastic, and what companies and countries can do to fix the issues.

New to Download

Circus of Books, Netflix

For nearly four decades, unassuming couple Karen and Barry Mason ran Circus of Books, an LA porn store that became a hub for the local gay community.

This documentary tells their quite unique story.

Absurd Planet, Netflix

A cast of quirky critters and Mother Nature herself narrate this science series, which peeks into the lives of Earth’s most incredible animals.

The Willoughbys, Netflix

Convinced they’d be better off raising themselves, the Willoughby children hatch a sneaky plan to send their selfish parents on vacation.

The siblings then embark on their own high-flying adventure to find the true meaning of family.

Ending Tonight

Nationwide, 7.00pm, RTÉ One

Here's the second and final Part of Donal Byrne's special report on legendary Irish band The Chieftains, as they tour around the United States.

Repeats of the Day

Discovering: Peter O’Toole, 4.00pm, Sky Arts

A look at the life and work of the star of stage and screen, who shot to international fame by playing the title role in David Lean’s languorous 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia.

Peter Kay’s Comedy Shuffle, 11.15pm, BBC One

The comedian, actor, writer and director looks back over his eventful career in showbusiness.

This week Kay is joined by rock legend Noddy Holder, the former frontman of 1970s’ rockers, Slade.

Anna Nicole Smith: The Autopsy, 11.00pm, Virgin Media Two

Forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd investigates the death of the model and actress, who died in February 2007 at the age of 39 from a drug overdose.

The evidence revealed by her autopsy bears testimony to the addictions and behaviour that blighted her life, while also shedding light on the unusual cause of a mystery infection that contributed to her death.

Daytime Film Choices

All That Heaven Allows, 3.00pm, Film4

Douglas Sirk was the master of 1950s’ melodrama, and Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead and Conrad Nagel star in this classic example of his style.

A wealthy New England widow breaks all the taboos of her conservative social circle by falling madly in love with her younger gardener.

Her friends and grown-up children are scandalised as she contemplates marrying him, leaving her with a dilemma - to either bow to convention or take a chance at being happy.

Shaun of the Dead, 3.05pm, Sky Cinema Greats

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Dylan Moran, Lucy Davis, Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton star in this fun horror-comedy.

An unambitious and failing 29-year-old man decides to get his life back on track. Unfortunately, he has to put his plans on hold when zombies rise from their graves and stalk the streets of London to feast on the living.

Psycho, 3.35pm, Sky Cinema Thriller

Classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller with Anthony Perkins playing a superb central role as the troubled Norman Bates.

A woman on the run after stealing from her boss ends up at an isolated motel, where the owner's curious relationship with his domineering mother results in murder. Add in Bernard Hermann's soundtrack and bingo! Instant classic.

Prime Time Movie Picks

Midnight Run, 9.00pm, Film4

Very enjoyable comedy-thriller, starring Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, Dennis Farina, John Ashton and Joe Pantoliano.

When accountant Jonathan Mardukas skips bail after having been arrested for embezzlement, bounty hunter Jack Walsh is hired to catch the fraudster and return him from New York to Los Angeles.

Notting Hill, 9.00pm, Sky Cinema Greats

Yet another classic rom-com written by Richard Curtis, starring Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Rhys Ifans, Emma Chambers, James Dreyfus and Gina McKee.

A recently divorced bookshop owner finds love with a glamorous Hollywood film star, but ends up the focus of unwanted media interest - which makes maintaining a relationship a tricky proposition.

The Wave, 10.00pm, Sky Cinema Premiere

This sci-fi drama starring Justin Long, Tommy Flanagan and Donald Faison looks interesting.

An insurance lawyer's celebratory night on the town to celebrate an upcoming promotion with a colleague takes a bizarre turn when he is dosed with a hallucinogen that completely alters his perception of the world.

Late Late Flick Picks

Kaleidoscope, 1.40am, Film4

A man just been released from prison attempts to get on with his life, but the reappearance of his domineering mother scuppers his plans and unearths deep-seated trauma. A psychological thriller, starring Toby Jones and Anne Reid.

Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict, 12.00am, BBC Four

German-produced profile of the socialite who became a central figure in the modern art movement, displaying the work of Jackson Pollock, Marcel Duchamp and her ex-husband Max Ernst, among others.

The Way, Way Back, 2.55am, Channel 4

Liam James, Sam Rockwell, Steve Carell, Toni Collette and Allison Janney feature in this dramedy about an introverted teenager who joins his mother and her overbearing boyfriend on an awkward family holiday.

He befriends a free-spirited employee at the nearby water park, and the relationship inspires him to assert his independence for the first time.

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