4oD highlights for week 18

19 April 2012

Queen Victoria's Last Love

 

The Plot to Bring Down Britain's Planes
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-plot-to-bring-down-britains-planes/4od
The Plot to Bring Down Britain's Planes examines in minute detail an invidious home-grown terrorist plot to blow up airplanes flying out of Heathrow Airport, and reconstructs in candid, gripping detail the inside story of the UK's largest and most dangerous surveillance operation. This is a comprehensive and riveting account of a race-against-time investigation to stop a major terrorist attack on Britain.

 

Hidden Talent
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hidden-talent/4od
How far can natural talent really go and what if it could change your life? Hidden Talent is a new six-part series which discovers people with extraordinary hidden talents they never dreamed they had. Hundreds of randomly selected people are put through a series of tests to identify those with hidden abilities and nine participants discover if they can go from being a total novice to a top-class performer in record time. Presenter Richard Bacon follows their progress, uncovering the amazing science that enables these individuals to achieve what others can only dream of. The first episode focuses on rock climbing and lie detection.

 

Very Important People
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/very-important-people/4od
Very Important People is the brand new celebrity impression show that mocks our beloved stars and satirises a culture bamboozled by trivia, gossip and regurgitated ideas. Starring Morgana Robinson and Terry Mynott, as well as a cherry-picked ensemble cast, Very Important People is about to reinvigorate the world of impressions. In the first episode Bear Grylls tackles the perils of suburbia, David Attenborough examines the fascinating behaviour of Frankie Boyle in Stand Up Planet, while Danny Dyer deals with one of the toughest things on earth - the commute to work in Britain's Hardest Commute.

 

Queen Victoria's Last Love
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/queen-victorias-last-love/4od
In 1897, Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee - the first British monarch to do so. But beyond the grand celebrations on London's streets a war was raging between Victoria and her court over her relationship with her Indian servant, Abdul Karim. A crisis point was reached in the summer of 1897 in a dramatic confrontation between the Queen and her family, which threatened to plunge the Diamond Jubilee celebrations into chaos. The film features interviews with relatives of both Victoria's household and Abdul Karim, as well as extracts from her diaries and journals.

 

Turtle Boy: A Bodyshock Special
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/bodyshock/4od
In a tiny hamlet in Colombia, six-year-old Didier has struggled with a huge burden - a rare condition called a Congenital Melanocytic Nevus. It's a giant mole that grew so much it covered 40% of his body. It resembled a shell, and Didier was nicknamed Turtle Boy.There was a chance it could turn malignant. And Didier's mother Luz struggled with an additional burden - guilt. In this superstitious society, there was a belief that Didier's growth was a result of being conceived during an eclipse, which meant Luz and her family had to live apart from the rest of the village.
Luz longed to be free to have her son baptised, to take him to school and see him grow up like any other boy. But there was no way she could raise the money for an operation, until a local news crew broadcast a story on Didier.
The procedure would be complicated and dangerous, and even if it was successful the recovery process would involve a complicated series of skin grafts.
This extraordinary film traces Didier's story: a story of cutting-edge medicine, a mother's love, and a brave six-year-old's fight to be released from his burden.

 

The Merits of Ferrets
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-merits-of-ferrets/4od
Many people think ferrets are smelly, vicious animals, but best friends Maria, Kelly and David love them and have dedicated their lives to rescuing and rehabilitating Britain's most mistreated ferrets.
Ferrets mean more to Kelly than just pets; they are her best friends, therapy and a lifeline. They have been there for Kelly during the emotional ups and downs of her gender reassignment surgery and have helped her cope with the post-traumatic stress she suffers as a result of serving in the Falklands as a young man.
In return, Kelly is dedicating her life to helping these outsiders of the animal world. Kelly, Maria and David run 2nd Chance Ferret Rescue in Bristol, and this film joins them at one of their busiest times: ferret show season.
First Cut is the critically acclaimed, eclectic documentary strand that showcases distinctive new films by up and coming directors.

 

Love Trap
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/love-trap/4od
Love Trap puts the mating rituals of different nationalities under the microscope. Five men from across the world are on a mission: to win the heart of Carolina, a 24-year-old single girl from Sweden. The men think they're on a dating show, and are unaware of each other. With the help of hidden cameras and stooges, Carolina separates the men from the boys as she puts them through the same set of secret romantic tests.