BLITZ: THE BOMBS THAT CHANGED BRITAIN, BBC2, 9pm
IN the last episode of the series, we look at the Blitz on Bristol.
A port city, it was a particular target for the Luftwaffe, and we hear the story of one terrible night where “the soul of the city was wiped out”.
This brilliant series has zoomed in on one street per episode, showing the terrible effects on the residents, the area, the wider city and the whole country, of one particular bomb.
The Luftwaffe had started to go outside London looking for fresh industrial targets. We go back to November 1940 when it was Bristol’s turn.
We see that “elite pathfinders” would drop flares on the city to illuminate the targets for the bombers which flew behind them, making the attempts at blackout futile.
The target on this night was lovely old Castle Street, and we hear terrifying tales of how the black November sky suddenly lit up with fire and flares, and one young boy thought it was simply fireworks. Then came “the blizzard of incendiaries”.
THE CRYSTAL MAZE CELEBRITY SPECIAL, C4, 9pm
WHEN The Crystal Maze returned to our screens earlier this year they decided to kick off the revival with some celebrity teams who were participating for charity. We know the term “celebrity” has been downgraded significantly and so the opening episodes were limp, dull and unexciting.
So why on earth have they revived the idea for this Christmas special? Haven’t they learned that the show works best with awkward, bumbling members of the public?
Of all the “celebrities” who’re taking part tonight, I recognised one: the comic actor Tom Davis. The others are Mollie King, Ellie Simmonds, Nicola Adams and Ollie Locke. Who? Exactly.
Stick to the ordinary folk, please!
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