Celebrity 5 Go Barging

Channel 5, 8pm

NEW series. Actor Tom Conti, mercurial gardener Diarmuid Gavin, ex-athlete Tessa Sanderson, singer Tony Christie and presenter Penny Smith explore and enjoy life in the slow lane aboard two barges, narrow-boating along two of France’s best-loved waterways – the River Lot and the Canal du Midi. After meeting each other and moving into their boats, the usually unflappable Penny needs rescuing after tangling with a tree. Tom takes charge of their mini-fleet, but gets into a scrape of his own, while below deck Diarmuid targets Tony for some gentle ribbing, while Tessa resents being bossed about.

Nigel Slater’s Middle East

BBC 2, 9pm

IN this new series, Nigel Slater is going off the beaten track as he tours the Middle East, which is home to some of the oldest and grandest cuisines in the world. His journey begins in the Lebanon, where he learns how the country’s dishes are influenced by its position on the Mediterranean. As he travels from Beirut to the Beqaa Valley, close to the Syrian border, eating with local families and home cooks, he learns more about the people’s resilience in the face of decades of war.

Hits, Hype & Hustle: An Insider’s Guide to the Music Business, BBC 4, 10pm

THE behind-the-scenes exploration of the music industry concludes with a look at why so many bands are getting back together – and why it’s changing the business. PR legend Alan Edwards suggests the phenomenon began more than 40 years ago with a rock’n’roll revival show at Wembley Stadium that convinced promoters there was big money in nostalgia. He also hears from members of bands who decided to get back together, including Blondie, the Sex Pistols and Blur, and finds out why it’s increasingly possible for groups to get the benefits of a reunion without having to share a stage.