I hope you’re having a lovely Sunday, despite the rain! There’s some great TV to look forward to next week so here’s what we recommend you tune your tellybox into in the coming seven days…

My Child Won’t Sleep, 9:00pm, ITV1

Any parent who’s ever suffered sleep deprivation because of their sleepless child will know exactly what the families featured in this show are going through; the parents of 6 year old Megan Hewett haven’t had a full night’s sleep in three years because Megan only stays in bed for about three hours a night.

8 year old Harry sleeps during the day but not at night, and 3 year old Kiera gets up any number of times at night and sleepwalks. Kiera’s mum Laura, weeping from exhaustion talks about how she can’t cope with the lack of sleep. “It’s a horrible, horrible thing, sleep deprivation. It’s like torture.”

However, sleep therapist Mandy Gurney is on hand to try to help these families get some semblance of normality back into their lives, but will her therapies work on the sleepless children?

Ross Kemp: In Search of Piratesm 9:00pm, Sky1

THE man is back! In this new series the intrepid Ross Kemp is off the coast of Somalia to find out more about the modern-day Blackbeards, who, it turns out, are somewhat camera shy… can’t think why!

Tonight, Ross gets on board HMS Northumberland, which is the first Royal Navy ship to patrol the seas looking for pirates since 1816. He soon discovers that tracking the bad guys down isn’t all that easy and it’s clear that he’s longing for some action… but will he get it?

Whether he does or not, I’ll be watching, just to watch Ross Kemp who I absolutely love!

Tuesday

Living With Monkeys: Tales From the Treetops, 9:00pm, BBC1

This first of two specials in which Primatologist Julie Anderson and adventurer Guy Grieve take to the trees in the dense Gabon forest to get a first-hand insight into life in the wilderness. Tonight’s show includes a close-up look at rare red-capped mangabey monkeys

For five weeks, the duo hid out in the jungle, trying to keep a safe distance from the hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo and rare gorillas. And while Julie watched from her tree-top perch, Guy put all his survival skills to the test in order to keep them alive. This involved digging a latrine, fishing, building a “rainwater harvesting device” and dealing with a huge, venomous centipede. The concluding part is on tomorrow.

True Stories: Act of God, 10:00pm, More4

Jennifer Baichwal’s intriguing film “merges the scientific and the personal” as it looks at the effects of being struck by lightning and how it changes individuals lives.

We’ll get to hear how novelist Paul Auster survived a lightening strike that killed his friend and how former US marine Dannion Brinkley believes his being struck brought about a spiritual “epiphany” and changed his life forever.

The film also features an experiment with lightening itself and a trip to a French museum which is home to a number of objects that’ve been struck by lightening.

Wednesday

A New Life: Risking It All, 7:00pm, Discovery Travel & Living

This show features self-made millionaire Martin Webb as he helps aspiring entrepreneurs to start new lives.

Tonight, advertising executive Jo Saisi, his wife Gemma and mother-in-law Jenni have made the decision to leave their friends and family behind and take a huge risk by investing all their money into a neglected hotel by the sea. But will it work or will they live to regret Risking It All?

Celebrity MasterChef, 8:00pm, BBC1

Tonight, Rosie Boycott, Hotel Babylon’s Michael Obiora set about trying to prove their culinary worth to John Torode and Gregg Wallace as they prepare two dishes, work a lunchtime shift at a top restaurant and cook a two-course dinner.

But will they make the grade or will they crumble under the pressure? Find out tonight and again tomorrow at 8pm.

Thursday

When Diets Go Wrong, 9:00pm, BBC3

This series examines ‘fad’ diets and the outcome for some unfortunates for whom their attempts at weight loss did not go well.

We’ll see how diets such as the baby food diet and the maple syrup diet have affected some followers, including Beyonce, and how they can cause sagging skin and even seizures or death.

Psychic Kids: Angels and Demons, 10:00pm, Biography Channel

Your child comes to you and says “I see dead people.” What do you do?

Countless children live with an incredible secret: they have psychic abilities. Feeling scared and isolated, these kids have nowhere to turn…until now.

Help is on the way in the form of Psychic/Medium Chip Coffey – who himself grew up with these issues – and clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Miller. Chip and Lisa work to uncover the truths of these children, and direct the kids to better manage their abilities.

Tonight, the team meets a 13-year-old girl who believes she’s going to die in a car crash.

Friday

Scum, 10:00pm, ITV4

This film is one of the most disturbing films I’ve ever seen but the reason why I’m recommending it as viewing for this Friday is because as a parent, I decided to make my teenage sons watch it sometime ago in the hope that it’d put a fear into them about law breaking – and I have to say, it worked. But be warned, it’s a very disturbing film in parts so you should give serious thought to it before you let you kids watch it…

The original story was written for the BBC as a part of the Play for Today series, but this brutal drama by Roy Minton was in fact banned by the BBC in 1978. It’s about the experiences of teenaged boys in a borstal and contains scenes of graphic violence and sexual sadism that both revolt and shock.

Here’s a clip from the film which, though looking rather dated now, still has awe inspiring acting from a host of big name actors such as Ray Winstone and Phil Daniels. Be warned, this clip contains graphic scenes and swearing…

Britain’s Secret UFO Hunters, 10:00pm, Discovery Science

This intriguing documentary investigates the truth behind a secret MOD organisation that was based in London’s Metropole Hotel.

It was originally set up to monitor British airspace during the Cold War after several reported sightings of unidentified flying objects, but just what did they find out? Tune in to see!

Saturday

Sweet Home Alabama, 9:30pm, BBC3

Saturday’s were made for films – because there’s naff all else on worth watching – and this is a classic easy-viewing lark that’s quite amusing in places, and made all the more so if you have the girls over and a few bottles of Vino Collapso to hand!

Reece Witherspoon stars as New York fashion designer Melanie Carmichael who gets engaged to the city’s most eligible bachelor, however, Melanie’s past holds many secrets, including Jake, the redneck husband she married in high school and who refuses to divorce her. But, determined to end their contentious relationship once and for all, Melanie sneaks back home to Alabama to confront her past, only to discover that you can take the girl out of the South, but you can never take the South out of the girl.

Here’s the film’s trailer…

There’s Something about Mary, 9:00pm, Film4

This one is a great comedy, primarily because Ben Stiller’s in it…

Goofy high school nice-guy Ted – Ben Stiller – scores an unlikely prom date with beautiful Mary, played by Cameron Diaz, however, an unfortunate turn of events ruins the night before it even begins, and soon after, Mary moves away with her family.

Fast-forward fifteen years and a single thirty-something Ted needs to resolve his feelings for Mary so he’s convinced by his friend Dom to hire inept detective Pat Healy – played by Matt Dillon – to find her. However, Healy returns from Florida smitten with Mary, and so misleads Ted about her; he claims she’s overweight and a wheelchair-bound mother of five. Healy then moves to Florida to pursue Mary for himself but when Ted discovers Healy’s lies, he sets off to find Mary himself and slapstick and chaos ensues.

Again, it’s another film that’s improved by the addition of mates, popcorn and alcohol but it’s without doubt a fun film.

As always, here’s the film’s trailer…

Sunday

Casualty 1909, 9:00pm, BBC1

Cherie Lunghi is back as Matron Eva Luckes returns in the powerful series from the London hospital, dramatised from original records.

Revolution grips the East End as an explosion brings fears of a bomb, and Ethel Bennett and Dr Millais Culpin struggle to control the angry victims. When detectives arrive, Matron Luckes and Chairman Sydney Holland fear the hospital is in danger of becoming an extension of Scotland Yard.

Meanwhile, Sister Ada Russell battles with irascible star surgeon Mr Henry Dean, whose addiction to cocaine is an open secret. And ambitious young Dr Ingrams faces catastrophe in the operating theatre.

Dog the Bounty Hunter, from 5pm to 9pm, Bravo

If you love The Dog, you’re in for a treat today as Bravo are showing 4 hours worth of The Bounty Hunter! Yay! I love this show so I’ll be taking the phone off the hook to indulge in this Dogfest.

In case you’ve never seen it – you really, really, should, it’s awesome – this documentary series follows a family of bounty hunters led by Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman as they pursue real criminals. You can read all about the family and the history of the show here.

Dressed in paramilitary gear and with God on their side, the Chapman’s are relentless in their pursuit of those who skip bail. Here’s a clip from one of their shows…

So that’s it for this week’s Primetime Picks. Have a great week and we’ll see you on the flipside, same time, same place next week!