Wednesday 24 Sep 2014
The new term kicks off at Waterloo Road with new arrivals for both staff and students, along with the launch of a controversial scheme to separate the boys and girls, as the drama set in a Rochdale comprehensive returns. Meanwhile, Bex Fisher continues to hide the details of her disappearance as she begins her first day back at school.
In response to the boys' poor exam grades, Karen and Chris introduce a new single-sex teaching initiative, much to the disdain of staff and pupils. Especially unimpressed is the formidable new Head of Pastoral Care, Adanna Lawal, who rallies the rest of the staffroom into action against the segregation.
However, the scheme gets off to a bad start as the boys' lessons quickly descend into chaos, a situation that is made even worse by the arrival of disruptive new student Kyle Stack, who wreaks havoc from the moment he steps in the door.
Elsewhere, Bex Fisher's first day back at Waterloo Road gets off to a rocky start when she is beset with anxiety following an unexpected phone call – leading Jess to suspect that her sister is hiding something. Finally arriving at school, Bex becomes embroiled in an allegation of sexual assault involving Kyle, leaving Karen and her staff in a muddled attempt to unravel the truth before Kyle exacts a vicious revenge.
Bex Fisher is played by Tina O'Brien, Karen Fisher by Amanda Burton, Chris Mead by William Ash, Adanna Lawal by Sharlene Whyte, Kyle Stack by George Sampson and Jess Fisher by Linzey Cocker.
Waterloo Road is simulcast in HD on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ One HD channel – available through Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 43 and Virgin Media Channel 108.
JP2
The earthquake that hit Haiti on 12 January 2010 killed thousands, toppled buildings, destroyed the capital and left the government in ruins. Haiti now risks crumbling to nothing; with disease spreading and virtually no business economy, they are in desperate need of a kick start.
From Haiti's Ashes shows Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien trying to pull Haiti back from the brink with help from Leslie Voltaire, a political figure in Haiti, and John McAslan, a Scottish architect. They identified two things the country needed fast: houses for the 750,000 left homeless by the quake, and a beacon rebuilding project that it could reunite around and thus reboot its shattered economy. They hit upon the huge Iron Market that lay at the heart of Port au Prince, the capital city of Haiti, as not only a market, but also a symbol of the city.
The three of them combine forces and plan to launch a gala to reopen the nation's symbolic heart – a ceremony to crown Haiti's Entrepreneur Of The Year. Viewers see the three men's year-long journey as they build the iron market, its official reopening by Bill Clinton, and the first sustainable houses being built, all in hope of bringing Haiti back from disaster.
JL
Self-taught pig farmer Jimmy Doherty presents a new series in which nine couples compete for the opportunity of a lifetime – to run their own 25-acre farm. From factory workers to city execs, they all share the dream of leaving the rat race and have a passion for the outdoor life. But do they really have what it takes to make it in the farming business?
Each week, along with his team of experts, Jimmy introduces the fledgling farmers to different aspects of the business. Their newly found skills are then put to the test in a series of daunting farming challenges, and Jimmy has to decide which couple must hang up their wellies and leave the competition.
This week the nine couples must choose a plot of land and then decide on how they would use it to make a profit before setting about making their ideas a reality. From ploughing to buying and housing livestock, this tough first challenge soon sorts the wheat from the chaff as the first couple say goodbye to their dreams.
RB
This film lifts the lid on access to the leading professions and discovers it's harder than at any time since the First World War for people from less privileged backgrounds to get the best jobs.
The professions – from banking and medicine to law, journalism and fashion – are being filled by people from increasingly affluent backgrounds. The growing chasm between the rich and the rest has made it far harder for average families to match the power and influence of well-connected parents who engage in "opportunity hoarding". Meanwhile, the emergence of the "hourglass economy", where the gap inside companies and employment sectors has widened between those at the bottom and those at the top, has removed most of the rungs from the ladder that used to enable people without top degrees to build a career.
Alan Milburn, who compiled a comprehensive social mobility report, Unleashing Aspiration, for the previous government and is now the coalition's social mobility tsar, explains: "We've got to a position now where tomorrow's professional is growing up in a family that is richer on average than seven in 10 families in our country. That means that some middle-class kids as well as working-class kids are being denied opportunities that should be open to them."
David Johnston, who runs schemes to give opportunities to bright students from poor backgrounds, sums up the problem: "It's a phenomenal waste of talent ... there are far too many academically bright, driven students who are going to the wrong universities, making the wrong decisions, and ending up in an institution which is far below their potential, where they shouldn't be. They ought to be involved in helping to run the top institutions in the country."
Presenter Richard Bilton meets young interns struggling to make ends meet on no pay, and talks to the people who are trying to level a rapidly tilting playing field.
LZ
´óÏó´«Ã½ Three comedy Lunch Monkeys returns for a second series with six new episodes from behind the scenes at personal injury law firm Fox Cranford. Disorder, time-wasting and mayhem rule as the monkeys continue to cause trouble.
Tania is late for work and her stress levels aren't helped when she is confronted by Kenny, who is kissing his conquest from last night. Then a disgruntled Gloria finds the post room in complete chaos. Not a great start to the day for Tania's performance review with boss Mike.
As Tania attempts to get everyone back to work she can't resist grilling Kenny about his "girlfriend", while a cool Kenny concentrates instead on the artwork Mike has asked him to do. Mike later confides to Kenny that he misses a partner in his life now his wife has gone, giving Gloria the green light to flirt outrageously.
Meanwhile, a worried Asif tells anyone that will listen about his aunt's broken glasses. Hounded by his family, who still believe he is a high-flying solicitor who will sue the opticians, Asif's time is running out and they want answers.
Homeless Shelley is flat-hunting, much to the delight of an equally homeless Darrel who jumps at the opportunity to convince her that a flat-share with him is the perfect future.
Following a conversation with Shelley, Tania thinks her chance has slipped away with Kenny so she resorts to a charm offensive, only to be blocked by Kenny. She takes out her frustration on the monkeys just as Gloria arrives to hand out the "confidential" feedback forms for her performance review.
Tania is played by Jessica Hall, Kenny by Christian Foster, Gloria by Sian Reeves, Mike by Nigel Havers, Asif by Abdullah Afzal, Shelley by Rachel Rae and Darrel by Chris Hannon.
Lunch Monkeys is simulcast on the award-winning ´óÏó´«Ã½ HD channel – the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s High Definition channel available through Freesat channel 109, Freeview channel 54, Sky channel 169 and Virgin Media channel 187.
MF2
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