Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite (Channel 5, 10pm)

EVEN a change of channel couldn’t kill off this Australian soap which has taught us that there are too many broken hearts in the world, but most of them seem to emanate from Ramsay Street. Older fans will recall setting the VHS to record daytime showings of the former BBC1 favourite with Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan being the fondest-remembered for their marriage as Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell.

Twenty million viewers watched the couple’s wedding being broadcast in the UK in 1988.

The soap was also a training ground for Hollywood talent such as Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Margot Robbie and Alan Dale, while characters such as Karl and Susan Kennedy have become household names.

In Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite, Kylie, Guy, Margot, Jason and Delta Goodrem reflect on their time in the show. Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson) and Tim Phillipps (Daniel Robinson) introduce proceedings, and welcome Ian Smith and Anne Charleston (Harold and Madge Bishop), Mark Little (Joe Mangel) and Craig McLachlan (Henry Ramsay).

Paul Robinson, arguably the greatest soap villain since JR, has been a dream role for Stefan Dennis. "He's a great part. People say to me, 'What's your favourite storyline that you've ever done on Neighbours?' That's one of the hardest questions for me, partly because of the amount of years I've been on the show, and because my character and my storylines are so diversified, I can never answer that question," Dennis says.

He appeared in that first episode 30 years ago, had a dozen years off, and then returned to Ramsay Street. A decade later he's still going strong on Channel 5.

"I came back for two weeks as a guest star. It was, as they say, 'an offer too good to refuse'. It is funny because I'll mention a storyline I did a couple of years ago, and one of the cast members will say, 'That was six years ago'."

Jason Donovan is more reluctant to reflect on the era when Scott and Charlene's wedding won the hearts of millions.

"There's a whole bunch of fans that have an emotional connection with that. It's a long time ago. I certainly understand how there's a big affection for it..."

Stargazing Live (BBC2, 8pm)

IT might be later than its usual January launch, but Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain have finally returned with a new series of the ever-popular astronomy show.

This is one of several programmes in the run up to and during the solar eclipse which takes place on Friday across the UK.

Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire is the home to the rather special shows. There's also a live remote outside broadcast from the Faroe Islands, one of only two sites in the world where a total eclipse will occur, lasting for two minutes, 46 seconds. Our hosts and special guests explain why the phenomenon happens and the best way to safely watch the event. The team try to catch the total eclipse live on camera from a plane at 30,000 feet above the Faroe Islands. Hopefully it should be better than the 1999 televised eclipse, which wasn't a sight for sore eyes.

The Billion Dollar Chicken Shop (BBC1, 9pm)

KENTUCKY Fried Chicken is one of the world's most successful fast food franchises, and best-known among its fast food fans as KFC. From the big cheeses in the boardroom to its kitchen workers, the strand features those responsible for the daily running of this globally recognised food brand.

Among the key characters are managing director Martin, who hopes to expand his empire of 850 stores nationwide, while keeping his largely young workforce motivated. We also follow Beth, a spirited 17-year-old who has just joined the fast food chain in Manchester, and has a hard time finding her way in her new job.

Viv Hardwick