Yellowstone: The Wildest Winter (BBC1, 9pm)

THE Yellowstone is one of the most remarkable places on the planet. It’s home to North America’s most iconic wildlife and every year these animals must survive The Thaw – one of the harshest seasonal changes on Earth.

Temperatures swing from minus 40 Celsius in the winter to approaching 40 plus in the summer months.

To understand how the animals cope and to witness the effects of our changing climate, this three-part series, running across the week, follows the thaw during 2016, a year when it's believed the unpredictable weather broke new records.

Presenters Kate Humble and Patrick Aryee are joined by a team of scientists and wildlife cameramen. They capture the wildlife dramas as they unfold and analyse the impact on individual animal families of wolves, grizzly bears, beavers and great grey owls.

Tonight Aryee follows the grizzly bears, who are taking a risk with the weather by leaving their winter dens early.

Hungry wolves are struggling to bring down their elk prey in the unusually shallow snow. And for great grey owls it's the iciness of the snow that is hampering their hunts.

The winter here is always one of the most brutal on the planet. But last year saw weather records broken, and the wildlife forced to adapt to survive. Kate Humble gets to grips with the science behind this remarkable season, from understanding the importance of the snowpack's structure as the melt begins, to uncovering why Yellowstone’s unique geology is posing problems for some grazers' teeth.

The Great Interior Design Challenge (BBC2, 8pm)

THE competition searching for untapped interior design talent in Britain returns. In the first round of the first heat, the three amateur designers are hairdresser Oliver, dog walker Katie and photographer Daniela. They must transform a bedroom each in Regency properties in Cheltenham's Pittville estate. Tom Dyckhoff presents, and is joined by judges Kelly Hoppen and Daniel Hopwood.

How to Lose Weight Well (Channel 4, 8pm)

IN this new series, Dr Xand van Tulleken and dietician Hala El-Shafie are on hand as dieters keen to shed those post-Christmas pounds try out the most hyped and written about diets on the market today. In the first offering, Emilie and Harriet have two weeks to slim down for a photo shoot, while cousins Natasha and Chiquita go on a six-week diet for Natasha's wedding. Brothers Gary and Wayne want to slim down for a darts competition due in four months. Xand also investigates how exposure to extreme temperatures can affect weight loss.

Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs New Year Special (ITV, 8pm)

AS the adverts always say, a dog is for life, not just for Christmas. So if you're currently cuddling a new puppy, spare a thought for the thousands of dogs across the country in need of some TLC, having been abandoned through no fault of their own. The comedian and presenter meets a handful of them in this, the second of two festive specials voted for by the public. It's a moving programme, and one that will, hopefully, inspire people looking for a pet to take a trip to their local dog rehoming centre.

Robson Crusoe: A Surprising Adventure (ITV, 9pm)

A conversation about it could have gone something like this, TV exec 1: "Robson sounds a little like Robinson, so what Crusoe-like activity could he get up to?" TV exec 2: "He could be stranded on a desert island." TV exec 1: "Yes, Let's go for it." And so a show was born. Green claims he has long dreamed of living on a desert island, and now he gets a chance to do so when he's left stranded on a tiny land mass in the South China Seas. But will the experience be what he had hoped for, a sun-kissed paradise where he can recharge his batteries? Or will it turn out to be a lonely nightmare he can't wait to end?

Viv Hardwick