The House The 50s Built (C4, 9pm)
William at 30 (ITV1, 9pm)
Marco Pierre White’s Kitchen Wars (Channel 5, 9pm)

THANKS to all the diamond jubilee coverage, you are probably now well aware that in 1952, Britain got a new Queen.

But as The House the 50s Built makes clear, she was not the only one lifting her subjects out of their exhausted, post-war slump and into the brave new world of the future.

There were also the unsung scientists and designers behind a wave of inventions and advances that would change our homes and the way we lived forever – from non-stick frying pans to more comfortable underwear.

According to Professor Brendan Walker, the designer, engineer and all-round renaissance showman who presents the new series, the decade was the perfect time for a household revolution.

“It was a sweet spot in history.

“The war forced many innovations to be fast-tracked for military reasons.

“After the war, nobody was entirely sure what to do with innovations already created and also the massive capabilities for generating more innovations,” he explains.

There was a turn in the 1950s when disposable income climbed, and consumerism blossomed.

“People were fed up with having to make do with the same old stuff, and they wanted something futuristic, and space exploration was just around the corner.

“Add to that the death of the king, and the coronation of a beautiful new extremely young queen – what a mix.

“Who wouldn’t want to paint the living room yellow and buy a bright blue carpet?”

Luckily, The House The 50s Built allows him access to the next best thing to a time machine.

“We reconstruct a typical suburban house as it would have appeared on the January 1, 1950. We then follow the story of the innovations of the time, and how they were used to create a modern house on December 31, 1959, “ he says. “I think viewers will be quite amazed at the transformation from the dark ages into something recognisably bright and modern.”

The first episode focuses on the kitchen.

At the beginning of the 1950s, the average woman spent about 70 hours a week doing housework and most of that focused on this one room.

However, as free-standing cupboards, larders and mangle made way for fitted units, twin tubs, food processors and fridges, their routines were about to become very different.

No wonder Walker argues that these new gadgets led to a lasting social change.

ON June 21, 1982, the w o r l d learned that Princess Diana had given birth to her first child, a boy, to be named William Arthur Philip Louis.

More importantly, to those keen on royal history and protocol, he immediately became second in line to the throne, after his father, Prince Charles. Since then, the public has been treated to regular updates on William’s progress, from his period as a curious toddler, through to the arrival of his younger brother Harry and the tragic death of their mother.

In more recent years, William’s life has been filled with joy as he met and fell in love with Kate Middleton.

The documentary William at 30 takes a look back at his life, career and marriage so far.

OKAY, so we’re hardly in short supply of cookery programmes in which the creme de la creme of TV chefs vie for our attention.

We certainly do not need any more of them, but it’s difficult to begrudge Marco Pierre White this new show Kitchen Wars as it is not so much about him, but more about what Joe Public can cobble together.

The French chef has taken it upon himself to see what the UK has to offer in terms of its chefs and front of house teams.

And, over the next few weeks, he will be presenting couples – whether they are married, friends or family – tasked with cooking and serving their tastiest dishes.

Each team is battling for a place in the final where they will have to cook in the Battle Kitchen – three restaurants under one roof with 75 diners who will all be requiring amazing grub.