County Durham's 'dragon' Sara Davies is back in the den

WITH the number of new companies being created in the UK soaring in the second half of 2020, now is the perfect time for the nation’s favourite business investment series to return to our screens. But will the Dragons – Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, County Durham businesswoman Sara Davies, Touker Suleyman and Tej Lalvani – be willing to part with their cash tonight? First up, a pair of aspiring tea tycoons find themselves in hot water when their numbers are interrogated. Then, the quintet discover hidden artistic talents when a mindfulness art business is pitched, and an optical inventor hopes to have investment in sight with his anti-glare eyewear. Finally, a husband-and-wife team have the needs of NHS workers at the heart of their skin-care business. But will there be a fly in the ointment, courtesy of the formidable tycoons?

Amanda Owen

This Week on the Farm (C5, 8pm)

Amanda Owen remembers life as a young shepherdess, before she offers advice to farmer Rob McAneney. Young Rob has just won the chance to run his own 200-acre farm, after winning a Yorkshire Water competition, and he needs help to turn his cheeky pup into a working sheep dog. Meanwhile, over in Lancashire, JB Gill turns milkman with a Bolton dairy who have brought back the classic milk round to help them and their customers survive lockdown. Back in Barnsley, Rob and Dave are scanning their pregnant ewes to find out just how busy they are going to be come lambing time.

India Hicks with her mother Lady Pamela Hicks compare their respective bridesmaids dresses at Lady Pamela's home in Oxfordshire.

My Years with the Queen (ITV, 9pm)

Lady Pamela Hicks has quite a story to tell. In this one-hour documentary, the younger daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh’s uncle Louis Mountbatten, who turns 92 this month, discusses her life growing up within the Royal family, and her close relationship with the Queen. Lady Pamela was a bridesmaid to then-Princess Elizabeth at her 1947 wedding to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a lady-in-waiting to Her Majesty in Kenya when King George VI died on February 6, 1952, as well as on other royal tours. Rarely seen photos and extracts from Pamela’s personal diaries offer a personal perspective of Her Majesty told by someone who was there with her during many key moments of her reign. Lady Pamela will also be talking to her daughter India, who was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer in 1981.

Thomas Cromwell.

Cromwell’s Head (5SELECT, 9pm)

If there’s one person in British history who divides opinion like no one else, it’s Thomas Cromwell. The son of a Putney blacksmith, he came from nowhere to become Henry VIII’s right-hand man. Here, historian Tracy Borman investigates how Cromwell took back control of England’s church from the Pope, conspired to execute Anne Boleyn, and how he secretly edited a manuscript to keep favour with the King. Throughout his time serving the king, Cromwell made many enemies – none more so than the Duke of Norfolk. So when an opportunity to get rid of Cromwell fell into his lap, Norfolk seized it, spreading rumours that his nemesis had designs on the throne. Cromwell was arrested and taken to the Tower of London where he was beheaded.

Taskmaster

Taskmaster (C4, 9pm)

It’s week three, so you’d think that the comedy game show’s contestants – Charlotte Ritchie, Jamali Maddix, Lee Mack, Mike Wozniak and Sarah Kendall – would be getting used to the pointless tasks set by Greg Davies by now. However, tonight we see Lee biting off a little more than he can chew when attempting an audacious hammer throw. Plus, Sarah makes the simple of task of sitting down look ridiculously complicated, and Jamali has a brain freeze and forgets his passport. As ever, Greg’s personal assistant ‘Little’ Alex Horne takes notes and records times on his iPad, generally offering very little assistance to the hapless quintet of competitors.

Pandemic 2020: Matteo, right, and fellow ambulance volunteers in Milan, Italy, during the height of the pandemic Picture: ALESSANDRO LEONARDI

Pandemic 2020 (BBC2, 9pm)

This new three-part series tells the story of the first year of the pandemic told by people from all over the world. It begins on New Year’s Eve 2019, when huge crowds gathered to celebrate, unaware of what was in store for them in the months that followed. Contributors include Xie, a young food blogger from Wuhan whose wedding took place a few days before her home and other Hubei cities went into lockdown. As the virus travelled to Europe in the early part of 2020, Dr Amie from Coventry recalls watching in disbelief the horrific scenes of people dying in Italy and countries entering nationwide lockdowns.