TV highlights - Telegraph BBC One, 9.00pm Having spent much of December celebrating Sir David Attenborough's six decades in wildlife documentary-making, how better for the BBC to get the 61st year of his career under way than with another jaw-droppingly beautiful series. This time his focus is on "the best place on Earth to see the full majesty of nature - Africa." But if you're envisaging the standard, seen-it-all-before safari show, think again. The aim here is to unearth the elements that give each area of the continent its own unique character. And this opening episode - set in one of Africa's most seemingly barren regions, the South West, comprising the Kalahari and Namib deserts - certainly delivers. Highlights include rare fish in a vast lake hidden beneath the desert sands; a surprisingly violent clash between two male giraffes; a clutch of waddling infant ostriches negotiating the dangers of the waterhole; a young leopard's mishap-strewn first day fending for himself; and extraordinary footage of the black rhino, the Kalahari's "most cantankerous resident." By the end of the episode there's no denying Attenborough's assertion that: "There is nowhere in the world where nature puts on a greater show." Midsomer Murders There are entertaining echoes of classic horror flick Theatre of Blood as DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) returns in the first of three new murder mysteries. When a journalist is found dead, it emerges that she was writing an unofficial - and unwanted - biography of local resident and former Sixties horror icon, Stella Harris (Sinéad Cusack), and her still more famous sister, Diana Davenport (Harriet Walter). But when more deaths follow, all with eerie echoes of Harris's early films, Barnaby is forced to delve into her oeuvre for clues to why life, or, more accurately, death is imitating art. Gok's Style Secrets Channel 4, 8.00pm One for those whose New Year's resolutions focus on finding a partner in 2013. Stylist and amateur agony aunt Gok Wan helps singletons to give themselves a long hard look in the mirror and decide what needs changing if Cupid is to twang an arrow or two their way. First up, a nursery nurse whose love of loud clothes, tattoos and sci-fi films seems to put off potential Romeos. Drug Kingpin Hippos Animal Planet, 9.00pm The oddest legacy of the drugs empire of the late Pablo Escobar is surely his collection of hippopotamuses, which still roam untamed at his now-ruined former estate, Hacienda Napoles in Colombia. In the late Seventies, Escobar had two of the creatures flown illegally into the country, but the two have now multiplied and no one knows what to do with them. Antonio von Hildebrand's imaginative documentary finds absurdity and tragedy in Escobar's world as he blends interviews, archive footage and witty animation to find a paradoxical link between the fate of the "powerful beasts" of Escobar and his extravagant "pet" hippos. One Born Every Minute Channel 4, 9.00pm The fly-on-the-maternity-ward-wall series returns for a fourth run, this time recording around the clock for seven weeks at two Leeds hospitals: Leeds General Infirmary and St James's. Tonight's opener explores why some expectant mothers rely more heavily on the hospital's prenatal services than others. American Colony: Meet the Hutterites National Geographic/hd, 9.00pm This documentary perpetuates a TV obsession with oddball religious communities in the US. It looks at the Hutterites, a German-speaking branch of the Anabaptists in rural Montana, who try to balance sacred beliefs with modern technology. King Colony is made up of 59 people and almost all of them are related and they live, work and worship together every day. As the film explores their views on education and the role of women, it's clear that there are some in the community who believe that it could benefit from embracing more modern ways. Secrets of a Good Marriage with Sharon Horgan Channel 4, 10.00pm It's not the most original of TV-documentary concepts: comedy star takes a tongue-in-cheek look at marital relationships. But Sharon Horgan - the actress and writer behind sitcom Pulling - has a likeability factor and chooses her subjects well. Whether meeting a pair of "sexy all the time" tantric sex counsellors, a serial adulterer, an age-gap couple, or identical twins who have shared a house along with their husbands and children for over 20 years, her sharp eye for detail and sardonic asides highlights the more peculiar and amusing aspects of these relationships without ever being too mean about them. At the Olympic opening ceremony in July, director Danny Boyle included a segment where nurses and children jumped around on hospital beds in a marvellous, if somewhat batty, celebration of the NHS. This documentary about the organisation's district nurses in Bath is less whimsical, but does an equally good job of highlighting the importance of our healthcare system. We meet Shonna, who's in charge of a dozen nurses, as she visits and cares for 250 patients in the surrounding area. One, a war veteran, is blind, deaf and recovering from a stroke, but still ensures there's a box of chocolates for every nurse who visits. They've tried to make him stop but he's having none of it. Meanwhile Karen specialises in treating stroke victims. We meet her as she works with a delightful woman who is trying to regain her mobility. For all of the patients, the home visits are crucial, not just for the care, but for the company. Although lacking in drama, Nursing the Nation flags up the vital and often overlooked role that district nurses play in the NHS, and with BBC district nurse drama Frankie airing in 2013, the profession is about to get a major profile boost. DIY SOS: the Big Build BBC One, 9.00pm; not Scotland Single mother Julie Jones found herself flung onto the pages of the national press in January when she adopted her dying friend's five children. Overnight her family grew from three children to eight. In this DIY SOS special, Nick Knowles and his team travel to Jones's Huntingdon home to adapt it for her super-sized family. Trouble Abroad There are around 5.5 million British expats who've left the UK in search of a better life, but have they always found it? No, is the conclusion to be drawn from this two-part documentary. Take Sally Spencer, whose wealthy husband lost his fortune through internet gambling. Spencer now relies on charity food parcels in rural France. Hers is just one of a number of cautionary tales here. Celebrity Big Brother: Live Launch Channel 5, 9.00pm Another year, another motley crew we could all do without. Rumours have placed everyone from singer Meatloaf to comedian Justin Lee Collins in the Big Brother house, but we'll have to wait and see. Brian Dowling presents. A Saab Story Sky Arts 1/SA1HD, 9.30pm A short, poignant documentary about fame as seen through the eyes of a once-famous US Jewish comedian, Billy Braver. Max Joseph's film shows how, in the Seventies, Braver was a name on the comedy circuit appearing at the big clubs in New York and Los Angeles. But then he quit the business - Braver suggests he became disillusioned after some unlucky breaks - and 30 years later he's working as a car salesman for Saab. He's a man living in the past but when he loses his job during the recession, Braver decides to go back on stage and revive his old act. Billionaire Boy Racers Here's one for Top Gear fans who fancy a Middle Eastern twist. In recent years, mega-rich Arab tourists have been flocking to London to show off their supercars. Million-pound Bugatti Veyrons and Koenigsegg sports cars are now a common sight in the city, and have sparked a wave of "carparazzis" - young British men who blog about them. The residents of Knightsbridge and Chelsea, however, are less impressed. Summer in Blackpool BBC One, 10.35pm; N Ireland, 11.05pm; Scotland, 11.20pm Blackpool has been through hard times recently, but it is still Britain's most popular seaside destination. This film meets the people involved in the town's tourism industry. They include car park entrepreneur Howard Plant, who is opening a cabaret venue, and guesthouse owner Claire Smith, who is trying to persuade her only son to stay in town and join the family firm. The Released PBS America, 10.15pm The divisive topic of healthcare in the US is the subject of this documentary which examines the crisis of what happens to the thousands of prisoners with serious mental illnesses who are released and have nowhere to go. Commonly these former offenders are given a bus ticket, $75 and medication for two weeks so it's hardly a shock to discover that within 18 months two-thirds are re-arrested. Parole officers, prisoners and psychiatrists are among those trying to explain why hospital treatment has become more limited. The film explores the effect this has had on former prisoners, such as Bennie Anthony, a paranoid schizophrenic with a history of drug and alcohol problems. Channel 4, from 7.30pm A New Year tradition since way back in 2012, this apparently now annual event sees Channel 4"s presenters take on each other's formats - with hilarious results. The whole evening is presented by Davina McCall and Kevin McCloud, and there'll be sketches interspersed between the programmes (including one skit where illusionist Derren Brown tries to psych out the banker on Deal or No Deal). The actual programmes themselves include (at 7.35pm, 8.55pm and 10.35pm) The Million Pound Chatty Man Drop, in which chat show host Alan Carr presents a celebrity version of Million Pound Drop Live. Denise Welch from Loose Women, Radio 5 Live's Richard Bacon and Alexander Armstrong are among Carr's contestants, all trying to win £1 million for charity. And at 7.55pm, comedians Angelos Epithemiou, Olivia Lee, Pete Firman and Stan Boardman take part in Come Dine with Me. All of which will no doubt be very jolly, but Channel 4 seems increasingly reliant on getting slightly tired presenters to do slightly new things (see, for example, the recent Hotel GB). Its New Year's resolution should be to come up with a few original new programme ideas - not just to recycle its old ones. Christmas University Challenge BBC Two, 6.30pm The grand final of this festive run of the cerebral quiz show, which has seen universities fielding teams of distinguished alumni - including the odd famous one - instead of the usual undergraduates. Presented by Jeremy Paxman. Robin Gibb's Titanic Requiem BBC Four, 7.30pm The world premiere of the late Robin Gibb's final work was recorded last year at Westminster Central Hall to mark the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic. Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with the RSVP Voices, this is the first broadcast of the work. The former Bee Gee wrote the piece over two years with his son Robin-John and based it on a Latin mass for the dead with additional songs, arrangements and even holograms tracing the doomed ship's sole voyage. Wild Britain with Ray Mears David Attenborough, he ain't. But survival expert Ray Mears is a genial host for this trot around Britain's wildlife, back tonight for a third series. Mears has gone to the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides, where the tides crash with such force that he calls them "the national grid of nature." There's a dive to see a basking shark swimming with its huge mouth open for plankton, but compared to the BBC's Natural History Unit, ITV's wildlife photography is rather tame, with minke whales seen only from above the water and white-tailed eagles from afar. Room 101 BBC One, 8.30pm For a programme that's all about visceral loathing, Room 101 is remorselessly jolly - especially in its revised three-person-panel format, which returns tonight for a second series. Frank Skinner's guests are comedian Miranda Hart (funny), Countryfile presenter John Craven (less funny) and yoof presenter Reggie Yates (not funny). Much of the banter sags a bit, but Hart's rant against carrot cake is genuinely ticklish. "I think you should only eat vegetables if they're in a scenario where you can pour gravy on them," she rails. Live at the Apollo BBC One, 9.30pm Producers of BBC One's more awful sitcoms (yes, Me and Mrs Jones, that means you) must gnash their teeth during Live at the Apollo. It's just a camera, pointed at a few folks telling jokes, yet it's one of the funniest shows on TV. Tonight's final episode of the current run is kicked off by Greg Davies - the headmaster from The Inbetweeners - who riffs about middle age. "I looked at myself naked in a mirror," he says. My body looks like it's been carved by a four-year-old child out of a budget block of ham. Hard Sky Arts 1/SA1HD, 10.00pm Witty and risqué French comedy drama series in which bourgeois housewife and mother-of-two Sophie (Natacha Lindinger) is shocked by the sudden death of her husband and further horrified at his funeral to learn that he ran an internet porn company that has been financing their affluent lifestyle. Confronted by a world of sex, fantasy and bizarre fetishes, Sophie is initially repulsed by the business but on learning that her husband had remortgaged their house against the business (called Soph'X), she realises she may have to continue his work. Written and directed by actress Cathy Verney, Hard doesn't skirt around its subject matter and neatly plays with ideas of stereotyping as Sophie moves out of her comfort zone. Television previewers: Anne Billson, Ed Cumming, Toby Dantzic, Serena Davies, Michael Deacon, Catherine Gee, Chris Harvey, Michael Hogan, Simon Horsford, Clive Morgan, Pete Naughton, Gerard O'Donovan, Andrew Pettie, Vicki Power, Lara Prendergast, Jane Shilling, Patrick Smith and Rachel Ward