The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes
One of the great pleasures in life is surely nosing around other people’s houses. Normally the pretext is that you’re thinking of buying a new place, but in The World’s Most 
Extraordinary Homes (Friday, BBC2, 9pm) we’re there purely for gawping.
Our guides are architect Piers Taylor and Caroline Quentin, whose presence may raise eyebrows, but it turns out that this able actress is also a ‘passionate property developer’. Happily, they resist rummaging curiously through cupboards and drawers and casting a greedy glance over the bookshelves. Instead the duo are on a mission to seek out the most breathtaking designs. Their four-part globetrotting tour begins with visits to mountain homes.
The most startling example is one that probably could only be found in California: a vast temple to modernity with a stunning view of the Santa Monica mountains, blessed with clean lines and curves that are the fruit of being made out of the recycled parts of a Boeing 747. In the Tucson mountains of Arizona is a house whose full-length windows offer no shade – giving an uncompromising view of our presenters enjoying separate showers, their modesty preserved with judicious blurring. But for those dreaming of truly getting away from it all, the top choice has to be the Swiss chalet set into such a steep incline it can only be reached by cable car. Here at last is the definitive answer to junk mail and unwanted impromptu visits from the neighbours.
NOT TO BE MISSED...
LET IT SHINE BBC1, Sat, 7pm
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ENDEAVOUR ITV, Sun, 8pm
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MARTIN CLUNES: ISLANDS OF AUSTRALIA ITV, Tues, 8pm
Nice work if you can get it: Clunes samples just a few of Australia’s thousands of islands over three scenic and informative episodes.
Extraordinary Homes (Friday, BBC2, 9pm) we’re there purely for gawping. Our guides are architect Piers Taylor and Caroline Quentin, whose presence may raise eyebrows, but it turns out that this able actress is also a ‘passionate property developer’. Happily, they resist rummaging curiously through cupboards and drawers and casting a greedy glance over the bookshelves. Instead the duo are on a mission to seek out the most breathtaking designs. Their four-part globetrotting tour begins with visits to mountain homes.
The most startling example is one that probably could only be found in California: a vast temple to modernity with a stunning view of the Santa Monica mountains, blessed with clean lines and curves that are the fruit of being made out of the recycled parts of a Boeing 747. In the Tucson mountains of Arizona is a house whose full-length windows offer no shade – giving an uncompromising view of our presenters enjoying separate showers, their modesty preserved with judicious blurring. But for those dreaming of truly getting away from it all, the top choice has to be the Swiss chalet set into such a steep incline it can only be reached by cable car. Here at last is the definitive answer to junk mail and unwanted impromptu visits from the neighbours.
NOT TO BE MISSED...
LET IT SHINE BBC1, Sat, 7pm The search is on for boy band stars in the big new Saturday night entertainment show, presented by Gary Barlow with Graham Norton and Mel Giedroyc.
ENDEAVOUR ITV, Sun, 8pm
The young Morse (Shaun Evans) and DI Thursday (Roger Allam) are on the case of a terrifying Cold War mystery in the first episode of a new series.
MARTIN CLUNES: ISLANDS OF AUSTRALIA ITV, Tues, 8pm
Nice work if you can get it: Clunes samples just a few of Australia’s thousands of islands over three scenic and informative episodes.