TV highlights 03/07/14

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/jul/03/tv-highlights-honourable-woman-inside-asprey

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Rugby League: Widnes Vikings v Castleford Tigers7.30pm, Sky Sports 1

Widnes and Castleford meet just over a month before their Challenge Cup semi-final clash. Both teams have impressed this year, with Denis Betts's Widnes side showing attacking flair, and Castleford shocking many pundits by putting together an exciting brand of free-scoring rugby league. When the teams met in May, the Tigers came from behind to outgun the Vikings, running in six tries. Both will be keen to get the psychological edge here before the cup showdown. Lanre Bakare

Child Soldiers Of WW28pm, Channel 5

When war broke out in 1939, the age of conscription in the UK was 18. However, the recruiting sergeants weren't too fussy about asking for a birth certificate when it came to volunteers. As a result, working-class youngsters such as 15-year-old Stan Scott – who wanted to escape a difficult home life and subsequently made it through commando training – found it was a simple matter to enlist. A moving documentary that gathers together the first-hand testimony of veterans who saw too much too young. Jonathan Wright

The Honourable Woman9pm, BBC2

Eight-part political thriller from the brain of The Shadow Line creator Hugo Blick. Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as Nessa Stein, a newly made baroness and daughter of a murdered diplomat. Set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the drama draws you into a tense narrative involving assassination, kidnapping and impenetrable secrets. As with Blick's previous work, there's much mystery at the beginning but over eight episodes, all will become clear. The pinnacle of British screen drama from our finest TV auteur. Julia Raeside

Inside Asprey: Luxury By Royal Appointment9pm, ITV

It's become a rite of passage for British heritage brands to invite the cameras into their rarified spaces. After Liberty and Claridge's did it, luxury retailer Asprey has followed suit. We follow the camera around the showroom on New Bond Street, and see how and what the super-rich spend their money on, from diamond-encrusted crocodile skin bags to watches and rings. Above the showroom sit the craftsmen who make the stuff: the elves to the salespeople's shoemakers. Oddly compelling. Bim Adewunmi

The 70-Stone Man: The Final Chapter9pm, Channel 5

In last year's documentary 70 Stone And Almost Dead, the life-saving weight-loss surgery Keith Martin hoped to undergo was postponed; his muscle wastage and BMI of 155 posed too much of a risk. Now a slimmed-down Keith is finally heading to the operating table, where surgeon Kesava Reddy Mannur will be removing the majority of his stomach as well as a colossal hernia. But the procedure still carries a high chance of fatality, and post-op bleeding puts Keith's life on the line. Rachel Aroesti

Stacey Dooley In The USA: Giving Up My Baby9pm, BBC3

Young reporter Dooley is back with another investigative piece from America and this time she's hurling herself into the world of open adoption. The process encourages birth parents to choose their kid's new mum and dad and stay in touch with their offspring. Dooley meets two pregnant women who are planning to give their babies away, and tries to understand how they could come to such a difficult decision before they've even met their children. JNR

The Secret Life Of Students10pm, Channel 4

This new four-part doc follows Leicester freshers embracing their newfound independence via chocolate condoms and mammoth bar crawls. Their texts and tweets form an integral part of proceedings, as we learn that having more than 1,200 Facebook friends isn't a barrier to loneliness. Although far from groundbreaking, this does well in showing the diversity of student life: here we meet history buff Lauren, who finds herself in uncomfortable territory as her flatmates explore neknominations and one-night stands. Hannah J Davies

Nashville10pm, More4

Surprisingly for the season finale, this isn't the over-the-top Nashville-style farewell you might expect. Many secrets that have been threatening to burst forth all season are exposed, with that big ol' question mark over Will's sexuality disappearing in a dramatic scene and Juliette's illicit affair coming back to bite her. There's also a moment of female solidarity, when Rayna holds the hair of young rival Juliette while she's sick after one too many at Deacon's Sober House benefit gig. A well-crafted finale, with a third season on the way. Hannah Verdier