TV tonight: take a look at events of the past 12 months – from space

It’s been a year of huge news on Earth, but how are things looking from up above? Plus: Waterloo Road returns. Here’s what to watch this evening

2022: The Year from Space

7.30pm, Channel 4

Certain events in 2022 have been so big they’re best appreciated by satellite. And we’re not just talking about the Queue or the Liz Truss fiasco. This intriguing documentary offers airborne perspectives on everything from the summer heatwave to the return of Glastonbury. Inevitably, there’s horror, too: the floods in Pakistan and, of course, the unfolding nightmare of Ukraine which, from the buildup of Russian troops on the border to the discovery of mass graves in Bucha, looms over everything. Phil Harrison

Waterloo Road

8pm, BBC One

Chaotic yet heartwarming, beloved school drama Waterloo Road has been reborn for 2023. This riotous opening episode sees student activism at its core, as teachers face a firefighting operation. Tackling prescient teen issues from LGBTQ+ rights to the cost of living crisis, Kim Campbell (Angela Griffin) is but one familiar face set to return. Danielle De Wolfe

The Hairy Bikers Go Local

8pm, BBC Two

Heading off on a new food mission – but now, on electric bikes – Dave and Si are turning matchmaker. They want to find great regional restaurants and introduce them to local ethical producers, starting in Wales where a father and daughter chef tag-team have their eyes on a Michelin star. PH

Miriam Margolyes: Australia Unmasked

9pm, BBC Two

Miriam Margolyes with her new friends in Australia Unmasked.
Miriam Margolyes with her new friends in Australia Unmasked. Photograph: Helen Barrow/BBC/Southern Pictures

Are there really no formal class distinctions in Australia? In this concluding part of her personal investigation, Margolyes – who got her Australian citizenship a decade ago – confronts her inner snob by going for a spin on a dirt track with Billy the “bogun” and visits Melbourne’s most prestigious private school. Hollie Richardson

24 Hours in A&E

9pm, Channel 4

The tense but often cathartic hospital docuseries travels beyond London for the first time, and there is no shortage of drama at the bustling Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham. A freak accident at a fun run puts veteran ward sister Lou and her team on high alert, while a 93-year-old with breathing difficulties is brought in by his anxious wife. Graeme Virtue

Belfast Midwives

10pm, Channel 4

About 5,000 babies are delivered every year at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Service, Belfast – one of Northern Ireland’s busiest maternity units. This warm new series follows those who help them into the world, featuring three very different birth stories in each episode. This week’s include a waterbirth, a C-section and a squeamish husband prone to fainting. Ali Catterall

Live sport

Premier League football: Arsenal v Newcastle 7.30pm, Sky Sport Main Event. All the action from the Emirates stadium in London.

Contributors

Phil Harrison, Danielle De Wolfe, Hollie Richardson, Graeme Virtue and Ali Catterall

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