Across the Andes: Beyond Boundaries

BBC Two, 9pm

The former SAS Major Ken Hames leads another group of young people with disabilities, this time through the jungles and peaks of South America. On this expedition, the 10 members of the expedition – with an average age of 18 – will be struggling through the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador and across the Andes to the Pacific.

Their disabilities range from dwarfism, severe mobility problems and deafness to cerebral palsy. In theory it sounds an exciting challenge, but the reality is exhausting, mud-sodden misery punctuated by intense pain and understandable ill temper. They are a determined, strong-willed bunch who need to work together to succeed. That, as much as their disabilities, is the challenge.

Benidorm

ITV1, 9pm

Benidorm has long exercised a sickly fascination, but it has always been a vaguely nasty pleasure– like one of those bright-green cocktails with an umbrella on top that splits open your skull the next morning. But as the series has developed, sympathy for the characters has taken over from cruelty, helping to make it one of the highlights of the week.

Tonight, the Johnny Vegas character has a drink or four to summon up courage on his first big date. “Being Lancashire pub quiz champion, unbeaten for three years,” he slurs in the direction of his date, “I don’t have a lot of free time, so I’ve not had a great deal of experience with girls.” Whereupon he passes out.

Derren Brown: Trick or Treat

Channel 4, 10pm

Tell someone not to do something and the chances are they will go ahead and do it. To prove the point, Derren Brown cuts a hole in a hoarding and hangs a sign telling passers-by: “Don’t look through this hole!” Guess what happens. Using the same principle, he tells a high-wire champion at Zippos Circus that he really, really doesn’t want to fall off the high wire. Splat.

Finally, he takes a dear sweet little fluffy kitten and puts it inside a glass tank on a metal floor that is attached to the mains. Then, with a little extra hocuspocus, he tells a student, “You can win £500 if you don’t, repeat don’t, kill the poor little kitty.” Essential viewing for animal rights activists.

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

BBC One, 10.35pm

If you haven’t had enough of Johnny Vegas after Benidorm– and how could you? – he’s taking up residence on the Ross sofa tonight. Jade Jagger’s appearance is sure to provoke another rash of presenterly flirting so subtle that you barely notice it; and Sir Alan Sugar makes a return visit to show that he has a sense of humour after all.

Later with Jools Holland

BBC Two, 11.35pm

Robert Plant performs with the bluegrass singer Alison Krauss – their collaboration has proved a huge success – and there are sets by Emmylou Harris, Spiritualized and Mr Holland’s former Squeeze cohort Chris Difford. Indie-favourites the Fratellis also perform, so expect new single Mistress Mabel to get an airing.

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