Free-to-air previews from January 18

FRIDAY, January 18

Cutthroat Kitchen

Host Alton Brown on Cutthroat Kitchen.Credit:Eddy Chen

7Food, 8.30pm

This is the only reality cooking show I would like to go to a production meeting for, if only to meet the instigators of madcap challenges such as making gnocchi with potato peelings instead of potatoes, or having to work on a prep station constructed solely from recycled packaging. Nothing of value is at stake on this American show, which is a welcome change from the usual cooking show narrative of vindictive competition and triumphant victory, and that's reflected in the charmingly dismissive tone of host Alton Brown. He knows nothing matters but the next loopy segment. CM

King Arthur's Britain: The Truth Unearthed

SBS, 7.35pm

The legend of King Arthur is everywhere, from Brexit myth-making to bad Hollywood movies, but historical detail about what happened during Britain's dark ages in the two centuries following Rome's cataclysmic withdrawal in 410AD is sparse. Starting from a crucial archaeological dig on a remote island off the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, Professor Alice Roberts aggregates the breakthroughs provided by everything from digs, genetic research, and the newly evolved field of landscape archaeology. It's intriguing all the way through, told with a clear command of the material and an eye for some of the more eccentric researchers, as well as a panoramic visual sensibility. CM

SATURDAY, January 19

Little Women

ABC, 7.30pm

Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel about the four March sisters and their coming of age during and after the American Civil War is an evergreen for adaptation, with this BBC version of the period drama using Irish locations for the Massachusetts setting. This is a bustling traditional take, attuned to the textures of 19th century life, and if the odd accent wavers there is the formidable Emily Watson as the March family matriarch to provide a cornerstone performance. CM

SUNDAY, January 20

Hairy Bikers Bakeation

SBS Food, 7.30pm

With very few dishes in Britain they haven't cooked, David Myers and Simon King are in Europe for the latest edition of the Hairy Bikers experience. This episode finds them happily trying regional dishes and handing out praise and hugs in Germany, where they start with a potato bread session amid persistent drizzle before visiting a village bakery. "I love this bit of the show," King says, referring to the break for coffee while loaves go in the oven. The duo's knockabout enthusiasm – and healthy appetites – remain cheerfully unabated. CM

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