TV Picks: First Time Farmers | Northern Italy Unpacked | Shirley Bassey at the BBC

Farming isn’t a job, it’s a life. The hours are long and the work is hard; the pay leaves a lot to be desired, and holidays are all but non-existent.

So it’s surprising that any young people are willing to take it on. This documentary has found three and follows them over a six-month period. Robbie is doing his best to make his mother’s struggling pig farm successful, Ed has quit a job in the city and returned to his rural roots, and Nick wants to do something different.

Northern Italy Unpacked, BBC2, 9pm

Art specialist Andrew Graham-Dixon and chef Giorgio Locatelli begin their tour in Emilia-Romagna - one of the richest and most fertile regions in Italy. Bologna has the oldest university in the world, quaint traditional shops and many art institutions. Andrew and Giorgio learn about the legacy of the House of Este dynasty in Ferrara, before heading off to the home of Ferrari cars, Modena. if their last outing in Sicily is anything to go by, we won’t be disappointed.

Shirley Bassey at the BBC, BBC4, 10.15pm

This month marks the 76th birthday of one of Britain’s best-loved singers, Dame Shirley Bassey. Her career, which began when she was aged just 16 in 1953, has spanned 60 years, with performances across the world. Here we see a selection of shows filmed for the BBC, from Show of the Week, via The Shirley Bassey Show, the Royal Albert Hall, Glastonbury 2007, up to her recent show at the Electric Proms.

The Graham Norton Show, BBC1, 10.35pm

There’s something about the atmosphere in Graham Norton’s studio that makes some of the biggest names in showbusiness feel comfortable enough to come on and bare their souls, as well as engage in chit-chat about all manner of bizarre topics. Tonight, he welcomes the coolest director in the world, Quentin Tarantino, to the show.