The Secret Mediterranean With Trevor McDonald (ITV1, 8pm) Big Fat Gypsy Weddings (C4, 9pm) CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (Channel 5, 9pm).

IT’S January, it’s cold and dreary, and our bank balances are recovering from Christmas. So what better way to cheer ourselves up than by sitting down to watch a celebrity on holiday? Well, under normal circumstances it might get us grumbling under our breath and tutting at the TV screen, but surely no viewer will begrudge Sir Trevor McDonald a trip abroad.

The veteran broadcaster would also no doubt point out that The Secret Mediterranean with Trevor McDonald isn’t just a chance for him to do some sightseeing.

He’s aiming to look beyond the beaches and tourist resorts in the holiday brochures and learn more about how the Mediterranean nurtured some of the most dazzling civilisations of antiquity.

Its claims to fame aren’t all in the past either – spanning three continents and 21 countries, more cultures live side by side in the region than anywhere else on Earth.

Over two weeks, he’s explored the nations that make up the Med, going off the beaten path to find out more about their traditions, while getting an insight from the people who live there.

The presenter has been involved in journalism since the early Sixties, when he began working for local newspapers, television and radio in his native Trinidad.

In 1969, he moved to London to work for the BBC, and four years later he joined ITN, where he rose through the ranks to become diplomatic editor and one of the main newsreaders. His promotion to the sole presenter of News at Ten in 1992 did even more to boost his profile and, seven years later, he was awarded a knighthood.

McDonald has now retired from his regular job, but he’s still an occasional presence on screen. When asked if he would consider complete retirement, his response was guarded. “I should be careful how I answer this because my family might take offence, but look, it’s nice if you can do odd things.”

Those “odd things” have included travelogues.

Last year, he presented Secret Caribbean, which took him back to his native Trinidad as he explored the unseen side of the region. It proved so successful, he’s now revisiting the format in the Mediterranean.

He begins the third leg of his journey on the west coast of Italy.

One of his stops is Mount Vesuvius, which experts say is overdue for another major eruption. McDonald talks to some of the people who live in its shadow, finding out what it’s like to know it could blow at any time.

AGYPSY wedding isn’t just an excuse for a party. It’s so much more; what with most dresses weighing in at an impressive 27 stone and the commitment being such that divorce is unheard of. Behind this whopping great celebration lie traditions and beliefs that many of us struggle to get to grips with.

The five-part series Big Fat Gypsy Weddings picks up where the Cutting Edge film of last year left off – following the often extravagant and surprising world of travellers in Britain today.

It would seem that the film left more questions than answers among viewers, so C4 has arranged for us to get a bit more of an insight into the community’s attitudes towards gender roles, education and outsiders. This first installment details the milestones in a gypsy girl’s life ahead of her spectacular wedding day.

IN CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, a woman is killed at a casino pool party – by a shark. A shark is spotted in the pool and, before you can shout Jaws, it rips the arm off waitress Desiree Mc- Quire, killing her instantly.

The Golden Nugget casino does keep sharks in its aquarium, but there is no way one of them could have got into the pool, and casino owner Earnest Boozell (Elliot Gould) proves that all his fish are accounted for.

The CSIs team up with vet Dr Holloway to solve the case.