Yorkshire Firefighters

BBC2, 8pm

Prepare for a blaze of glory in a new four-part series following the firefighters of West Yorkshire. These 900 men and women (including Sarah, right) serve two million residents spread over a vast area, and in emergencies not only their courage is tested but also their patience as they deal with pranks and false alarms.

In the opening episode the crews are on alert for Bonfire Night, and there’s mirth as they struggle to put out a fire in a locked postbox where someone has deposited a firework, but later the engines race to rescue a family from a burning house.

Then comes one of the biggest fires the area has ever seen – a mountain of 600,000 discarded tyres pouring smoke into the sky above Bradford. Putting out the blaze proves to be a hazardous challenge that pushes the service to the limit of its resources. ★★★★★