Animal Planet: In Too Deep August 3, 8pm

This wildlife series sees presenter and adrenalin junkie Jamie Crawford travelling through the world’s harshest climates and terrains in search of some of the most intriguing animal adaptations.

The series from indie Two Hand Productions focuses on highly visual comparisons between man and animals which highlight both the brilliance of different animal’s evolutionary adaptations as well as demonstrating the frailties of the human body.

Crawford struggles physically and mentally with the challenges of the wild while trying to visually demonstrate the animal’s amazing capabilities with quirky homemade devices and extreme stunts.

Highlights include Crawford heading to the Australian outback to see how animals such as rock-tailed wallabies survive with very little water. He also attempts to measure the bite of a crocodile – the strongest in the animal kingdom - and just how fast a death adder can strike.

National Geographic: Monster Moves August 10, 5pm

This month National Geographic screens the third outing of its successful series Monster Moves from indie Windfall Films.

The third series kicks off with Rescuing Ramesses, a special marking the 40th Anniversary of the greatest structural move ever undertaken, revealing how twenty of Egypt’s finest ancient temples were relocated from the rising waters of the River Nile in the 1960s. Producer/director Leesa Rumley recounts how engineers cut up the twin temples of Abu Simbel into over 1,000 blocks to dismantle, move and re-assemble them piece by piece to safety on higher ground.

In episode two the series examines Risky Rescues, included the attempt by Jerry Matyiko and Joe Jakubik to move the 500-ton 90ft tall Sankaty Head Lighthouse away from the crumbling cliff edge on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts.

Produced by Leesa Rumley and directed by Bettina Truemper and William Lorimer, Risky Rescues also visits Malmberg in Sweden to follow the story of Andreas Martensson, who is locked in a race against time to move the buildings in a mining town which is collapsing to safety before the arctic winter strikes.

Community Channel: Tony Wilson Tribute, August 10, 9.30pm 

A year on from the death of Tony Wilson this half hour programme made by ITV’s Granada regional programme making division in Manchester examines the life of the legendary broadcaster, Factory Records owner and founder of nightclub The Hacienda.

Self-styled professional Mancunian Wilson is widely regarded as the man who put Manchester on the map in terms of its music and vibrant nightlife. He remained active on the city scene until his death last year aged 57.

The programme was directed and produced by Ged Clarke, Wilson’s TV producer for five years. It was largely based on a 50-minute documentary made by Clarke to tie in with the release of the film 24 Hour Party People, about Manchester’s 1980s music scene.

The film includes contributions from Richard & Judy, Sir Alex Ferguson and Shaun Ryder and members of the band Joy Division, who were sighed to his record label.

NickToonsters: August 18

Nickelodeon UK is to launch a new cartoon channel NickToonsters this month, aimed at the younger siblings of NickToons viewers. The channel will also be slightly more female-skewing than NickToons.

It will run series such as The Rugrats, Hey Arnold, The Wild Thornberrys, CatDog and As Told By Ginger.  Nickelodeon UK  MD Howard Litton said: "NickToonsters will feature the gentler side of animation and provide the perfect transition from Nick Jr to NickToons for five- to seven-year-olds."

"High-quality animation from all over the world is a real hallmark of Nickelodeon, and we have a wealth of exclusive content that we're constantly getting requests for. NickToonsters will provide a chance for popular cartoons like The Rugrats to shine on their own channel, both as a welcome return for existing fans and as a whole new world of friends for a brand new audience."

History Channel: Captain Cook August 19, 9pm

Former TV presenter turned historical biographer Vanessa Collingridge has made a four part series about explored Captain James Cook based on her autobiography about the man behind the legend.

Collingridge retraces Cook’s life and delves behind the legend of the man who navigated uncharted waters in the 18th Century and was among the first Europeans to visit exotic Pacific islands like Tahiti. Collingridge describes the hidden story of Cook, unveiled in her book Captain Cook – Obsession and Betrayal in the New World, and details how in her investigation she stumbled across an unexpected family link she has with the great explorer.

Says Collingridge: “Most people have heard of Captain James Cook, although I found him a two dimensional character at school. But a few years later I was at an exhibition about discoveries which hinted at the personal tragedy behind the myth. It was this flaw in the otherwise perfect façade of Cook that I found fascinating. From then on he became a bit of an obsession. There’s really much more to the man that the legend – that really became my passion.”

Virgin 1: Take Me To The Edge August 31, 8pm

Adventure junkie Leo Houlding is to test the endurance of five young British men and women to the limit in a new 6 x 60 minute series from Ginger Productions.

At 28, Houlding has blazed a trail through the climbing world with bold ascents, audacious stunts and ambitious firsts.  Now the adventurer who also lists mountaineering, snowboarding, surfing, skydiving and BASE jumping amongst his hobbies, transports five plucky adults on a global adventure to experience different world cultures and take on challenges designed to take them out of their usual comfort zones and teach them more about who they really are.

Cameras follow the progress of the five, aged between 24 and 35, as they embark on a series of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, discovering how other young people from different cultures get their direction.