TV Highlights: From the famed Kensington Runestone to a tense stand-off

Telly Today choices for Monday, January 31st…

Stone me…

Were Norsemen the first Europeans to explore the Minnesota-Great Lakes and surrounding area more than a century before Christopher Columbus?

Some scholars and fervent theorists believe so and are ready to fortify their beliefs with proof. In this all-new series, actor Peter Stormare (Fargo) and history enthusiast Elroy Balgaard set out to solve the mystery of the famed Kensington Runestone – an artifact that, if proven authentic, could rewrite the history of North America.

Secrets of the Viking Stone, Sky History, 10 pm

Looking for a reply…

After talking to his therapist, Chris Carson (Martin Freeman) makes the decision to hand the drugs in. But when Carl Sweeney (Ian Hart) phones him, pleading for his life, Chris offers to sell them to him. Disturbed by Chris’ behaviour, Rachel Hargreaves (Adelayo Adedayo) agrees to work for Mullen, who has persuaded her that he’s running an official investigation into Chris.

But when Chris helps Rachel’s boyfriend to escape a drug possession charge, Rachel is torn by her betrayal.

She sees another side to Chris when they go to his house after Kate returns home drunk. A row erupts in which it emerges that Kate (MyAnna Buring) has been having an affair – and Chris finally opens up to Rachel about his mental despair. When Carl fails to come through with the money, Chris buys a burner phone to contact other drug dealers.

The Responder, BBC One, 9 pm

Copped out…

For Derbyshire’s traffic cops, enforcing the law requires tact and diplomacy, but also the ability to act decisively with controlled force when the occasion demands. The traffic cops are alerted when a car is spotted by police cameras being driven with no insurance.

PC Tom Strachan gives pursuit — but when police records flag up the suspected driver has a history of violence, an armed response team is called in. The suspect throws a knife out of the car and then waves a baseball bat out of his window, banging it on the roof and making offensive hand gestures at the police behind him.

He throws the baseball bat out the window. The cops, needing to take action before the car heads into the city centre, deploy a stinger. Eventually, it takes four police cars to box in the suspect. Several police cars are rammed and damaged before the driver is overpowered and arrested by armed officers.

PC Andy Swift stops a car after suspecting it’s not insured. The driver gets straight out and is very aggressive. It’s a tense situation. Andy warns the suspect as he tries to walk off to his house that unless he complies he could be tasered. Eventually, Andy persuades the suspect to sit calmly and to try and sort out the issue. But when he fails to provide evidence that he has insurance, the car is seized.

There’s a tense stand-off for traffic cop Alex Boniface when a driver refuses to get out of his car to be questioned at the roadside. The driver shouts abuse at Alex and his colleagues through the heavily darkened window of his car, and it’s only when Alex threatens to smash the window that the man complies and gets out. Other officers stand ready with a taser and gas spray should the situation turn violent. It turns out that the man is driving with no licence or insurance.

Traffic Cops, Channel 5, 8 pm