Tonight

Thursday, 10 January 2013, 7:30PM – 8:00PM

Generation Rent: Tonight

A growing number of people are being frozen off the property ladder because they can’t afford the high deposits they need to buy a home of their own. Instead, they’re facing the prospect of a lifetime renting. ..pushing demand for rental properties to near-record levels in some areas. And that in turn has created a perfect climate for property investors and led to predictions of a return to the buy-to-let boom.

Thursday, 13 December 2012, 7:30PM – 8:00PM

Last year 5,419 people were killed or seriously injured in road accidents involving young drivers. In fact, drivers under the age of 25 are responsible for a third of all road fatalities – with young men statistically the most lethal behind the wheel.

Tonight investigates whether calls for radical changes to the way young people learn to drive and the introduction of a ban on late night driving and carrying passengers for the newly qualified could save lives. Tonight reporter Jonathan Maitland puts three young motorists to the test. They all rate themselves as good drivers – but are they as good as they think they are?

Thursday, 6 December 2012, 7:30PM – 8:00PM

The Repeat Offenders: Tonight

Recorded crime is at its lowest level for a generation – but, despite that, re-offending rates are at a record high. The latest criminal justice statistics show that nearly half of those convicted of a serious crime in the last year had at least 15 previous convictions or cautions. All of which means a relatively small number of hard-core criminals are responsible for a higher proportion of crimes than ever. Tonight’s Fiona Foster goes behind bars at Leeds Prison to see for herself the efforts being made to cut the number of repeat offenders.

Thursday, 29 November 2012, 7:30PM – 8:00PM

Britain’s Deadly Gun Trade: Tonight

When two unarmed female police officers were shot dead in Manchester in September, the nation was horrified and the Government responded by pledging to crack down on the trade in illegal firearms in a bid to keep guns off our streets.

This special Tonight investigation looks at how guns are finding their way into the hands of criminals and uncovers a new supply route that could see the number of illegal weapons in circulation rise dramatically.

Fiona Foster meets the family of an innocent victim who was shot dead by accident and the police officers who risk their lives every day. She also heads to America following the trail of an international gun-runner, who was allegedly arming criminals in the North West.

Thursday, 22 November 2012, 7:30PM – 8:00PM

Waiting For A Heart: Tonight

Every year, almost a million people in the UK suffer heart failure. Numbers are rising – and for many, the only chance of survival is a transplant. But Britain is facing a critical shortage of donors and, on average, three people a day die needlessly, waiting for a transplant. In tonight’s programme, Fiona Foster meets 20-year-old university student Will Pope, who needs a donor heart so that he can undergo a life-saving transplant.

Thursday, 8 November 2012, 7:30PM – 8:00PM

The Best Start in Life?: Tonight

Most parents want what’s best for their child. Happiness, health…and also for them to do well at school and to go on and succeed in life. But is that pressure to succeed becoming too great?

In a survey conducted by Childline last year, more than half of the children and young people questioned said that pressure from their parents to do well in exams was causing them anxiety.

Children are marked and graded in key subjects like English and Maths from early on in their school lives. The private tuition industry is booming and some children are now being tutored even before they reach school age, in order to give them the best possible start.

But is all this good for our children? Some are questioning whether the pressure on kids to perform well academically is too much, too young.

Thursday, 18 October 2012, 7:30PM – 8:00PM

Is Technology Taking Over Our Lives?: Tonight

Forty percent of adults in the UK now own a smartphone and the average household has three different internet-enabled devices. Such technology has become intertwined into nearly every aspect of our personal and professional lives. Our gadgets may have made many activities easier, but some argue that overdependence on them can be harmful. Tonight examines whether technology is changing our lives for better or for worse?

Thursday, 11 October 2012, 7:30PM – 8:00PM

The Property Trap: Tonight

Five years after the start of the credit crunch, Britain’s housing market is in crisis.

Despite house prices that are barely moving and some mortgages that have never been cheaper, millions of people are still finding it almost impossible to buy or sell.

Tonight meets victims of the property trap and asks what can be done to get this crucial part of the UK economy moving again.

Thursday, 4 October 2012, 7:30PM – 8:00PM

Are We Giving Kids A Sporting Chance?: Tonight

It all started back in July with Bradley Wiggins winning the Tour De France. Then we were captivated by the Olympics and Paralympics – and finally, Andy Murray won his first-ever major in an epic US Open final. It’s been a glorious summer of sporting success for the UK. Mark Austin asks whether, with queues of young people keen to participate in a whole range of sports, we’re doing enough to tap into this new-found enthusiasm.

Thursday, 27 September 2012, 7:30PM – 8:00PM

In Self Defence: Tonight

The issue of self defence and the homeowner’s right to protect his or her self always provokes public anger and sympathy. Tonight speaks exclusively to one couple, locked in a nightmare after intruders broke in to their home with dreadful consequences.