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This November on Reality
By Dave Macleod, Monday 27th October 2014

hardcore_pawnHARDCORE PAWN (series 12)
Weekdays DOUBLE BILL at 12:00, 18:00 and 00:00 from 3rd to 10th November

In the heart of Detroit’s 8 Mile sits a record breaking pawnbrokers with a big reputation. Run by Les Gold and his children, Ashley and Seth, ‘American Jewelery and Loan’ has been a family business for three generations. For many in the neighbourhood the store provides a regular quick cash service. No item is turned down and 40,000 ‘treasures’ are stored within the 50,000 square foot vaults holding anything from false teeth to expensive jewellery and some strange taxidermy.  Behind every item there’s a story, and the best are shared here in this latest series, exclusively on CBS Reality. Even the Golds cannot predict who or what will happen next, as the sometimes shocking, always entertaining characters burst through the doors with their minds set on a deal. The Golds may have their differences when it comes to settling on a deal, but always stick together in the face of a customer meltdown and work together for the success of the store. Series 12 sees Cousin Karen ready to shake things up on the showroom floor, Les goes on a buying spree that leaves his staff wondering what's going on, and Lady Gaga’s bass player blows Les away with an act of kindness.

BEVERLY HILLS PAWN (series 2)
Weekdays DOUBLE BILL at 12:00, 18:00 and 00:00 from 17th November continuing into next month

Beverly Hills Pawn returns for a sensational new series of high-end merchandise and exclusive Hollywood memorabilia. Yossi Dina has been collecting Hollywood treasures for over 25 years. When a celebrity wants to cash-in on a famous prop from a classic movie, he is the man they call. He knows all the serious collectors and is always ready to wheel and deal. Following Yossi in his day-to-day work gives a unique glimpse into the world of the rich and famous. He makes millionaire movie fans’ dreams come true by sourcing the iconic items they always wanted and, at the same time, helps the Hollywood elite turn old work mementos into ready money – for charity or new projects. Everyone in Beverly Hills knows Yossi always protects his investment. Tune in to see Yossi on top form in series 2!

KILLER IN THE FAMILY
Mondays to Thursdays 22:00 and 02:40 from 24th November continuing into next month repeated weekends at 00:00

Killer In The Family is a series of extraordinary and disturbing true stories. Lead by presenter and criminal behavioural psychologist, Laura Richards, we are presented with the ghastly and grim secrets that go on behind the closed doors of what seem to be normal family homes, only to discover the upsetting truth; that a family member has wiped out the entire household. There's a common theme to all of these stories: some of the most horrific, unthinkable murders are carried out not by strangers, in random attacks, but by those closest to you. Just what causes a so-called family wipe-out like this? Why didn't those around see it coming? And how can we stop it happening again? Laura Richards uses crime scene photographs, old family videos and interviews with extended family members to piece together the puzzle of why someone turns on the people they are supposed to love and trust the most.

THE MAN WHOSE ARMS EXPLODED
Friday 28th November at 11:00 and 19:00

Gregg Valentino wanted to be special ... to really stand out in a crowd. His dream was to become the man with the world's biggest arms. At his peak Gregg's biceps measured a massive 28-inches in diameter, but at what cost? To achieve his dream Gregg had become his own doctor and pharmacist, concocting ever-increasing variations of drugs to enhance his size. When dirty needles infected his bicep, the consequences were explosive and Gregg was forced to become his own surgeon. His story is our way into the world of extreme bodybuilding and the price people are prepared to pay - both financially and physically - to reach the top. This film examines the darker reality of the world of the extreme bodybuilder and the limits men are prepared to push themselves to in order to be 'the best'.

BABY E.R
Saturday 29th November at 13:00 and 20:00

There can be few sights which tug harder at the heart strings than that of a tiny baby desperately clinging to life. The vulnerability of the desperately sick new born baby; the quite extraordinary levels of skill and care of the medical staff, and the heart-rending agony of the parents as they watch, wait and hope – it all makes for the kind of real life drama that even fiction fails to match. From a baby brought back to life after failing to breathe for 22 minutes after birth; to a baby operated on to unblock a windpipe as it was being born; and a three week old baby fitted with a pacemaker to correct a heart defect. The many advances in medical science are a source of wonder.  That sense of wonder has an added emotional impact when it’s applied to saving such tiny lives. Baby ER is an observational documentary in style, set in a range of Special Care Baby Units and Neo-Natal Intensive Care Units across England.  

HALF TON HOSPITAL
Saturdays and Sundays from 30th November at 13:00 and 20:00 continuing into next month

Saving the Supersized. Brookhaven Hospital in New York is unique: it tries to save the lives of some of the world's fattest people. Its methods are simple but controversial; a strict regime of diet and exercise, which challenges the health industry's fascination with quick fixes, fad diets, pills and surgery.  Half Ton Hospital is an emotional and, at times, tragic journey mixing human stories of great achievement with medical science, as families and doctors try to stop patients from literally eating themselves to death. For those who seek treatment it's their last chance to survive an addiction every bit as devastating as alcohol or drugs. And it's a problem which isn't just limited to the US. Most countries in the developed world are seeing rapidly rising obesity rates and Half Ton Hospital provides a shocking warning of what the future may hold for them.

PICK OF THE WEEK
Alive
ALIVE
Monday 1 April
18:50
Trucking Hell
TRUCKING HELL
Saturday 30 March
21:20
Women on the Force
WOMEN ON THE FORCE
Saturday 30 March
20:25