'The Ark - In the Beginning'
(ITV 1, 10.30 to 11am)
This first programme in a 13-part multi-faith religious series for children introduces the Ark, whose crew of five excitable animals stop each week in a different country to collect stories from the Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Hindu traditions. In this edition Owl and his crew begin their collection of the great religious stories with the Creation. Scope the robot goes in search of the Garden of Eden and Anwar the cat recounts the tale of Noah and the great flood.
'The Real Cherie Blair'
(Channel 4, 8 to 9pm)
This documentary looks behind the public face of the Prime Minister's wife, who is an eminent lawyer and a mother of four and has just become president of the children's charity Barnardo's.
1 October
'A Child's World - The Thinker'
(Channel 4, 8.30 to 9pm)
By the age of two, children have mastered the basics of walking and talking, but their brains and thought processes are still undergoing rapid development. This programme looks at the working of a child's mind, with children themselves explaining why the sky is blue and what clouds are made of.
2 October
'File On 4'
(BBC Radio 4, 8 to 8.40pm)
This autumn researchers begin a massive census of child labour on the cocoa and coffee farms of West Africa, following shocking reports of child slavery on the farms. Jenny Cuffe travels to Benin and Cote d'Ivoire to trace the root causes of child slavery in West Africa.
'Harsh Realities'
(BBC Radio 4, 9 to 9.30pm)
Presenter Niall Dickson and health professionals discuss how to treat children who are dying. They debate the level of involvement children should have in making decisions about their treatment.
3 October
'The Nation's Favourite Children's Poem'
(BBC 1, 7.30 to 8pm)
To celebrate this year's National Poetry Day, the BBC calls on the young and the young at heart to choose their favourite children's poem. Could it be 'The King's Breakfast' by AA Milne, or something more contemporary such as Michael Rosen's 'Don't Put Mustard in the Custard'?
'Joined - The World of Siamese Twins'
(Channel 4, 9 to 10pm)
The first in a two-part series looks at the unique problems faced by the parents of conjoined twins. It follows one couple who have learned their unborn twin girls are joined at the heart as they try to come to terms with the complex set of human problems, moral dilemmas and medical risks they face.
5 October
'Bring It On'
(BBC 1, 4.35 to 5pm)
The programme follows Richard and Dominic as they learn in a few days how to be children's entertainers on a cruise ship.
