AS any viewer of the movie It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World can tell you, the pursuit of money makes people do crazy, awful things. But where television is concerned, it can generate solid gold.

Treasure Island with Bear Grylls (Channel 4, Sunday, 9pm) tested this theory by sending 12 British people to a deserted island in the Pacific for five weeks. One suspects the rest of the EU would like to do the same to all 66 million of us (“Go on then, you bunch of Brexit smarty pants, see how you get on without food and water!”), but for now they will have to do with watching an ex-Royal Marine, a property manager, a plumber, a double glazing salesman, and the rest, being put through their paces.

Besides surviving on their own for 35 days, the gang are after £100,000 in cash that will be dropped on the island. Will they go after it as one, splitting the pot equally, or will greed kick in and separate the weak from the strong? In short, will it be Kumbaya or Lord of the Flies? Do you really need an answer to that question?

Scotland was represented by Irene, a 75-year-old retired florist and granny who wanted to come home with the entire 100k. Her plans collided with reality before she had even set foot on the island. Host and puppet master Bear Grylls dropped the 12 as near to the shore as he could, telling them to go the rest of the way on their own. “I don’t swim,” said Irene. “How deep is the water?” Either Irene is “at it”, and she is really some sort of kick-ass commando type underneath that Molly Weir exterior, or she is doomed. Again, do you really need an answer?

The dozen have been expertly chosen by producers to split along class, age, competence, and every other line, and in the 40 degree heat it did not take long for tensions to surface. One of the most interesting characters was Mano, a neurosurgeon (you do get a better class of reality show participant on Channel 4), who admitted he was there to stave off a looming midlife crisis. By episode end he had proved himself to be one of the good guys. As for the ex-Marine and the toff … cue rubbing of hands and evil cackle from this viewer.

Autumn has brought so many dramas worth watching, one of the year’s most impressive documentaries is in danger of being lost in the rush. The first instalment of Rise of the Nazis (BBC2, Monday, 9pm) showed how murderers and thieves seized control of the German state. Part two (of three) this week set out in chilling detail how the same mob destroyed democracy in just six months.

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Directed by Julian Jones, the series blends reconstructions with analysis from top flight historians and other experts, from Professor Sir Richard Evans to General Sir Mike Jackson, with some faces I had not seen before but would like to hear from again. While there is the odd moment when it pitches itself at too simple a level (did viewers really need to be told Chancellor was the equivalent of PM?), the series makes its case with devastating clarity. Expert after expert comes forward to warn that lessons must be learned lest history repeat itself. Even those who usually find such comparisons between then and now to be unconvincing, may think again.

In State of the Union (BBC2, Sunday, 10pm, 10.10pm), Rosamund Pike and Chris O’Dowd played Louise and Tom, a married couple meeting for a drink before their first couples counselling session. He was dreading the first and every other session. “It’s like Brexit. We could have two years of talks before we even agree what the issues are.”

State of the Union is a ten-part series presented in crisp bites of ten minutes. It works well, with each instalment short enough to engage the viewer, and long enough to pique their interest for the next. The writing, by series creator Nick Horby, is smart and witty and the direction is by Stephen Frears, which makes everything look luxe as anything. The only slight hitch lies in believing Pike and Dowd are married. No offence, but one of them is punching well above their weight mate-wise, and it is not the Gone Girl star. But then O’Dowd/Tom has funny bones, which always goes far.

For even lighter relief there was the return of Supermarket Sweep (ITV2, Monday, 8pm) with Rylan Clark-Neal (he was on The X Factor, m’lud) taking the place of the late Dale Winton. Though ridiculously long at an hour, the contestants were amusingly scatty (one, asked what item was a vital ingredient in a Caesar salad, said “salad”) and Clark-Neal, a sort of less smarmy Russell Brand, made a likeable host.

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As promised, one pair finally got to go wild in the aisles at the end to win £3000. Hardly the loot on offer in Treasure Island with Bear Grylls, but good clean fun. And now, back to Brexit.