Saturday 23 November
State of Happiness
BBC Four, 9pm and 9.45pm
One of the best Scandinavian dramas of the past decade returns for a third series. While the subject matter – the development of Norway’s North Sea oil fields in the 1970s – might not sound the most thrilling on paper, it’s the setting (the small fishing port of Stavanger, transformed into a boom town) and characters – particularly the lead female roles of Anna Hellevik (Anne Regine Ellingsæter) and Toril Torstensen (Malene Wadel) – that stand out, driving the plot forward in a sophisticated (Dallas this is not) blend of business and personal concerns.
Following on from last season’s catastrophic drilling-rig collapse, the action jumps forward a few years to the mid-1980s when Norway’s oil industry is again enjoying a huge boost. Raising her twins alone and with her job no longer satisfying her, Anna is tempted by an offer from a charismatic engineer, Sture (Herman Flesvig), to put her expert knowledge of Norway’s oil infrastructure to more productive use in his business. And successful bar-owner Toril is thrilled when Christian (Paal Herman Ims) tells her that his wealthy father is again trying to persuade him to join the family firm. GO
Strictly Come Dancing
BBC One, 7.05pm
With Blackpool behind them, the remaining couples return to Elstree and prepare to take on an extra routine this week – the show’s first ever “Samba-thon”. With a place in the quarter finals at stake, the voltas, reverse rolls and botafogos will need to be spot-on.
Legends of Comedy with Lenny Henry
Channel 4, 8.25pm
The comedian invites Sally Phillips round for a look back at highlights of her 30-year career on screen. Their journey into the archives takes in everything from Smack the Pony to Veep, Miranda, and the Bridget Jones movies, plus key influences such as The Goodies, Seinfeld and French & Saunders.
Moonflower Murders
BBC One, 9.25pm
It’s as convoluted as cosy crime gets, but this adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s second Atticus Pünd (Tim McMullan) murder mystery is still an entertaining watch. Tonight, editor-turned-sleuth Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville) is forced to cast her net wider when she discovers that the victim, Frank Parris (Mark Gatiss), had a sister living locally.
Boybands Forever
BBC Two, 9.25pm
The docu-series finale opens at the turn of the millennium when, with boyband giants Take That and East 17 temporarily out of the picture, a new generation – including Blue and Westlife – was on the rise. Then the musical landscape changed forever, with the arrival of Simon Cowell’s Saturday-night TV talent shows Pop Idol and The X Factor.
Emperor: Rise & Fall of a Dynasty
Channel 5, 9.25pm
Almost 50 years since winning a Bafta for playing her in I, Claudius, Siân Phillips returns to the role of the unscrupulous Roman matriarch Livia Drusilla, narrating her story in this three-part survey of Ancient Rome’s emperors and the women who helped put them – often by dastardly means – in power. Tonight’s edition spans Julius Caesar to Tiberius.
David Baddiel: The Not the Trilogy
Sky Arts, 10pm
In the third and concluding part of Baddiel’s stand-up reflections on life, he shares his views on “social media, and particularly how enormously furious some people get at the things – mainly jokes – that I post on it.” Lots of very good laughs ensue.
The Red Shoes (1948) ★★★★★
BBC Two, 2.20pm
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s twisted fairy-tale, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s musical tragedy centres on dancer Victoria Page (Moira Shearer), her romance with a struggling composer (Marius Goring) and her loyalty to the ballet that he wrote and in which she’s meant to star. It’s stunning; no wonder it’s Scorsese’s favourite. Also on Thursday (BBC Four, 10.10pm); A Matter of Life and Death is on beforehand at 12.35pm.
Skyscraper (2018) ★★★
ITV1, 4.10pm
Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball) swapped laughs for high-octane thrills in this bombastic drama, starring Dwayne Johnson (aka the Rock). Johnson plays Will Sawyer, a former FBI agent and war veteran whose new job is assessing skyscraper security; while on assignment in China, the building that he’s been sent to gets set on fire, and he winds up framed for the crime. Is it a simple insurance scam, or a bigger, darker conspiracy?
Eat Pray Love (2010) ★★★
ITVBe, 6.20pm
The big-screen adaptation of Liz Gilbert’s bestseller about her own real-life adventure will have you itching to book your next flight. The newly divorced Gilbert (Julia Roberts) heads off in search of herself, with stops in Italy (for slap-up dinners), India (for a bit of spiritual enlightenment) and finally Bali (for snogs with a Brazilian businessman played by Javier Bardem). Lovely looking but uninspiring. James Franco also stars.
Knives Out (2019) ★★★★★
Channel 4, 10.25pm
Daniel Craig took a break from all that licensed killing to star as a dapper sleuth in this head-achingly tricksy and uproariously fun play on an Agatha Christie-style whodunit. Star Wars director Rian Johnson delivers a trenchant side order of social commentary about America’s haves and have-nots. It also stars Christopher Plummer, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans and Jamie Lee Curtis. The equally brilliant sequel Glass Onion is on Netflix.
Snooker
UK Championship
BBC One & BBC Two, from 1.15pm
The first Triple Crown event of the season takes place at York Barbican as Ronnie O’Sullivan returns to defend his UK Championship title. The Englishman is the top seed, and some bookies’ favourite, but has been a shadow of his former self. The smart money is on Judd Trump or Kyren Wilson, although Trump fell to Neil Robertson in the quarter-finals of the Champion of Champions last week. The top ranked 16 players play against 16 qualifiers. Saturday’s opening session features a pair of matches in the last 32, played over the best of 11 frames. The quarter-finals are on Friday ahead of next Sunday’s final. Highlights from the first day are on BBC Two at midnight.
Football
Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
Sky Main Event, 5pm (kick-off 5.30pm)
Spurs have a delicious opportunity to inflict a third successive Premier League defeat on Man City, who are having their worst results crisis since Pep Guardiola started in 2016. The two sides met in the League Cup in October; Spurs won. On Sunday, Ruben Amorim begins his tenure as Man United manager against Ipswich (Sky Main Event, 4pm). In the Women’s Super League, Chelsea host Man United earlier on Sunday (Sky Football, 11.30am). The Champions League group stage continues on Tuesday as Man City face Feyenoord (Prime Video, 7pm), while Arsenal play Sporting Lisbon (TNT Sports 1, 7pm). On Wednesday, Liverpool take on Real Madrid (TNT Sports 1, 7pm), Aston Villa host Juventus (TNT Sports 2, 7pm), and Celtic face Club Brugge (TNT Sports 3, 7pm).
Rugby Union
Wales v South Africa
TNT Sports 1, 5.15pm (kick-off 5.40pm)
There’s a stench of death around Warren Gatland’s Wales as they face World Cup winners South Africa in Cardiff. Defeats to Fiji in their opening Autumn International and to Australia last weekend left them outside the top 10 in the World Rugby rankings, taking them to a record 11th consecutive international loss. Ireland play Fiji in Dublin earlier on Saturday (TNT Sports 1, 3pm). On Sunday, Scotland host Australia (TNT Sports 1, 12.30pm), before Steve Borthwick’s woeful England face Japan (TNT Sports 1, 3.45pm).
Sunday 24 November
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light
BBC One, 9pm
It feels like years since the BBC last broadcast a drama as epic, or as magisterial, as The Mirror and the Light. It’s been nine years, to be exact, since the last season of Wolf Hall was on TV. Peter Kosminsky’s grand adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Tudor opus has now reached the critical point where the English are beginning to turn on religious zealot and royal advisor Oliver Cromwell (played magnificently, once again, by Mark Rylance).
In this third episode, King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis) is struggling to retain control of his court following a daring rebellion in the north, led by his own cousin, which aims to reconnect England and the Catholic Church. The northern rebels, demanding an end to Cromwell’s religious reforms, are confident that they can get their way – but they might just be forgetting his ruthless streak. The main cast – Rylance, Lewis, Timothy Spall (replacing the original Wolf Hall’s Bernard Hill, who died in May) and Harriet Walter – continue to enthral, but it’s also the opulent settings and period costumes that make history come to life. The remaining three episodes of the series will follow weekly. PP
Fletchers’ Family Farm
ITV1, 11.30am
The series peeking behind life on the Fletchers’ farm returns, as Emmerdale actor Kelvin and his wife, Liz, find out how many of their sheep are pregnant – and try to keep an eye on their own young children, Marnie and Milo, who embark on an egg hunt.
Asia
BBC One, 6.20pm
The awe-inspiring nature series, narrated by David Attenborough, continues. Tonight we are treated to sprawling shots of Asia’s untameable forests, home to Bengal tigers, warring rhinos and purple frogs hiding from the wet onslaught of monsoon season. Footage of a female tiger, searching for food for her cubs amid the wilderness, is particularly moving.
All Aboard! Scotland’s Poshest Train
Channel 4, 8pm
Alan Cumming continues to have the best job in TV with this cosy travelogue series, spanning the sights of Scotland’s most beautiful railways. Tonight, the actor is given a tour of the Royal Scotman’s luxurious carriages, and goes seal-spotting on a boat trip down the coast off Skye. Of course, there’s time in the latter for a spot of hot yoga, too.
Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story
BBC Two, 9pm
Petrolheads will race through the second instalment of this slick Formula 1 series (boxset on iPlayer), presented by Keanu Reeves. Learn how the rise of Brawn upset the establishment – and led to a legal battle for owners Ross Brawn and Nick Fry – and how driver Jenson Button secured his legacy as a racing hero.
Queen Camilla: The Wicked Stepmother?
Channel 4, 9pm
A gossipy documentary focused on the Queen’s personal life, and how she went from persona non grata in the eyes of the British public – after her relationship with the King and his subsequent divorce from Princess Diana – to a beloved monarch, known for her loyalty and charity work. It also covers (unsurprisingly, given the title) her much-rumoured feud with Prince Harry.
BBC Young Jazz Musician 2024
BBC Four, 9pm
Another raft of talented young jazz musicians – saxophonist George Johnson, bassist Ursula Harrison, pianist Nils Kavanagh and trumpeter Klara Devlin – compete in the 10th anniversary edition of the coveted prize, held at London’s Southbank Centre. YolanDa Brown and Huw Stephens host.
Whisky Galore! (1949, b/w) ★★★★★
BBC Two, 11.30am
Compton Mackenzie helped adapt his own novel, inspired by a real incident in which a ship bearing 50,000 cases of whisky ran aground off the Hebrides during the Second World War. Booze-starved islanders, fed up with rationing, unite against English bureaucracy to scavenge the scotch from under the noses of Customs and Excise in this gently subversive Ealing comedy, the directorial debut of Alexander Mackendrick.
Cars 3 (2017) ★★★★
BBC One, 2.15pm
The adventures of stock car Lightning McQueen are often held up as the shabbiest thread in the Pixar tapestry, made up of Toy Story, The Incredibles and Monsters Inc: too corny, too cute, no mind-spinning subtext. But Brian Fee’s third instalment proves the naysayers wrong, as now-fading champion McQueen (Owen Wilson) touchingly attempts to regain his mojo with the help of a young personal trainer (Cristela Alonzo).
Singin’ in the Rain (1952) ★★★★★
5Select, 6.50pm
There are few movie scenes more memorable than Gene Kelly’s dance sequence in the rain, nor many more jaw-dropping than Donald O’Connor’s walk up the wall. All these years later, this film remains one of the most successful musicals ever, and for good reason – it’s a beautiful piece of cinema. But more than that, it contains real satire as it recounts the introduction of the “talkie” and the superficial nature of Hollywood in the 1920s.
Raging Bull (1980) ★★★★★
BBC Two, 10pm
A heavyweight piece of cinema about the Italian-American middleweight boxer Jake LaMotta, who trains hard, lives even harder, wins the world title and loses it in a series of epic encounters with Sugar Ray Robinson. Robert De Niro famously put himself through physical hell to play La Motta and picked up the best actor Oscar for his efforts. Martin Scorsese’s slow-motion fight scenes are cinematic poetry.
Film of the Week: Thanksgiving (2023) ★★★★
Sky Cinema Premiere, 11pm
Director Eli Roth has made his name with bloody, explicitly violent horror films, from Cabin Fever and Hostel to Knock Knock. Thanksgiving is a silly, sinew-spattered slasher, a gory feast to savour and as far flung from the comforting holiday movies of yesteryear, filled with family shenanigans, snow and turkey feasts – Planes, Trains and Automobiles, say, or When Harry Met Sally – as it’s possible to imagine. It owes an obvious debt to the terrifying likes of Friday the 13th and Halloween and its big innovation is to riff on the smiling Guy Fawkes character from Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta. The action starts with a literal riot when a Black Friday sale in Plymouth, Massachusetts, boils over into a murderous stampede. Twelve months later the townsfolk are still reeling from the deaths, and, as Thanksgiving rolls round again, a survivor of the tragedy is plotting on exacting gory revenge, starting with the store owner (Rick Hoffman) and his family, including daughter Jessica (played with impressive pluck by Nell Verlaque) who winds up in the inevitable slasher “final girl” role. Grey’s Anatomy’s Patrick Dempsey is the wizened Sheriff tasked with stopping their reign of terror. Have a stab at it.
Formula 1
Las Vegas Grand Prix
Sky Main Event, 4.30am (start 6am)
The best new addition to the Formula 1 calendar returns to Las Vegas for the 22nd Grand Prix of the season. Max Verstappen produced a magnificent drive in Sao Paulo in the last race to all but seal his fourth successive World Championship. Lando Norris, however, finished a disappointing sixth. Channel 4 have the highlights at 12.30pm.
Monday 25 November
Irresistible: Why We Can’t Stop Eating
BBC Two, 9pm
“These foods are engineered to be addictive,” says one expert in Dr Chris van Tulleken’s informative documentary about ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and the dangers they pose. He says it’s no coincidence that the explosion in obesity levels in the West parallels the increasing industrialisation of our food since the mid-1970s, and there is mounting evidence that the growth of UPFs in our diet is linked to weight gain, obesity, some diabetes and some cancers – the list goes on. He talks to doctors, scientists and people who have worked in the food industry for decades, who reveal the lengths some companies go to to make a product irresistible – or addictive, as some would have it.
Among an impressive line-up of talking heads is the psychologist who coined the term “bliss point” – the amount of sugar, salt or fat that makes food irresistible – and the neuroscientist who used brain scans to measure the pleasure people get from eating certain foods. Van Tulleken draws parallels between our food industry and tobacco companies at the turn of the century; before strict controls were put on their products. Food for thought. VL
Angela Merkel: The Woman Who Ran Europe
BBC Two, 7pm
Angela Merkel became one of the world’s most important figures as chancellor of Germany; she served for 16 years, until 2021. There were no previews of this profile, a companion piece to her memoir Freedom, at the time of press, but her Brexit clashes with British prime ministers are sure to feature.
Britain’s Shoplifting Gangs Exposed: Dispatches
Channel 4, 8pm
There’s a shoplifting epidemic in the UK – thefts are at the highest level since records began – with the British Retail Consortium estimating that it cost businesses £1.7 billion last year. Matt Shea goes undercover to expose the criminal gangs that police believe are behind the crime.
24 Hours in Police Custody
Channel 4, 9pm
The documentary following police piecing together an investigation returns with a complex case for rookie detective Emily. A couple are victims of anonymous online attacks that quickly escalate to death threats and accusations that they are murderers; nothing makes sense, until a vital conversation with a colleague.
Britain’s Killer Wave of 1607
Channel 5, 9pm
The floods that swept through the Bristol Channel in 1607 are described by one historian here as the worst in a thousand years. Contemporary accounts record the devastation it wreaked on people, homes and livestock across the West Country and Wales, while scientists and geologists explain what caused the freak event.
Classic FM’s Rising Stars With Julian Lloyd Webber
Sky Arts, 9pm
The radio station has again teamed up with the cellist to showcase the next generation of classical talent. He hosts this concert, in which the gifted likes of violinist Esther Abrami, trumpeter Lucienne Renaudin Vary, violinist Randall Goosby, guitarist Sean Shibe, and pianist and cellist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason (a member of the talented musical family) perform.
Date My Nan
ITV1, 11pm
Shown as part of Disability History Month, this series is, essentially, First Dates meets Glow Up for senior citizens. Among them is dog lover Kathy, who is given a makeover by a disabled make-up artist ahead of a blind date. After a lifetime spent caring for family, she says: “It’s time I got glammed up and got a date.”
My Cousin Rachel (2017) ★★★
Film4, 6.50pm
“Did she? Didn’t she?” ponders stricken hero Philip Ashley (Sam Claflin, Daisy Jones & the Six) about the titular character (Rachel Weisz) and the possible murder of her husband/his cousin in this adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s 1951 novel. Claflin plays his wealthy heir convincingly, but, unfortunately, Weisz’s turn as the beautiful wife never quite achieves the passion that the role demands. Iain Glen and Holliday Grainger co-star.
Elysium (2013) ★★★★
Great! Movies, 9pm
Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi thriller stars Matt Damon as a factory worker who scrapes out a living on the Earth’s crust. He’s involved in an accident, but the care that he needs is on the space station Elysium. Blomkamp focuses on the tenets of faith, capitalism and healthcare – in lesser hands, it might have played out like an insufferable Lib Dem manifesto; instead, it’s a disturbing blast that hits the heart of the US psyche.
We Were Strangers (1949, b/w) ★★★★
Talking Pictures TV, 11.10pm
When her brother is murdered, China Valdés (Jennifer Jones) swears revenge on the corrupt Cuban government that he had been protesting against. She joins the resistance led by Tony (John Garfield), an American with a daring plan: think secret tunnels, double-crossing and homemade bombs. John Huston (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre) directs this classic adventure flick with plenty of verve.
Tuesday 26 November
The Great British Bake Off
Channel 4, 8pm
It may have lost a little of its youthful vim and a few years have passed since its last truly showstopping moment, but Bake Off continues to add a unique recipe of flavours and textures to the TV schedules. With Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding dialling down the wackiness, tonight features perhaps the most relaxed trio of bakers ever to make a final. That said, the challenges turn the screw to considerable effect, as youthful, inventive mancat Dylan, consistent, classic-loving Georgie and Kristiaan,a fan of stylish designs and high-risk flavours, must make sweet and savoury scones, an afternoon tea Technical and a three-tiered celebration cake Showstopper made needlessly complex by having to hang from a hook.
“I would be absolutely terrified,” says Prue Leith. Amid false starts and ropey time management, some bakers are undone while others cruise serenely onwards; one baker selflessly loses time to help out another; and, as is customary, past contestants assemble for a jolly garden party and the announcement of the winner. By the end, their identity looks assured, but then Prue and Paul Hollywood haven’t always gone for “obvious”. GT
The Yorkshire Vet: Herriot Land to the Highlands
Channel 5, 8pm
Julian Norton abandons Herriot Country for Thurso, his hometown in the Scottish Highlands, where he meets his old mentor and helps out with a prolapsed cow and a testing session of lambing. Peter Wright keeps the end up for God’s Own Country when he gets a call about a poorly cat.
Bill Bailey’s Master Crafters
Sky Arts, 8pm
A third heartwarming series showcasing more traditional pursuits, this celebrates four more endangered crafts – blacksmithing, mosaics, stone carving and letter press printing – through the travails of another dozen young crafters receiving expert tuition alongside our host.
The Listeners
BBC One, 9pm
Jordan Tannahill’s haunting, troubling miniseries continues as Claire (Rebecca Hall) and Kyle (Ollie West) find others who regard the humming as a blessing rather than a curse.
The Oxford Street Christmas Lights: Then & Now
Channel 5, 9pm
Which other broadcaster would think of this as worthy subject-matter for a prime-time documentary? Lesley Joseph is among the contributors to a film examining the history of the Christmas lights on London’s famous shopping thoroughfare from its start in 1959 through an eccentric array of celebrity switchers-on (Daley Thompson or Madonna, fair enough, but Derek Jameson or Enrique Iglesias?) to today.
Matlock
Sky Witness, 9pm
In what she has hinted could be her last TV role, Kathy Bates leads this reboot of a network drama that made waves in the US in the Eighties and Nineties while barely registering here. She plays a septuagenarian Deep South widow who arrives in New York to resume a long-dormant legal career and pay off her debts. What could be a rote procedural is given a fillip, not only by Bates, but also a well-handled meta twist.
Storyville: Until I Fly
BBC Four, 10pm
The five-year-old son of an Indian mother and a Nepalese father, Veeru seeks escape from the racist bullying he faces, and finds a welcome if unlikely means to do so when he discovers a gift for the Indian sport of kabaddi. An unflinching but ultimately uplifting film.
The Snowman (2017) ★★★
Great! Movies, 9pm
No, not the family-friendly one. This Snowman has Michael Fassbender as a serial killer-hunting cop plagued by alcoholism and personal demons. As ever, he is fantastic, but the film does occasionally fall into Scandi noir tropes. It’s adapted from Jo Nesbø’s bestselling novel, directed by Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and co-stars Val Kilmer, Rebecca Ferguson, Toby Jones, Chloë Sevigny and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Apollo 11 (2019) ★★★★★
Sky Showcase, 9pm
Todd Douglas Miller’s exceptional documentary brings the Apollo 11 space mission to life before your very eyes – at points, it feels like you’re strolling onto the Moon for the first time along with Buzz, Neil and co. Using an array of archive footage (but, interestingly, no interviews or narration), the film follows the 1969 mission that marked an unprecedented new dawn in human space exploration. It deservedly scooped three Emmys.
Fedora (1978) ★★★★
Talking Pictures TV, 9.10pm
When Hollywood star Fedora (Marthe Keller) apparently dies by suicide, the world – and old flame Barry (William Holden) – is united in grief. But Barry doesn’t believe that it was suicide, and suspects a mysterious Polish countess (Hildegard Knef) is involved. It’s no Sunset Boulevard, but Billy Wilder’s drama, based on Tom Tryon’s novella, is still a thoughtful look at the high cost of fame.
Wednesday 27 November
Rage Against the Regime: Iran
BBC Two, 9pm
If a documentary can be a cry of pain, this is it. The oppression and injustice of the Islamist regime in Tehran rings out from every voice in this two-part film, in which exiled Iranians bear witness to the brutality with which the government, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) through which it rules, have retained power in the face of brave citizen protests. Most of the contributors blame Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Big Brother-like supreme leader whose face bears down from billboards and walls on every street in Iran.
The ayatollahs have ruled unopposed since the 1979 revolution, but the turning point, it seems, came in 2009 when a reform-minded presidential candidate (and the “green wave” of mass support that should have swept him to victory) was defeated in a supposed landslide by the conservative incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Since then, the state has retrenched, cracking down on protest with military-backed violence – resulting in the deaths, it’s claimed, of thousands of innocent protesters and the arrest, torture and incarceration of many more. It’s a tough watch, but an essential one. GO
Shetland
BBC One, 9pm
Tosh (Alison O’Donnell) and Calder (Ashley Jensen) turn their attention to the research lab, with their efforts to get a search warrant coinciding with the disappearance of vulnerable teenager Astrid (Ines Høysæter Asserson). Meanwhile, retired spook Euan’s (Ian Hart) interest in the case, and in the victim’s young son, Noah, takes another sinister turn.
After the Party
Channel 4, 9pm
The powerful New Zealand sex-abuse drama continues. Penny (Robyn Malcolm, excellent) finds herself isolated when her attempt to persuade Ollie to expose Phil (Peter Mullan) backfires. Increasingly at odds with her family, she seeks solace in friendship – carving out a new dynamic in the process. Continues tomorrow.
Fellini by Fellini
Sky Arts, 9pm
A documentary made to mark the 2020 centenary of Federico Fellini’s birth, in which the influential Italian director’s life is explored through his own words and films. Featuring lots of archive footage and interviews, with clips from acclaimed works including Nights of Cabiria, 8½, La Dolce Vita and Amarcord.
My Brilliant Friend
Sky Atlantic, 9pm & 10.15pm
Season four continues with Lenu (Alba Rohrwacher) trying to make amends with her mother. But Immacolata’s (Anna Rita Vitolo) health is deteriorating and as she worsens, Lenu is drawn back into the role she fought so hard to escape – all the time juggling her own family’s demands. Life with Nino (Fabrizio Gifuni), too, is far from simple.
The Mayor of Casterbridge
BBC Four, from 10pm
Continuing BBC Four’s impressive Thomas Hardy season, a rerun of Dennis Potter’s superb, seven-part TV adaptation from 1978. Alan Bates excels in the title role of self-made man Michael Henchard, brought low when a terrible sin from his past catches up with him. The first four episodes air tonight; the boxset is on iPlayer.
The Winter King
ITV1, 11.45pm; not STV
Arthur (Iain De Caestecker) has a nail-biting wait to see if his gamble – releasing Gundleus (Simon Merrells) in the hope he will convince his uncle to attend the naming ceremony – pays off. Meanwhile, tensions rise when Merlin (Nathaniel Martello-White) reappears, and Arthur discovers a powerful new weapon when he visits his mother’s grave.
Old Boys (2018) ★★★
Film4, 7.05pm
Bafta-nominated film-maker Toby MacDonald makes an appealing feature debut with this juvenile spin on Cyrano de Bergerac. After enrolling in private school, Alex Lawther’s awkward but imaginative schoolboy must contend with bullying from his classmates – until he’s asked to help the popular boy (The Tattooist of Auschwitz’s Jonah Hauer-King) win the affections of their French teacher’s daughter (Pauline Etienne).
Girl You Know It’s True (2023) ★★★★
Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm
Director Simon Verhoeven dramatises the story of the rise, and epic fall, of 1980s pop stars Milli Vanilli. His biopic has all the sordid, scandalous details, as Rob Pilatus (Tijan Njie) and Fabrice Morvan (Elan Ben Ali) trick the music industry into thinking they’re the Next Big Thing. For the factual side, check out the excellent documentary Milli Vanilli on Paramount+.
Manhunter (1986) ★★★★★
BBC One, midnight
Thomas Harris’s Red Dragon, the novel that introduced the world to Hannibal Lecter, made it to the silver screen in 2002, but it’s eaten alive by Michael Mann’s intelligent 1986 original, which shows us the methods used by FBI agent William Petersen to find the “Tooth Fairy”, including his attempt to enter the killer’s state of mind with the help of Brian Cox’s Dr Lektor. One of the finest films ever made.
Cricket
New Zealand v England
TNT Sports 4, 9.30pm
The first Test of three between New Zealand and England takes place in Christchurch. The uncapped duo of Jordan Cox and Jacob Bethell have both been called up for England. Jack Taylor
Thursday 28 November
Cheap Flights: What They Really Mean for You
BBC One/BBC Two Wales, 9pm
With Keir Starmer pledging an 81 per cent cut in emissions by 2035 at Cop29, this is a timely programme examining the seriousness of efforts to reduce the pollution generated by aviation, one of the country’s biggest, and most environmentally damaging, industries. Justin Rowlatt conducts the big interviews, Fran Scott digs into the science and Michelle Ackerley takes the consumer angle in an effective three-pronged approach that, while a little try-hard in presentation, attempts to cram as much as possible into the hour. If Tomorrow’s World was still being made, this documentary would probably slot in very comfortably.
As a result, the film covers the very encouraging, though infant, technologies of hydrogen or electric-powered flights, as well as the more chimerical qualities of “sustainable aviation fuel” (effectively recycled cooking oil) and, of course, the enduringly controversial concepts of carbon offsetting and trading. None of them resemble long-term solutions, and Rowlatt quite reasonably considers whether consumers should shoulder a share of responsibility. GT
Mrs Davis
ITVX
After Lost and The Leftovers comes another deep dive into faith from Damon Lindelof, this time working alongside The Big Bang Theory’s Tara Hernandez. In this eight-part comedy drama, Betty Gilpin plays a nun attempting to bring down the omnipotent AI of the title when it promises her it will self-destruct if she can locate the Holy Grail. On her side: Jesus Christ and a ragtag bunch of resistance fighters. Against her: pretty much everything else.
The Madness
Netflix
This propulsive new thriller stars Colman Domingo as a political pundit who is framed for the murder of a white supremacist in the remote woods of Pennsylvania – a crime for which he is the only witness aside from the genuine killer. As he goes on the run, aficionados won’t be surprised to learn a conspiracy looms into view, but Domingo’s intense, intriguing performance is easy to root for.
Thelma Schoonmaker: This Cultural Life
BBC Four, 8pm
A close associate of two of cinema’s undisputed geniuses, Thelma Schoonmaker is the widow of Michael Powell (whose A Matter of Life and Death and The Red Shoes follow) and the editor on every Martin Scorsese film since Raging Bull. John Wilson talks to her about her extraordinary career.
Hunting Mr Nice: The Cannabis Kingpin
BBC Two/BBC One Wales, 9pm
Latterly a benevolent perennial of lads’ mags and beloved of Super Furry Animals, drug smuggler Howard Marks possessed a charm that eventually won over even those who ultimately brought him to justice in the 1990s. The final part of a gripping documentary traces the final stages of the manhunt and his unlikely rehabilitation.
Only Child
BBC Scotland, 10pm
One man’s junk is another man’s memories: Richard’s (Greg McHugh) decision to clear out his dad Ken’s (Gregor Fisher) house comes freighted with hidden motives, miscommunication and echoes of Steptoe and Son as the tragicomic sitcom continues. Also on BBC One tomorrow.
Smoggie Queens
BBC Three, 10.10pm
Boxsetted on iPlayer today, Phil Dunning’s raucous sitcom pokes affectionate fun at Middlesbrough’s LGBTQ+ community. The opening double bill introduces the chosen family of Dickie (Dunning), who rally around when he is dumped.
Brian and Charles (2022) ★★★
Film4, 9pm
Best known for directing Jack Rooke’s superb Channel 4 coming-of-age comedy Big Boys, Jim Archer made his feature debut with this moving update on the buddy-comedy. David Earl (Derek) plays a lonely Welsh inventor who accidentally creates a robot pal (Chris Hayward). It’s a spin on Frankenstein – but, like Tim Burton’s Edwards Scissorhands before it, it asks why the monster can’t be the good guy, just once?
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991) ★★★
Sky Sci-fi, 9pm
Metal-loving buddies Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) have their sights set on winning an important battle of the bands contest. Sadly, their hopes are dashed when their evil clones from the future come back to kill them. This outlandish sci-fi comedy sequel, though silly and outrageously far-fetched, manages to match the endearing spirit of the original, not least because of Reeves’s talent.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) ★★★★
Film4, 10.50pm
This farcical yet poignant holiday comedy from John Hughes stars the inimitable Steve Martin and John Candy. A fussy businessman (Martin) and a buffoonish salesman (Candy) meet when their plane to Chicago is grounded because of snow. With Thanksgiving looming, the unlikely pair are forced to find an alternative route home. Even Brits will find themselves yearning for pumpkin pie.
Friday 29 November
Beatles ’64
Disney+
The Beatles’s historic first trip to the US tends to be mythologised through scale. The masses of screaming teenagers. The multiple number one hits. The record-breaking performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, watched by 73 million people. This sumptuous documentary, directed by David Tedeschi and produced by Martin Scorsese, uses rare behind-the-scenes footage to tell a more intimate story. Not only about The Beatles themselves, but a nation which, in 1964, mere months after the assassination of President John F Kennedy, was in desperate need of healing.
The latter theme is explored through interviews with American musicians and fans, who share how Beatlemania affected almost every facet of US culture. Their gushing admiration of African-American music, for instance, was bold for its time, says Smokey Robinson, while their “feminine” long hair shocked conservatives. It stands in stark contrast to the boys themselves; what is remarkable about the footage captured by Albert and David Maysles is just how ordinary they seem. In the words of George Harrison, “We were normal; the rest of the world was crazy.” SK
The World According to Kaleb: On Tour
Amazon Prime Video
No-nonsense farmer Kaleb Cooper is the undeniable breakout star of Clarkson’s Farm. Here, the “rural half-wit” – Jeremy Clarkson’s words, not ours – takes to the stage in Cheltenham to talk about his love of tractors and why he “can’t stand sheep”. There is lots of material about Clarkson himself, of course, but the highlight is the show’s surprise musical finale.
Senna
Netflix
Ayrton Senna was one of the great undisputed masters of Formula One. This lavish six-part biopic charts Senna’s (Gabriel Leone) rise from racing go-karts in Brazil to winning three F1 World Championships. A portrait of a genius – whose death in 1994 secured his legacy.
Ren Faire
Sky Documentaries, 3am & 9pm
This delightfully odd three-parter explores the turbulent succession of George “The King” Coulam, the retiring ruler of the Texas Renaissance Festival. For larger-than-life characters like Louie Migliaccio, a kettle corn magnate desperate to become the heir, he and his competitors are caught in a compelling game of thrones.
Return to Paradise
BBC One, 8pm
The second week of the Australian Death in Paradise spin-off picks up with the poisoning of a wellness influencer. Even more curious, though, is the ominous message he left on Mackenzie’s (Anna Samson) phone hours before. The detective – pulled into another murder in her hometown – thankfully comes more to life tonight.
The Making of Do They Know It’s Christmas?
BBC Four, 9pm
Today’s other big music documentary is this extraordinary fly-on-the-wall chronicle of the day that Band Aid recorded their 1984 charity hit. There is a thrill in watching Bono and Boy George work out their vocals in real-time. The highlights, however, are the intimate moments, such as a shy George Michael talking about Wham!’s not-yet-released song, Last Christmas.
Country Music Awards 2024
BBC Four, 10.15pm
The evening ends with highlights from last week’s 58th annual Country Music Awards, hosted by NFL legend Peyton Manning and country singers Luke Bryan and Lainey Wilson. Morgan Wallen has received the most nominations, but can he see off reigning champion Wilson?
Nutcrackers (2024)
Disney+
It’s almost December, which means it’s perfectly acceptable to settle down on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate and whack on your favourite fuzzy Christmas film. This new offering from David Gordon Green stars Ben Stiller as career-obsessed bachelor Mike, who’s pulled from his big-city bliss to the smelly farms of rural Ohio when he’s forced to take care of his recently orphaned nephews. Cue lots of high-jinks and self-discovery.
Django Unchained (2012) ★★★★
Film4, 9pm
Quentin Tarantino doesn’t care too much for history. The message is: never mind the chronology, feel the brutality. Django (Jamie Foxx), a black slave, is freed by bounty hunter Dr King Schultz (Christoph Waltz, on incredible, terrifying form) and now wants to find his wife (Kerry Washington). It’s a violent, strange and indulgent pulp odyssey; Django himself is Tarantino’s best-developed character since 1997’s Jackie Brown.
Quantum of Solace (2008) ★★★
ITV4, 9pm
Following on directly from Casino Royale, 007 (Daniel Craig) is still mourning the death of his girlfriend (Eva Green) and decides to distract himself by investigating Mathieu Amalric’s dodgy organisation – and hooking up with Olga Kurylenko’s agent, because a leopard never changes its spots. While it may hurtle through its sketchy plot, some of the action sequences provide the giddiest ride since The Living Daylights.
Monkey Man (2024) ★★★
Sky Cinema Premiere, 10.05pm
A warning: Dev Patel’s directorial debut isn’t one for the squeamish. It is, however, an exciting new career path for one of our finest actors. Patel makes John Wick look tame in his role as a troubled Mumbai man who, after seeing his mother murdered as a child, wreaks revenge on the city’s corrupt elite in adulthood. It’s unrelentingly vicious, and overtly political – Modi, one imagines, wasn’t a fan – but boy is it original.
Television previewers
Stephen Kelly (SK), Veronica Lee (VL), Gerard O’Donovan (GO), Poppie Platt (PP) and Gabriel Tate (GT)