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Your complete guide to the week’s television, films and sport, across terrestrial and digital platforms
Miss Scarlet and the DukeAlibi, 9pmReturning for its fourth series, the Victorian mystery drama packs in yet more crimes and swish period details – but, as we all know, it’s the enduring “will they, won’t they?” relationship between detective duo Eliza (Kate Phillips) and William (Stuart Martin) that is at the show’s heart.
Tonight, Eliza’s exciting new start – having taken charge of former nemesis Patrick Nash’s business while he sets up shop over in Paris – is overshadowed by the sexism prevalent in all corners of Victorian society, with employees quitting left, right and centre in protest at being managed by a woman – plus she’s behind on rent and being pursued by a journalist (Oliver Chris) intent on ruining her career. And it’s not going any smoother outside of work, either, with she and the Duke (Martin) facing a decision that will affect both of their futures. Before they can finally overcome their hesitation and decide whether to be together, there’s a crime to solve: a high-end brothel in central London has been burgled, and the clients affected include top-ranking members of the government. Can the pair get to the bottom of the case without airing the dirty laundry of the rich and powerful? PP
Hot Mess SummerAmazon Prime VideoLove Island crossed with The Apprentice, hosted by Rylan Clark – nightmare fodder or a stroke of reality TV genius? Eight young Brits are tricked into spending a summer grafting in Zante – instead of partying – by their fed-up families and friends, with a £60,000 prize up for grabs for the best employee.
Raël: The Alien ProphetNetflixThis fascinating four-parter tells the story of French journalist Claude Vorilhon (aka Raël), who founded his eponymous religion after being “visited” by a UFO; the cult believes it is only a matter of time until Earth is overrun by aliens. Raël himself is interviewed, but it’s the reflections of his followers that get to the heart of this murky movement.
M&S: How They Got Back On TopChannel 5, 8pmAnother easily digestible behind-the-scenes affair, this time charting how Marks & Spencer bucked the current economic downturn to report record profits and happier-than-ever customers. What’s behind their good fortune? Good quality clothing, Christmas party food… and a little guy named Percy Pig.
Johnny Vegas: Carry on GlampingChannel 4, 9pmThe comedian hits a few snags this week: first up, his dream glamping site – Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire – is no longer the right fit thanks to planning conditions, while his side ventures (namely, getting ordained as a Jedi wedding minister and renovating his battered boat and helicopter) threaten to push him too far.
Finders KeepersChannel 5, 9pmHaving provided a welcome bit of respite from TV’s obsession with murder mysteries, in tonight’s finale Neil Morrissey’s Martin must finally confess all to wife Anne (Fay Ripley) about the treasure he found, then sold – as well as getting son-in-law from hell Ashley (James Buckley) on side – to save their family.
Play for Today: Clay, Smeddum and GreendenBBC Four, 10pmA rare chance to catch Moira Armstrong’s trilogy of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s stories about life on the east coast of Scotland during the interwar years – it hasn’t been on television since 1976. The characters range from a man neglecting his wife to a fearless former city-dweller; the brilliant casts include Fulton Mackay and Gerda Stevenson.
The Marvels (2023) ★★Disney+ The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin labelled this as a “new low” for flagging studio Marvel, but loyal fans of the superhero genre will undoubtedly find something to love in this diverting stab at girl power. Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) is presiding over a damaged Earth and doesn’t know how to fix it – cue the assistance of teenage hero Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani, from the TV miniseries) and Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris).
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) ★★Film4, 9pm The follow-up to the 2014 box-office hit Kingsman makes less of a splash than its predecessor, but returns with a cast brimming with Hollywood favourites, from Halle Berry to Julianne Moore and Channing Tatum. With their headquarters destroyed and the world being held hostage, Kingsman must join forces with an allied spy organisation in the US. Think an inferior Bond, but with even swankier suits.
Atonement (2007) ★★★★BBC One, 10.40pm Joe Wright’s grand vision of Ian McEwan’s sweeping wartime novel is everything that his 2005 truncated Pride & Prejudice was not. Atonement benefits from James McAvoy’s subtle performance as the man whose life is wrecked by a girl’s (a young Saoirse Ronan) foolish fantasy. The film’s theme is the power of art to atone for our sins: not one for the realists. Keira Knightley delivers her most memorable performance – and that green dress!
One DayNetflixDavid Nicholls’s 2009 novel of an off-on love story that plays out over decades touched the hearts of millions back in the late Noughties. The subsequent 2011 film (starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess) was thin and disappointing; partly due to chemistry-free casting but mostly due to the film’s failure to capture the sense of never-quite-certain yearning that was so brilliantly conjured in the novel. Neither of these problems are repeated in this subtly captivating 14-episode adaptation from Bafta-winning writer Nicole Taylor.
From the off, when working-class striver Emma (This Is Going to Hurt’s Ambika Mod) and feckless college heartthrob Dexter (The White Lotus’s Leo Woodall) meet at a graduation party, the gulf between them – in background, experience, confidence and expectations – is clear. But their constant efforts to reach across it – for reasons neither ever fully understands – and pull closer together is also keenly felt, thanks in large part to perfectly pitched performances by Mod and, perhaps even more so, by Woodall who imbues the deceptively depth-free Dexter with a sympathetic warmth that keeps us on side throughout. GO
G’wedITVXLike the foulmouthed, sex-obsessed teenagers that it so sharply depicts, this new Liverpool-based comedy can be both repulsive and hilarious at the same time. The set up: mischievous motormouth Reece (Dylan Thomas Smith) spies a way to avoid expulsion from school by promising to look out for new boy Christopher (Jake Kenny-Byrne), sparking an unlikely friendship.
Rishi Sunak: Up Close: TonightITV1, 8.30pm; STV, 10.45pm; not NIITV News’s deputy political editor, Anushka Asthana, spends time with Conservative leader (assuming that he’s still in post) Rishi Sunak, as he juggles the job of Prime Minister with the ongoing battle to keep his party under control. Ahead of a general election later this year, she asks what motivates him, what worries him, and what his vision for a second term as PM would be.
The ApprenticeBBC One, 9pmFor their second challenge, Lord Sugar asks the teams to design, manufacture and market a brand of miniature cheesecakes to both the public and corporate clients. Chaos in the kitchen is inevitable but, ultimately, a fumble with figures in the boardroom could make all the difference.
GrantchesterITV1, 9pmIn this penultimate episode of the series, Geordie’s (Robson Green) efforts to solve a complex double-poisoning case receive a blow when he’s confined to desk duty. And Will’s (Tom Brittney) post-accident mood takes a darker turn when he loses his cool and attacks an innocent bystander.
The Miners’ Strike 1984: The Battle for BritainChannel 4, 9pmThe closing part of a fascinating series tells the story of the role played by businessman David Hart, who organised anti-strike campaigns in the coalfields. And how, when a legal action froze the NUM’s bank accounts, the miners’ union sought help from the Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi.
Billy Connolly Does… GOLD, 9pm“Scotland rocks, it always did,” say Billy Connolly at the start of a new run of the series in which, each week, he takes on a different topic and illustrates his theme with vintage clips from his stand-up and TV shows. First up is Scottish national pride – as exemplified by wailing folk songs, Brigadoon and “tartan pompousness”.
Damsel (2024)Netflix Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, best known for 28 Weeks Later (the sequel to Danny Boyle’s hit 28 Days Later), has gathered a starry cast for this new dark fantasy film: Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown, Oscar-nominee Angela Bassett, Emmy-winner Robin Wright, British favourite Ray Winstone… It follows a damsel (Brown) who finds herself squarely in distress when she’s thrown into a dungeon with a dragon. Can her wits get her out?
Nothing but the Best (1964) ★★★★Film4, 12.55pm Clive Donner followed his brilliant adaptation of Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker with this deliciously dark black comedy. Young, ambitious businessman James Brewster (Alan Bates) decides to hire an unemployed upper-class mentor (Denholm Elliott, hilarious) to teach him the ways of the world. One small problem: he’s less interested in mentoring than sinking whisky.
Film of the Week: Blazing Saddles (1974) ★★★★★BBC Four, 10.10pmBest remembered for its concerto of flatulence at the campfire beanfeast, director Mel Brooks’s puerile spoof of Westerns is a hoot. People always argue that The Producers is Brooks’s finest film, but we’re gunning for this, and what with the 97-year-old being back in the news – he was recognised recently with an honorary Oscar – there’s never been a better time to revisit – or discover – it. Plus, you can learn more about the backstory and the man himself in Imagine… with Alan Yentob beforehand, at 9pm. The plot is thus: crooked politician Hedley Lemarr (Harvey Korman) has a plan for a railroad in the Wild West, but the town of Rock Ridge lies in his way. So he appoints a black railroad worker, Bart (Cleavon Little), as sheriff, in the hope that the residents will be too appalled to resist his plans. Gene Wilder is a scene-stealer as the “Waco Kid”. But revealing the film’s focus does little to hint at its wonderful humour; how it manages to both celebrate and send-up this most American of movie genres. It’s testament to Brooks’s mastery that it works, and it’s little wonder that it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the US Congress.
Starship Troopers (1997) ★★★★ITV4, 11.05pm At first glance, this Oscar-nominated sci-fi thriller based on Robert A Heinlein’s 1959 novel looks silly: in the distant future, a group of high-school friends join the armed forces to do intergalactic war with some malicious insectoid aliens. Humanity is, of course, at risk. But director Paul Verhoeven expertly underpins the whole thing with his bold satirical verve and bloody, no-nonsense action, making it a cult classic.
Sue Perkins: Lost in AlaskaChannel 5, 9pmFreshly poached from Channel 4, Sue Perkins makes a fair fist of yet another travelogue (with Lost in Thailand coming soon) which, while spanning a broadly familiar combination of history, geography, sociology and facing of fears, derives its appeal from the softening of our guide’s weapons-grade cynicism when faced with the open hearts and optimism of native Alaskans.
She also finds her preconceptions challenged when joining a family training in firearms use: in bear country, it is a survival necessity in a land where hunting and conservation go hand in hand. Elsewhere, she tries out bear spray, feeds a moose, fillets a salmon and meets Nina, the owner of a Russian Orthodox café in the western town of Nikolaevsk (Alaska, after all, was a Russian territory until 1867). Not an enormous amount happens, in truth, but Perkins and her hosts are engaging company and “America’s last frontier” certainly serves up a visual feast. Perkins is understandably incredulous when considering Captain Cook, having failed to navigate the tides, simply sailed home. “Imagine looking at all of this and going: ‘I just can’t be bothered’.” GT
Lover, Stalker, KillerNetflixGlossy and ostensibly traditional, Netflix’s latest true-crime documentary is told from the point of view of Dave, a newly single father dipping his toe into online dating. It has at its heart a genuinely baroque twist, as dates turn sour, online stalking ramps up and, eventually, lives are lost.
Here We GoBBC One, 8pmAs crucial as the chemistry of the family members may be, Tom Basden’s sitcom has also thrived on a series of fine comic cameos; this week welcomes Harry Enfield as neighbourhood nabob Edgar, the man behind the underwhelming local street fayre. Sue (Alison Steadman) has plans to improve the meagre offering involving zorbs and circus acts. Glorious, hilarious farce ensues.
Amityville: An Origin StoryBBC Two, 9pmThis intriguing documentary series continues with the grim history of the DeFeos, whose son is accused of murdering his family at 112 Ocean Avenue. But was the Mob responsible, or is there an even darker explanation?
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the WorldBBC Three, 9pmRichard E Grant proves an inspired choice as a guest judge to kick off the second run of the uproarious series, pitting the best of British drag artists against some of the biggest characters from around the globe, with both a title (Queen of the Mother Tucking World) and cash prize at stake.
TedSky Max, 9pmAlmost nine years after the hit film franchise ground to a halt, Seth MacFarlane’s gleefully crass comedy comes to television for a prequel series, joining 16-year-old John (Max Burkholder, playing the teenage version of Mark Wahlberg’s character) in 1993, living in suburban Massachusetts with his bickering family and best friend Ted, a cuddly bear (voiced by MacFarlane) with adult language and juvenile attitudes. The taboo-baiting is tiresome and the plots predictable, but such is MacFarlane’s gimlet-eyed determination, there are more than a few laughs.
26th MOBO Awards: Access All AreasBBC One, 11.30pm; BBC Two Wales, 11.35pmBBC Radio 1 Xtra’s DJ Target goes behind the scenes of the rap and R’n’B awards ceremony, this year headlined by Stormzy and Little Simz. Expect interviews with and performances from Ghetts, Sugababes and Soul II Soul.
Suncoast (2024)Disney+ This coming-of-age film is inspired by writer-director Laura Chinn’s own life. We follow Doris (The Last of Us’s Nico Parker), who cares for her sick brother (Cree Kawa) and fiery mother (Laura Linney). Doris’s life, and that of her family, changes when they meet activist Paul (Woody Harrelson), who is at the centre of a landmark legal battle (based on that of Terri Schiavo) centred on his wife’s right to end her life. It premiered at Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews.
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023) ★★★Sky Cinema Premiere, 4pm A pleasingly original animated romp from DreamWorks. Awkward 16-year-old Ruby is desperate to be popular, but is treated like she’s invisible – until she discovers that she is descended from the warrior Krakens, who must protect the world from evil mermaids, and her social standing (and stress) soon shoots right up. Jane Fonda and Schitt’s Creek’s Annie Murphy star.
Safe House (2012) ★★★ITV1, 10.45pm Ryan Reynolds, a CIA agent kicking his heels in Cape Town, finds the “safe house” he’s looking after isn’t safe at all when rogue spy Denzel Washington is brought in for brutal wet towel treatment and all hell breaks loose. It’s Training Day meets Jason Bourne as veteran and newbie go on the run; Daniel Espinosa directs efficiently, the location has novelty value and the two leading men, brilliant as they are, play nicely off each other.
Don’t Look Now (1973) ★★★★★BBC Two, 11.05pm Nicolas Roeg’s thrilling adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s 1971 short story follows a married couple (Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, mesmerising) as they travel to Venice following the death of their daughter. Once in Italy, they meet a pair of mysterious sisters who claim to possess a sixth sense – before the couple start experiencing sightings themselves. It was overlooked on release, but is now considered a horror milestone.
Television previewers
Stephen Kelly (SK), Veronica Lee (VL), Gerard O’Donovan (GO), Poppie Platt (PP) and Gabriel Tate (GT)
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