British Telly

Channel 4’s knotty New Zealand drama winds up this week with an incredible double bill. Plus: Reuben Owen gets his Yorkshire Christmas special in early. Here’s what to watch tonight

10pm, Channel 4Robyn Malcolm puts in the performance of the year in this emotionally knotty New Zealand drama, in which no-nonsense teacher Penny Wilding deals with the return of her husband, Phil (Peter Mullan), who, she says, she caught sexually assaulting a minor at a party five years earlier. In an incredible double-bill finale this week (the story concludes on Thursday), Penny is questioning everything she has believed until now, and has isolated herself from friends and family. Did she get it all wrong? Can there be a satisfying conclusion? Perhaps not, but at least by the end – at another party – we find out what really happened that night. Hollie Richardson

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Former members speak out about the sect that claimed more than 70 lives. Plus: Bill Bailey’s master craftsmen. Here’s watch to watch this evening

10pm, BBC FourThis documentary is like watching a horror movie brought to life. It speaks to people who investigated the Order of the Solar Temple – an apocalyptic cult in which, during the 1990s, 74 of its members died – starting with macabre footage of what they found when they investigated seemingly unrelated fatal house fires in Canada and Switzerland. Former members also give their disturbing accounts. Hollie Richardson

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Outrage over Gregg Wallace’s alleged conduct has intensified after he dismissed his accusers as “middle-class women of a certain age”, following revelations that the BBC received multiple complaints about him over a period of 12 years.

The corporation and other broadcasters are facing growing questions about how the MasterChef presenter was allowed to remain on screen despite a series of allegations of inappropriate behaviour dating back to at least 2012.

Vera Baird KC, the former victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, accused the BBC of being “in the dark ages” for “tolerating” allegedly sexually inappropriate conduct by its male stars.

“It is shocking that repeatedly we see this kind of behaviour being tolerated by the BBC who do seem to disregard the obligations they have to protect people who go on television,” Baird told the Guardian.

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He said in an Instagram video: “Look, this is important to me. Twenty years of doing Celebrity MasterChef, amateur, professional, Eat Well for Less?, Inside the Factory. Do you know how many staff, all different sorts of staff, you imagine the people I’ve worked with. Do you know how many staff complained about me in that time? Absolutely none. Zero. Seriously.”

Three rival artists bring 15th-century Italy to life in the first of a classy three-parter. Plus: true crime in a sleepy market town. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC TwoCharles Dance plays Michelangelo in this classy documentary drama series about the great rival artists of the Renaissance movement in Italy. Over three episodes, it uses Michelangelo’s own writings to tell his story, alongside the lives of Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. Hollie Richardson

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Cromwell is haunted by betrayal in Peter Kosminsky’s epic historical drama. Plus, Shaun Ryder joins Bill Bailey for a countryside walk. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC One

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Just in time for the World Championships, a new series takes us deep inside the world of arrows. Plus, Lenny Henry goes head to head with Romesh Ranganathan. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Sky Documentaries“The world is a shit place; you can have a night at the darts and forget everything,” says Barry Hearn, chair of the Professional Darts Corporation. “Welcome to our world.” This is the ultimate all-access documentary about the run-up to the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace (also known as “the official start of Christmas”.) It follows Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries and Luke “The Nuke” Littler. Hollie Richardson

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George Coulam, ‘king’ of the Texas Renaissance festival, searches for his heir in this three-part documentary. Plus: an Italian drama about a 90s pop group. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Sky DocumentariesBuckle up for this one: a wild new documentary series from the US that has been described as “Succession meets Game of Thrones”, follows Texas Renaissance festival co-founder George Coulam, who, now in his 80s and ideally wanting to die “by being screwed to death”, is looking for his heir. Some colourful characters enter the ring, as we learn the backstory of this absurd world, in which he has become known as the “king”. Hollie Richardson

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Gregg Wallace is to step away from presenting MasterChef while allegations of historical misconduct are investigated, the show's production company has said.

It comes after BBC News sent a letter to Wallace’s representatives on Tuesday setting out allegations of inappropriate sexual comments by 13 people who worked with him across a range of shows over a 17-year period.

Broadcaster Kirsty Wark, who was a Celebrity MasterChef contestant in 2011, said he told "sexualised" jokes during filming.

Wallace's lawyers say it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature. Masterchef's production company Banijay UK has launched an investigation and said Wallace is co-operating.

Phil Dunning’s Smoggie Queens is full of laughs and love. Plus: the Jackal continues to elude MI6. Here’s what to watch this evening

10.10pm, BBC Three“Cheers queers!” Phil Dunning’s comedy about an LGBTQ+ group of friends in Middlesbrough is side-splittingly funny. He plays Dickie, a fabulous if foul-mouthed drag queen whose friends are “drag” Mam (Mark Benton), “hun” Lucinda (Alexandra Mardell), lager-guzzling Sal (Patsy Lowe) and newbie Stewart (Elijah Young). In the first episode Dickie is dumped and amid the endless laughter there is also a lot of tenderness. Hollie Richardson

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Three people give their views on the country’s supreme leader. Plus: murder isn’t the only problem for Shetland’s detectives. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC Two“I can’t have any opinions on this; it would be dangerous for me.” “I spit on this old man.” “The reason for all our miseries.” These are the reactions of three people living in self-exile from Iran (they could face imprisonment if they return under the current regime) when shown a photo of the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Together they explain the mass anti-government protests that have erupted across Iran since 2009. Hollie Richardson

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The 80s legal drama is reborn with a new lead as Matty plots to convince hirers they need an older woman for the job. Plus: The Great British Bake-Off cooks up this year’s final. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Sky WitnessA sparky new legal comedy drama starring Oscar-winner Kathy Bates, who is great as whip-smart, empathetic lawyer Madeline “Matty” Matlock in this spin-off from the 80s classic. Matty left law 30 years ago, but now in her 70s, wants to practise again. When she believes she is passed over for a role because of her age, Matty uses her wits to sneak into the firm, telling the hirers why being an older woman is useful: “Nobody sees us coming.” But can she convince junior partner Olympia (Skye P Marshall)? Hollie Richardson

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Television physician Dr Chris van Tulleken explores the wild world of food engineering. Plus: the Dune galaxy comes to TV. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC TwoWhether it’s feeding ice-cream to a person having a brain scan to find the “happiest” flavour, or using sound engineers to perfect the refreshing hiss of a can of fizzy pop being opened (“sonic branding”), there’s a lot of engineering that goes into making food addictive. In this fascinating if alarming documentary, medical doctor and academic Dr Chris van Tulleken speaks to industry insiders who lift the lid on the harmful tricks of manufacturers. Hollie Richardson

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A gossipy documentary about how the royal managed to spin her public persona. Plus: Keanu Reeves’s delightful F1 underdog tale. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Channel 4

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Moonflower Murders is a double-timeline murder mystery. Plus: Sally Phillips has a hoot as she celebrates 30 years of comedy. Here’s everything to watch this evening

9.25pm, BBC One

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Miranda Sawyer, Gail Porter and lads’ mag editor James Brown on the highs and lows of their hedonistic years. Plus: a new Death in Paradise spin-off, set in Australia. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC Two

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It’s the second season of Dark Winds. Plus: the wild story of cannabis smuggler Howard Marks. Here’s what to watch this evening

10pm, U&AlibiThis western noir crime thriller was an unsung gem when it started last year, so the second season is a welcome return. Lt Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) is reunited with his deputy turned private eye Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) when separate cases lead to the same suspect. Their investigations take them to the high desert of Navajo country, where old wounds are about to be ripped open. Hollie Richardson

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A harrowing documentary about Britain’s race to be a nuclear power. Plus: spiky New Zealand drama After the Party. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC TwoAn infuriating investigation into what is described in this documentary as “the longest-running scandal in British history”: the UK government’s nuclear testing in Australia and the South Pacific during the 1950s and 60s, and its severe impact on the health of service personnel and local people. “We were lab rats,” says one of the five veterans interviewed. Most harrowing is a graveyard at Woomera military base, which experienced an unexplained high number of stillbirths and infant deaths during the 50s. Hollie Richardson

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A teacher and her student are the only people who can hear a constant humming sound. Plus: the semi-finals of The Great British Bake Off. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC OneA curious new drama – from the producers of Normal People, The Favourite and Poor Things – that will have you guessing throughout and leave you with a phantom buzzing in your ears. Rebecca Hall is Claire, a teacher, wife and mother who one night notices a low-level humming noise that doesn’t go away. It’s not tinnitus and the doctors are stumped, which leaves Claire feeling isolated, exhausted and acting oddly towards her family. Some relief finally comes in the form of her student Kyle (Ollie West) confiding in her that he also hears “the Hum”. They team up to get to the bottom of it – but what and who will they find on the way? And will there be a logical explanation? Hollie Richardson

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Ten thousand years before Timothée Chalamet arrived, the action of Dune: Prophecy centres on a religious order. Plus: Panorama probes technology to stem climate breakdown

9pm, Sky Atlantic
Emily Watson stars in this big-budget prequel to the blockbuster films, which is set more than 10,000 years before Timothée Chalamet arrives on the scene. She plays Valya Harkonnen, the mother superior of an order on Wallach IX, who vows to protect the Sisterhood (which will become the Bene Gesserit, the superhuman, all-female “mental and physical school”) alongside her sibling, Tula (Olivia Williams). Thirty years later, a royal wedding, which is part of their plan, comes under threat. Hollie Richardson

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Tales of the Unexpected (1979–1988) started off with a foundation of Roald Dahl-based stories, but over time, this classic television anthology sought out other inspirations. One such source was Elizabeth Taylor, an esteemed English author whose short piece of fiction, “The Flypaper,” was adapted in 1980.

Fans of the show will often cite this episode as one of the best, not to mention the scariest. In the troubling episode, a schoolgirl is hounded by a stranger, only to then realize her peril is greater than first imagined. Now, Tales of the Unexpected did not always live up to its title; some stories were more foreseeable than others. “The Flypaper,” however, caught everyone off guard, including the young and unfortunate protagonist who, despite her efforts, could not escape harm.

An admiring Dahl wished he had written Taylor’s short story himself. And during the adaptation’s introduction, the host went on to tell viewers to watch carefully, for the episode does not give anything away until the very end. That preface, while enticing, is not quite true when comparing the two versions of “The Flypaper”; Taylor kept a tighter lip, whereas the teleplay, written by Unexpected regular Robin Chapman, was more forthcoming. The conclusion is identical in both forms, but the dramatization gives the audience a substantial preview of what awaits poor Sylvia (Lorna Yabsley).

This documentary captures the devastation caused on Boxing Day 2004. Plus: Mark Rylance continues to astound in Wolf Hall. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Channel 4

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Robbie Williams, Duncan James and Brian McFadden are just some of the popstars who tell all in this fun documentary. Plus: Lesley Manville’s murder mystery series is back. Here’s what to watch this evening

BBC Two, 9.15pm

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Investigating the war on drugs being waged at sea. Plus: Vernon Kay and co are doing it for the kids. Here’s what to watch this evening

7.30pm, Channel 4

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Is the end nigh for the Lewis family in Everyone Else Burns? Plus: the Taskmaster champion is crowned. Here’s what to watch this evening

10pm, Channel 4

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Is Russia really using sea creatures for surveillance? Plus: it’s been 10 years since award-winning series Our War. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC Two

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