PICKS OF THE DAY
Comedy: Damned, 10pm, C4
Nitin (Himesh Patel, left) arrives early for work only to be given a fright by Nat, who has slept at the office. Later, he drops in on drunk parent Zak to find that booze is the tip of the substance-abuse iceberg. Denise freezes on live TV when a case of historic abuse is mentioned, while Mimi and Martin’s mentor/ student relationship confuses everyone. Al gets a literal shock when he visits the home of vicious criminal “Animal” Hames and Rose finds herself pelted with food.
Soap: Coronation Street, 7.30pm & 8.30pm, ITV
Peace talks can take place in the strangest places and that is certainly the case tonight. Eileen finds Liz hiding from Moira in the Rovers’ toilets and the two women (Sue Cleaver and Beverley Callard, both above) make amends. Bethany suffers a harrowing experience at work that leaves her questioning her own state of mind while Zeedan pushes Kate and Sophie together but a late change of heart alters the landscape.
Crime: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, 9pm, BBC2
The People vs OJ Simpson was one of the television highlights of 2017 – a staggering storyline told across a gripping series of episodes, played out by actors, like John Travolta and Cuba Gooding Jnr, at the top of their game. Now, prepare yourself for something new from the same makers. The 1997 murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace is deconstructed across nine instalments, starring Penelope Cruz (left) and Ricky Martin. Versace was shot and killed outside his mansion in Miami by serial killer Andrew Cunanan, prompting a worldwide media frenzy. This series hits all the right notes with Cruz particularly good in the role of Donatella Versace.
Animals: The Supervet, 8pm, C4
It does not seem long since Noel Fitzpatrick (above) was making a good first impression on all of us as he made his early steps into the world of television. Now, we stand at the start of the 11th series. In the first episode, a Jackahuahua puppy is in need of emergency spinal surgery after being attacked by another dog but it is not certain that he will be able to get back on his feet again after the operation.
Comedy: Benidorm, 9pm, ITV
A week on from the 10-year celebration show, a new series begins. In the first episode, Billy and Sheron celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary with a holiday but Rob’s imminent arrival with a special friend is likely to cause a family feud. Meanwhile, Sam (Shelley Longworth, right) is left in charge at the Solana and cannot resist trying to make some extra cash by organising a raffle in Neptunes.