PICKS OF THE DAY
Drama: The Name Of The Rose, BBC2, 9pm
There are two types of people in the United Kingdom – those who love Children In Need and those who will watch anything BUT Children In Need. For those without a soft spot for Pudsey, this is the ‘best-of-the-rest’ on a night when CIN dominates the BBC1 schedule right through into the night. The abbot welcomes the delegates to the conference with a lavish supper. Bernard Gui asks to be introduced to William’s novice Adso and takes a particular interest when told he is German, believing him to be a spy sent by the emperor. Salvatore warns Remigio that they should flee since he is certain that Gui has recognised him. Rupert Everett (left) stars.
Film: A Million Ways To Die In The West, Film4, 9pm
Another way for nonChildren In Need viewers to avoid the festivities is to stick a film on and let the hours roll by. This Western spoof comes from the warped mind of Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane (left). A timid farmer abandoned by his girlfriend is fascinated by a mystery woman who rides into his frontier town. He tries to act the part of a gunslinging Wild West hero to impress her, only to find himself in a showdown. Charlize Theron and Liam Neeson star in a decent laugh.
Transport: World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys, Channel 5, 8pm
You would have thought the string of TV series involving the words ‘railway’ and ‘world’s most’ would have been exhausted by now but it appears not. Bill Nighy narrates a trip through Wales’ highest peaks and deepest valleys. Starting in Pwllheli in the north west, the route heads along the lines that were built during the slate industry’s heyday.
Documentary: Unreported World, C4, 7.30pm
The prospect of a primary school being caught in a turf war seems hard to fathom but in Cape Town it is a harrowing reality. Reporter Adnan Sarwar (above right) meets those trying to survive the madness in South Africa. As Sarwar and his director discover, the Cape Flats have long had a notorious reputation but with 279 children killed in the last year alone, the government has now sent in the military.
Quiz: Pointless, BBC1, 5.15pm
Remember a time before Pointless? No, neither do we and that is a reason to celebrate. The deadly duo of Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman (both right) have that kind of unforced, easy-to-watch chemistry when they are together on screen. If you have lived on the moon or under a rock for the last 20 series of this show, the idea is to score the lowest score possible, with the potential to win a varyingly large cash prize late in the day for anyone who can find a truly pointless answer.