PICK OF THE DAY

THE REAL MICHAEL JACKSON

9PM, BBC2 ★★★★

Michael Jackson (right) was always a figure of curiosity when he was alive, but that attention has taken on a darker complexion since his death in 2009. This feature-length film by Jacques Peretti is the broadcaster’s fourth to focus on the pop star, and finds him looking for clues to Jackson’s character he previously missed, both in his upbringing and in the level of control he had over his life. Peretti also talks to old friends of Jackson, such as Donny Osmond, and ponders what impact his audience had on how he lived.

LONDON KILLS

2.15PM, BBC1 ★★★

The return of the gritty daytime crime drama about an elite squad of murder detectives operating in London, two of whom are played by Hugo Speer and Sharon Small. In the first of five daily cases, the team probe the death of a mentally ill man in a houseshare full of students with nervous, probably lying faces.

LIAR

9PM, ITV ★★★

If there’s one thing you can say for certain about this tangled sequel series, it’s that it’s been a good acting workout for Ioan Gruffudd – whose deceased character has taken up more screen time than anyone could have thought possible. In the penultimate part, Laura is shocked by some new and important evidence, and wants to know where it came from.

PUTIN: A RUSSIAN SPY STORY

9PM, CH4 ★★★★ Part two of this in-depth profile is called Enemies And Traitors, and defines the first as something Putin can live with – but not the second. We hear from the widow of Alexander Litvinenko, and learn how Putin handled criticism over the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk in 2000. ROBIN WIGGS