BEST OF THE REST
MOTHERLAND BBC2, 10pm THE most implausible thing about this brilliantly observed comedy is that Julia (Anna Maxwell Martin) has not ditched her no-good, absent, moron of a husband. Although we are enjoying the weekly joke of ‘what remarkable thing is Paul doing now?’
This time he’s sipping Pimms on a stag do while she wrestles the kids into their seatbelts and tries to do, well everything. But it’s ok, Paul has a solution from afar – he’s going to call his parents. But the cavalry they are not.
Meanwhile, Liz (Diane Morgan) informs Julia of the wonders of Breakfast Club (“When he has his half eight poo at school, I’m back in bed”).
And Amanda (Lucy Punch) reluctantly gives Liz her old coat in a clearout, which has a startling effect.
THE ROBOT WILL SEE YOU NOW Channel 4, 10pm WOULD you tell a robot your personal problems and trust it to give advice?
In this intriguing film, several couples and families meet a personal assistant robot called Jess, who uses AI-based analysis to troubleshoot their lives.
With access to everyone’s social media, email, bank accounts, plus the ability to analyse body language, she tackles everything from infidelity to obesity.
And the results are quite brutal. Jess asks mum Hayley: “How much do you weigh?” When Hayley says: “That’s personal,” Jess finds out on her own.
Jess also knows how often Hayley orders takeaway from an app. Then, to the horror of Hayley’s husband and two sons, Jess tells Hayley that she could die 10 years younger than average. Could it take a robot to shock Hayley into action?