Critics’ choice

Gunpowder

(BBC1, 9.10pm-10.10pm)

New series. Following the death of Elizabeth I, King James of Scotland claims the English throne, and the country goes to war with Catholic Spain. As a result, English Catholics are persecuted and driven into hiding, but after witnessing the

Lucy Worsley’s Nights at the Opera

(BBC2, 9pm-10pm)

The presenter details how four operas from the 19th and early20th centuries swept away conventions and introduced a fresh spirit to the format. In Paris, she explores how Bizet’s Carmen and Puccini’s La Boheme captured the city’s Bohemian spirit via highly charged insights.

Wild China (BBC4, 8pm-9pm)

Examining the heartland of the country, home to ancient structures such as the Great Wall and modern buildings like Beijing’s Olympic Stadium, as well as animals including the giant panda and golden snub-nosed monkey. However, the region holds even deeper cultural significance. thecouriermagazine brutal means by which the Crown intends to punish his people for practicing their faith, recusant Catholic Robert Catesby devises a treasonous plot to assassinate King James. However, he must first enlist the aid of stalwart allies, and heads to Brussels to seek the help of a hardened war veteran named Guy Fawkes.

The X Factor – Judges’ Houses

(STV, 8.20pm-10.20pm)

The contest enters the judges’ houses stage, which sees the would-be stars jetting off to exotic locales for a taste of the glamour that comes with international stardom. This time, the Boys accompany Louis Walsh to Istanbul, while the Girls follow Sharon Osbourne to San Francisco.

Yeti: Myth, Man or Beast?

(More4, 10.05pm-11.10pm)

Scientist Mark Evans sets out to determine whether there is a rational explanation for the legendary Tibetan yeti. Mark’s investigation centres on two competing theories, one being that the ‘Abominable Snowman’ is in fact a species of ‘human’ marginalised by the rise of homo sapiens.