PICK OF THE WEEK TV review Dr Who opens up the world to new possibilities

SATURDAY

Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, 6.40pm)

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman host the next stage of the dance contest, as the 13 remaining couples take to the floor to impress judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli and Darcey Bussell, as well as the viewers, and avoid being eliminated in tomorrow night’s results show. The likes of Faye Tozer, Ashley Roberts, Danny John-Jules and Joe Sugg have all impressed in the opening weeks, but know they are only one poor dance away from potentially being sent home.

Black Hollywood: They’ve Gotta Have Us (BBC2, 9pm)

When Moonlight was named Best Picture at the 2017 Oscars, it was a historic moment – and not just because presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty had initially announced that La La Land had won after being given the wrong envelope. It was the first film with an all-black cast to take the prize and it has become a symbol for black cinema. It’s also the starting point for this three-part series which looks at how black actors and filmmakers have gone from being sidelined to wielding power in Hollywood. In the opening episode, three legends, Harry Belafonte (who was in Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlasman), Earl Cameron and Diahann Carroll talk about their experiences of being pioneers in a white world.

Secrets of the Gladiators: Rome Unwrapped (Channel 5, 9pm)

Rome had, for a long time, been reluctant to create a grand stone building to house the traditional gladiatorial games, but the force of public demand was irresistible and a stadium was eventually created that could hold 50,000 people. The Colosseum saw the birth of the entertainment industry, where stars were made and lives were ended. Rome’s glory was revealed, but so was its ugly heart. From the archaeological evidence and eyewitness accounts, this programme reconstructs the day the Colosseum opened and chronicles the fights, executions and legendary duels.

Killing Eve (BBC1, 9.25pm)

Having survived a terrifying close call with Villanelle, Eve and the team have the mole retrieved and ensconced in a safe house, offering the chance to uncover information that could lead them not only to Villanelle but also to whoever is calling the shots behind her. However, with the cold-blooded and unpredictable assassin still at large, are any of them safe until she is caught? Spy thriller, starring Jodie Comer, Sandra Oh, Fiona Shaw, Kim Bodnia and Darren Boyd.

SUNDAY Doctor Who (BBC1, 6.55pm)

The Doctor and her new friends have barely had a chance to recover from their first adventure before they are plunged into another, which will take Graham, Ryan and Yasmin on their first journey to an alien planet. The unlikely travelling companions face a struggle for survival as they try to solve the mystery at the heart of this strange, dangerous world. Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill are joined by guest stars Susan Lynch, Art Malik and Shaun Dooley.

HOW we waited. How we were teased. A new Doctor is big news. And a new Dr Who (BBC1, Sunday, 6.45pm) who happens to be female is one giant step for womankind. And so she arrived, lost and confused and out of her depth. But then so would you if you’d been travelling for a few light years and lost your Tardis. And who wouldn’t be discombobulated on finding themselves coming to life on a train, having transgendered – but, even more baffling, wearing Peter Capaldi’s old clothes?

Still, Jodie Whittaker pulled it off. She had the energy and confidence to suggest that, on a good day at least, she could save as from those who wish to destroy the universe. Her frantic, manic confusion was somehow reassuring. Sure, she wasn’t let loose in a room with Michel Barnier but she proved to be highly skilled in negotiation with and the removal of a big ugly mirror image tooth fairy called Tim Shaw (a good running gag, if slightly overplayed).

There were a few questions along the way; however, not about the script – Dr Who storylines have in recent years proved to be nonsensical and confusion.

No, the big question concerned the dynamic between the new time travellers. The young people fit well, but Bradley Walsh, Chasing around the universe? Good actor. Very funny man. But isn’t he too old at 58 to be a sidekick? And he’s not the gag cracker in this series. As sure as the Daleks will return, you know the Doctor will get the funniest lines.

The new Doc’s outfit raised another question. Producers were bold enough to hire a female, yet why so keen to turn her out like Robin Williams from the Mork and Mindy years? After all, this

Butterfly (STV, 9pm)

Anna Friel, Alison Steadman and Emmett J Scanlan may be the most recognisable stars of Tony Marchant’s drama, but it’s young Callum Booth-Ford who will grab most of the attention. He plays Max, the youngest child of Vicky and Stephen, separated parents who are trying their best to remain friends for the sake of their offspring. From a young age, Max has identified as a girl but has suppressed those feelings in an attempt to earn Stephen’s approval. However, unable to hide the matter any longer, Max becomes increasingly distressed, prompting Stephen to move back into the family home in the hope that male bonding may help his child. With puberty looming, Max becomes Maxine, and tension in the family looks set to explode despite