Friends in the north

Thirteen years ago, aged 39, Pete Mckee quit his job at Tesco to become an artist, says Colin Drury in The Guardian. Inspired by an issue of Tintin, he painted a bright pop art scene of a childhood caravan holiday. The painting was shown in a pub in Sheffield – and it sold, along with half-a-dozen others produced in the same style. Since then, Mckee has gone from strength to strength. He has designed T-shirts for Paul Smith and posters for Oasis. His fans include Ken Loach, Maxine Peake and the Arctic Monkeys. His last exhibition brought in 8,000 people over two days. His new show, This Class Works, which opened in Sheffield last weekend, is a celebration of northern working-class life. In one typically “bittersweet” piece, a woman weighed down with shopping watches a child on a penny ride. It depicts a five-year-old Mckee and his mother. “It is one of his earliest – and happiest – memories.”

Who Is America?

Sacha Baron Cohen continues his tour of the US, holding toe-curling hoax interviews with politicians (Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney), celebrities and Joe Public. Mon 23 July, C4 22:00 (40mins).

Stacey Dooley: Gypsy Kids Taken from Home

Hungary has more Roma children in care than any other EU country. Dooley investigates why the children are being taken from their families – and what happens to them in the care homes. Tue 24 July, BBC1 22:45 (45mins).

The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco

The Bletchley Park codebreakers-turneddetectives return for a new series. It’s the mid-1950s and Jean (Julie Graham) and Millie (Rachael Stirling) are in San Francisco tracking down a killer from their War days. Wed 25 July, ITV1 21:00 (60mins).

The Lavender Hill Mob

(1951) Ealing comedy starring Alec Guinness as a mildmannered bank clerk who masterminds a robbery. Tue 24 July, BBC4 22:00 (80mins).

Blue is the Warmest Colour

(2013) Palme d’orwinning film about two young women falling in love. Wed 25 July, Film4 23:35 (220mins).

Song of the Sea (2014) Enchanting animation about a boy who lives on an island with his father and his sister, who is half-seal. With Brendan Gleeson. Thur 26 July, Film4 12:50 (110mins).

Love & Friendship (2016) Whit Stillman’s witty take on Jane Austen’s novel Lady Susan. Stars Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny. Fri 27 July, BBC2 21:00 (90mins).