PICKS OF THE DAY
Documentary: The Spy Who Died Twice, C4, 9pm
Documentary about how John Stonehouse (left), an MP who faked his own death and was charged with fraud when found to be alive, also colluded with the Czech security service during the Cold War. The programme examines how Prime Ministers from Wilson to Thatcher chose not to investigate the allegations that Stonehouse was a spy. Featuring testimony from both the Czech security services’ files on Stonehouse and the National Archive’s government records.
Science: Earth From Space, BBC4, 8pm
Cameras in space tell stories of life on our planet from an entirely fresh perspective, to reveal new discoveries and explore some of Earth’s most remote habitats. In the first episode of this fascinating four-part series, satellites follow a family of elephants that is struggling through a drought, reveal previously unknown penguin colonies, and discover mysterious ice rings that could put seal pups in danger.
Film: Slumdog Millionaire, Film4, 11.05pm
Director Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning drama featuring a talented cast including Dev Patel (left), Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan. Mumbai teenager Jamal Malik is one question away from bagging the top prize on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? when the police intervene and accuse him of cheating. Perplexed as to how he has been able to answer every question correctly, the police put him under brutal interrogation. In order to prove his innocence, Jamal recounts the story of his life in the slums of Mumbai and how fate has brought him to this place and time. Heartwarming film with a focus on India’s social inequality.
Cookery: Rick Stein’s Secret France, BBC2, 7pm
Celebrity chef Rick Stein (above) takes a culinary tour of France to discover what Britain’s neighbours have to teach us. Stein begins his journey in Dieppe, where he prepares freshly caught turbot, forages for sea herbs along the Bay of the Somme, and whips up a seafood gratin. He then sets his sights on southern Champagne, a region that was a favourite of French impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Documentary: The Airport: Back In The Skies, BBC1, 8.30pm
Aviation expert Jeremy Spake (right) presents an inside look at everyday life at Heathrow during four months of the pandemic, as the airport prepares to resume full operations after 18 long months of travel restrictions. In tonight’s first instalment, Jeremy assists with deep cleaning a Boeing 787 900 bound for Delhi, before joining the flight team at the gate to hand out PPE and help calm passengers struggling with locator forms.