PICK OF THE DAY

The Secret Life Of Sue Townsend (Aged 68¾)

9PM, BBC2 One of our most celebrated writers, the late Sue Townsend (right) didn’t learn to read until she was eight, and left school at 14 with no qualifications. By the time she was in her early 20s, she was a struggling single mother of three. But just over a decade later, her book The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole (Aged 13¾) had become the first in a stream of critically acclaimed bestsellers. Narrated by Julie Walters, with contributions from Stephen Mangan and Ian Hislop, this delightful film celebrates the life and work of a true one-off.

Meet The Parents

7PM, ITV Singletons put their love lives in the hands of their parents in this new dating show, hosted by Holly Willoughby. Potential suitors question three sets of parents about their offspring, and make a choice depending on what they hear. The parents then eavesdrop on the couples’ first dinner dates – which could (and does) get embarrassing…

Britain’s Ancient Tracks With Tony Robinson

8PM, CH4 Tony Robinson dons his walking boots to explore the ancient network of trackways that crisscross Britain, used by Celts, Romans, Saxons and Vikings for thousands of years. His first walk of three is along the Icknield Way, from the Norfolk coast to Whipsnade, via Cambridgeshire.

Artsnight: When Julie Walters Met Willy Russell

10PM, BBC2 How did a teenage dropout from a working-class suburb of Liverpool end up becoming one of Britain’s most successful playwrights? That’s just one of the questions on Julie Walters’s mind as she chats to Willy Russell, whose screenplay for Educating Rita made her a star.