Satellite choice
T20 CRICKET Essex Eagles v Surrey, 6.45pm, Sky Sports 2
THE domestic T20 series starts with Essex at home to Surrey in Chelmsford. These sides have a host of stars in their squads, including Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir for the Eagles and Aussie all-rounder Moises Henriques for Surrey.
THRILLER SEQUEL Inferno, 8pm, Sky Premiere
TOM HANKS returns as Dr Robert Langdon for a third theologically tangled thriller based on Dan Brown’s popular books. Langdon furrows his brow a lot, this time paired with our own Felicity Jones to get to the bottom of his troubling apocalyptic visions.
DARTS Shanghai Masters, 9pm, ITV4
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN and James Wade, the champion and runner-up in 2016’s inaugural tournament here, will be back in Shanghai for this two-day event.
MOVIE MYSTERY The Girl On The Train, Amazon Prime
INEVITABLY, this disappointed some of the book’s fans — but, taken on its own terms, it is a good thriller, with a strong performance from Emily Blunt (pictured) as the drunk who might be a killer.
BACK OF BEYOND The Last Alaskans, 9pm, Quest
THE awesome scope of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is clear in the last episode of season one, which features many jaw-dropping overhead shots. Down on the opposite end of that lens, Bob Harte is in the cosy cabin he built, reflecting on old times.
SUPPORTING ACTS Rock ’n’ Roll Guns For Hire: The Story Of The Sideman, 9pm, BBC4
A SIDEMAN is a musician who makes the band look good. As Keith Richards puts it: ‘The better you are at your job, the less people will notice you.’ This new film gives a true insider perspective on what it’s like for such ‘sidemen’ as the Rolling Stones’ backing singer Bernard Fowler.
ANIMALS ATTACK Zoo, 9pm, Sky 1
THE silly U.S. summer blockbuster series — about what happens when animals turn against humans — returns for a new season and jumps ten years ahead, when the situation for humans is even worse. There is a sliver of light, though. Mitch, despite sacrificing himself at the end of the second season, is still alive.
DANISH DRAMA Dicte — Crime Reporter, 9pm, More4
THE Danish reporter returns for a new, second series of poking her nose where it’s not welcome, starting with a call from her estranged dad that leads her to a murder casecase. Iben Hjejle (pictured above left with Lærke Winther Andersen and Lars Ranthe) is always natural and very watchable as the show’s star, and the plots move at a brisk pace.
MUSIC CITY Nashville, 9pm, Sky Living
THIS episode originally served as the midseason finale in the U.S. and it has a twist, of sorts — Juliette seems to have become a better person. It took someone dying for her to show personal growth, but it’s progress. Meanwhile, Rayna’s unfinished album receives the rapturous launch it deserves.
VAMPIRE ANIMATION Castlevania, Netflix
THE writer Warren Ellis has a great track record for creating exciting, world-spanning stories in comic books. He’s the force behind this dark and violent animation based on the old vampire computer game.