MUST-SEE SHOWS CILLA: THE LOST TAPES
EGYPT’S APOCALYPSE – DEATH OF A DYNASTY
Tonight, Channel 5, 8pm
NOT only was Cleopatra’s Roman lover and protector Julius Caesar murdered in 44 BC, but the Egyptian world itself seemed to have turned against her.
Ominous celestial visions filled the skies, and the country was gripped by drought and famine.
New evidence found in Greenland and Antarctica’s ice sheets suggests the fall of ancient Egypt shouldn’t entirely be linked to Cleopatra’s actions and it may have been hastened by a colossal volcanic eruption in the Tropics impacting harvests
HOMELAND
Tomorrow, Channel 4, 9pm mission is about to begin. After screaming, sweating and shaking her way through seven intense seasons, some characters (and viewers) are convinced Claire Danes’s bipolar CIA agent has turned on her country.
Now the National Security Adviser to President Warner, Saul has been dispatched to engage the Taliban in negotiations and help end the ‘forever war’ in Afghanistan. But Kabul is teeming with warlords, zealots and spies, and Saul needs Carrie’s expertise.
CONFRONTING HOLOCAUST DENIAL WITH DAVID BADDIEL
Monday, BBC2, 9pm
THE title of this documentary should give viewers a pretty good idea of what it’s all about, but it doesn’t reveal how extraordinary and compelling it is.
David is best known for his comedy work, but when it comes to the Holocaust, he’s very serious indeed – members of his own family suffered at the hands of the Nazis, while his grandparents fled the regime in 1939 before settling in Britain.
Here he confronts some of those who, despite it being one of the most documented events in history, are convinced that the Holocaust never happened.
THE BRIT AWARDS 2020
Tuesday, ITV, 8pm
AS last week’s documentary The BRITs at 40 reminded us, one of the things that makes this event stand out from all the other awards ceremonies is its air of unpredictability – although the music obviously helps as well.
So, Jack Whitehall is hopefully prepared for anything as he hosts for the third time.
The performers taking to the stage include Lewis Capaldi, who has topped off a great year by being nominated for four BRITs: Best Male, Best New Artist, Song of the Year and Album of the
Year. There are also appearances from his fellow nominees Harry Styles, Mabel, Stormzy and Billie Eilish.
Wednesday, ITV, 9pm
CILLA BLACK spent more than 50 years in the spotlight – she found fame as a singer in the 1960s before becoming one of British TV’s most popular presenters. So, it’s no surprise that the public felt like they knew her.
However, this one-off documentary shows a previously unseen side to Cilla as it brings us rare footage, which her family found in the loft in the years following her death in 2015, as well as interviews with the ghostwriter of her autobiography.
Narrated by Sheridan Smith, who played Cilla in an acclaimed three-part drama, the documentary finds the Blind Date presenter talking about everything from her friendship with Ringo Starr to why she was the original ‘woman’s libber’.
DEATH IN PARADISE
Thursday, BBC1, 9pm
RALF LITTLE is the latest actor to take on the lead detective’s role in this sun-kissed crime drama. He must have an inkling of what to expect, having guest-starred in a series two episode as a different character. Here he plays DI
Neville Parker, probing the odd death of a hair salon owner.
BUMPS
Friday, BBC1, 9.30pm
THE BBC’s Comedy Playhouse strand, which in the past has given us such much-loved sitcoms as Steptoe and Son and Last of the Summer Wine, returns with another one-off that could become a series.
Written by Lucy Montgomery and Rhys Thomas, who also take supporting roles, it stars Amanda Redman as 62-year-old divorcee Anita, who still wants to pack as much as she can into life. So, when she hears about an Indian woman who gave birth in her 70s, she starts thinking about having another baby of her own.