Ten to watch
1 TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR FROM TODAY, DISNEY+
Arguably the biggest tour of the century is now available to watch from the comfort of your own sofa. If you didn’t manage to get tickets to the Europe leg of Swift’s global epic this summer, missed the record-breaking concert film in cinemas, or just want to see what all the fuss is about, it’s now available on Disney+. Directed by Sam Wrench and totalling more than three hours, the exclusive film promises four acoustic performances that were cut from the cinema release.
2 MANHUNT FROM TODAY, APPLE TV+
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was branded the bestknown but least-understood crime in history. This conspiracy thriller dives into the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the aftermath. The American president was killed while sitting in a rocking chair at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC, and it is at this moment that the seven hour-long episodes begin, following Lincoln’s secretary of war Edwin Stanton (played by Tobias Menzies), as he tries to track Booth down.
3 COMIC RELIEF TONIGHT 7PM, BBC ONE & 10PM, BBC TWO
Change is on the horizon for Comic Relief: this is Lenny Henry’s final year hosting the appeal he co-founded with screenwriter Richard Curtis in 1985, and it is hard to imagine it will feel the same when he hands over the reins to a younger generation of comedians. Still, before he does so, he is overseeing the action tonight, which will include a Traitors spoof, a W1A-inspired sketch about the hunt for Henry’s successor, a French and Saunders reunion and an appearance from the inimitable Alan Partridge.
4 THE GREAT CELEBRITY BAKE OFF FOR STAND UP TO CANCER SUN 7.40PM, CHANNEL 4
Celebrities join forces to raise some dough (get it?) for charity. In the kitchen, hoping to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, are actor Danny Dyer, presenters Dermot O’Leary and Gabby Logan, singer Mel B and dancer Oti Mabuse. The beloved Alison Hammond, last series’ genius replacement for Matt Lucas, is on hosting duties.
5 COMA MON 9PM, CHANNEL 5
Line of Duty fans rejoice: two of its stars, Jason Watkins and Jonas Armstrong, are reuniting for a four-part thriller, as devoted family man Simon (Watkins) makes a lifechanging split-second decision after his neighbourhood falls victim to a terrorising group of teenagers. It also stars Outnumbered’s Claire Skinner, and just to build momentum, the drama is being aired over four consecutive nights.
6 WHITES ONLY: ADE’S EXTREMIST ADVENTURE MON 10PM, CHANNEL 4
The people who live in the South African town of Orania allow only white Afrikaners to live and work there. They don’t believe they are racist, but rather presiding over a “cultural project”. To find out why they exclude certain people, and how they keep their traditions going, Nigerian-born Briton Ade Adepitan spends a week with them. Intriguingly, Adepitan ends up grateful to have spent time with the community, and promises a thought-provoking film.
7 RICKY, SUE AND A TRIP OR TWO TUES 9PM, MORE4
On a lighter travel note, friends and actors Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston, who first acted together in soap opera Brookside before continuing their legacy in The Royle Family, are celebrating 40 years on screen together. This three-part series follows the pair as they revisit various significant locations in their lives – including Shrewsbury Prison, where Tomlinson was jailed in the 70s.
8 PALM ROYALE FROM WEDS, APPLE TV+
“How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?” That is the question asked in this new series. But in case the fact that it stars Bridesmaids’ Kristen Wiig didn’t tip you off, this is not serious stuff. The comedy, loosely based on the 2018 novel Mr and Mrs American Pie, follows Wiig as she breaks into the high society of Palm Beach in 1969. The first three episodes will drop simultaneously, with subsequent episodes airing weekly.
9 JORDAN NORTH: THE TRUTH ABOUT VAPING WEDS 9PM, BBC THREE
Annual sales of vapes in the UK are now thought to be £1.7bn, with Gen Z favouring them over alcohol and Gen X putting out their cigarettes for the electronic alternative. One of the people who took up the phenomenon is presenter Jordan North. And now he is asking himself whether it’s time to quit. Is it really bad for you? What’s even inside them? What are the long-term health impacts? While exploring all these questions, looking at his own habit, and speaking to young people who are hooked, North decides whether it’s time to pack in the puffs.
10 3 BODY PROBLEM FROM THURS, NETFLIX
There is a lot riding on this Netflix adaptation – the sci-fi novels, by Chinese author Liu Cixin, have a huge fan base, which even includes one Barack Obama. Pairing up for their first project since Game of Thrones, showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss are hoping this will become a similar must-watch, as it tells the story of five friends who make “earth-shattering discoveries” as they aim to fight an existential threat. Beginning in 60s China, it is a story of struggle and survival.