WHAT TO WATCH

Channel 4, 9pm

In April 1998, the world woke up to lurid headlines that pop superstar George Michael had been arrested for soliciting a “lewd act” in a Los Angeles public toilet. Slickly marketed for years as every young girl’s dream (though, as one contributor puts it, “all the signs were there”), the revelation that Michael was gay could have been career-ending given the tabloid frenzy that followed. But instead, the incident became a defining moment for gay liberation.

Tonight’s opening episode (of two, both available on All 4 from tonight) looks back to the early days of the singer’s career, when coming out in a world gripped by the 1980s Aids crisis might not have been the best career move for a budding pop star. Interviews with Michael’s former partner, Kenny Goss, as well as his friend Andros Georgiou and manager Simon Napier-Bell, give this documentary heft. While contributions from some of the chief scandalmongers of the time, including the founder of the LA news agency that broke the story (“Our motto was ‘your misfortune is our fortune’”) demonstrate all too clearly the media hypocrisy, opportunism and homophobia that he was up against. Gerard O’Donovan cost of living crisis cookery series, in which he keeps a keen eye on energy efficiency as well as filleting peak value from every penny spent. Tonight, his inventive takes on roast chicken, pancakes, pizza and chilli prove that budget (every recipe comes in at a pound a portion, or less) doesn’t have to be bland.

BETTER BBC One, 9pm

As cop dramas go, it’s barking mad. But the constantly wrong-footing plot, superb sense of menace and terrific performances keep us coming back for more. Tonight, corrupt cop

Lou Slack’s (Leila Farzad) cunning plan to doublecross crime boss Con (Andrew Buchan) backfires badly – and Vernon (Anton Lesser) finally gets to be a hero.

Jamie Oliver rustles up budget-friendly £1 meals

George Michael’s outing became a defining moment