MY NAME IS LEON BBC Two, 9pm
Heartstrings will surely be twanged by this sweet 90-minute adaptation of Kit de Waal’s novel. Set in 1980s Birmingham, nine-year-old Leon (a remarkable Cole Martin in his debut TV role) is taken into care with his baby brother after neglect from their mother. But soon baby Jake is given up for adoption, not least because babies are easier to find families for, but also, it’s intimated, because Jake is white and Leon is mixed race and they don’t look related. Leon is determined to somehow be reunited with his brother, but has some tough life lessons to learn first. His coming-ofage journey involves finding security with a caring foster mother (the wonderful Monica Dolan) and learning about his blackness with a kindly mentor, Tufty (Malachi Kirby), although a short storyline about Tufty’s involvement in anti-racism protests feels too truncated for full effect. The narrative is told entirely through Leon’s eyes and captures beautifully the boy’s hazy understanding of the adult world. Heavyweight cameos come from Lenny Henry and Christopher Eccleston, and Olivia Williams is a hoot as Sylvia, Leon’s interim foster mother. It’s a charming and intimate piece exploring sorrow and hope that would likely have made more of an impact in a family friendly timeslot. Vicki Power