1 day ago
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The War Between the Land and the Sea
8.30pm, BBC One
There’s a huge job for the Doctor’s occasional employer Unit in this ambitious sci-fi spin-off from Russell T Davies. A fearsome species (the Sea Devils – last seen during Jodie Whittaker’s incarnation of the Time Lord) have emerged from the ocean. Humanity has messed up their home with its thirst for oil. So now they’re here and they’re not happy. Is there a way of averting a global conflict? If there is, it’s going to involve Russell Tovey’s baffled clerk Barclay, who has found himself on a mission to meet the creatures via an administrative error. Expect Easter eggs relating to Doctor Who’s next phase but this stands alone as equal parts Earth invasion epic and environmental polemic. Phil Harrison
Apollo 1: Destination Moon
9.30pm, Channel 4
This gripping documentary tells the tragic story of the trio of American astronauts who might have gone down in history as the first humans to walk on the moon but, instead, lost their lives during an ill-fated launch rehearsal in 1967. How did the accident happen, and what effect did these events have on later generations of space explorers? PH
A Warwick Castle Christmas
5.45pm, ITV1
Feel better about the prospect of your own chaotic Christmas preparations by watching the staff of Warwick Castle do the same at a much greater scale. As the good-natured, self-deprecating pros attempt to build an ice rink, Mel Giedroyc is permitted to gently take the mickey on the voiceover. Jack Seale
Kingdom
6.55pm, BBC One
The real-life animal soap opera reaches its penultimate episode, with the lion pride stronger than ever while the hyenas dwindle and a new leader emerges from the pack. Meanwhile, in melancholy news, ageing leopard Olimba is wounded and facing one last, difficult challenge. JS
The Great Escapers
7pm, ITV1
How do the most intimidating quizzers on TV unwind? There are surprising insights here as The Chase’s trivia titans Mark Labbett, Jenny Ryan and Shaun Wallace attempt to curate the best holiday in sun-drenched Rhodes. Despite their innate competitive instincts, it ends up being a heartwarming exercise. Graeme Virtue
Game of Wool: Britain’s Best Knitter
8.30pm, Channel 4
We’re now at the quarter-final stage of this cheerful knitting contest, so standards and expectations are getting higher. There’s a particularly tricky team challenge this time, with the competitors having to create lace lampshades. Cue tense moments as the flick of a switch shines a spotlight on any mistakes. PH
Film choices
The Alto Knights, 2.30pm, 9.45pm, Sky Cinema Premiere
Barry Levinson has history with the American mafia, having told the tale of Bugsy Siegel back in 1991. Here’s another chapter in the bloody saga, scripted by Goodfellas writer Nicholas Pileggi. It traces the falling out between “the prime minister of the underworld”, Frank Costello, and his childhood buddy – and previous capo di capi – Vito Genovese in 1950s New York. The mob life is endlessly fascinating, with its twisted codes of honour, rules and power plays, while Robert De Niro does a fine job in dual roles as the thoughtful Frank and the hair-trigger Vito – whose railing against his loss of power threatens to bring down their nationwide crime network. Simon Wardell
Under the Stars, out now, Prime Video
Travel writer/romance author/general milksop Ian (Alex Pettyfer) finds out his girlfriend has cheated on him so jets off to a farmstay in idyllic Puglia, Italy, to clear his head. There he finds Eva De Dominici’s Arianna, the owner’s possibly available daughter. This picture-postcard romdram would be a so-so parade of beauty if it weren’t for Toni Collette as Ian’s more successful novelist aunt. She brings wisdom, vivacity and humour to proceedings, and even has a more interesting potential match: Arianna’s father – a slyly flirtatious Andy Garcia. SW
My Fair Lady, 4pm, Sky Arts
It should have been Julie Andrews – who originated the role of Eliza Doolittle on Broadway – but Audrey Hepburn acquits herself well in George Cukor’s colourful, consciously stagey take on the Lerner and Loewe musical. Dubbed by Marni Nixon for the tunes, she plays the London flower seller taken in by sexist phonetics professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), who bets he can pass her off as a duchess in upper-class society. An intriguing amalgam of Greek myth, Cinderella and Frankenstein, plus an array of cracking songs. Luverly. SW
Live sport
Test Cricket, Australia v England, 3.30am, TNT Sports 1 Day five of the second Test from Brisbane.
