Novels That Shaped Our World (BBC2, 9.55pm)
THE documentary explores how novels through the ages have embraced the class struggle, from Dickens, Gaskell and Hardy through to Robert Tressell’s The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists and the group of working-class writers who began to write their own stories in post-war Britain. There’s plenty of top-drawer talent involved in the readings, including Russell Tovey, Darren Boyd (Killing Eve), Alex Macqueen (Sally4Ever), Emily Berrington (Humans), Freddie Fox (Year of the Rabbit), Ian Gordon and Olivia Barrowclough.
Michael McIntyre’s Big Show (BBC1, 8.10pm)
BACK in 2003, Michael McIntyre hoped he would do well at the Edinburgh Festival. He was nominated for a prestigious gong as Best Newcomer and although he didn’t win, that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the UK’s best-loved light entertainers. This show started as a Christmas one-off in 2015, but proved such a hit with the masses that series was commissioned and since 2016 has been a BBC One staple for the winter months. Once more Michael will be lending a hand with the laughs in a series recorded at the London Palladium. The first edition features a musical performance by Liam Payne; he belts out his latest single, Stack it Up. Plus, survival expert Bear Grylls hands his phone over to the host for Send To All.
The Sinner (BBC Four, 9.10pm & 9.55pm)
THE first season of The Sinner was one of the surprise TV hits of 2017. Now, Detective Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman) is back for another run of the whodunit crime drama. We are straight into the new case tonight which focuses on a young boy called Julian (Elisha Henig) who is involved in a horrific double homicide. However, as we have come to expect with this show, all is not as it seems, and local Detective Heather Novack (Natalie Paul) calls on Harry to assist on the strange case which involves a commune near his hometown of Keller in Upstate New York.
Fight Night: Bellator Live from Wembley (Channel 5, 10pm)
AS Michael Page takes on Derek Anderson in the mixed martial arts event at London’s SSE Arena, the welterweight contest should leave many perched on the edge of their seats. Home favourite Page suffered the first defeat of his career against current champion Douglas Lima in May, but bounced back in style to knock out Richard Kiely four months later, and enters this contest as the favourite. However, San Diego’s Anderson can not be taken lightly given his solid record of 16 wins and just three defeats.
Pose (BBC2, 10.55pm)
RYAN Murphy’s slick drama continues to work its magic, as this latest double bill proves. With Blanca grieving for a sudden loss, Elektra takes it upon herself to organise an out-of-town trip for the girls. It’s ably directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton, one of Murphy’s regular collaborators who, aside from helming some of the best Pose episodes, also worked on other hits such as American Crime Story, The Politician and American Horror Story.
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