MasterChef (BBC1, 9pm)

THE remaining 16 contestants are split into two groups as they compete for the chance of their first taste of working in a professional kitchen. The first eight cook a dish for John Torode and Gregg Wallace, with the best five heading to Da Terra in east London to work under chef Rafael Cagali. During a busy lunch service, the amateurs will be entirely responsible for serving the restaurant’s menu to paying customers. Will any buckle under the intense pressure as they cook in a demanding new environment?

Liar (STV, 9pm)

ANDREW is pushed to the edge and as he runs out of options, he concocts a plan to take drastic measures. But first, he will need help. In the present day, a vital piece of evidence comes to light and Laura seeks to discover its origin. Now in a desperate position, she must use all her wits to get the information she needs, but with Katy and Liam’s assistance, she is led to a startling new suspect.

Putin: A Russian Spy Story (C4, 9pm)

THE second instalment of the documentary looks at how Vladimir Putin arrived in the Kremlin as a vulnerable and unknown president, whom the Russian oligarchs expect to control. The programme reveals how he asserted his hold on power and ultimately surrounded himself with his KGB peers. The film also examines the stories of businessman Boris Berezovsky and defector Alexander Litvinenko, who both stood up to Putin and wound up dead on British soil.

The Real Michael Jackson (BBC2, 9pm)

JACQUES Peretti has already made three documentaries about Michael Jackson. Now, more than 10 years on from the singer’s death, the filmmaker is returning to the subject to take another look at Jackson’s life and legacy, and the accusations and controversies that continue to surround him in the wake of last year’s documentary Leaving Neverland. Peretti’s latest film takes a closer look at each stage of the star’s life in a bid to understand his complex character, including the early days with the Jackson 5, his relationship with the media, his retreat to the Neverland ranch and the final days he spent preparing for the This Is It concerts.