African Renaissance: When Art Meets Power (BBC4, 9pm)
BRINGING together historical insights, cultural heroes and extraordinary art, music and dance, Afua Hirsch continues to offer us a radically new vision of Africa and its culture. Tonight, she is in Senegal where she discovers how an exuberant hiphop, dance and fashion scene has fed off historic power struggles and culture clashes between ancient empires and French colonisers. She traces the story of Leopold Senghor, the poet who became the father of Senegalese independence, and meets internationally acclaimed dancer Germaine Acogny and griot musician Diabel Cissokho.
A Suitable Boy (BBC1, 9pm)
MAAN’S disgrace has a disastrous effect on the Kapoor family, but when the bad press is used against his father in the general election campaign, it results in an unexpected gesture from an old friend. After the revelation of further interference from her meddling family and emboldened by casting her vote in India’s first national democratic election, Lata makes a decision about her future. Concluding part of Andrew Davies’ adaptation of Vikram Seth’s novel.
The Unbelievable Story of Carl Beech (BBC2, 9pm)
VANESSA Engle’s documentary telling the story of the man who claimed he had been sexually abused by a group of prominent men in the 1970s and 80s, naming Jimmy Savile, former prime minister Edward Heath and former home secretary Leon Brittan as among those involved. The film is constructed using Beech’s own words, taken from media and police interviews and from his blogs, and there are interviews with those who were close to the story at the time.
Famalam (BBC1, 11.15pm)
NEW series. The acclaimed comedy sketch show returns, pulling back the curtain on inter-racial adverts and finding out what happens when someone reveals spoilers for a TV series. In the opening episode, the E19 posse does its bit for the environment, there’s an episode of Jamaican Countdown, and the African aunties learn their nephew’s secret. Starring Vivienne Acheampong, Samson Kayo, Bafta Award-winner Gbemisola Ikumelo and Danielle Vitalis, recently seen in I May Destroy You.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here