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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Hollie Richardson, Alexi Duggins, Ali Catterall, Phil Harrison and Stuart Heritage

TV tonight: a lovely night celebrating the brilliant Kirsty MacColl

‘The Noel Coward of her generation’ … Kirsty MacColl at the BBC.
‘The Noel Coward of her generation’ … Kirsty MacColl at the BBC. Photograph: Screengrab/BBC

Kirsty MacColl at the BBC

8.40pm, BBC Two

The singer Kirsty MacColl – whom Bono once described as “the Nöel Coward of her generation” – would have turned 65 this month, had she not been killed by a speedboat in Mexico in 2000. This lovely night of archive performances is a poignant celebration of her legacy, from There’s a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis on Top of the Pops in 1981 to Days on Wogan in 1989. And no, it’s not too early for Fairytale of New York. Hollie Richardson

Strictly Come Dancing

6.25pm, BBC One

The shaky viewing figures for its opening show appear to be behind the dance behemoth, with all the razzmatazz seemingly having successfully distracted the public from a summer of scandals. Tom and Nadiya were the first couple to go, and now we move on to movie week. Alexi Duggins

Abandoned Railways from Above

8pm, Channel 4

We zip along the East Yorkshire coastline with the rail travel show this week, on the line connecting seaside towns Scarborough and Whitby – and all the beautiful sites in between. These include fishing village Robin Hood’s Bay, a waterfall at Hayburn Wyke nature reserve and engineering marvel the Larpool Viaduct. HR

Apples Never Fall

9.25pm, BBC One

More from the juicy wealthy-American-woman-disappears drama. Suspicions are flying everywhere after the discovery of Joy’s blood-soaked blouse in the neighbour’s yard. The finger points at her husband when it turns out she went to see a divorce lawyer before going missing. But it can’t be that simple a case … can it? HR

Password

10.05pm, ITV1

Stephen Mangan, resembling a dystopian version of himself in a Black Mirror episode, hosts the guessing game, with contestants Johnny and Kim competing to win £10,000. It includes reasons why dolphins shouldn’t travel on planes, and a startling array of good impressions by Daisy May Cooper’s fellow team captain Alan Carr. Ali Catterall

The Killing Kind

10.55pm, ITV1

This slightly overwrought and never notably plausible thriller about a barrister who finds herself entangled with a former client (and stalker) continues. Ingrid (Emma Appleton) seeks help from someone who would be more wisely kept at arm’s length and, unsurprisingly, various trust issues begin to resurface. Phil Harrison

Film choice

Prey, 9pm, Channel 4

Just when you thought the Predator franchise had run out of steam, hobbled by bad sequels and the witless “Alien v … ” movies, here comes Dan Trachtenberg to fix everything. Prey is a Predator movie with an ingenious twist: the interterrestrial hunter visits America before it was colonised, and it is down to a group of Native Americans to fend it off. Not only is it beautifully made and gripping, but it opens up a new vein of historical Predator movies. Could the next one be set during the Napoleonic wars? Or the Black Death? Dinosaur v Predator, anyone? Stuart Heritage

Live sport

Premier League Football: Crystal Palace v Liverpool, 11am, TNT Sports 1 Everton v Newcastle follows at 5pm on Sky Sports Main Event.

Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup: Bangladesh v England, 3pm, Sky Sports Main Event The Group B match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. England v South Africa is on Monday at 2.30pm.

Premiership Rugby Union: Bath v Bristol Bears, 3pm, TNT Sports 1 Followed by Newcastle Falcons v Leicester Tigers at 5.15pm.

Super League Rugby: Wigan Warriors v Leigh Leopards, 5.15pm, BBC Two The second semi-final from Brick Community Stadium.

• This article was amended on 5 October 2024 to add further detail about the circumstances of Kirsty MacColl’s death.

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