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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Phil Harrison, Nicole Vassell and Priya Elan

TV tonight: a schmaltzy ode to Taylor Swift’s love stories

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelche kiss at the Super Bowl.
Baby just say yes! … Taylor: A Story of Love on Channel 4. Photograph: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Taylor: A Story of Love

11pm, Channel 4

The Taylor Swift industry is one of the most intriguing cultural phenomena of our era. Ahead of her rumoured wedding to Travis Kelce this month, this documentary is testimony to that: an unashamedly parasocial and at times painfully earnest deep dive into Swift’s romantic history. From Jonas to Lautner to Styles to Alwyn, there’s little that will be revelatory to Swifties. But it’s fascinating to be reminded of the ways she has functioned as a lightning rod; her personal dramas placed at the heart of both her music (although you’d be forgiven for thinking she was the first artist ever to do this on the basis of this analysis) and the culture as a whole. Phil Harrison

Border Force: America’s Gatekeepers

7pm, U&Dave

Documentaries about the paramilitary force that constitutes America’s border defence hit differently in the age of Trump. But this series tries to keep things uncontroversial. This time, the team are forced to detain a standup comedian after discovering that medication he bought in Mexico contains the lethal drug fentanyl. PH

Hudson & Rex

8pm, U&Alibi

Mere days after a public argument with a rival birdwatcher over territory, an enthusiastic birder is found dead, seemingly strangled by her own binocular strap. Clearly, this is a mystery for Detective Mark Hudson (Luke Roberts) and his brilliant German Shepherd partner Rex to solve – with their first suspect being the victim’s twitcher adversary. Nicole Vassell

Free Nelson Mandela

9pm, Channel 4

It’s easy to forget the personal toll taken by a lifetime of struggle on Nelson Mandela and his family. But the final part of this definitive series makes it clear, dealing with his release but also the role of his wife Winnie and the disintegration of their relationship. A remarkable story, evocatively told. PH

Watson

9pm, Sky Witness

“Let’s assume we’re not having a mass hallucination,” says Dr Ingrid Derian after a seemingly dead Sherlock Holmes (Robert Carlyle) appears alive but not so well in the hospital. Meanwhile, Watson has finally conceded he needs treatment for his tumour – but what will happen when he hears that his former partner is very much alive? Priya Elan

The Butchers of LA

10pm, Channel 5

This bleak series exploring the crimes of serial killers Patrick Kearney, William Bonin and Randy Kraft doubles as a story of gay life in 60s America. It becomes clear that the only reason the murderers were able to escape detection for so long was the alienation of LGBTQ+ people from mainstream life. PH

Live sport

Athletics: Diamond League Paris, 5pm, BBC Two The eighth round of the campaign.

World Cup: Round of 32, 7.30pm, BBC One/7.15pm, ITV1 The round of 32 kicks off.

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