David Baddiel: Cat Man
8pm, Channel 4
Why are there no cat TV shows? David Baddiel – proud owner of Zelda, Tiger, Ron and Pip – rectifies this with a surprisingly moving three-part ode to all things feline. First, he meets fellow kitty fans Jonathan Ross (cat dad to Pads Pikkleson and Maude Ross) and Philippa Perry (cat mum to Kevin). Then, it’s time for a spot of paddleboarding with Bongo the tabby. And will Larry the Downing Street cat – now 18 years old – let Baddiel pick him up? Hollie Richardson
Monty Don’s Rhineland Gardens
8pm, BBC Two
The horticulturist embarks on a three-part journey along the mighty Rhine, which takes him through six countries from the mountains to the sea. The views are gorgeous from the off, as he starts in a garden in Switzerland – it’s 1,900 metres above sea level, was formed after an avalanche in 1968 and is home to the rare edelweiss. HR
Mystery Road: Origin
9pm, BBC Two
This downbeat, 2000-set prequel to the Aussie crime drama Mystery Road continues to intrigue, albeit in a resolutely slow-burning way. The Loch Iris community are shocked by an unexplained death – Mary seems willing to write it off as an unfortunate accident but, typically, Jay is suspicious. Phil Harrison
Jane McDonald: From Pole to Pole
9pm, Channel 5
The chanteuse of luxury cruising reaches South America on her epic voyage north. In Uruguay, she tucks into authentic gaucho barbecue and knocks back a few at a local vineyard. But it is Brazil’s south-eastern coastline that really dazzles: “I feel like I’m in the beginning of Jurassic Park!” Graeme Virtue
Taskmasterclass
10pm, Channel 4
In this edition of the purportedly “educational” spin-off, Greg Davies delves into the Taskmaster archives to examine the state of comedy in contemporary Britain. It’s down to assistant Little Alex Horne to back up his findings with data, including a pun-based graph and best-bit clips from contestants Romesh Ranganathan and Mel Giedroyc. Ellen E Jones
The Graham Norton Show
10.40pm, BBC One
After a killer 2025, Erin Doherty is back at it with the second series of A Thousand Blows, which she chats about on the sofa. Sitting alongside her is Martin Freeman, who stars in the new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials. Olivia Dean provides the live music. HR
Film choices
The Ballad of Wallis Island (James Griffiths, 2025), 10.25am, 8pm, Sky Cinema Premiere
A Britcom full of the excruciating puns and awkward situations that are the trademark of its writer and star, Tim Key, James Griffiths’ film is a Marmite proposition. But its cosy charms will win you over, just as folk singer Herb (co-writer Tom Basden) is won over by his time on the titular island owned by wealthy uberfan Charles (Key). Herb was once in a romantic and musical partnership with Carey Mulligan’s Nell, who unexpectedly turns up too as Charles gets the band back together for a private gig. But their reunion unearths Herb’s lingering pain, which vies with widower Charles’s loneliness for the drama’s biggest emotional impact. A heartwarming balancing act of funny and forlorn. Simon Wardell
The Rip (Joe Carnahan, 2026), Netflix
A propulsive cop thriller whose selling point is Ben Affleck and Matt Damon starring together for the first time since 2023’s Air. They play best friends and officers in a Miami tactical narcotics team – one maverick, the other more sensible but jaded. At the end of a shift, they get a tipoff about drug cash in a stash house. But the operation is thrown off track by what they find there – and the suspicion that there’s a corrupt cop in their unit, which includes Teyana Taylor and Steven Yeun. Director Joe Carnahan keeps the plot bustling along, while the single location stokes up the tension. SW
Lollipop (Daisy-May Hudson, 2024), 11pm, BBC Two
Ken Loach may be calling time on his career, but with the likes of Daisy-May Hudson on the scene, his brand of campaigning, working-class-focused cinema will surely survive. Her debut fiction feature is a devastating tale of homelessness and its effect on a young mother released from prison and trying to regain custody of her children. Posy Sterling is electric as Molly, who finds herself in a bureaucratic catch-22 where she needs a home to get her kids back but can’t get a council house without them. An enraging drama with splashes of hope. SW
Live sport
Championship Football: West Brom v Middlesbrough, 7.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event From the Hawthorns.
