Civilisations: Rise and Fall
9pm, BBC Two
As the world hurtles towards oblivion, what did the great civilisations that came before us do when on the brink of disaster? This four-part history-buff series gains access to the British Museum in London and top experts for answers. It starts with Rome, using artefacts to trace its downfall: from the eye-popping head of Augustus to a terracotta theatre mask that evoked a barbarian with a ponytail (“Romans don’t wear man buns”). Hollie Richardson
