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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Hollie Richardson, Danielle De Wolfe, Phil Harrison, Jack Seale and Simon Wardell

TV tonight: David Dimbleby confronts a history of BBC scandals

Bernard Ingham in Days That Shook the BBC With David Dimbleby
Thatcher’s mouthpiece … Bernard Ingham in Days That Shook the BBC With David Dimbleby. Photograph: James Parris/BBC Studios

Days That Shook the BBC With David Dimbleby

9pm, BBC Two

As it celebrates its centenary, the BBC is under more scrutiny than ever. In this weekly three-part series, the former Question Time stalwart David Dimbleby shares his views on the broadcaster’s various controversies over that time, including the fallout after the contentious decision not to air an interview with a victim of Jimmy Savile. First up, though, the focus is on the BBC’s relationships with those in power, from former prime ministers to the royal family. Hollie Richardson

Celebrity MasterChef

9pm, BBC One

“In a word: pretty rough,” confesses the drag queen Kitty Scott-Claus about the disappointing fish tacos she serves to John Torode and Gregg Wallace in the first task of the cooking show. Tonight’s episode also sees cauliflowers under the cloche, while dinner party favourites beguile. Danielle De Wolfe

Night Coppers

9pm, Channel 4

Night Coppers
On the beat … Night Coppers. Photograph: Blast Films/Channel 4

More Hogarthian scenes from the mean streets of Brighton as this series continues to showcase the endless patience of the after-dark police force. There is festive horror as Father Christmas is pelted with sweets by local youths. More seriously, an unpleasant street brawl culminates in an arrest for suspicion of grievous bodily harm. Phil Harrison

The Pyrenees With Michael Portillo

9pm, Channel 5

Leg two of the Tory wanderer’s latest jolly takes him through the French Pyrenees. After a look at the limestone wall of the Cirque de Gavarnie, a moment in a peaceful mountain landscape prompts the former defence secretary to muse on the war on Europe’s eastern edge. Jack Seale

Irma Vep

9pm, Sky Atlantic

This tantalisingly metatextual film drama uses the gap between the eras of its various productions to interesting effect. Might a scene that was merely risque decades ago now be considered beyond the pale? The director, René (Vincent Macaigne), is on the defensive as the crew worry that the star, Mira (Alicia Vikander), has been taken advantage of. PH

Rosie Jones’ Trip Hazard

10pm, Channel 4

The “national liability” continues to “splurge Channel 4’s cash” on her adventure across Great Britain, this time on a stop-off at Blackpool with her comedian guest Guz Khan. “I once punched her,” Jones says, pointing to Joanna Lumley’s name printed on the beachfront Comedy Carpet. Incidentally, Lumley narrates the show. Her reply? “I did throw the first punch.” HR

Film choice

Helen Mirren as Elizabeth II in The Queen, directed by Stephen Frears (2006).
Royal role … Helen Mirren in The Queen. Photograph: Pathe/Sportsphoto/Allstar

The Queen (Stephen Frears, 2006), Tuesday, 8pm, ITV
Just in time for the 25th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, a showing of Peter Morgan’s 2006 precursor to The Crown. The film follows the events of 1997 through the eyes of the royal family. The unprecedented outpouring of national grief after the fatal car crash nonplusses Elizabeth II (a note-perfect Helen Mirren) and her lack of public reaction causes disquiet. However, her new prime minister, Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), realises that it is a critical moment for the monarchy. A fascinating snapshot of a moment in British history in which tradition faced up to the modern world – and lost. Simon Wardell

Live sport

Premier League football: Leeds v Everton 7pm, BT Sport 1. Amid a sticky patch, the Toffees travel to the high-flying Peacocks. (Tonight’s three other matches – Fulham v Brighton, Crystal Palace v Brentford and Southampton v Chelsea – also air on BT Sport.)

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