Loch Ness: They Created a Monster
9pm, BBC Two
In 1961, the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau started monitoring the loch 24/7. By the 70s, a Japanese pop promoter, Yoshio Kou, led the International Loch Ness Monster Search Party. And 2023 saw the biggest Nessie hunt in more than 50 years. The beast has kept tourists coming for decades, and this documentary tracks the people who have been most obsessed with finding it. Hollie Richardson
Death in Paradise
9pm, BBC One
“This is football … Caribbean style!” Which in this case, extends to a female football player being found shot dead in the changing room at half-time – the ultimate red card. But with only one way in and out, via the pitch, how is it that nobody (including spectator Mervin) noticed the killer of Ines Mercedes? Ali Catterall
Funboys
10pm, BBC Three
The memory of a pet pig that died of rabies eight years earlier threatens to come between Gemma and Lorcan in this wonderfully offbeat Northern Irish comedy. Can Lorcan love another pig? Meanwhile, Callum is staying with Jordan – but how will Jordan handle his mate bonding with his two dads? Phil Harrison
Asian Network Comedy London 2025
10.25pm, BBC Three
A new edition of the irregular standup showcase, which looks to give new talent who have a foothold in the industry a boost to the next level. Nikita Kanda and SmashBengali host at the BBC Radio theatre in London, with performances by Fatiha El-Ghorri, Shalaka Kurup and Bas Rahman. Jack Seale
The Graham Norton Show
10.40pm, BBC One
Here’s a rarity: Graham Norton is busy promoting his book, so Claudia Winkleman is stepping in to play host to his sofa of celebrities. Chris Pratt and Rob Beckett are definitely in safe, if slightly naughty, hands. HR
Jordan Gray: Is It a Bird?
11.05pm, Channel 4
When Jordan Gray performed this musical-infused standup set at Edinburgh, this paper gave it a five-star review, calling it a “gorgeous, accomplished and deeply funny hour”. So make sure you catch comedy’s rising star as she brings the show back to her home town of Southend. HR
Film choices
Pretty Red Dress (Dionne Edwards, 2022), 11.05pm, BBC Two
Questions of Black masculinity and gender identity are explored sensitively in Dionne Edwards’s London-set film. Coming out of prison, Travis (Natey Jones) tries to settle back into domestic life with his partner, aspiring musical theatre actor Candice (an all-singing Alexandra Burke), and grumpy teenage daughter Kenisha (Temilola Olatunbosun). But, when Candice gets the titular dress for her audition for a Tina Turner play, Travis can’t resist trying it on. However, role play masks a deeper need in him that begins to put stress on the family unit. A promising first feature from a film-maker to watch. Simon Wardell
Cold War (Paweł Pawlikowski, 2018), 2.15am, Film4
Focusing on a grand passion that is buffeted by the chilly realities of the Soviet era, Paweł Pawlikowski’s bittersweet drama traces a couple of decades in the relationship of Wiktor (Tomasz Kot), a composer at a Polish state-sanctioned folk ensemble, and a young singer, the ambitious, lively Zula (Joanna Kulig). Shot in crisp black-and-white, which gives the film a nostalgic, romantic feel – particularly in its Paris sections – the film asks if love is strong enough to conquer political divides as well as the stresses and strains of ordinary life. SW
Live sport
FA Cup football: Aston Villa v Cardiff City, 7.30pm, ITV1
A fifth-round match.
