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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Hollie Richardson, Kayleigh Dray, Phil Harrison, Ellen E Jones and Simon Wardell

TV tonight: Michael Sheen faces wildly personal questions in a dynamite interview

Michael Sheen on The Assembly.
Candid … Michael Sheen on The Assembly. Photograph: Screengrab/BBC/Rockerdale Studios

The Assembly

10.40pm, BBC One

“No subject is out of bounds, no question is off the table … and all might happen.” These are the simple rules of The Assembly, where 35 autistic and neurodivergent interviewers come together to grill terrified film and TV star Michael Sheen as part of Autism Acceptance Week. He has every right to be scared; they really get the skinny with brilliant questions such as: “How does it feel to be dating someone who is only five years older than your daughter?” and “Was John Taylor from Duran Duran your first ever crush?” Sure, it’s an odd concept, but it makes for one of the most pressing, candid and hilarious celebrity conversations that’s aired in years. Hollie Richardson

Travel Man: 48 Hours in Prague

8.35pm, Channel 4

Watching the velvet-voiced Joe Lycett bash his way around Prague would’ve been good enough, but the addition of podcaster Adam Buxton is alchemical magic. Wearing a combination of Millets outdoors garb and fetishwear, they kayak their way through the stag-do capital of the world, feasting on stodgy goodies and partaking in a little street art. Kayleigh Dray

Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales

9pm, BBC Two

The celebrity pilgrims are halfway through their genuinely enlightening journey across Wales. Among many emotional moments, Spencer Matthews reflects on how the death of his brother brought out his spiritual side. HR

Susan Calman’s Great British Cities

9pm, Channel 5

Calman’s breezy tour finds her on familiar turf as she returns to Glasgow – her home city and the place where she studied law before showbiz beckoned. The highlight is her exploration of the pioneering life of Madge Easton Anderson, the first woman in the UK to practise as a professional lawyer. Phil Harrison

Avoidance

9.30pm, BBC One

Romesh Ranganathan returns with his family comedy, and newly single Jonathan (Ranganathan) decides he wants ex Claire (Jessica Knappett) back. While his new penchant for cycling Lycra isn’t about to win her over, Megan (Aisling Bea) provides an approving eye in the park. HR

Helgoland 513

10pm, Sky Atlantic

TV isn’t short of dramas about dystopias and despots, but there’s something extra chilling about this German take on the genre, and the cinematic direction of Robert Schwentke really sets the mood. This week, Ewelike’s wife Kaisolochukwu is hoping to nab an open spot on the island. Ellen E Jones

Film choice

Steve! (Martin): a Documentary in 2 Pieces (Morgan Neville, 2024) Apple TV+

Having been in the public eye for so long as an actor, it’s a surprise to realise that, back in the late 70s, Steve Martin was the first comic to sell out stadiums and earn platinum albums. Part one of Morgan Neville’s engrossing dive into Martin’s career traces his decade-long rise to fame, and illuminates just how odd his act was: a cross between a magic show, children’s entertainment and dadaist happening where laughing was optional. Martin waited patiently for the audience to catch up; when they did, he quit to make movies. Part two shows us Martin now, riffing with best mate Martin Short and reminiscing about his art collection, banjo playing and hard-to-please father. Simon Wardell

Girls State (Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss, 2024) Apple TV+

Boys State was a fascinating 2020 documentary, in which 1,000 17-year-old Texas boys spent a week creating a fictional state government and running a gubernatorial campaign. Now comes the female version, this time in Missouri, where the rumoured overturning of Roe v Wade adds a frisson to the coming together of a politically diverse group of engaged, articulate teenagers. Female empowerment is a central concern – especially when the boys creating their own state nearby seem to be getting more to do. SW

Live sport

Women’s Euro 2025 Qualifier: England v Sweden, Fri, 6.30pm, ITV1
Group A3 begins at Wembley.

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