The Price of Truth
10pm, Channel 4
“This is a historic tragedy, created by Vladimir Putin.” Those words are dangerous, particularly when – like Dmitry Muratov – you are the editor of Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia’s only independent news outlets. This film, directed by Muratov’s friend Patrick Forbes, covers the period between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its passage of legislation to close the paper for good. Muratov is injured in an attack with acetone-laced paint. He is forced to move his operation to Riga. He sells his Nobel peace prize medal to raise money for Ukrainian refugees. Yet he remains remarkably unbowed in the face of unimaginable jeopardy. An important story, albeit one without much prospect of a happy ending. Phil Harrison
Tommy Jessop Goes to Hollywood
9pm, BBC One
After appearing in Line of Duty, the actor Tommy Jessop assumed that more roles would come his way. He was disappointed. But Tommy, who has Down’s syndrome, has already overcome plenty of adversity – he and his brother Will are planning a superhero movie. What unfolds is a testament to Tommy’s charisma, but the tenderness between the two siblings (“There’s a sort of magic to Tommy,” reflects Will) makes for a delightful story of brotherly love, too. PH
Ghosts US
8pm, BBC Three
The decent US remake of the beloved UK original kicks off its second season with a double bill. Sam and Jay are belatedly launching their haunted mansion as a B&B – but what if their new guests hate the experience? Then the spotlight shifts to the return of “Creepy Todd”. Graeme Virtue
Dara Ó Briain: So Where Were We?
9pm, BBC Two
Ó Briain’s 2022 standup show was his post‑Covid comeback, with the forced absence prompting a more reflective and personal approach in the set’s second half. Before that, though, are plenty of the usual clever gags and riffs on responses from the Dublin crowd. Jack Seale
The Confessions of Frannie Langton
9pm, ITV
First shown on ITVX but stripped across this week, this drama is adapted from a novel by Sara Collins and tells the story of Frannie (Karla-Simone Spence), formerly an enslaved woman, brought from Jamaica into the service of a London couple. A story of murder, racism and love across forbidden boundaries. PH
Top Guns: Inside the RAF
9pm, Channel 4
Given the grim possibilities opened up by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, these are serious times to be a member of Britain’s armed forces. This series gains access to the personnel at RAF Lossiemouth as day-to-day operations take on a new intensity. Before long, pilot Jake Desmond is on the frontline, facing three Russian jets. PH
Film choices
King of New York (Martin Scorsese, 1990), 12.10am, Sky Cinema Greats
A Big Apple double bill (Scorsese’s wonderfully seedy Taxi Driver follows at 2.05am) begins with Abel Ferrara’s 1990 crime thriller. Christopher Walken puts in a career-best performance as mob boss Frank White, newly released from prison and keen to re-establish his control of the drugs trade, while the cops cross the line trying to stop him. Walken revels in his suave, terrifying character, while Ferrara’s low-budget creativity is clear in his depiction of a grubby, crime-ridden inner city – one that has mostly been consigned to history. Simon Wardell
Gagarine (Fanny Liatard, Jérémy Trouilh, 2020), 2.20am, Channel 4
The Cité Gagarine may be one of Paris’s banlieues – often depicted as sinkholes for the country’s social ills – but in Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s fine drama it is a hub of community and hope. Named after the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who visited in 1963 soon after it was built, the rundown estate is soon to be demolished. However, astronomy-obsessed teenager Youri (Alséni Bathily) is determined to save it. A touch of magical realism brings beauty to an otherwise downbeat set-up. SW
