Danny And The Human Zoo
9pm, BBC1
One-off film inspired by the teenage years of Premier Inn doyen Lenny Henry who – in a meta twist – plays the father of main protagonist Danny Fearon. In 1970s Dudley, the would-be impressionist persuades his strict Jamaican parents to let him pursue a showbiz career, but a family secret and a greedy manager mean that Danny’s 15 minutes could soon be over. Warm and poignant with comic touches, this feature-length drama showcases the talents of a multi-racial cast headed up by newcomer Kascion Franklin. Hannah J Davies
An Evening With Harry Enfield And Paul Whitehouse
9pm, BBC2
To celebrate 25 years of Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse as a telly double act, they assemble a mock “audience with” show, featuring the pair impersonating celebrities from Ricky Gervais and a foul-mouthed Stephen Hawking to, for reasons unknown, Bill Gates. Questions from the “celebs” are then used to introduce clips of their work together. They may not want to be remembered by the number of gags that fall painfully flat over what is, at best, a very mixed hour. Ben Arnold
Dinosaur Britain
9pm, ITV
The premise is straightforward enough: millions of years ago, the islands now known as Great Britain were inhabited by immense and fantastic reptiles. When Dinosaur Britain sticks to this brief, it’s decent natural history, capably presented by Ellie Harrison, whose enthusiasm and knowledge are clearly genuine. It is let down, unfortunately, by ITV’s trademark lack of faith in the viewer – who, in their view, requires the enticement of risible CGI recreations of dinosaurs galumphing across modern landscapes. Andrew Mueller
The Catch
9pm, Channel 4
Deep-sea fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in Britain. “What’s the worst injury you’ve seen at sea?” a fisherman in this new “haddock-on-the-wall” series is asked. “Death,” comes the succinct reply. Here we follow skipper Phil Mitchell and his crew – including “Bricktop”, Stanley, plus rookie Louis – battling their way through Joseph Conrad-style storms for 10 months of the year to potentially net themselves thousands of pounds (or, at worst, £2.50). A compelling portrait of life at the extremes. Ali Catterall
The 2000s: The Decade We Saw It All – Boom And Bust
9pm, Nat Geo
War and terror aren’t so dominant as this look back at the 00s concludes, although Dick Cheney is on hand to tell us how unfair the revelations of abuse at Abu Ghraib were. The major events are loosely threaded together by the explosion of digital communications: citizen journalism after the tsunami; the launch of the iPhone; Obama rallies organised via Facebook. No history that employs Randy Jackson to give closing remarks is likely to be definitive, but this is a serviceable recap. Jack Seale
Show Me A Hero
9pm, Sky Atlantic
Betrayal is a recurring theme in this week’s excellent episode of the David Simon series, which sees the Yonkers financial crisis deepening. In the opening montage we see the mayor’s futile attempts to gain assistance from the Democratic party. Meanwhile, he is confronted by those who voted for him and are scandalised by his racist housing plans, which reveal their “I’m no racist, but...” racism. In other hands, this subject matter might seem dry; Simon makes it as wet as a cold bucket of water from the screen. David Stubbs
Breaking Into Britain: The Lorry Jumpers
10pm, Channel 4
There’s a whiff of tabloid sensationalism about the title but, as with Benefits Street, the sheer documentary power of the content assuages some of those qualms. Shot over the course of a year, before the story became headline news, Breaking Into Britain sees Leo Maguire join migrants at the camps at Calais as they try to make the Channel crossing undiscovered by security guards and police. As you hear their stories, all you can do is wish them well. David Stubbs
Film choice
Silverado
(Lawrence Kasdan, 1985)
2.50pm, Channel 5
A sort of Magnificent Four – Kevins Kline and Costner, Danny Glover and Scott Glenn – take on bad sheriff of Silverado, Brian Dennehy, and his deputies. It’s a traditional plot but exuberantly done, and not half as serious as Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp. Less obvious western types such as Jeff Goldblum, Rosanna Arquette and John Cleese as an English lawman provide quirky touches, while Linda Hunt is tough and touching as the bar owner. Paul Howlett
Today’s best live sport
Cricket: Women’s Ashes
The third T20 from Cardiff. 10.25am, Sky Sports Ashes
International T20 Cricket: England v Australia
The sole T20 between the teams from Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. 2.30pm, Sky Sports Ashes
US Open Tennis
The first day of the tournament from Flushing Meadows. 4pm, Sky Sports 1
National League Football: Cheltenham Town v Wrexham
Coverage of the match from Whaddon Road. 5pm, BT Sport 1
