The Ark
8.30pm, BBC1
Tony Jordan’s weighty retelling of the legend of Noah plays the story straight, with a shift of emphasis. Yes, God is angry with hedonistic man, so he drowns everyone who isn’t in Noah’s massive boat. But we barely see the flood. The test put before Noah (David Threlfall), his wife (Joanne Whalley) and their sons is the focus. Noah’s insane, all-consuming quest plays as a metaphor for the faith families promise to have in each member, whatever they do – a motif Jordan paints with strong, if broad, strokes. Jack Seale
Travel Man: 48 Hours In Barcelona
8.30pm, Channel 4
Richard Ayoade presents this delightful guide to efficient weekend vacationing. First up: Barcelona, where you can “sleep, munch and quaff” for just £69 each. Featuring this week’s travel partner Kathy Burke (whoever thought of putting this pair together was tickled with the feather of genius), highlights include an indifferent visit to the FC Barcelona Museum (“It breaks my heart to leave – but can we?”) and a drunken cava tasting (“Like giving a very fine thing to an idiot”). Ali Catterall
Drills, Dentures And Dentistry: An Oral History
9pm, BBC4
PJ O’Rourke once urged readers nostalgic for “the good old days” to reflect upon one word: dentistry. As this film demonstrates, if you’re alive to read this be grateful for being among the first humans for whom owning teeth is not a life sentence of inconvenience and agony. Joanna Bourke, recent author of a history of pain, negotiates a deft balance between amused and aghast as she considers the grim arsenal of antique dental equipment. Terrific, if difficult to watch without wincing. Andrew Mueller
A Nation Divided? The Charlie Hebdo Aftermath
9pm, BBC3
Shaista Aziz visits Paris, a city still reeling from the aftershocks of the massacre at Charlie Hebdo magazine. The mass condemnation following the attack suggested unity, but Aziz meets Muslims who feel they have to conceal their religious identity for their own safety. She also talks to Dieudonné – a comedian accused of antisemitism and convicted of “apologising for terrorism” – who believes he’s the victim of double standards when it comes to free speech. Graeme Virtue
Tales Of The Grim Sleeper
9pm, Sky Atlantic
Those familiar with Nick Broomfield’s work will recognise his style here, in which he seems clumsily obtrusive as he approaches his subjects with his ever-visible boom mic. It certainly yields results in this powerful film about Lonnie Franklin Jr, a suspected LA serial killer arrested following a string of murders of young black women. Broomfield visits South Central LA to talk to those who knew Franklin and, after an initially wary reception, gathers testimony that amounts to a devastating indictment of the LAPD. David Stubbs
House of Fools
10pm, BBC2
For Vic and Bob – the most original TV stars of their era – the past 20 years have been tough as they sought a vehicle for their surreal and hungover prog rock bromance. House of Fools has on occasion looked as if it might be it. This second season finale pulls in professional guest star Sally “One Episode” Phillips to end things on a high. When Vic’s ex-girlfriend Mary cancels their date, he looks certain to have a disappointing evening – but that would be to reckon without Beef’s magical time-stopping whip! John Robinson
My Mother The Secret Baby: Storyville
10pm, BBC4
Tiny acts have huge reverberations. In 1940, in Co Clare, one such happenstance – the “shameful” conception of film-maker Daisy Asquith’s mum in a hay barn between two unmarried Catholics – caused “trouble… that would reverberate through three generations”. In this frank, funny and poignant film, Asquith and her mother journey to Ireland and New York in search of, respectively, a grandfather and a dad. It’s a voyage marked by kindness, acceptance and understanding. AJC
Today’s best live sport
Snooker: The China Open Day one of the tournament from Beijing. 7.45am, British Eurosport
WTA Tennis: The Miami Open Fourth-round matches on the sixth day at Crandon Park Tennis Center. 4pm, BT Sport 2
International U-21 Football: England v Germany England’s juniors are schooled in the natural order of things at the Riverside Stadium. 7.30pm, BT Sport 1
Football League: Burton Albion v Stevenage The League Two encounter at the Pirelli Stadium. 7.30pm, Sky Sports 1
