Babies: Their Wonderful World
9pm, BBC Two
There is a fine line between new science and common sense in shows such as paediatrician Dr Guddi Singh’s three-part look at what happens in the first two years of life. That said, an absorbing opening episode includes one of the most ambitious scientific studies about infants ever attempted. Are mobile phones and tablets making babies smarter? And what do today’s toddlers understand about gender? Some of the answers may surprise.
Mike Bradley
Auction
7pm, Sky Arts
Is it a break-up painting? A self-portrait? A meditation on identity? David Hockney’s 1972 work Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) continues to resist interpretation. But one thing is certain; given that it has just sold for £70m, it continues to exert a pull. This film explores its past and present resonance.
Phil Harrison
Hidden Wales With Will Millard
8pm, BBC Four
Will “My Year With the Tribe” Millard begins a three-part guide to forgotten, usually inaccessible locations in Wales with a distinctly hit-and-miss programme about the north of the country that looks at the wreck of a submarine and a large slate mine. Enthusiastic but sadly sleep-inducing. MB
The Truth About the Menopause
9pm, BBC One
Shocked by the shame and secrecy surrounding this taboo subject, Mariella Frostrup presents a reassuring, enquiring film in which she reveals the latest scientific developments and hears how a cross-section of women are managing the “change of life”. MB
People Just Do Nothing
10pm, BBC Two
Lights, camera, inaction: the cheerfully hapless mock-doc continues with Chabuddy G taking the helm of a splashy Kurupt FM music promo inspired by both the tireless work of the NHS and Vin Diesel. Meanwhile, Miche ropes in Roche for a hair salon safari to far-flung Essex.
Graeme Virtue
Tina Turner: Simply the Best
10.45pm, BBC One
Will Gompertz talks to the singer in this unimaginatively titled but moving profile. The conversation ranges across her troubled life, from her abusive marriage to Ike and the recent tragedy of her son’s suicide. She also discusses her near-fatal stroke, and being saved by her husband’s kidney donation.
David Stubbs
Film choice
Like Father, Like Son (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2013) 1.30am, Film4
Hirokazu Kore-eda, the Japanese director of the magical bullet-train film I Wish, returns with another captivating family story. This has uptight salaryman Ryota and his wife discovering that their six-year-old son was switched at birth in hospital, and must now be swapped for carefree Yudai’s kid.
Paul Howlett
Live sport
Premier League football: Burnley v Newcastle United 7pm, Sky Sports Main Event. A potential relegation six-pointer at Turf Moor.
NFL: Houston Texans v Tennessee Titans 1am, Sky Sports Main Event. Coverage of the week 12 clash from NRG Stadium.
Test cricket: Sri Lanka v England 4.30am, Sky Sports Main Event. The fifth day of the final Test.
