Philip Pullman does not consider himself a fantasist. “I think of myself as a realist,” he says, “because my interest as a storyteller is what it really means to be a human being.” In this beautiful little film, Alan Yentob meets the literary heir of CS Lewis and Tolkien, whose writing and worldview repeatedly stress the “necessity of growing up, and a refusal to lament the death of innocence”. He also explains why authors should avoid the phrase “feisty heroine”, as it has a very specific meaning. Ali Catterall
The Kyle Files, 8pm, ITV
In the first of a new series of The Kyle Files, Jeremy Kyle escapes the sanctity of his studio to investigate whether cannabis (and its medical derivatives) should be made legal in the UK. He takes part in a dawn raid on a massive weed farm and meets the police officer who is giving her terminally ill son cannabis oil. Ben Arnold
Collateral, 9pm, BBC Two
David Hare’s series has been a cut above, its events reflecting many of the realities of modern Britain (unpunished sexual assault, immigration) and not just the far-fetched protocols of 21st-century “dark” drama. Tonight’s finale sees Sandrine in a fateful confrontation, and David facing down his party leader. David Stubbs
Marcella, 9pm, ITV
Anna Friel is suitably fraught as the cop blighted by blackouts. This week, Marcella’s ex-husband Jason comes round and sends her into one of her trademark fugues. As the investigation into the case of the murdered schoolboy rumbles on, it emerges that convicted child abuser Phil Dawkins has been following Marcella’s son Edward. Hannah Verdier
Electric Dreams, 10pm, Channel 4
Latest in the series of standalone short films based on the stories of Philip K Dick. Autofac is a prophetic parable set in a war-ruined US city of the near future, where the inhabitants find themselves in a struggle of wits with a sinister AI-powered corporate entity as ruthless as it is faceless. Andrew Mueller
Action Team, 10pm, ITV2
It’s 007 meets The Naked Gun in a silly sitcom about a group of spies, led by co-writer Tom Davis as in-yer-face agent Logan. Subtle it’s not – sample line: “Your penis is hanging out” (and it is) – this does have a kind of manic energy that’s impossible to deny. First mission: what is the secret of “Abacus”? Jonathan Wright
Film choice
The Walk 9pm, Sony Movie Channel
The story of Philippe Petit’s 1974 tightrope walk between the World Trade Center’s twin towers has been told before, in the 2008 doc Man on Wire, but Robert Zemeckis’ terrifyingly realistic dramatised version hoists the viewer right up there with the French daredevil, played here by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Paul Howlett
Live sport
Test cricket: South Africa v Australia, 8am, Sky Sports Main Event. The final day from Durban.
Premier League football: Crystal Palace v Manchester United, 7pm, Sky Sports Main Event. The Eagles welcome Mourinho’s European contenders.
Tennis: New York Tie-Break Tens, 12midnight, Sky Sports Main Event. Matches reduced to tie-breaks.
