The Handmaid’s Tale
9pm, Channel 4
America as a theocratic, feudalistic dictatorship, warped by war and desecrated by pollution? A fanciful premise – although this adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel undeniably feels slightly more pertinent now than it might have done a year ago. Elisabeth Moss is mutely expressive as Offred, one of the titular handmaids enslaved for breeding purposes. It’s taut and claustrophobic, evoking an atmosphere that’s simultaneously aberrant and grimly mundane. Phil Harrison
The Life Swap Adventure
8pm, BBC2
New series in which Brits briefly swap lives with counterparts from opposite sides of the world to explore other ways of being. This week, John, a fire officer and management consultant, trades places with George from Malawi, who is eager to revive the fortunes of his ailing farm. It’s a deeply moving experience for John, who pines for lost family connections, while George, despite initial wide-eyed naivety, has a more practical epiphany. David Stubbs
The Durrells
8pm, ITV
The sun-dappled treat reaches its last episode with a new arrival when the very pregnant Leonora turns up to clean the house. High drama follows as her waters break, but with Dr Petrides juggling two deliveries, will he make it in time? Elsewhere, Margo has two men fighting over her and there’s trouble down at the orchard. Keeley Hawes has been a real treasure, leading plenty of gently funny moments as the family continue to charm in Corfu. Hannah Verdier
Grantchester
9pm, ITV
Series three of Grantchester winds up with Sidney drafting his letter of resignation from the church – the church that regards his love for the soon-to-be-divorced Amanda as shameful. Their plans appear to involve leaving Grantchester for good, and while some applaud his decision, others – such as Leonard and Mrs Maguire – have a rather different reaction. But when a child from the village is abducted, Sidney finds that the community needs him more than ever. Ben Arnold
Paul Hollywood’s Big Continental Road Trip
9pm, BBC2
Despite defecting to Channel 4, the Bake Off judge is back on the Beeb for a new European travelogue (perhaps the ink was dry on the contract before he made the controversial move). This opener finds him driving through Italy with Strictly’s Bruno Tonioli, presumably selected to add authenticity. Entertaining stuff, though Hollywood drooling over a £2m Pagani supercar (“I’ve fallen for it”) does feel a little gratuitous. Hannah J Davies
Mercy Street
8pm, Drama
It is 1862, and Alexandria, Virginia, is a Union town just across the border from Confederate territory. It is also a place where spies, wounded soldiers, prostitutes and runaway slaves meet and mix. Enter abolitionist nurse Mary Phinney (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), sent to Mansion House, a hotel that’s been turned into a makeshift hospital. Some earnest dialogue (“Blood is not grey or blue”) aside, a rather better drama than its cancellation after two series might suggest. Jonathan Wright
Twin Peaks: The Return
2am, Sky Atlantic
After the extraordinary opening, it’s clear that Twin Peaks has grown to include all the digital horror of Lynch’s subsequent film-making. Once a noir soap, it now feels more like a supernatural road movie, a bad trip across state lines and psychic dimensions. So far it’s been about the exchange between Good Dale/Bad Dale and the Black Lodge. This next double will hopefully have more about the role of Jeffries, and the progress of Hawk’s mission. John Robinson
Film choice
The Damned United, (Tom Hooper, 2009), 10.30pm, BBC2
This account of Brian Clough’s hellish 44-day stint as manager of Leeds United, the club he hated, positively reeks of the sweat-and-embrocation of 70s football, and makes for an astringent alternative to the glitzy modern game. Michael Sheen gives 110% in his portrayal of Clough, a fine balance between football visionary and curmudgeonly old git, but the film never attains the tragic, brooding intensity of David Peace’s novel. Paul Howlett
Blue Ruin, (Jeremy Saulnier, 2013), 2.15am, Channel 4
With his hangdog face masked by shaggy hair and beard, Macon Blair’s Virginia drifter Dwight is not your average avenger. But when the man convicted of murdering his parents is released from jail he stumbles into ineptly bloody action that endangers his sister (Amy Hargreaves) and her daughters. Director-writer Saulnier’s lean and vicious low-budget thriller depicts revenge as messy as can be: fear-filled, with one violent act leading inexorably to the next. Paul Howlett
Ils, (David Moreau, Xavier Palud, 2006), 3am, Horror Channel
Franco-Romanian horror gets clever and classy as Ils cuts straight to the chase. A young French couple (Olivia Bonamy and Michaël Cohen) staying in a crumbly mansion in the forest are beset by a bunch of malevolent, hooded strangers. The characters are credible, the situation breathlessly real and the tension builds horribly. Paul Howlett
Live sport
Tennis: French Open The opening day’s Grand Slam play from Roland Garros. 9.30am, ITV4
Rugby Union: England v Barbarians Eddie Jones’s England team face the invitiational XV at Twickenham. 2.30pm, Sky Sports 2
Formula 1: The Monaco Grand Prix The sixth round of the season from a circuit where Louis Hamilton was victorious last year. 12.35pm, Channel 4
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