Victoria
9pm, ITV
The “will-they-won’t-they” waltz continues, as our tiny heroine cold-shoulders her future husband (“Albert is such a prig, I’d rather marry Robert Peel.” Lord Melbourne: “I wonder what Lady Peel would say to that.”), although pulses race in the woods, where her quietly smouldering cousin proves a dab hand with an injured Dash. Elsewhere, the Queen learns about these new-fangled postage stamps: “So everyone who wants to send a letter will have to lick my face?” Ali Catterall
First Day at Big School
7pm, Channel 5
Educating Yorkshire meets The Secret Life Of 4 Year Olds in this appropriately timed new documentary. The film follows children as they strike up friendships, establish a pecking order and attempt to out-count each other to 100. Tears and tantrums are inevitable when there are cameras in your face and you’re desperate for a nap, but the kids’ one-liners make this show as heartwarming as its predecessors. Grace Rahman
Scotland and the Battle for Britain
8pm, BBC2
The implications of Brexit for a country determined to stay in the EU mean that Scotland’s role in UK politics hasn’t carried so much weight in decades. Hence this two-part programme presented by Andrew Marr, which begins by examining the shift in power that has occurred since the 1950s, with the Unionists giving way to Labour, who have ceded to the SNP. Informative and handsomely presented, with contributions from Nicola Sturgeon and Tony Blair. David Stubbs
Poldark
9pm, BBC1
The pulpy, never desperately subtle, melodrama continues with Aidan Turner’s Ross facing the noose at Bodmin Assizes. An earlier case suggests a hanging judge and there’s a hint of revolutionary fervour abroad in Cornwall that would appear to make leniency unlikely. To make matters worse, Demelza is trying to butter up the judge and turning him against her beloved in the process. Is Ross going to swing? At this early stage in the series, don’t expect the unexpected. Phil Harrison
Jimmy Carr and the Science of Laughter: A Horizon Special
9pm, BBC2
Snobs balk at celeb-fronted science but Jimmy Carr delivers a textbook Horizon here, in the sense that it’s half an hour of solid info in an hour-long slot. Carr uses a studio audience, boffins and his own skills to explore why and how humans laugh, in a programme that elaborately demonstrates simple facts. It does improve late on when it’s just the experts explaining stuff, including a new theory of what comedy is. Jack Seale
World of the Wild
6pm, Nat Geo Wild
A double bill of sumptuous nature programming looking at how animals develop and survive as they face threats from environmental changes. First up are wetlands, with a look at the creatures that live in swamps, marshes and lagoons, from birds to feisty saltwater crocodiles. At 6.30pm, it’s deserts, exploring the lives of the surprisingly diverse wildlife that can survive in the kind of heat that would have humans reaching for the factor 50. Hannah Verdier
Suits
10pm, Dave
This machine-tooled procedural about sharply attired corporate lawyers in New York took a sharp turn in its sixth season, chucking co-lead Mike Ross – a charismatic associate with a photographic memory but no actual law degree – in jail. After eight episodes of frantic legal scrambling and dicey backroom deals, it looks as if Mike is getting out. But his inmate nemesis Gallo (who looks a lot like Father Phil from The Sopranos) is not happy about it. Graeme Virtue
Film choices
Out of Sight
(Steven Soderbergh, 1998), 10.15pm, ITV3
This hip and witty thriller brought indie star Soderbergh storming into the mainstream. Scriptwriter Scott “Get Shorty” Frank plots an intricate, expert path through Elmore Leonard’s twisty novel, and hangs on to the master’s snappy dialogue. Meanwhile, George Clooney’s bank robber and Jennifer Lopez’s federal marshal fizz with odd-couple chemistry. Paul Howlett
Edge of Darkness
(Martin Campbell, 2010), 11.45pm, BBC1
This remake of the BBC’s excellent 1985 conspiracy thriller stars Mel Gibson as detective Thomas Craven, investigating the shocking murder of his activist daughter (Bojana Novakovic) and following a tangled trail through corporate coverup and political collusion. It lacks the complexity and abiding sense of menace of the TV series but it’s still a powerfully gripping movie with big action scenes. PH
Point Blank
(Fred Cavayé, 2010), 12 midnight, BBC2
Like Cavayé’s Anything For Her, this is a story about an apparently ordinary man proving to be extremely resourceful in exceptional (criminal) circumstances. Here, the hero is Gilles Lellouche’s hospital worker who is forced to help gangsters when they threaten his pregnant wife. A terrific flight across Paris ensues; Cavayé is really very good at this stuff. PH
Today’s best live sport
Paralympics 2016 1pm, Channel 4 Ade Adepitan and Arthur Williams present coverage on day four in Rio, featuring athletics, women’s para-triathlon, rowing and swimming action.
Cycling: Tour Of Britain 2pm, ITV4 Coverage of the eighth and final stage of the race, a street circuit in central London.
Premier League Football: Swansea City v Chelsea 3.30pm, Sky Sports 1 Action from the Liberty Stadium.
