Cradle To Grave
9pm, BBC2
Danny Baker’s cosy sitcom-memoir is starting to feel more like a TV show than a pile of anecdotes, with not quite so many gags you’d say were cliched or telegraphed if an unknown writer had invented them. Young Danny rashly agrees to buy a hot VCR – has he inherited the knack of quickly finding a few quid? Meanwhile, magic patriarch Fred tries to steal a shipment of sherry from under the noses of the docks’ new jobsworth security guards. Peter Kay’s south London accent is bedding in too, slowly. Jack Seale
Stephen Fry In Central America
9pm, ITV
It is well known in showbiz circles that there are actually half a dozen Stephen Frys currently at work in TV, all cloned from the original, who one suspects has his feet put up watching himself on multiple channels. This particular Fry continues his transatlantic travels in Costa Rica, a haven of ecotourism noted for prospering peaceably despite having no army. Fry explores volcanoes, goes white-water rafting and meets poison-dart frogs before moving on to Panama where he pays a visit to the Guna people. David Stubbs
Hunted
9pm, Channel 4
Hunted continues with brothers Harinder and Davinder Singh from Leicester now hoping to evade the clutches of Brett Lovegrove, former head of counter terrorism for the City of London, and his team of surveillance experts. They decide to hide within their network of family and friends, but time away from home takes its toll. Meanwhile, Dr Ricky Allen is still on the run in Scotland, with psychological profiler Julie Clegg unearthing his plans to get hold of cash. But the good doctor plans to turn the tables. Ben Arnold
Calculating Ada: The Countess Of Computing
9pm, BBC4
Mathematician Hannah Fry presents this profile of Ada Lovelace: countess, gambler, steampunk godhead and belatedly acknowledged author of the world’s first computer program. The estranged daughter of Lord Byron, Lovelace was a unique combination of visionary artist and pathbreaking scientist, foretelling a future of artificial intelligence amid the brass cogs and punchcards of 1840s tech. Fry also meets Sydney Padua, a comic artist enchanted by Lovelace’s short life. Graeme Virtue
Titchmarsh On Capability Brown
9pm, More4
Alan Titchmarsh’s horticultural hero is Lancelot “Capability” Brown, which certainly explains those episodes of Ground Force where the earth moved most spectacularly for those whose gardens were remade. But that’s all small beer compared to the project here, as the Duchess of Rutland enlists Alan’s help in bringing to life one of Brown’s last great works, based on plans for Belvoir Castle that were long thought lost. Cue tree planting on an epic scale, the creation of lakes, and Alan exploring Brown’s life and work. Jonathan Wright
Three Kinds Of Stupid
9pm, Sky Arts
The channel’s series re-exploring the merits of silent comedy continues with this piece starring Seann Walsh, Marek Larwood and Jocelyn Jee Esien – one of whom accidentally kills the guide dog of a blind man, played with customary gravity by Vic Reeves. Any comedy involving Reeves invariably involves the surreal use of food, and so it is that the death of the hound is caused by a prawn sandwich. The hapless trio must now convince Reeves that his dog is still alive. Non-verbal hilarity ensues. David Stubbs
The Special Needs Hotel
10pm, Channel 5
There appear to be essentially two sorts of Channel 5 documentary. One is the barely disguised sniggering at the impoverished and vulnerable, the other – as if in compensation – is the uplifting struggle against the odds. The Special Needs Hotel is one of the latter, tracking the efforts of people with learning disabilities to learn the hospitality trade at Foxes Academy and Hotel in Minehead. If one can suspend cynicism at Channel 5’s own cynicism, it’s tremendous. This final episode focuses on three students preparing to graduate. Andrew Mueller
Film choices
Gangs Of New York (Martin Scorsese, 2002) 9pm, Sky Atlantic
Scorsese’s epic adaptation of Herbert Asbury’s book may not be the classic he intended, but it’s still a visceral powerhouse of a movie. It’s set among rival gangs in the decrepit tenements of 1860s Manhattan, where something like medieval warfare is enacted on Dante Ferretti’s fantastic, monolithic sets. Young chancer Leonardo DiCaprio’s romance with Cameron Diaz is puny, but Daniel Day-Lewis’s leering gang chief is a full-on cinematic monster. Paul Howlett
Team America: World Police (Trey Parker, 2004) 9pm, Comedy Central
The heroes of this deliriously funny puppet show from the South Park team are modelled on Thunderbirds, except that this lot swear like troopers and have wild puppet sex. They are an elite squad of US agents who attack terrorists with extreme ferocity, trashing the Eiffel tower and the pyramids in the process. It’s all in hilariously bad taste. PH
Today’s best live sport
European Tour Golf: The Italian Open Coverage of the opening day. 2.30pm, Sky Sports 4
Europa League Football: Ajax v Celtic After failing to reach the Champions League, Celtic will hope for better fortune in Europe’s second-tier competition. 5.30pm, BT Sport 2
Europa League Football: Bordeaux v Liverpool Liverpool kick off their European campaign. Tottenham opening clash, against Qarabag, follows. 6pm, BT Sport Europex
