Who Do You Think You Are?
8pm, BBC1
Investigating your family tree is no mean feat when you don’t have a surname, but “pop star Cheryl” (nee Tweedy, later Cole and Fernandez-Versini) bravely takes on the challenge. With a dad who is “geordie to the core”, her journey begins in Newcastle. While Cheryl’s sweet, soft tones could send even the most dedicated genealogy fan to sleep, there is a world of sailors and strong women to be uncovered in the north-east and beyond. Hannah Verdier
Close to the Enemy
9pm, BBC2
Waiting for the strands of Stephen Poliakoff’s ambling saga to entwine? Keep waiting. The penultimate episode continues to play like a pile of interstitial scenes from several different, handsomely filmed, wartime dramas. Among the few characters who further their narrative are the increasingly frayed Victor (Freddie Highmore) and his brother Callum (Jim Sturgess), who is anguished by Victor’s antics but doesn’t seem bothered by much else. Jack Seale
Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream
9pm, BBC4
Second instalment of Simon Sebag Montefiore’s terrific three-parter recalling Vienna’s centuries as Europe’s cultural and political capital. This episode recalls the Hapsburgs’ peak: the golden age following the defeat of the Ottomans in 1683, when their city flourished on all fronts, give or take the odd occupation by Napoleon. To a soundtrack of Beethoven and Mozart, they sowed the seeds of modernity – and their own demise. Andrew Mueller
The Young Pope
9pm, Sky Atlantic
And so, we must say farewell for now to the elegantly chain-smoking Pope Jude Law I, as the first season of Paolo Sorrentino’s fine series bows out with a double bill. As a paedophile case rages on and a cache of letters relating to Pius XIII (Law) emerges, the pontiff prepares to make a momentous public appearance. As ever, Diane Keaton’s presence reminds us of its subtle nods – in tone, pace and gravitas – to The Godfather. David Stubbs
Xmas Excess: Parents Splash the Cash
8pm, Channel 5
Last year, Emma Tapping made news (well, the Mail) for having the temerity to Instagram a photo of her Christmas tree, buried in £1,500-worth of pressies for her kids. This almost entirely meritless documentary follows her doing her seasonal shopping, while also introducing us to Irene, wife of an oil tycoon, who spends filthy great wodges on chintzy jewellery for her brood. So far from educational it could even make you forget a few things. Luke Holland
Grand Designs: House of the Year
9pm, Channel 4
The wait is over, as the Royal Institute of British Architects’ house of the year 2016 is set to be revealed in this final episode of the series, but there’s still time for a quartet of properties to duke it out for the remaining place on the shortlist. Tonight’s contenders for the grand prize include an open-plan family residence located on a former allotment, and a dwelling constructed on urban wasteland from red tin pods. Mark Gibbings-Jones
Netanyahu at War
9pm, PBS America
For decades, Benjamin Netanyahu cultivated a paranoid, pessimistic view of his country’s place in the Middle East. This film documents his lifelong battle – as soldier, politician and eventually, prime minister – to defend and expand Israel. It also serves as an intriguing insight into Barack Obama’s foreign policy – there was conspicuously little love lost between the pair. Like most PBS films, it’s comprehensive, almost to a fault. Phil Harrison
Film choice
The Ghost (Roman Polanski, 2010) 1.05am, Film4
Polanski channels the edgy suspense of earlier works such as Knife in the Water and Frantic in this polished screen version of Robert Harris’s novel. Ewan McGregor plays a writer ferried into a wintry Martha’s Vineyard to ghost the memoirs of Blairish former PM Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), who is struggling to defend his dodgy record. There’s a gnawing sense of physical danger in what is an expertly crafted thriller. Paul Howlett
Live Sport
Snooker: Scottish Open Day four from the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. 11.45am, Eurosport 1
Championship Football: Coventry City v Sheffield United Coverage of the game from the Ricoh Arena. 7.30pm, Sky Sports 1
Test Cricket: India v England The concluding Test of the series begins at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. 3.30am, Sky Sports 2
