Canals – The Making Of A Nation
8pm, BBC4
Second part of Liz McIvor’s survey of Britain’s inland waterways. Tonight, she examines an unintended consequence of carving canals across the landscape. The expansion of internal transportation during the industrial revolution also advanced the sciences of geography and geology, it being difficult to successfully gouge through the earth unless you know exactly what it’s made of. The first geological map of England and Wales was created by William Smith, a surveyor on the Somerset coal canal. Andrew Mueller
New Tricks
9pm, BBC1
When it comes to fame, if you lack the talent to take your full 15-minute quota, there’s always the option of adopting an approximation of a famous face and trying to blag some reflected fame as a celebrity impersonator. Not that the superstar doppelganger life is risk-free, as the Tricksters discover when they revisit the apparent double suicide of a lookalike agency’s top acts. The glow of fame’s fickle finger soon fades, as the lookalike circuit proves as murky as the criminal underworld. Mark Gibbings-Jones
How To Get Rich: Secrets Of China
9pm, BBC3
Given recent stock-market jitters, Billie JD Porter’s consideration of money and the Chinese is timely. But don’t expect macro-level analysis; Porter’s talent is for finding out about the lives of those she encounters, and she clearly adores spending time with a family of migrant workers when they return home to the island of Hainan for New Year. Elsewhere, she hits the beach and visits the artificial archipelago of Phoenix Island, a luxurious but “eerily quiet” resort. Jonathan Wright
India: Nature’s Wonderland
9pm, BBC2
Part two of Liz Bonnin’s exploration of India’s vastly diverse landscapes and wildlife, with her special correspondents, actor Freida Pinto and mountaineer Jon Gupta. Bonnin witnesses the arrival of the demoiselle cranes in the desert town of Khichan; tens of thousands descend to feast on food left by townsfolk. Pinto then visits the mask makers of Assam, who re-enact ancient Indian tales in dazzling costume, and Gupta observes the fleet-footed tahr, the mountain goats capable of stomach-churning agility. Ben Arnold
Educating Cardiff
9pm, Channel 4
Each new series of Channel 4’s award-winning school docusoap usually takes an episode or two to bed in. But it’s already clear that Mr Norman is Educating Cardiff’s secret weapon. The gap-toothed deputy head is a tireless peacemaker, using daft jokes to de-escalate volatile behaviour even while drilling into their underlying causes. Tonight, he has his timetable dominated by two outlaw year 10s: one dishing out vigilante justice in the corridors of Willows High, the other a habitual classroom disrupter. Graeme Virtue
Ballers
10pm, Sky Atlantic
Despite earning astronomical money, US sportsmen often burn through it all and find themselves financially embarrassed when their careers are over. This excellent new comedy starring Dwayne Johnson takes a look at ex-pros struggling to build new lives. In this opener, Johnson’s Spencer Strasmore ups his post-game game following the violent death of a fellow player, working as a financial adviser (“If it drives, flies, floats or fucks, lease it”). Meanwhile, buddy Charles’s new job at a dealership gets off to an inauspicious start. David Stubbs
West Meets East
10pm, BBC4
Dominic West goes to India with old chum Sir James Mallinson to attend the Kumbh Mela. Jim (we drop the sir pretty quickly) is a yoga scholar who knows his Sanskrit and he’s about to get holy promotion from the sect he’s been living with. West frets about bathing in a river of raw sewage in Allahabad, and meets some holy men who practise ritual austerities such as always holding one arm in the air or never sitting down. It’s sweet but is basically a man whose gap year never ended inviting his famous friends along for a jolly. Julia Raeside
Film choice
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (David Fincher, 2011) 10pm, ITV2
After the twisty chills of the excellent 2009 Swedish adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s mega-seller, such a swift US remake seems superfluous, but in the event it’s a success (can we expect two equally swift versions of the new Millennium novel, The Girl In The Spider’s Web?). David “Seven” Fincher is a natural fit for the novel’s gloomy nastiness and Rooney Mara rivals Noomi Rapace as the haunted, brilliantly resourceful Lisbeth Salander, though Daniel Craig radiates a tad too much Bond aura as the investigative journo Mikael Blomkvist.
The Angels’ Share (Ken Loach, 2012) 9pm, Film4
Loach’s Cannes jury prize-winner is as warm and funny a comedy as Loach gets. It’s the story of young Glasgow chancer Robbie (Paul Brannigan, one of many non-professionals in the cast) and his community service mates who suddenly see a chance for profit, and salvation, in the form of a rare single malt whisky that’s up for auction. Just as the title refers to the 2% of whisky that evaporates in the cask, they aim to make this precious liquid disappear.
Today’s best live sport
One-Day International Cricket: England v Australia The latest game in this series of post-Ashes one-day internationals, this time from Old Trafford. 1.30pm, Sky Sports 2
Tennis: The US Open All the latest grand slam action from Flushing Meadows in New York. 4pm, Sky Sports 3
Euro 2016 Football: England v Switzerland England’s unusually straightforward qualification campaign continues with a visit from Roy Hodgson’s former charges. 7.15pm, ITV
