Inside the Factory
8pm, BBC2
“I bet Gregg Wallace can assemble a mean bicycle!” said nobody ever, yet here we are, observing the MasterChef overlord as he heads to the Brompton bike factory in west London for another fun, disjointed look at Britain’s industries. Meanwhile, co-host Cherry Healey investigates a new breed of van that could make cycling safer, while historian Ruth Goodman explores the role of pedal power in the first world war. Hannah J Davies
The Dog Rescuers With Alan Davies
8pm, Channel 5
Gather a stack of tissues and throw a bone-shaped biscuit to your furry loved one, because Alan Davies is here with more tales of canine suffering. This week, there are suspicions a couple of St Bernards are being mistreated, while seven American bulldog pups are going hungry because their mum can’t provide the nutrition they need. Torture for dog lovers, but Davies has a gentle bedside manner, and it’s heartwarming to see some happy endings. Hannah Verdier
Heroes of Helmand: The British Army’s Great Escape
9pm, Channel 4
When British troops deployed to the Taliban heartland of Helmand in Afghanistan in 2006, the then defence secretary John Reid declared: “We would be happy to leave in three years’ time without firing one shot.” This proved optimistic. This film, which features interviews with – and footage shot by – veterans, recalls the brutal siege of the Musa Qala outpost by the Taliban, and the eventual extraction of the soldiers. Andrew Mueller
An Hour to Save Your Life
9pm, BBC2
“Essentially,” says surgeon Simon, “we scalp the patient.” This series celebrating modern emergency medicine is uplifting, but occasionally icky viewing. Simon is talking about the reconstruction of a patient’s face after a car crash, but there’s also a forklift accident and another road incident to reckon with. Respite from the gore comes in the shape of explorations of new technology, including mobile brain-scanners and 3D CT scanners. Phil Harrison
Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes
9pm, More4
Phil Spencer continues his tour of the UK’s stately homes, visiting Castle Howard outside York, home to the Howard family for more than 300 years and the location used for Brideshead Revisited. It took more than 100 years to build, it has 140 rooms and it used to have its own railway station. Phil is welcomed by Nick Howard, who was born and raised there – as a child, he would rollerskate around the miles of halls and corridors. Ben Arnold
Borderline
10pm, Channel 5
The Met meet Northend Airport’s border-force team as this border-control spoof continues. It’s a crime-cracking coupling as likely as Sherlock and Eamonn Holmes, yet Proctor’s posse are tasked with processing a criminal who is arriving by plane. Was their dedication to duty the reason for their selection? Or is it merely that Northend is dreary enough to deter press attention? Either way, with all other activity on hold, idling about doing nothing is the day’s main task. So, business as usual. Mark Gibbings-Jones
Outcast
10pm, Fox
While it was never likely to overshadow writer Robert Kirkman’s monster hit The Walking Dead, possession-themed chiller Outcast has combined dreamily gothic imagery and nasty bursts of violence to often memorable effect. In tonight’s finale, mismatched exorcists Patrick Fugit and Philip Glenister attempt to purge their West Virginian home town of demonic influence, even as some inhabitants welcome the diabolical influx. Graeme Virtue
Olympic choice
It’s time for the Trott as Essex’s favourite daughter Laura goes for gold in one of her two specialist events, the omnium (9.05pm, BBC1), but not before we visit Guanabara Bay, where Giles Scott will be favourite to win in the men’s finn sailing class (5pm, BBC1), and Copacabana, where Jack Burnell takes on the men’s 10km open swim (1pm, BBC2). Finally, there’s the women’s 1,500m and the men’s 110m hurdles final on the track (from 2.30am, BBC1). Paul MacInnes
Film choice
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest (Daniel Alfredson, 2009), 12.40am, Film4
The final chapter of Stieg Larsson’s Nordic noir sees Noomi Rapace’s smart but wounded heroine Lisbeth Salander haul herself out of intensive care to tackle her homicidal half-brother, rogue members of the Section and the psychologist who condemned her to an asylum. Fortunately, she still has steadfast, crusading journo Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) on her side. Paul Howlett
