Britain’s Next Prime Minister: The ITV Debate
8pm, ITV
Recent Tory leadership TV debates have been characterised by no-shows, playground mud-slinging and empty rhetoric. Let’s hope tonight’s showdown between Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson proves more substantial. Referee Julie Etchingham will do her best to elicit actual answers. Mike Bradley
Charles I: Downfall of a King
9pm, BBC Four
Over three consecutive nights this week, the historian Lisa Hilton recreates and explains a tempestuous 50-day period – November 1641 to January 1642 – that shook the foundations of the British state and led to nine years of civil war and, ultimately, regicide. In an intelligently assembled opener, we find King Charles in Edinburgh while the leader of the house, John Pym, plots a move to limit the king’s power, resulting in a battle between the pair that escalates out of control. Dramatic reconstructions and new history make for good television. MB
Atomic Age Declassified
8pm, Smithsonian Channel
This three-parter, based on files released in the 1990s, starts with a brisk tour of cold war brushes with oblivion. After a mania for unmasking communists claimed victims such as the atomic scientist Robert Oppenheimer, the US narrowly avoided war with the USSR, then nearly nuked itself by mistake. Jack Seale
Judi Dench’s Wild Borneo Adventure
9pm, ITV
A delightful finale to a lovely series. This time, Dame Judi Dench travels down the Kinabatangan river and along the island’s coastline encountering saltwater crocs, a serpentine secret agent with a Bond connection and an orphaned orangutan called Happy. Plus, we get to see her tattoo. MB
Cyclists: Menace on Our Roads?
9.15pm, Channel 5
The relationship between cyclists and drivers on UK roads seems to get more fractious every day, and this documentary is unlikely to inspire a truce. A trio of loquacious cabbies, a traffic cop and a militant cyclist who takes hostile drivers to task are among the talking heads sharing forthright views. Graeme Virtue
Drag SOS
10pm, Channel 4
The Family Gorgeous head to Scarborough to help more people find their inner fabulousness. Fleur, who is struggling to come to terms with her weight gain, is hoping her new drag persona will boost her confidence, while fitness instructor Mark goes way out of his comfort zone, in heels. Hannah Verdier
Film choice
Loveless (Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2017) 11.25pm, Film4
Another painful parable of modern Russia from Andrey Zvyagintsev. Boris and Zhenya share a flat, although their marriage has collapsed. After a row, their anguished son Alyosha disappears: a heartbreaking event that only feeds their rage in a bitter, mournful tale of dysfunction. Paul Howlett
Live sport
World Cup cricket: semi-final 9.30am, Sky Sports Main Event. To Old Trafford to discover the identity of the first finalist.
Cycling: Tour De France 10.45am, Eurosport 1; 11am, ITV4. Featuring a flat 133-mile (213.5km) course from Reims to Nancy.
Tennis: Wimbledon 12.30pm, BBC Two. More from the All-England Club as we approach the final stages of the tournament.
