Rich Hall’s Red Menace
9pm, BBC Four
“They called it ‘a gadget’. Yep. Like a fidget spinner.” Welcome to another of the comedian Rich Hall’s masterly television essays in which he ponders, drily but illuminatingly, a facet of recent US history. The gadget in question was a nuclear bomb. And Hall’s subject this time is the cold war and its series of frequently comical cultural battles – which barely disguised the deadly serious purpose underpinning them. It’s a delight from start to finish; as ever, Hall combines wit, warmth and erudition to persuasive effect. Phil Harrison
MasterChef: The Professionals
8pm, BBC Two
Another run of the entertaining high-end cookery contest. The culinary odysseys will become bewilderingly complex in the weeks ahead, but we begin with a simple skills test: can our sweaty-palmed chefs knock up a ragu under the beady eyes of judges Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti? PH
The Pride of Britain Awards 2019
8pm, ITV
This award show is as glitzy as any other, only here it’s the celebs who sing the praises of unsung “ordinary” heroes. This year’s double celebration marks the event’s 20th anniversary, so we’ll be revisiting memorable past recipients as well as hearing stories of selflessness and courage. Ellen E Jones
Dublin Murders
9pm, BBC One
Finale of the overly twisty psychological crime thriller based on Tana French’s novels, and it is interrogations all round as the investigation into Katy’s murder concludes. With loose ends tied up, Rob and Cassie reunite – but will it be a happy ending for Ireland’s most unlucky detective duo? Hannah J Davies
Rick Stein’s Secret France
9pm, BBC Two
Another jaunt for Stein, who – as the BBC’s designated gastronomic wanderer – has the best job on television. Tonight’s Gallic gushing includes a stroll through Dieppe and a convincing argument for the supremacy of one-star Michelin restaurants over two- and three-star ones. Nice work, if you can get it. PH
Love and Hate Crime
10.35pm, BBC One
This documentary series about US hate crimes continues with the case of Onesimo Lopez-Ramos, a young Guatemalan killed near Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The defendant’s lawyer is initially confident of a “not guilty” verdict, but a late-in-the-tail twist changes everything. EEJ
Film choice
The Wolf of Wall Street, 9pm, Film4
Martin Scorsese has a high old time of it, revelling in the debauchery of Wall Street’s crack-and-sex-addled stockbroking princes, as described in the memoir of trader (and later, convict) Jordan Belfort. It’s done with great skill and fizzing energy, with Leonardo DiCaprio exerting all his star appeal. Paul Howlett
Live sport
Champions League Football: Barcelona v Slavia Prague 5.30pm, BT Sport 1. A Group F match from Nou Camp.
Champions League Football: Chelsea v Ajax 7pm, BT Sport 2. The Group H clash from Stamford Bridge (kick-off at 8pm).
Basketball: Kansas Jayhawks v Duke Blue Devils Midnight, BT Sport 1. From Madison Square Garden.
