The Lost Symbol
9pm, Sky Max
Ron Howard, director of the Robert Langdon film franchise, co-producies on its 10-part prequel series, The Lost Symbol – which does exactly what it says on the Dan Brown-Da Vinci Code tin (read: cryptology thriller). For those unfamiliar with the books, the show follows Harvard professor Langdon (Ashley Zukerman), who finds himself pulled into a complex mystery when his former mentor is kidnapped. Hollie Richardson
Mary Berry: Love to Cook
8pm, BBC Two
Grab a notepad because Berry goes like the clappers: within 10 minutes this week, she’s discovered white miso paste and marinated prawns in it, been to Norfolk to try two types of tofu, then come home again to pickle some leftover veg and make Norwegian seed bread. She leaves plenty of time to hit Brixton for some Nigerian scran. Jack Seale
Nadiya’s Fast Flavours
8.30pm, BBC Two
The beloved Bake Off star’s new series continues to bring some excitement into the kitchen after endless pandemic cooking. This week’s recipes include a reworking of a classic Louisiana sandwich and a dish of sweet-and-sour prawns. The food looks good but, be honest, it’s Hussain’s stories and easy manner we’re here for. Henry Wong
Sort Of
9pm, Sky Comedy
After the confident opener of Bilal Baig’s new comedy, it continues with a double bill. Dreams of moving to Berlin are very much on hold for Sabi, who is committed to trying to keep Bessy’s family together while she’s in hospital – but playing Mary Poppins is never an easy task. HR
Cheltenham Literature Festival 2021 Highlights
10.30pm, Sky Arts
Bookworms, gather round: here’s the first of a four-part highlights reel from this year’s outing for the world’s oldest literary festival. Tonight: Booker prize winner Bernardine Evaristo charts her career, Anita Rani and novelist Nikesh Shukla discuss race relations, and Ruth Ozeki reflects on teenage turbulence. HR
Unapologetic
11.05pm, Channel 4
The first full-series commission from Channel 4’s pioneering Black to Front initiative strides forward confidentlyIn its second week, the late-night talkshow offers nuanced debates on sex and relationships, with topics from consent to dating apps. Hannah J Davies
Film choice
Charulata (Satyajit Ray, 1964), 3am, Channel 4
Based on a novel by Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray’s moving 1964 drama is one of the great Indian writer-director’s most effective explorations of tangled romantic relationships. In Kolkata in the late 19th century, bored young wife Charulata (Madhabi Mukherjee) finds her intellect and creativity stimulated when her husband, political newspaper editor Bhupati (Shailen Mukherjee), invites his would-be poet cousin Amal (Ray favourite Soumitra Chatterjee) to stay and entertain her. As their friendship deepens, she finds herself falling for the handsome, soulful Amal. Simon Wardell
