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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Hollie Richardson, Phil Harrison, Graeme Virtue and Hannah Verdier

TV tonight: Tom Allen at the helm of a new nautical comedy gameshow

Tom Allen hosts The Island
Captain Tom Allen hosts The Island. Photograph: Nic Serpell-Rand/UKTV

The Island

10pm, Dave

In this new comedy gameshow, Capt Tom Allen is running a fantasy ship – except the ship has sunk and passengers Sara Pascoe, Johnny Vegas, Ninia Benjamin and Ahir Shah each need to run to a nearby desert island and win points. From naming their nations to making ceramic busts of themselves, the mixed bag of bizarre point-winning tasks provide some easygoing escapism. Trusty deckhands Kemah Bob and Jason Forbes are also on hand to bring “live” reports from the islands. Hollie Richardson

MasterChef

8pm, BBC One

The annual cooking contest returns, and the initial audition round has a twist: John and Gregg won’t be meeting the contenders as they prepare the meals. Instead, they’ll be receiving them in the deliberately intimidating new MasterChef Tasting Room. Phil Harrison

Interior Design Masters With Alan Carr

9pm, BBC One

The eight remaining designers need to revamp the house common rooms of a Bristol school. They have £3,000 and two days to transform these scuffed-up spaces into something cool (or, indeed, “peng”). As for Alan Carr, he seems jittery about going back to school: “I’m worried about getting nits!” Graeme Virtue

Oleg in The Distant Barking of Dogs.
‘We’re men, we have to be able to endure everything’ … Oleg in The Distant Barking of Dogs. Photograph: Simon Lereng Wilmont/BBC/Final Cut for Real

Storyville: The Distant Barking of Dogs

10pm, BBC Four

“We’re men, we have to be able to endure everything,” says 10-year-old Oleg in the timely TV debut of this 2017 documentary, which follows his life in the Donbas region of Ukraine during conflict. Over 12 months, we see how his family’s lives are soundtracked by shooting and bombs – and yet they refuse to move to safety. HR

Love in the Flesh

10pm, BBC Three

Five couples, who have only ever chatted online, meet for the first time. Endearing host Zara McDermott invites them to an island “so idyllic it can fast-track any relationship”, and, yet, she says no couple is immune to “tests at every turn”. Prepare for those awkward first introductions. HR

Bloods

10pm, Sky Comedy

In this hit-and-miss comedy, new staff counsellor George (Katherine Kelly) has her work cut out when she tries to improve team morale – and empathy-free boss Jo (Lucy Punch) is delighted with her frustration. Elsewhere, Darrell is worried he might be deported back to Australia. Hannah Verdier

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