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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Hannah Verdier, Jonathan Wright, Graeme Virtue, Sophie Harris, Phil Harrison, Mark Gibbings-Jones, Ben Arnold, Paul Howlett

Wednesday’s best TV – Peaky Blinders, Detectorists, Raped: My Story

Peaky Blinders, BBC Two.
Peaky Blinders, BBC Two. Photograph: Robert Viglasky/BBC/Caryn Mandabach/Robert Viglasky

Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets
8pm, BBC One

The mighty M-Bez brings her grace and tastebuds to some of the nation’s loveliest stately homes in this new series. Her first stop is Highclere Castle in Hampshire, the real Downton Abbey. As well as checking out both the upstairs and downstairs, Berry takes a trip to the kitchen and whips up a dinner including cannon of lamb and gooseberry fool with honey biscuits and raspberry tartlets. A gentle watch with delicious-looking food. Hannah Verdier

Peaky Blinders
9pm, BBC Two

And so, with the mafia pursuing a vendetta, Tommy takes the Shelbys back to Small Heath. Declaring “peace” with his relatives, he prepares to wage war on his enemies, but can he really prevail against “an organisation of a different dimension”? It helps that a post-noose Polly living on “extra” time – “When you’re dead already, you’re free” – is prepared to act as his consigliere. Terrific, again. Adrien Brody and Aidan Gillen add Hollywood-level star power. Jonathan Wright

Violent Men: Behind Bars
9pm, Channel 4

Final instalment of the sobering documentary series filmed over the course of a year in HMP Shotts, a Scottish prison for long-term offenders. Part one featured cagey but reflective testimony from murderers aware they were never likely to be released; part two focuses on violent criminals who, after prolonged periods of incarceration, are now uneasily facing up to the prospect of returning to a much-changed society. Graeme Virtue

Raped: My Story
9pm, Channel 5

For as long as something is not talked about, it can be denied and minimised – superficially. But for the generations of women and men who have lived in fear of talking about rape, its impact has never diminished. Now, with the public naming of high-profile sexual abusers and the #metoo movement, a larger conversation is finally happening. In this documentary, 10 survivors share their experiences of rape; a studio discussion of the issues raised follows. Sophie Harris

Detectorists
10pm, BBC Four

We begin with Lance dreaming about going metal detecting with Linda Lusardi (she finds a Kestrel Super ring-pull). But the whole of Detectorists is dreamlike, merging bathos with moments of quiet revelation. There’s mild turbulence for Andy and Lance – Andy and Becky’s attempts to buy a house hit a snag while Lance’s plans for a romantic weekend are stymied. But really, this is simply a charming meditation on friendship, nature and modest lives lived well. Phil Harrison

The Zodiac Killer: Case Closed?
9pm, History

The US’s most notorious serial killer has confounded authorities for almost 50 years, but LAPD homicide detectives Sal LaBarbera and Ken Mains hope to change that. Tackling the case using modern techniques and systems, a new investigation aims to discern undiscovered patterns from Zodiac’s complex ciphers. With new information fuelling their investigation, could one of the coldest cases in criminal history finally begin to thaw? Mark Gibbings-Jones

The Healer
10pm, TLC

Charlie Goldsmith is a genial chap and an “energy healer”. With his sidekick, Amber, he travels the US meeting people with medical issues who are at their wits’ end. Such as Diamond, who has complex regional pain syndrome and uses a wheelchair. Goldsmith closes his eyes for a bit, does his energy thing, and soon enough she is weeping and walking around the living room. The reaction seems sincere, and he doesn’t feel like a thundering fraud, so who knows what’s going on? Ben Arnold

TV films

Intruders (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 2011) 2.15am, Channel 4

A creepy story in which a boy in Spain and a girl in London are haunted by a terrifying hooded figure. The strands develop in parallel: the girl and mother seeking the help of a priest, the boy and father (Clive Owen) contacting a psychotherapist. Fresnadillo creates an eerily disturbing atmosphere, although it lacks the dark brilliance of his debut, Intacto. Paul Howlett

Live sport

Curling: European Championships 1pm, Eurosport 2. Coverage of the round-robin stage in St Gallen, Switzerland.

Uefa Champions League Football: Qarabag FK v Chelsea 4.30pm, BT Sport 2. A group game, with FC Basel v Manchester United to follow.

Ashes Cricket: England v Australia 11pm, BT Sport 1. The first day of the eagerly awaited Test series from the Gabba in Brisbane.

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