Railways: The Making of a Nation
7.30pm, BBC1
Bitterly amusing to anyone who attempts to commute to work, one of the ideas propounded here is that trains changed the concept of time. But they really did. Before the rail network, as historian Liz McIvor explains, Britain had local time zones. After this Victorian innovation came a unified system, and a social revolution beginning with freedom of movement and a burgeoning national identity. Tonight, England’s regions will see different episodes of what promises to be an informative and entertaining series. All the episodes will then be shown on BBC4 (beginning on Thursday, 8pm). John Robinson
The Great British Bake Off
8pm, BBC1
After a pastry week with results ranging from splendid amuse bouches to a right old filo mess, the seven remaining bakers face botanical week, dishing out flavours inspired by nature. Uncle Paul has a technical challenge that requires patience and a steady hand, and the showstopper is a tricky mistress. As nerves fray, Mel and Sue lighten the mood, leaving it difficult to imagine anyone else stepping into their shoes. Hannah Verdier
Britain’s Lost Masterpieces
9pm, BBC4
Britain’s publicly owned art collection consists of more than 200,000 paintings, just 20% of which are on display at any one time. What of the rest? Beginning in Swansea, Dr Bendor Grosvenor and Jacky Klein go in search of artworks that may be more significant than previously realised. Is there a neglected treasure to be found in south Wales? Plus, the life of Josef Herman, famed for his paintings of miners. Jonathan Wright
Ross Kemp: Extreme World
9pm, Sky1
Filmed last year, before Farc leaders and the Colombian government called a historic ceasefire on a 50-year civil war, Ross Kemp discovers the cocaine trade is making the peace process almost impossible. Here, he talks to a former journalist forced to give up his job when he and his pregnant wife were shot, and drug gangs who say they like to kill more people in December. Why? So the victims’ families suffer more at Christmas. Ali Catterall
World of Weird
10pm, Channel 4
A second series for the amusing if largely pointless show which sees millennial TV faces squirm at oddities from across the globe. First up, comedian Joel Dommett meets Pricasso, an Australian artist famed for creating portraits with his penis (yes, really), Ayo Akinwolere discovers the Texan “vampires” who obviously thought that Dracula was a touching love story, and Geordie Shore’s Vicky Pattison goes undercover in full-body Lycra as she explores Japanese zentai culture. Hannah J Davies
Unspun with Matt Forde
10pm, Dave
British TV is not suffering a noticeable dearth of bumptious comics taking a sideways look at the news, but rarely are the consequences amusing. The holy grail of such television – a marque to stand alongside Jon Stewart-era Daily Show or John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight – remains, on this Atlantic shore, ungrasped. Forde’s effort is the latest, and – at this admittedly early stage in its development – seems unlikely to change that. Andrew Mueller
Four to the Floor
12.05am, Channel 4
Third series of the increasingly vital youth culture magazine show, which drills down to the UK’s underground currents of music, art, design and fashion to present new talent in a pacy, experimental showcase that avoids any Nathan Barleyisms. This opening episode spotlights cosmic jazz crew United Vibrations, Bristol breakbeat-slinger Lone, post-grime rappers 808INK and Neverland Clan, a multi-disciplinary DIY collective. Graeme Virtue
Film choice
Bullitt (Peter Yates, 1968) 10pm, ITV4
Steve McQueen’s laconic San Francisco cop, Frank Bullitt, was a role model for many a detective to come, and so cool he makes Clint’s Dirty Harry look hysterical. But McQueen also makes the character believable: a committed man feeling genuine anger at the corrupt politician (Robert Vaughn) he doggedly trails, while embroiled in a shaky relationship with girlfriend Jacqueline Bisset. The celebrated car chase, up and over the hilly ’Frisco streets, was another first of its kind. Paul Howlett
Live sport
Live WTA Tennis: Wuhan Open Coverage of day four from China. 12pm, BT Sport 1
Champions League football: Celtic v Manchester City Action from the matchday two Group C clash. Arsenal v Basel is also available via the red button. 7pm, BT Sport 2
College football The latest American college football news and action, with analysis and live interviews. 11.30pm, BT Sport & ESPN
