The Secret Life of the Zoo
8pm, Channel 4
Olivia Colman narrates a homely tour behind the scenes at Chester Zoo. The zookeepers also commentate retrospectively on the stories that unfold, like an animal version of 24 Hours in A&E, and enjoyment will be determined by how cute you find the staff’s earnest emotional investment. Without them, it’s a nature film shot in a series of bland pens and tanks. This week’s big unknown: can a traumatised black rhino finally birth a healthy calf? Jack Seale
Peaky Blinders
9pm, BBC Two
Birmingham, 1925, and Tommy Shelby OBE, formerly the epitome of the mobster as family man, is estranged from his nearest and dearest after shopping them to the authorities. A life of “sex, freedom, whisky sours” offers only partial consolation. Enter, as the fourth season of Steven Knight’s gangster drama begins, an external threat that forces Tommy to build bridges with those he betrayed. A terrific opener, for all it’s built on a frankly outrageous plot twist. Jonathan Wright
Lifers Behind Bars
9pm, Channel 4
The first in a two-part series drawing on exclusive access to HMP Shotts in Scotland. We meet inmates at various stages of life sentences, from a newly convicted killer to a man who has spent 34 of his 49 years in jail. Although all seem to be bald, middle-aged and bespectacled, their responses to incarceration vary; one is so adamant of his innocence he refuses to take part in the programmes necessary to secure his parole. Another has turned to God. David Stubbs
Venus Uncovered: Ancient Goddess of Love
9pm, BBC Four
Velázquez’s 17th-century painting, often referred to as The Rokeby Venus, has a fraught history. It was disapproved of by the Spanish Inquisition and, in 1914, attacked by the suffragette Mary Richardson. Using this artwork as a starting point, Professor Bettany Hughes attempts to get to know its subject a little better. She takes in the goddess of love’s origins in Jordan, her glory days in Rome, plus some rather more recent sightings. Ellen E Jones
Moonshiners
9pm, Discovery
Excited by the recent explosion in small-batch artisanal gin? There are equally combustible thrills in the remote forests of Appalachia, where wise old-timers mentor a new generation of illicit distillers to meet the considerable demand for budget turbo-hooch that looks pretty weird but tastes just fine. Season seven of this long-running reality series even features a complementary chaser, with new companion show Shiners on Shine uncorked at 10pm. Graeme Virtue
Scandal
10pm, Sky Living
The season seven premiere opens 100 days into Mellie’s presidency. Of course, it’s the one-woman powerhouse Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) who’s holding all the power. But when there’s an international incident she has to make a call that’s tough even by her standards. Back in her old office, Quinn has been promoted, but she’s finding it hard to fill Olivia’s shoes and business isn’t booming. It’s the final season, so you can bet Scandal is going out with a bang. Hannah Verdier
Detectorists
10pm, BBC Four
What a unique, and gently astonishing thing Detectorists is; closer in precedent to English folk music, or a Stanley Spencer painting, than TV sitcom. Tonight, old rivals “Simon and Garfunkel” (forever pursued by appropriate musical cues) suggest pooling resources, while Lance is persuaded to try hypnotherapy – which goes about as well as expected (“I want you to imagine you’re lying on soft, warm sand.” “Sorry, I’m very sensitive to the sun, I burn easily.”) Ali Catterall
Film choice
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Rupert Wyatt, 2011), 9pm, E4
This smart and gripping prequel to Franklin J Schaffner’s 1968 sci-fi classic tells the story of the creation of a super-intelligent chimpanzee, via an experimental Alzheimer’s cure. He’s called Caesar, but Spartacus would be more accurate, as he leads an uprising against (mainly brutal) humanity. Excellent special effects, and heartfelt performances from James Franco, Freida Pinto and John Lithgow. Paul Howlett
Live sport
Tennis: ATP World Tour Finals 2pm, BBC Two. Coverage of day four from the O2 in London.
CSA T20 Challenge: Knights v Titans 4pm, Sky Sports Main Event. A game from South Africa’s domestic T20 bash, from Diamond Oval in Kimberley.
Football: The FA Cup 7.30pm, BT Sport 1. Coverage of a first-round replay in the knockout competition.
