It's Monday, and you have the resultant Monday feeling. You may be feeling a little tired, perhaps slightly jaded, and, in all likelihood, a bit sweaty.
It's not a night for going out, let's face it - so stay in, there are spiritual benefits to be had from being a couch potato, you know - as you'll discover, watching the pick of tonight's TV from this week's guide and today's Guardian...
Geldof In Africa 7.30pm, BBC1 It seems extraordinary that it has taken so long for a Geldof-fronted series on Africa to be made. On the evidence of this first episode, it has been worth the wait. Geldof is a superb guide to this most generalised about and least understood continent, negotiating a fine balance between his well-informed passion and his instinctively sardonic humour. Whether confronting the vicious anarchy of Somalia, the surreal situation of unrecognised Somaliland, or tribes whose lifestyle has not substantially altered for millennia, Geldof is articulate and funny, marvelling at Africa's natural and human genius while refreshingly reluctant to forgive its stupidities. Excellent.
Andrew Mueller
Stonehenge — Live 7.30pm, Five Going boldly where the 'Tap and Black Sabbath came unstuck, here's an attempt by a team of archaeologists and historians to rebuild the prehistoric stone circle to original specifications, 4,000 years after it was first constructed — and bang on time for the summer solstice. One imagines the ghost of an ancient druid looking on clucking his teeth and saying, "Oooh, you don't wanna put that bit there, mate. That'll cost you an arm and a leg." Concludes tomorrow.
Ali Catterall
Spirituality Shopper 8pm, Channel 4 The last in the series focuses on Charlie Coughlan, who has suffered from depression since the breakdown of his marriage and the death of his father. "I feel as if I'm a bottle of Coke that's gone flat," says Charlie, who describes himself as somewhere between an atheist and an agnostic. To help him to regain his zest for life, Jonathan Edwards introduces him to Taoist tai chi, Islamic prayer, Quaker contemplation and Pagan drumming. "I've done more in the last few days than I have in eight months," says Charlie after sampling each spiritual practice, "I don't know if I can cope with this or not."
Neil Crossley
(And if you're not a better person after that lot, there's always Big Brother at ten. Because the next best thing to actually improving yourself is always feeling superior to others, isn't it?)
