A gorgeous sunny day it may be, and some might say that a long post-work stroll in the park, a glass of wine and the company of a good book in the back garden, or an evening sitting on a bench outside a happy summer pub might be the perfect schedule for such a night.
These people, however, are clearly not CSI junkies. I've been trying to think of excuses all day for why I have to be back at home for 9pm, and can't possibly consider any sociable alternative- it's a sad fact, but I'm addicted to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Tonight's double episode season finale, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, promises to be an absolute blinder. But, for those of you who can't think of anything worse than watching close-up CGI blunt force trauma sandwiched between gaping plot holes in a rich sauce of ludicrous cod-scientific dialogue, we've got the other picks of tonight's TV, taken from this week's Guide and today's Guardian.
This World: Bad Medicine 9pm, BBC2 Half of the medicine sold in Nigerian markets is fake and frequently useless, leading to predictably tragic consequences. Dr Dora Akunyili, the director of Nigeria's drug control agency, is on a mission to wipe out the illegal pharmaceutical trade that killed her diabetic sister through fake insulin, and this charismatic, extremely brave woman is making a huge difference. This film follows Dr Dora as she survives assassination attempts and arson attacks, and travels to India — the source of most of the fake drugs — to confront a government that really isn't interested. And neither is Nigeria's: it is remarkable to see the country's director of health refuse to acknowledge any complicity. Will Hodgkinson
African Rock 'n' Roll Years; Storyville: The Importance Of Being Elegant 9pm, 11pm, BBC4 The sound of Congo jive gets an airing tonight, as we explore Cuba's influence on Kinshasa's dancefloors. Featuring Franco, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Ray Lema, Pepe Kalle, Konono No 1 and Corneille. Followed by another intriguing Storyville, in which Congo star Papa Wemba explains the attraction of wearing fur for the conspicuous spenders of Le Sape, the Société des Ambianceurs et Persons Elégants. Beyond the complex politics of their "cult of the cloth" aesthetics (basically Africans dressing in European fashions), this film also catches a post-jail Wemba at a turning point in his life. Richard Vine
My Life As A Child 9.50pm, BBC2 The premise of the series is simple enough — three children aged between eight and 11 are given their own camcorders to record their daily lives and thoughts. What emerges, however, is a raw, unsentimental and recognisable picture of the traumas, as well as the joys of childhood, with sibling rivalry a particularly strong theme. Eleven-year-old Blake from Grimsby is an especially unlovable creature, a Darwinian bully with aspirations to be a stockholder.
Dave Simpson
Streets Ahead 8pm, Channel 4 Sarah "I think they're making a big mistake" Beeny presents a new series which aims to help home-owners "turn their roads into more desirable places to live". To secure the help of Beeny and project manager David Flight, residents must each put in 100 hours of work and be willing to make changes to their curtains, front gardens or whatever for the good of the street. It ultimately has little to do with aesthetics, of course. Essentially, this is an incentive for residents to ratchet up the ceiling price in their street and eke out the last dregs of a stabilising property market. But in viewing terms, the combustible potential of disparate neighbours could prove entertaining.
Neil Crossley
Which all sound very good and all, but frankly, to me there's nothing on but this:
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 9pm, Five A powerhouse double-episode to round off what's been another consistently entertaining series of the Vegas original. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, who mixes up his obligatory pop culture references (a Dukes Of Hazzard board game, Tony Curtis and Frank "Riddler" Gorshin cameos) with a suitably tense premise (Stokes is buried alive in a glass coffin with a live feed to the CSI HQ), and also a real feel for the characters — even making Eckley look good for once. Richard Vine
Yay! Hurrah for CSI!
