Spiral (BBC4, 9pm)
AS series seven of the Gallic thriller continues, Roban loses his grip on the case as his role in the investigation has become irreparably tarnished. Meanwhile, Laure and Gilou decide to reactivate the now-dormant money-laundering operation. As ever with Saturday night BBC4 Euro thrillers, there’s another episode straight after. And while Tintin investigates Laure and Gilou’s illegal methods, Josephine attempts to protect an uncooperative Lola.
Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, 6.50pm)
THE samba and the rumba are often seen as the toughest draws on Strictly (although we’re also regularly informed that the jive is very hard for tall people), but this year it’s the humble cha cha cha that seems to be causing the celebs trouble – DJ Dev Griffin and former Corrie star Catherine Tyldesley both had unexpectedly early exits after their take on the dance failed to wow the judges or the public. But which dance will prove to be a celebs’ undoing tonight as they take to the floor? With the show’s annual trip to Blackpool looming, no-one wants to go home just yet, so they’ll have to go all out to impress judges Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli, not to mention the armchair judges at home.
Great Australian Railway Journeys (BBC2, 8pm)
IT’S not a bad life being Michael Portillo. Over the years he has travelled the world on assorted trains, while onlookers are usually seen squinting at his retina-searing suits. His latest adventure sees the former Tory politician boarding the transcontinental Indian Pacific Railway, from Adelaide to Perth. During his trek he hears about an enterprising 19th-century Briton with a shady past who made his money growing vines; learns of Edward VIII’s connection to a train accident near Bridgetown, and investigates a child migration programme that blotted the UK and Australia’s copybooks.
Novels That Shaped Our World (BBC2, 9.45pm)
TO mark the 300th anniversary of the English novel (although that date is somewhat disputed), this three-part series is looking at how the form has grappled with social issues and even helped to bring about change. Future episodes will focus on empire and class, but it begins by discussing the story of the novel and women, both as writers and characters. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale has recently been on many readers’ minds, thanks to the TV adaptation and the author’s own sequel, The Testaments, but the programme shows how the plight of women is a theme that has been present in the novel right from the beginning. Using dramatic performances and readings, it explores the perspectives of literary women from history.
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