Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy (BBC2, 9pm)
ON July 24, it will be 40 years since the comedian and actor passed away following a massive heart attack at the Dorchester Hotel in London. He was just 54 years old.
Sellers left behind an extraordinary body of work, from the anarchic early success of the groundbreaking Goon Show to his Oscar-nominated performance in Being There. However, despite hitting the heights of fame, he was not always a happy man, in fact he could be difficult and had troubled relationships with his three children and four wives.
Here, his daughters Sarah and Victoria offer revealing insights into their father, while his second wife, Britt Ekland, talks about their turbulent marriage.Famous fans and some of the women he tried to woo are also on hand to discuss Sellers’ life and career.
Top Gear: Ambitious but Rubbish (Dave, 4pm & 5pm)
ALTHOUGH the latest Paddy McGuinness and Freddie Flintoff incarnation might be enjoyable enough for some, it’s still not a patch on the Top Gear of old.
Here, former host Richard Hammond looks back through the archives at some memorable moments of ineptitude from himself, Jeremy Clarkson and James May. In the first episode, the trio attempts to create a convertible people carrier from a Renault Espace, before James tries to drive up an Icelandic volcano. Then, Hammond relives their efforts to cross the English Channel in home-made amphibious cars.
Britain’s Got Talent (STV, 8pm)
LAST year’s competition was won by Colin Thackery, an 89-year-old Korean War veteran and Chelsea Pensioner. Now 90 he is, unsurprisingly, the oldest winner of the competition to date. At this stage in the auditions it seems unlikely that his record is going to be beaten this year – in fact, it could be a youngest-ever winner.
There have been some incredible performances from teens and even younger so far, with 12-year-old Fayth Ifil nabbing the Golden Buzzer in week three; the first week saw a competitor aged four perform as part of Sign Along with Us.
State of Happiness (BBC4, 9pm & 9.45pm)
THE eight-part drama, following the story of a small Norwegian town after an International drilling company struck oil, continues. Nyman’s factory has financial problems and Fredrik has to come up with a plan to save it. Meanwhile, Anna Hellevik sees an opportunity to help her father-in-law and starts scheming behind Fredrik’s back.
Then, in the second part of tonight’s double bill, Christian and the other divers on the Ocean Viking take risks every day at work – and those risks are becoming increasingly dangerous.
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