Monday, December 23, 2024

On TV tonight, a documentary on the rise of prince Mohammed bin Salman

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Pick of the day: The Kingdom: The World’s Most Powerful Prince

9pm, BBC Two

From fringe royal to the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, this fascinating two-part documentary looks at the rise of Mohammed bin Salman. MBS, as he is known, went from being just one of hundreds of junior Saudi princes to becoming heir to the throne and Prime Minister. Hearing from friends, advisers, spies, diplomats and exiles, this first instalment explores the tension between his desire to reform one of the world’s most conservative countries (including granting greater freedoms to women) and his seemingly ruthless approach to opposition. It’s even rumoured that he plotted to poison then-King Abdullah.

Only Connect

8pm, BBC Two

Anyone ever get the answers to these lateral-thinking questions? Anyway, this week, beer fans the Hopsters (including a keen Lego builder with a fear of butterflies and a woman who had a childhood crush on Virgil from Thunderbirds) take on vegetable enthusiasts the Sprouters. Except the Sprouters don’t grow veg themselves, but apparently watch online growing competitions. So can you link cat: 200-300, mouse: 10-15, horse: 15-20k, and human: 2-2.5k?

Yorkshire by the Sea

8pm, Channel 4

Follow fisherman Darren as he heads into the North Sea from the charming traditional fishing village of Staithes in search of lobster and crab. Shellfish are now a mainstay of the catch on the Yorkshire coast, with conservationists ensuring that the lobster population remains buoyant by breeding and releasing them from a purpose-built hatchery in nearby Whitby.

Long Lost Family

9pm, ITV1

Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell present two more stories, beginning with 66-year-old Charlotte’s search for the baby she gave up as a teenager – a quest given greater urgency by her recent cancer diagnosis. Meanwhile, Jenna was donor-conceived and is desperate to see if she has any siblings out there.

Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell on Long Lost Family (Photo: Wall To Wall/Harry Page/ITV)

Merseyside Detectives: The Murders of Ashley and Olivia

9pm, Channel 4

A new series follows the case of two people who lived within two miles of each other in Liverpool, and who were each shot in their own homes within two days of each other. While the pressure built on police to find the gunmen who murdered Ashley Dale, 28, and nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, potential informants involved with feuding organised crime groups were forced to decide whether or not to talk to the police.

Forensics: Murder Scene

9pm, Channel 5

And yet more true crime, this time in West Yorkshire. The police call in forensic teams to investigate when a man is shot and killed in a newsagents – the savage attack with a close-range shotgun blast sending tremors through the community.

We Might Regret This

10pm, BBC Two

“You were disabled way before it was cool,” says Jo (Elena Saurel) to best friend Freya (Kyla Harris), a thirty-something tetraplegic artist in London – setting the tone for Harris’s promising comedy-drama. Jo may be chaotic, but she knows how to use a catheter when Freya needs a pee – the only problem being that Jo is at loggerheads with Freya’s new boyfriend. In the opening episode, Freya is interviewed by an agency to be a “diversity model”.

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