Monday, December 23, 2024

TV tonight: Sophie Turner shines as a diamond thief in a juicy new drama

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Joan

9pm, ITV1

Sophie Turner is spectacular as notorious real-life jewel thief Joan Hannington in this slick 80s-set drama. The six-parter starts with devoted mother Joan reluctantly giving her daughter up to social services after underworld bosses come for her abusive husband. Determined to get her kid back, she uses her glamour, charm and sharp mind to build a new life – starting with taking a job in a jeweller’s that specialises in diamonds. Hollie Richardson

Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping

8pm, BBC One

Paddy McGuinness is in his 50s and his former Top Gear co-host Chris Harris is about to join him, but they are adamant that this travel series isn’t their version of a midlife crisis. The pair visit people across Europe to find tips on ageing, starting with taking naked saunas in Sweden – which makes McGuinness feel even more stressed than before. HR

Nightsleeper

9pm, BBC One

Final destination … can Joe Cole save the day in Nightsleeper on BBC One? Photograph: Mark Mainz/BBC/Euston Films

Who is the mysterious hooded passenger who just got gunned down? Is Abby not boiling in that jacket she refuses to take off? Is this TV’s most brilliantly atrocious show right now? All will be revealed in the last two episodes of this silly but fun train thriller, with the finale airing on Monday night at 9pm. HR

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing

9pm, BBC Two

What’s the best fish to catch in Ireland? Irish salmon, of course. But Paul and Bob discover salmon fishing is trickier than it looks at the River Finn. Perhaps they’ll have better luck at Glenmore Lodge, owned by red snapper Mick Hucknall, who’s left them a personal note. Ali Catterall

State of Rage

10pm, Channel 4

This intimate, knotty film foregrounds the testimony of children growing up in the West Bank at a time of constant turmoil. In an Israeli settlement, a family reeling from personal tragedy frame their feelings in combative terms. In a Palestinian refugee camp, the mood is a mix of anger, frustration and defiance. Graeme Virtue

The Base: A British Army Scandal

10.20pm, ITV1

How has the prime suspect in a young mother’s violent murder been able to live freely in the UK for more than 12 years? Is there a cover-up at the top of the UK military? And is the killer’s identity common knowledge among soldiers who spent time on a British army base in Kenya? This documentary promises to get to the bottom of it with members of the armed forces who are speaking out. Alexi Duggins

Film choice

The Persian Version, 10.10am, 6.05pm, Sky Cinema Premiere

Mother on the dancefloor … family drama in The Persian Version on Sky Cinema Premiere. Photograph: Entertainment Pictures/Alamy

Maryam Keshavarz’s drama begins as the comic tale of a metrosexual Iranian American woman rebelling against her traditional mother but expands into a rich, resonant saga of love, compromise and resolve. Layla Mohammadi is Leila, who has always butted heads with her demanding mother Shireen (Niousha Noor). But flashbacks to Leila’s childhood, the family’s early days in the US and her parents’ youth back in Iran add depth to Shireen’s actions. Simon Wardell

Live sport

International One-Day Cricket: England v Australia, 10.30am, Sky Sports Cricket Harry Brook leads the home side in the final match of the series in Bristol.

Women’s Super League Football: Man City v Brighton 12.15pm, BBC Two From the Joie Stadium.

Premier League Football: Ipswich v Aston Villa , 1pm, Sky Sports Main Event Man United v Tottenham is at 4pm.

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