Friday’s best TV: Unreported World; The Level

Bombing in Yemen has disrupted the food supply and raises questions about Britain’s role in supplying arms to the Saudis. Plus a tense new cop drama with Philip Glenister

Unreported World
7.30pm, Channel 4

The current affairs series returns with a report from Yemen, where bombing by a Saudi-led coalition, combined with a naval blockade has led to a humanitarian crisis. Reporter Krishnan Guru-Murthy and director Patrick Wells are the first international crew to film in Hodeidah port, which is critical to food imports but has been disabled by attacks. It’s a story that will inevitably touch on Britain’s role in supplying arms to the Saudis. Jonathan Wright

Travel Man: 48 Hours in Helsinki
8.30pm, Channel 4

Adorable Paul Rudd joins Richard Ayoade on his latest magnificently overwritten travelogue. The Finnish capital looks dull on this evidence, although whether it’s a “creditable sojourn” is arguably secondary to the number of deadpan skirmishes Ayoade can lure his guest into. Rudd is mostly steamrollered, but he is a good foil when Ayoade burns in a sauna, and his reaction to salted liquorice is uproarious. Jack Seale

Sir Terry Wogan Remembered: Fifty Years At The BBC
9pm, BBC1

Terry Wogan fronted Eurovision, Blankety Blank and his own chatshow, but it was on the radio where he seemed most at home. His was a meandering style, not given to “best bits”, but the fact that we are eight months on from his passing suggests that plenty of consideration has been given to how best to convey that singularity. Graham Norton and Fearne Cotton are among those paying tribute. John Robinson

The Level
9pm, ITV

A detective sergeant’s double life – namely a clandestine attachment to a drugs trafficker – results in a bullet wound she must conceal, and a killer to shrug off while investigating a murder case that’s a bit too close to home. In this tense new drama starring Karla Crome and Philip Glenister, added fun is derived from watching DS Nancy Devlin (a surname loaded with symbolism, of course) make some laughably big and panicky misjudgments as she goes along. Ali Catterall

Hip Hop World News
9pm, BBC4

Money, race and gender are among the subjects viewed through the lens of hip-hop in a sturdy treatise fronted ably by UK rap don Rodney P. He traces the genre’s rise to prominence through pop culture, speaking to the likes of Def Jam’s Russell Simmons and, in an emotional meeting, Public Enemy’s Chuck D. It’s followed by the excellent feature documentary Rubble Kings (10.30pm), about hip-hop’s role in quashing the New York gang violence of the early 1970s. Ben Arnold

Hooten and The Lady
9pm, Sky1

“What kind of person uses explosives to excavate a sacred site?” In Egypt, things are blowing up quite literally for prim archaeologist Lady Alex (Ophelia Lovibond) and rough-and-tumble tomb raider Hooten (Michael Landes), their attempts to locate Alexander the Great’s mummy hampered by stuffy bureaucrats and a rival fortune hunter. Gorgeous locations, spirited badinage and old-school fisticuffs make this a spiffy slice of undemanding escapism. Graeme Virtue

American Horror Story: Roanoke
10pm, Fox

At last we have a setting for the sixth series of Ryan Murphy’s thriller anthology: a North Carolina farmhouse, unwisely bought up at auction from under the noses of disgruntled locals by city couple Shelby and Matt. And a slightly altered format involving talking heads and re-enactments keeps us that little bit more on our toes. Tonight, more of the fog of mystery clears as the pair meet some of their scary neighbours. David Stubbs

Film choice

V for Vendetta (James McTeigue, 2005) 9pm, Dave

Adapted from Alan Moore’s graphic novel, this dystopian fantasy is set in a totalitarian Britain ruled by a very Big Brother-ish John Hurt. Confronting this embodiment of snooping government is Hugo Weaving’s “V”, a crusader who wears the Guy Fawkes mask that’s since become the face of real-life citizen-protest. V plans to blow up parliament, so basically the hero’s a terrorist, which is an interesting idea, but given a slightly sketchy treatment. Paul Howlett

The Debt (John Madden, 2010) 9pm, More4

This tough remake of a 2007 Israeli thriller stars the characterful Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds and Tom Wilkinson as retired Mossad agents obliged to revisit their stalking of a Nazi war criminal in 1960s Berlin, which made them heroes, but in fact masked a terrible cock-up. The cold war action is recounted in flashback, with Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington and Marton Csokas playing the trio. PH

Live sport

Live Ryder Cup Golf The opening day gets under way at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota. 12.30pm, Sky Sports 1

Premier League Football: Everton v Crystal Palace All the action from the top-flight encounter at Goodison Park. 6.30pm, Sky Sports 2

Premiership Rugby: Northampton v Exeter Chiefs Coverage of the match from the fifth round of fixtures. 7pm, BT Sport 1

Contributors

Jonathan Wright, Jack Seale, John Robinson, Ali Catterall, Ben Arnold, Graeme Virtue, David Stubbs and Paul Howlett

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
Friday’s best TV: Unreported World; The Level; The Story of Skinhead
Gay refugees from Syria tell their stories; the ITV thriller continues at breakneck speed – and a look at the most provocative subculture in modern history

David Stubbs, Jack Seale, Ali Catterall, Jonathan Wright, Hannah J Davies, Hannah Verdier, Graeme Virtue, Paul Howlett

14, Oct, 2016 @5:20 AM

Article image
Friday’s best TV: Red Nose Day 2017, Unreported World, Gogglebox
The Love Actually reunion will no doubt be the highlight of tonight’s charity extravaganza, although James Cordon and Ed Sheeran will also up the fun factor

Jonathan Wright, John Robinson, Graeme Virtue, Hannah Verdier, Ali Catterall, Jack Seale, Paul Howlett

24, Mar, 2017 @6:10 AM

Article image
Friday’s best TV: Extreme Wives with Kate Humble; Unreported World
A new series on societies where the role of women confounds outsiders looks at same-sex marriage in Kenya; and a report from Jordan’s Mowasah hospital

Sharon O'Connell, Mark Gibbings-Jones, Graeme Virtue, John Robinson, Ali Catterall, Phil Harrison, Andrew Mueller

10, Nov, 2017 @6:00 AM

Article image
Friday’s best TV: Unreported World; Australian Wilderness with Ray Mears
A striking first-hand portrait of the people struggling to cope with the August flooding in Sierra Leone. And the survival expert takes a – for him, anyway – restful trip along the Ningaloo coast

Ben Arnold, Mark Gibbings-Jones, John Robinson, Ali Catterall, Sharon O'Connell, Jack Seale, Hannah Verdier

13, Oct, 2017 @5:00 AM

Article image
Friday’s best TV: Unreported World; Rich Hall’s Countrier Than You
The always-excellent Ade Adepitan investigates the illegal capture slaughter and trade of endangered species in Peru, and the offbeat comedian turns his attention to the world of country music

David Stubbs, Jack Seale, Hannah Verdier, Phil Harrison, Ali Catterall, Graeme Virtue, Paul Howlett

17, Mar, 2017 @6:10 AM

Article image
Friday’s best TV: Unreported World; Britain’s Rebel DJs; The Last Leg
Tonight: the Chinese hip-hop artists taking on the Communist party, the British pirate DJs taking on the Tories in the 80s – and Adam Hills and co taking on Joanna Lumley

David Stubbs, Ali Catterall, Phil Harrison, Mark Gibbings-Jones, Jack Seale, Ellen E Jones, Jonathan Wright

29, Sep, 2017 @5:00 AM

Article image
Friday’s best TV: Unreported World; People’s History of Pop; Still Game
Marcel Theroux reports from India on matchmaking people with disabilities; Pauline Black hosts doc looking at pop between 1976 and 1985; lively sitcom with Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill. Plus: the return of HIGNFY, not a moment too soon

Andrew Mueller, Ben Arnold, Ali Catterall, Phil Harrison, David Stubbs, John Robinson, Graeme Virtue and Paul Howlett

07, Oct, 2016 @5:15 AM

Article image
Friday’s best TV: Have I Got News for You; Unreported World
Ian Hislop and Paul Merton return for the 54th series of the biting satire, as both sides air their views about the Irish Republic’s referendum on abortion rights

Phil Harrison, John Robinson, Hannah Verdier, David Stubbs, Jonathan Wright

06, Oct, 2017 @5:00 AM

Article image
Friday’s best TV: Children in Need, Unreported World, American Horror Story
Take That and Michael Bublé rattle their tins for Pudsey. Plus: dangerous beauty treatments in South Africa. and season six of Ryan Murphy’s horror anthology reaches its bloody climax

Ben Arnold, Ali Catterall, Paul Howlett, John Robinson, Jack Seale, David Stubbs, Jonathan Wright

18, Nov, 2016 @6:10 AM

Article image
Friday’s best TV: Decline and Fall, Unreported World, BBC Young Dancer 2017
Jack Whitehall shines in a lively Evelyn Waugh adaptation, shocking illiteracy in the US comes under the spotlight and young stars of British ballet battle it out

Hannah Verdier, Phil Harrison, Graeme Virtue, Mark Gibbings-Jones, Rachel Aroesti, Ben Arnold and Jonathan Wright

31, Mar, 2017 @5:20 AM