Tuesday’s best TV: Life Behind Bars; Broken; Hospital

A touching look at prison visiting hours, the finale of Jimmy McGovern’s glorious drama, and head behind the scenes at an overstretched A&E as the magnificent documentary series continues

Life Behind Bars: Visiting Hour
9pm, Channel 4

Filmed at Scotland’s maximum security HMP Low Moss, this is a touching, often surprising look at what happens “when the outside meets the inside”. For Gary, it’s a chance to plan a wedding with girlfriend Charley – despite not knowing his release date. For Mike, it’s an opportunity to see his retired church minister father and talk architecture and redemption: “I’m trying to re-establish myself as his son; he’s trying to work out who his son is.” Ali Catterall

Broken
9pm, BBC1

Themes of guilt, redemption and ethical responsibility dominate as ever with Jimmy McGovern in the last of this series, starring Sean Bean. Despite a tendency for all characters to speak in “McGovernese”, this is nonetheless an immensely satisfying conclusion. Tonight, Chloe takes drastic action against the betting shop, Michael delivers an excoriating sermon on their influence, and the inquest into Vernon’s death begins. David Stubbs

Hospital
9.30pm, BBC2

This week on the magnificent Hospital, it’s the pressure of dealing with psychiatric patients at St Mary’s. A woman who has assaulted five staff members has been at A&E for 29 hours, with a bed in a secure mental health unit proving hard to come by. The withering honesty of staff is, as always, disarming, as they admit they are failing her but their hands are tied. Elsewhere, retired bus driver Carl has dementia, and is also lashing out in his confusion. It’s crushingly sad. Ben Arnold

First Dates
10pm, Channel 4

Tonight’s potential partners include Sherry, a 65-year-old dominatrix looking for a restful, romantic life away from the daily grind (insert a joke here about being chained to your desk, if you so choose). Could chartered surveyor and tai chi enthusiast John be the man for her? Elsewhere, adventure enthusiast Hannah hopes to plunge headlong into the dating pool and surface with an equally audacious match; Christmas tree farmer Rob hopes to fit the bill. Mark Gibbings-Jones

Music on 4 Four to the Floor
12.05am, Channel 4

The merciful lack of a self-consciously “fun” agenda – coupled with strong content and slightly scrappy feel – have made this show a welcome addition to late-night programming. The final episode of the current series is something of a grime/rap special, with MCs Murkage Dave (of the feted Tonga) and Jaykae in a live two-hander, plus tunes from the masked CASisDEAD, Hamburg’s throwback-R&B star Ace Tee and New Jersey’s Yung Chef. Sharon O’Connell

The Yorkshire Dales and the Lakes
9pm, More4

What’s it like to live and work in the Lake District and the Yorkshire dales? Picturesque for a start, which gives any series about these regions a certain restful, eye-candy quality. Not that life isn’t bustling for farmers like the Dawsons as they prepare to sell their lambs. Elsewhere, there’s doggy cross-country around Buttermere, and the residents of Barbon await the arrival of the 21st century in the form of high-speed broadband. Jonathan Wright

The Leftovers
10pm, Sky Atlantic

Think of The Leftovers as the anti-Lost. Instead of telling the story of a group of people who have been spirited away from humanity, it introduces us to those left behind after the “Sudden Departure”. And instead of leaving us several seasons in with the strong sense we’ve just wasted our precious time, The Leftovers amply rewards a viewer’s commitment. This third and final series is the best yet. Peculiar, profound, but never ponderous. Ellen E Jones

TV films

Experimenter (Michael Almereyda, 2015) 11.20pm, Film4

Almereyda’s multilayered biopic of social psychologist Stanley Milgram (Peter Sarsgaard) focuses on his most controversial experiment: persuading ordinary folk to administer electric shocks to a subject next door. The machine was fake, but the results nevertheless stunned, with most people obeying authority and carrying out the assaults. It makes for a fascinating, if slightly depressing drama.

Live sport

Cycling: Tour de France 11am, ITV4. Stage four of the race featuring a flat 207.5km journey from Mondorf-les-Bains to Vittel.

Tennis: Wimbledon 2017 11.30am, BBC2. The second day’s play from the lawns of SW19 as the first round of the singles continues.

Snooker: World Cup 12.30pm, Eurosport 2. Coverage of day two of the team event from Wuxi, China.

Contributors

Ali Catterall, David Stubbs, Ben Arnold, Mark Gibbings-Jones, Sharon O'Connell, Jonathan Wright, Ellen E Jones

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
Tuesday’s best TV: Natural World – Supercharged Otters; Hospital
Self-confessed otter maniac Charlie Hamilton James itemises the semiaquatic mammals’ impressive abilities, as the NHS reality show returns with footage from St Mary’s on the day of the Westminster terror attack

Graeme Virtue, John Robinson, Andrew Mueller, Ben Arnold, Hannah J Davies, Hannah Verdier, Jack Seale and Paul Howlett

20, Jun, 2017 @5:09 AM

Article image
Tuesday’s best TV: Broken; Grayson Perry – What Britain Wants
Essential new Jimmy McGovern drama features superb performances from Anna Friel and Sean Bean, as Perry explores attitudes to Brexit

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

30, May, 2017 @5:09 AM

Article image
Tuesday’s best TV: Hokusai: Old Man Crazy to Paint; Broken
Everything you need to know about the celebrated Japanese creator of The Great Wave; plus Jimmy McGovern’s portrait of the nation ramps up the grimness yet further

Jonathan Wright, Graeme Virtue, Jack Seale, Ali Catterall, Ben Arnold, John Robinson, Mark Gibbings-Jones, Paul Howlett

27, Jun, 2017 @5:00 AM

Article image
Tuesday’s best TV: Broken; The British Soap Awards; Tried and Tasted
A moment of hope for Anna Friel’s mum-on-the-edge in part two of Jimmy McGovern’s drama; stars from Street, Square and Farm gather; Britain’s most judicious jaws compare supermarket produce

Sophie Harris, Mark Gibbings-Jones, Jonathan Wright, David Stubbs, Hannah J Davies, Andrew Mueller, John Robinson and Paul Howlett

06, Jun, 2017 @5:10 AM

Article image
Tuesday’s best TV: The Split; Hospital; Fatberg Autopsy
Nicola Walker stars as a top divorce lawyer with troubles of her own; and a hospital is struggling to cope. Plus: you’ll need a strong stomach for what lurks below London’s streets

David Stubbs, Candice Carty-Williams, Ellen E Jones, Graeme Virtue, Ali Catterall, Mark Gibbings-Jones and Paul Howlett

24, Apr, 2018 @5:20 AM

Article image
Tuesday’s best TV: Rillington Place; Life on the Psych Ward
Tim Roth delivers a masterclass in macabre as infamous serial killer Reg Christie, plus a compassionate look at people with mental disorders contemplating how they can rejoin society

Jonathan Wright, Jack Seale, Mark Gibbings-Jones, John Robinson, Hannah Verdier, Grace Rahman

29, Nov, 2016 @6:10 AM

Article image
Tuesday’s best TV: Catastrophe; The Replacement
Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney return to give us more rude, roaring laughs, and there’s an engrossing new thriller with Hitchcockian overtones

Ben Arnold, Mark Gibbings-Jones, Ali Catterall, Hannah J Davies, David Stubbs, Jack Seale, Andrew Mueller and Paul Howlett

28, Feb, 2017 @6:10 AM

Article image
Tuesday’s best TV – The Drug Trial: Emergency at the Hospital, Inside No 9
A documentary explores the catastrophic leukaemia clinical trial of 2006. Plus: a new series of the merrily macabre anthology

Graeme Virtue, Luke Holland, Mark Gibbings-Jones, Phil Harrison, Jonathan Wright, Jack Seale, Paul Howlett

21, Feb, 2017 @6:09 AM

Article image
Tuesday’s best TV: National Treasure; Damned; Divorce
It’s the final episode of the superb drama about an ageing celebrity accused of rape. Plus Jo Brand’s social-work comedy continues, and Sharon Horgan’s uncomfortably funny show starring Sarah Jessica Parker kicks off

Ben Arnold, Phil Harrison, Grace Rahman, Hannah Verdier, Ali Catterall, Hannah J Davies, David Stubbs and Paul Howlett

11, Oct, 2016 @5:09 AM

Article image
Tuesday’s best TV: Our Girl; Celebrity Hunted
Michelle Keegan returns as Lance Corporal Georgie Lane helping earthquake relief efforts in Nepal, as celebs from Gogglebox’s Dom and Steph to Anneka Rice (!) go on the run. Plus: Bake Off’s first-ever Italian week

Mark Gibbings-Jones, Hannah Verdier, Jonathan Wright, Graeme Virtue, Ben Arnold, David Stubbs, John Robinson and Paul Howlett

10, Oct, 2017 @4:59 AM