Hair Power: Me and My Afro
10.15pm, Channel 4
Emma Dabiri’s documentary is a fascinating and, at times, moving exploration of the cultural weight carried by black hair. For many interviewees, hair journeys are genuinely fraught affairs, involving statements of identity, acceptance or rejection of white beauty archetypes, privilege and, in some cases, hair-related physical pain. As one woman says, recalling a realisation prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement: “I never loved my hair. Does that mean I never loved myself?” Phil Harrison
Autumnwatch
8pm, BBC Two
Deep in the rolling trauma of 2020, immersion in the timeless cycles of nature could represent a welcome refuge. Cue Autumnwatch, in which Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and all offer everything from birdwatching to seal pupping from locations including the New Forest and south Wales. PH
Life
9pm, BBC One
As Mike Bartlett’s miniseries reaches its penultimate episode, it is time for Gail (Alison Steadman) and Hannah (Melissa Johns) to face up to the consequences of their big, life-changing decisions. Belle (Victoria Hamilton), meanwhile, is about to hit a humiliating rock bottom. At least there is only one way to go from there. Ellen E Jones
Surgeons: At the Edge of Life
9pm, BBC Two
For a 75-year-old with an enlarged aorta, Maureen feels chipper. But it’s in danger of bursting, which would be fatal, and the operation is risky. Surgeon Ravi De Silva has just a crucial 30-minute window. Meanwhile, consultant neurosurgeon Rod Laing has a similarly fraught spinal cord-related gig. Ali Catterall
The Perfect Weapon
9pm, Sky Documentaries
This documentary – based on a book by David E Sanger – hears from top military officials and explores the rise of cyber warfare. The implication is that such conflicts are increasingly the new frontline: the primary means by which nations register their hostility. Grimly fascinating. PH
Out of Her Mind
10pm, BBC Two
Sara Pascoe’s quirky and admirably unpredictable comedy continues to explore taboos about ageing, romance and disappointment. Tonight, Sara attempts to confront her lingering pain, after being jilted at the altar 15 years ago, by returning her unused wedding dress to the shop. PH
Film choice
The Faculty, 11.10pm, 5Star
Robert Rodriguez’s witty 1998 sci-fi thriller sets Invasion of the Body Snatchers in a high school, where the teachers are quickly taken over by aliens. The fate of the town, and maybe the world, rests in the hands of a bunch of bickering students (including Josh Hartnett and Elijah Wood); fortunately, as smart a gang of teens as you are ever likely to meet. Paul Howlett
Sport
Women’s international football: Germany v England 2.45pm, BBC Two. A friendly from the Brita Arena in Wiesbaden.
Champions League football: Marseille v Manchester City 7pm, BT Sport 2. Group C clash from the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.
Champions League football: Liverpool v Midtjylland 8pm, BT Sport 3. The Danish side head to Anfield for a group D clash.
