TV tonight: Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes in MP scandal drama

Macfadyen plays Labour politician John Stonehouse who attempted to fake his own death. Plus: Frozen Planet II: World of Wonder. Here’s what to watch this evening

Stonehouse

9pm, ITV

The John Stonehouse story sounds too preposterous to be true. And yet … In the early 1970s, Labour MP Stonehouse was in trouble. He was being blackmailed and running out of money, and his wife was suspicious. So, he simply left his clothes in a neat pile on a beach in Miami and “disappeared”. In this drama, stripped across the week, Matthew Macfadyen plays Stonehouse as a vain, trivial buffoon – perhaps the kind of MP who would suit a reality show in Australia? – while Macfadyen’s real-life better half Keeley Hawes plays his wife, Barbara. Phil Harrison

Frozen Planet II: Worlds of Wonder

8pm, BBC One

Serving up a plethora of highlights from across the series, the dulcet tones of Sir David Attenborough lead us through snow-capped landscapes from Mongolia to Antarctica. As temperatures plunge to -40C, super-wolf packs stalk American bison as emperor penguin chicks fight for survival. Danielle De Wolfe

Silent Witness

9pm, BBC One

Between them, the Lyell team know everything there is to know about forensic pathology – after 25 series of dissecting dead bodies, they really ought to – but this latest case calls for outside expertise. The National Crime Agency (NCA) suspects the involvement of the ’Ndrangheta crime ring and Nikki (Emilia Fox) is soon drawn in. Ellen E Jones

The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild

9pm, BBC Two

The Claridge’s construction team and staff.
The Claridge’s construction team and staff. Photograph: Lateef Okunnu/The Garden Productions

Envisage a stay at London’s most luxurious hotel and you probably won’t reckon on constant drilling or scaffolding ruining the view. That’s why, when Claridge’s embarked on an ambitious remodelling, it all had to be done ever-so discreetly. This three-part, Grand Designs-meets-Downton documentary takes us behind the scenes. EEJ

Gogglebox Festive Special

9pm, Channel 4

Was this year’s Christmas telly actually any good, and which moments will live in the memory? The definitive answers come from Lee and Jenny, the Malones, the Siddiquis and Simon and Jane, as they land on their sofas to experience the big shows, the regular festive specials and a few classic movies. Jack Seale

Search Party

10pm, BBC Three

“I’m a little lost,” admits Dory (Alia Shawkat) in the opening double-bill of this acerbic NYC comedy about flailing millennials (the fifth and final season). But Dory and her awful hipster circle find new purpose upon realising a high-profile missing person is an old acquaintance they forgot. Graeme Virtue

Live sport

Premier League football: Brentford v Liverpool 5pm, Sky Sports Main Event. At the Gtech Community stadium.

Contributors

Phil Harrison, Danielle De Wolfe, Ellen E Jones, Jack Seale and Graeme Virtue

The GuardianTramp

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