Doctor Who, 6.30pm,
BBC One
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the nation’s favourite family sci-fi series, here’s the first of three highly anticipated Doctor Who specials – The Star Beast. When former Time Lord companion Donna Noble’s (Catherine Tate) past catches up with her, she finds herself reunited with David Tennant in the Tardis. Miriam Margolyes also joins the show as the voice of furry friend Meep, while Yasmin Finney is Donna’s teenage daughter Rose, and Ruth Madeley is Shirley Anne Bingham (no details have been shared about her character but, intriguingly, the actor has hinted at being in all episodes). This builds up to the moment when the Time Lord regenerates into Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa. Hollie Richardson
Lockerbie
9pm, Sky Documentaries
A door. A single high heel. Christmas presents. A stench of fuel. In December 1988, Lockerbie locals saw fire rain from the sky and had to deal with the aftermath of the bombing of flight Pan Am 103, which killed all 259 passengers and crew and 11 residents. This excellent, harrowing four-part documentary tells the story of what happened and why – starting with how locals helped to find, identify and return the bodies. HR
Strictly Come Dancing
7.30pm, BBC One
Despite “Rippon up” the dancefloor, Angela and Kai took their final twirl at Blackpool Tower. Things are getting deadly serious for the six remaining couples looking to secure their place in the quarter-final musicals special: Angela and Carlos will cha-cha-cha to Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive, while Layton and Nikita will dance the American smooth to It’s Oh So Quiet by Björk. HR
Freddie Mercury: Auction Special
8pm, Sky Arts
A baby grand piano that some of the biggest songs of the 20th century were composed on, an Ivor Novello award and a Tiffany moustache comb are just some of the fabulous items that went on sale as part of the Freddie Mercury auction at Sotheby’s earlier this year. This documentary noseys through the items that sold for millions. HR
Scrublands
9pm, BBC Four
This Australian crime drama about a murderous priest evokes the sinister claustrophobia of a small rural community where proximity means secrets are guarded carefully. This week, Martin attends Allen’s wake and learns that the teenager had a less innocent side. His discoveries lead him straight back to the shady local cops. Phil Harrison
Greatest Guitar Riffs
9pm, Sky Arts
Andy Summers, guitarist with the Police, measures out his career with the riffs that influenced him: in a documentary stuffed with starry axe-wielding contributors, it’s fascinating to hear how Summers took jazz and blues shapes and remodelled them into unit-shifting pop. Jack Seale
Films
Beau Is Afraid, 8am, 4.50pm, Sky Cinema Premiere
In a year of commercial disappointments, Ari Aster’s latest probably isn’t the most surprising. A three-hour arthouse romp that takes the form of a surreal road movie that may or may not only exist in the mind of its protagonist, Beau Is Afraid was never going to challenge Barbie when it came to getting bums on seats in cinemas – and it confused a lot of fans who turned out to see the new Joaquin Phoenix film when it was released earlier this year. But it’s much more of a natural fit on streaming, where viewers are free to pause the action, pace around and try to digest exactly what they’re watching. If you let it in, this weird and extremely funny film will stay with you for ever. Stuart Heritage
Belfast, Netflix
Kenneth Branagh’s directorial career has been all over the shop for the last decade, taking in the sort of gun-for-hire IP work (Marvel, Jack Ryan, one of those Disney live-action remakes) he wouldn’t have touched in the 90s. Belfast, then, feels like his attempt to reset the clock. Black and white, highly authored and intensely personal, Belfast is a film about Branagh’s childhood during the Troubles. Some might claim that it was a transparent bid for Oscar glory, coming just three years after Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, but it’s undeniably affecting nonetheless. SH
Whisky Galore! 3.05pm, BBC Two
Forget the cosy 2016 remake, the original of the anti-imperial satire remains by far and away the best. Made in 1949, this Ealing comedy about a Hebridean community banding together to rescue 50,000 cases of whisky that escaped a shipwreck remains charm personified. Shot on location on the Isle of Barra, it exudes a sense of gentle, subversive, anti-establishment fun. Along with Passport to Pimlico and Kind Hearts and Coronets, this is responsible for putting Ealing comedies on the map. Watch it, then make plans to visit the Hebrides. SH
Live sport
Horse Racing: The Betfair Chase, 12:55pm, ITV1 Live from Haydock Park. Plus, racing from Ascot.
Snooker: UK Championship, 1.15pm, BBC One The afternoon session on day one from York Barbican. Can Mark Allen hold on to his title?
Premier League Football: Man City v Liverpool The League’s top two battle it out at the Etihad. West Brom v Ipswich follows at 5pm.
