Celebrity Mastermind
BBC One, 7.10pm
The original high-pressure television quiz celebrates 50 years on air this year. Which makes its celebrity version seem a stripling by comparison, returning for a 20th series tonight with a raft of well-known faces lining up to submit themselves to Clive Myrie’s stern interrogation. In all there are 56 contenders from all branches of the media, the arts, sport and entertainment – all hoping to demonstrate expert knowledge in an impressively wide range of specialist subjects. Rounds in upcoming editions that already sound enticing include former Conservative MP Anna Soubry on Fawlty Towers, Olympian Roger Black on The Princess Bride and actress Maria McErlane on the history of women on bicycles. But we begin with an edition featuring footballer David James on the pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, pop singer Antony Costa on the musical Grease and comedian Ellie Taylor on the former Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell. The unmissable round of the night, though, has to be lockdown Zoom-sensation Jackie Weaver, whose specialist subject – the musclebound action film The Chronicles of Riddick – says much about how she learnt to get tough with truculent parish councillors. GO
Winter Olympics 2022
BBC One & BBC Two, from 6am
The opening day from Beijing continues into the morning, our time, with the first gold medal of the Games to be decided in the women’s skiathlon. While Team GB interest focuses on the mixed doubles curling, there’s also action from women’s ski jumping, short track speed skating and skiing in the men’s moguls. GO
Arsenal Women v Man United Women
Sky Main Event, noon
League leaders Arsenal host third placed Manchester United in this high stakes Women’s Super League clash (kick-off 12.30pm). Arsenal face another stern test on Friday against champions Chelsea (Sky Football, 7.45pm). In the men’s game, the FA Cup fourth round is under way. West Ham United visit the lowest ranked team left in the tournament, sixth-tier Kidderminster Harriers today (BBC One, noon). Other televised ties include Liverpool v Cardiff City (Sun, ITV, 11.15pm), Nottingham Forest v Leicester City (Sun, BBC One, 3.30pm) and Bournemouth v Conference side Boreham Wood (Sun, ITV4, 5.45pm). Also on Sunday is the Africa Cup of Nations final from the Olembé Stadium in Cameroon (BBC Three, 7pm). GO
Six Nations 2022
ITV, 1.30pm
Without the roaring tides of energy brought by the leek-toting, shamrock-waving, coq-headed masses in the stands, the 2021 Six Nations felt strangely bloodless. But last year’s travails have lent a certain frisson to this tournament, with players and fans desperate to get started. Dublin’s Aviva Stadium hosts the curtain raiser, featuring reigning champions Wales and form team Ireland (kick-off 2.15pm), who beat New Zealand in the autumn. Wales face an uphill battle away from home, with an injury list that includes Taulupe Faletau, George North and captain Alun Wyn Jones. Ireland have the opposite problem, with selection headaches on the wing and across the back row. Meanwhile, Eddie Jones has warned Scotland that England are “coming for them” – which definitely won’t come back to bite him. The auld enemies clash later today at Murrayfield (BBC One, 4pm). The Scots’ historic win at Twickenham last year means that England have failed to win three of their last four meetings. On Sunday, favourites France face off against wooden spoon shoo-ins Italy (ITV, 2.30pm), who could yet spring a few surprises. GO
The Masked Singer
ITV, 7pm
It’s the semi-final of the hidden-celebrity show and of the remaining singers at least two are huge stars whose names the judges haven’t even guessed yet (at least, according to host Joel Dommett). Meaning tonight’s will either be a major unmasking – or a guarantee of an even more intriguing finale. GO
Boxing: Chris Eubank Jr v Liam Williams
Sky Arena, 7.30pm
The rivalry between these two fragile egos has mutated into something truly bitter – so expect fireworks at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena as the postponed middleweight grudge bout finally goes ahead. Local boy Williams will receive a raucous homecoming, while Eubank Jr is desperate for another title shot. On the undercard, American Claressa Shields will defend her four middleweight world title belts against Slovenian Ema Kozin. Both fighters are undefeated. GO
Secrets of the Royal Palaces
Channel 5, 8.30pm
More secrets and scandals from the historic homes of the Royal family. This week’s entertaining episode covers some well-trodden ground, including the story of the Princes in the Tower, why the Queen asked Sarah Ferguson to leave Sandringham in 1992, and how the grandest room in the Royal Pavilion in Brighton had to be turned into servants’ quarters when George
IV grew too fat to climb the stairs. GO
Freeze: Skating on the Edge
BBC Three, 9pm
Cameras follow a tough year in the lives of Team GB’s elite “performance squad” of ice skaters. Extraordinary skills and dedication are everywhere in this first episode, which follows team members returning to training after lockdown, desperate to win a place to compete in Beijing. GO
Sally Lindsay’s Posh Weekends
Channel 5, 9.30pm
More prime armchair adventuring from city girl Sally Lindsay who is out of her comfort zone in rural North Yorkshire this week, staying with self-made millionaire Karen, whose manor house sits in gardens designed by Capability Brown. But some antiquing, wine-tasting and nattering with the locals soon has her feeling more at home. GO
Women’s Ashes 2022
BT Sport 1, 10.30pm
The series concludes with the final two ODIs, both from the Junction Oval in Melbourne. With Australia 6-4 up following the T20s and the Test match, they only need to win one of the three ODIs (the first of which was on Thursday) to keep hold of the Ashes. Heather Knight’s side have it all to do, but if that Test is anything to go by, we are in for a pair of thrillers. The second is tonight, the third is on Monday (BT Sport 1, 10.30pm). GO
Parkinson: The Interviews
BBC Four, 11pm
Few British actors ever had more friends among the Hollywood elite than David Niven. A regular on Parkinson, this programme features two of his best loved interviews, from 1972 and 1975, in which he entirely lives up to his reputation as a skilled raconteur in this charming glimpse of gilded Old Hollywood. GO
The Young Victoria (2009) ★★★★
BBC Two, 5.20pm
Far from being stiff and uptight, Queen Victoria, as it turns out, was a quite modern girl. Emily Blunt brings wit and vivacity to the royal as she finds her feet in a world of intrigue. Rupert Friend as Albert is the film’s secret weapon – ardent and subtly proud. The romance is the focus, but the story, by Downton Abbey’s Julian Fellowes, moves at a good pace and the historical context is developed with flair. Jean-Marc Vallée directs.
Persian Lessons (2020) ★★★
BBC Four, 9pm
Ukrainian director Vadim Perelman’s unusual, rather implausible Holocaust film tells the story of one Jewish camp prisoner (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart) who agrees to teach Farsi – a language he does not know – to an eager-to-learn Nazi transit camp commandant (Lars Eidinger) in a desperate attempt at survival. It features remarkable, moving performances from the leads, but veers tastelessly towards farcical comedy at points.
Blue Story (2019) ★★★★
BBC Three, 10pm
Andrew “Rapman” Onwubolu directs this controversial and hard-hitting gangland thriller, which tells the story of a violent rivalry between gangs in Peckham and Deptford (where he grew up). Stephen Odubola and Micheal Ward star as friends who find themselves enemies through an accident of postcodes. It was banned by several cinemas on release after fights broke out during screenings.
