Sunday 17 June
Julius Caesar from Donmar Kings Cross
BBC Four, 9.50pm
Anyone who is familiar with Julius Caesar, Shakespeare’s dramatisation of the life and bloody death of the Roman general and statesman, knows that is one of the most testosterone-fuelled of the Bard’s plays, with just two small female parts. Which is what makes this all-female staging by Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!, The Iron Lady) extraordinarily bold. Filmed in a specially built temporary theatre in King’s Cross, this version sees Rome swapped for a present-day women’s prison, which adds to the intensity, with a cast led by theatrical royalty Harriet Walter as Brutus, ably supported by, among others, a brilliant Jade Anouka, who gives a fine performance as a nervy and vulnerable Mark Antony. The result is a breezily, mischievously subversive take on such a traditionally virile play. Although the play has been filleted down to two hours, Lloyd’s production still has a fiery fluency that allows you to feel every word, and their intention, as the lust for power – and the fear of it – inform the action. The other two plays in the Donmar’s trilogy of all-female productions, The Tempest and Henry IV, will be available on the iPlayer immediately after this ends at 11.50pm. Clive Morgan
Abba Night
Channel 5, from 5.50pm
Few things are as contagious as Abba songs, so you can get your fill of them with this evening of programmes. It begins with Britain’s Favourite Abba Songs, a countdown of the pop group’s 20 most popular hits. This is followed, at 7pm, by Abba: The Secret Life of Agnetha & Anni-Frid and then Mamma Mia: The Story of the World’s Favourite Musical (9pm). The evening rounds off with a concert recorded at Wembley Arena in 1979. CM
Poldark
BBC One, 9.00pm
After last week’s high-stakes opener to series four of the Cornish period drama, things continue apace in episode two. Ross (Aidan Turner) and Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) attempt to save their marriage, while Hugh’s (Josh Whitehouse) failing health means he may not be able to stand against Warleggan (Jack Farthing) in the election. CM
Managing England: The Impossible Job
BBC Two, 9.00pm
On paper, being the England football manager is a dream job, but it also appears to be a thankless task. With contributions from bosses past and present, including Sven-Göran Eriksson, this documentary ponders why the role is so tough. CM
Classic Brit Awards 2018
ITV, 10.30pm
After a five-year hiatus, the Classic Brits returns to the Royal Albert Hall, with a ceremony hosted by Myleene Klass and Alexander Armstrong. CM
Lost in Vagueness
Sky Arts, 9.00pm
This summer has many events, including the World Cup, but one is missing one: Glastonbury. For anyone pining for the festival, here is a look at how it was rejuvenated in the Noughties. Filmed over 12 years, Sofia Olins’s documentary charts the rise of Lost Vagueness, a madcap after-hours party populated by weird and wonderful cabaret and burlesque acts. Over the years, these included a fire-breathing robot horse and there was a “chapel” where Kate Moss and Pete Doherty got “married”. CM
Atlanta
Fox, 10.00pm
For anyone who’s been waiting to watch the second series of Donald Glover’s Emmy-winning comedy-drama about two cousins navigating the Atlanta music scene, you are in luck because it is here (season one is also currently airing on BBC Two). In this double bill, rapper Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry) is under house arrest and Earn (Glover) comes face-to-face with a future version of himself in the name of his uncle Willy (Katt Williams). CM
Monday 18 June
Emmeline Pankhurst: The Making of a Militant
BBC Four, 7.30pm
The life, times and legacy of Emmeline Pankhurst, the globally significant, inspiring and politically gifted pioneer of women’s rights, gets a rather hurried but accessible treatment. Presented by actress Sally Lindsay, the focus is on Pankhurst’s roots in Manchester and how a family background in radicalism imbued her with a deep commitment to political activism. If the characterisation of Pankhurst as “a working mum from Moss Side” doesn’t quite capture the life of upper-middle-class privilege that afforded Pankhurst the platform from which to conduct her campaigns, the depiction of her happy marriage to campaigning lawyer Dr Richard Pankhurst and busy home life give a more rounded view of her. At its best the film delivers a strong sense of Pankhurst’s genius for promoting the cause of women’s suffrage and how she came to believe that militancy – as enshrined in the slogan “deeds not words” – was the way forward when it came to challenging the intransigence of government. Contributors include her great-granddaughter Helen Pankhurst, who continues to fly the flag for women’s rights. Gerard O’Donovan
Great American Railroad Journeys
BBC Two, 7.00pm; not Wales
In the last episode of the series, Michael Portillo foregoes the railway for a boat trip along the Saint Lawrence River before crossing the border into Canada to visit Kingston and Oshawa on the shores of Lake Ontario. GO
The Family Farm
BBC Two, 8.00pm
Kate Humble presents this four-parter in which three families ditch the urban rat race in search of a better work-life balance and the experience of living and working on a sheep farm in Snowdonia. There’s an enjoyably competitive rivalry between the three families but the overall aim is to show just how tough and rewarding a farming life can be. GO
Jamie’s Quick & Easy Food
Channel 4, 8.00pm
More speedily prepared five-ingredient recipes from Jamie Oliver. Here, he prepares a chorizo, salmon and artichoke bake, a tasty lamb hotpot, and a creamy chocolate affogato. GO
Versailles
BBC Two, 9.00pm
It seems, after all, that rudimentary street lights and running water aren’t enough to keep those pesky Parisian peasants happy. As the public mood becomes ever more inflamed, King Louis’s (George Blagden) troubles deepen when news arrives that Cardinal Leto in Rome is determined to put the French king in his place. GO
Snatches: Moments from Women’s Lives
BBC Four, 10.00pm
Royal Court Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone has curated a stellar line-up for eight 15-minute monologues exploring moments in the lives of women who have challenged the status quo. This week’s pair are Abi Morgan’s Compliance, in which Romola Garai recalls a meeting in a hotel room between an actress and a powerful producer; and Theresa Ikoko’s Outside, with Corrinne Skinner-Carter as a centenarian who is experiencing a revolution. GO
Rebel Women: The Great Art Fightback
BBC Four, 10.30pm
This terrific documentary celebrates the grit, humour and determination of the generation of the political and provocative feminist artists who emerged, on both sides of the Atlantic, in the wake of the Sixties’ cultural revolutions. Among those featured are Judy Chicago, Margaret Harrison, Mary Kelly, Lubaina Himid, Rose English and Barbara Kruger. GO
Twilight (2008) ★★★★☆
ITV2, 6.25pm
Director Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen) gets her teeth stuck into this enjoyable teenage vampire romance based on the popular Stephenie Meyer books. The heroine, Bella (Kristen Stewart), falls for a beautiful vampire, Edward (Robert Pattinson). Theirs is a touching relationship (if a slightly creepy one), but to consummate their love means they will perish. Be warned, though – the climax is surprisingly violent.
Mamma Mia! (2008) ITV3, 8.00pm ★★★☆☆
This musical comedy set to Abba’s hits is pure escapism. It’s naff, but that’s its selling point, as stars Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Julie Walters place their tongues firmly in cheeks. At 59, Streep deserved more credit for doing the splits than for her role as a boho mother living on a Greek island whose daughter (Amanda Seyfried) tries to find out who her biological father is. The sequel is in cinemas on July 20.
Now You See Me (2013) ★★★★☆
E4, 9.00pm
A group of illusionists (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco) are encouraged to carry out a string of heists by a mysterious figure, while remaining ahead of FBI agent Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), who is desperate to bring them to justice. Director Louis Leterrier tries to mimic the complex plots of films such as Inception, but with less success, though it’s reasonably entertaining.
Television previewers
Toby Dantzic, Sarah Hughes, Gerard O'Donovan, Vicki Power and Gabriel Tate