Fans of Brenda Blethyn’s formidable country copper will be thrilled that she’s back, and in her signature hat, too. This season eight opener bucks the trend a little, with our fearless sleuth uncharacteristically rattled by the scene of a particularly grisly murder in an abattoir. The whodunits might play to script, but a hard-hitting sense of reality prevails. Cover-ups are more likely to come undone over cups of tea than the overused walks and talks.

FIRST CONTACT CANADA

Series final ★★★½

10.40pm, SBS

Inspired by the original Australian series, six Canadians ranging on the racism spectrum from steadfastly xenophobic to mildly ignorant have completed 28 days of exposure to their indigenous country folk. Meeting people in jail, in rehab and on reserves, and taking part in an unfilmed sacred ceremony, their views are challenged, and sometimes changed. But, as we saw with our own series, there’s just no getting through to some people.

AUSTRALIAN CRIME STORIES

★★★

9pm, Nine and 9Now

Not all of these true crime tales have satisfying endings and tonight’s perp is an especially nasty one. Reporter Adam Shand (pictured) revisits notorious child predator “Mr Cruel”, 26 years after Melbourne schoolgirl Karmein Chan was abducted from her home. Shand raises questions about the validity of the FBI-style criminal profiling that proffered the theory that “Mr Cruel” was one man. He also poses another explanation altogether for Chan’s murder.