TV tonight: the shocking prevalence of abuse in British gymnastics


Gymnastics: A Culture of Abuse?

9pm, ITV1

“In a gym right now, some kid is being verbally abused, physically abused, God forbid, sexually abused. Today. Fact.” Gymnastics coach Carlton Webster frankly opens this difficult but essential look at the prevalence of abuse in gymnastics, which then features hard-to-hear accounts from female former gymnasts who allege they were abused by their coaches. Hollie Richardson

The Dog House

8pm, Channel 4

Prepare to feel all the emotions with this dog shelter show yet again. Poor Marnie the cockapoo lost her sight recently, so her owners Roz and John visit Wood Green’s pet home to find her a new four-legged friend – might Bella the stray be the one? HR

Julia

9pm, Sky Atlantic

Here’s the last ever slice of this sumptuous series about TV chef Julia Child (Sarah Lancashire). The French Chef is up for an Emmy! But before Julia gets excited, she must recall her espionage experience as the FBI comes after her team. (“Word is they’re working on how to make bombs from ingredients already in your fridge.”) HR

Unlikely spies … Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde Pierce in Julia.

Billy Connolly Does …

9pm, Gold

The Big Yin gives his wisdom on revolutions this week, from sex to space. He delivers some joyful stories about being in tangles with Freddie Mercury and Kenny Everett, plus touring with Elton John. It’s the perfect excuse to share classic sketches with Everett, made even more charming by Connolly barely suppressing his giggles. Absolute gold. Hannah Verdier

Sort Of

10.15pm, Sky Comedy

We’re heading into the final stretch of the critically acclaimed Canadian sitcom, starring non-binary Pakistani-Canadian Bilal Baig, and in the penultimate episode, Sabi is surprised by a gift from Wolf. Meanwhile, there’s a huge choice to be made in the series finale, resting on the flip of a coin. As all the most important decisions should. Ali Catterall

Slammed: The Eighties

11.15pm, BBC Two

This engaging series continues to place Welsh rugby in its social context – in Wales, it’s a working-class, community-based game and it really matters. In episode two, change is in the air as captain Terry Holmes departs for the lucrative world of rugby league and new hero Jonathan Davies steps into the breach. Phil Harrison

Film choice

Amanda Donohoe and Oliver Reed in Castaway.

Castaway (Nicolas Roeg, 1986), 10.15pm, Talking Pictures

A film that almost certainly couldn’t be made in its original form today, Nicolas Roeg’s 1986 movie Castaway has earned an odd reputation. At first, the plot – based on Lucy Irvine’s real-life tale of spending a year with a stranger on an isolated Pacific island – seems the thinnest possible excuse to show Amanda Donohoe (as Lucy) in a constant state of undress. And though the marketing really leaned into this (one poster was basically a giant painting of a bum), below the surface lies a curdled portrait of a desperate bully in Lucy’s cohabitee, Gerald, played by Oliver Reed. Stuart Heritage


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