TV tonight: darts heaven in a new access-all-areas documentary


Game of Throws: Inside Darts

9pm, Sky Documentaries
“The world is a shit place; you can have a night at the darts and forget everything,” says Barry Hearn, chair of the Professional Darts Corporation. “Welcome to our world.” This is the ultimate all-access documentary about the run-up to the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace (also known as “the official start of Christmas”.) It follows Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries and Luke “The Nuke” Littler. Hollie Richardson

Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel

8.15pm, BBC One
The hit gameshow keeps spinning, and this week Harry Hill, Alexander Armstrong, AJ Odudu and Alex Brooker are some of the celebrities under pressure to answer questions to win normal folk money. Will Hill be able to guess Barry White’s nickname? And how much does Odudu know about body parts? HR

Legends of Comedy With Lenny Henry

8.30pm, Channel 4

Lenny Henry and Romesh Ranganathan.

A decade of hard work combined with a relatable air of put-upon grumpiness has made Romesh Ranganathan a TV fixture. Lenny Henry is intrigued to decode his influences. They bicker and bond over clips of Eddie Murphy, Jack Dee and Romesh’s scene-stealing mum Shanthi. Graeme Virtue

State of Happiness

9pm, BBC Four
Business is booming in the 1980s oil town of Stavanger, Norway, but not everyone is benefiting. It’s time for party-girl restaurateur Toril (Malene Wadel) to stop drinking, while the Hellevik siblings have some sobering conversations about the future of the family farm. Maybe a wealthy friend will come to the rescue? Ellen E Jones

The Yardbirds

9pm, Sky Arts
Oh, you thought the Beatles were the most important and influential British guitar band of all time? Nope. Sky Arts, along with talking heads including Alice Cooper and Brian May from Queen, pays tribute to the Yardbirds who, from 1963 to 1968, became your favourite old codgers band’s favourite old codgers band. EEJ

Moonflower Murders

9.15pm, BBC One
The adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s fun meta-murder mystery continues, and – as well as having a list of suspects that’s just getting longer – poor Susan (Lesley Manville) is also under threat of arrest by Supt Locke (Daniel Mays). HR

Film choice

Beatles ’64, Disney+

Paul McCartney in Beatles ‘64.

David Tedeschi’s documentary – produced by Martin Scorsese and using extensive fly-on-the-wall footage by the Maysles brothers – follows the Fab Four’s 14-day trip to the US, when their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (watched by over 70 million people) catapulted them to international stardom. New interviews with Paul and Ringo, and the likes of Ronnie Spector and Smokey Robinson, plus reminiscences from fans, give a real sense of the hysteria the Beatles inspired, while the archive film captures the lads in their cocky, witty, world-beating prime. Simon Wardell

The Edge of the World, 10.30pm, BBC Four
This 1937 drama turned out to be director Michael Powell’s ticket to the big time. It’s a lyrical but clear-eyed yarn about a Shetland island community in its death throes. The escalating conflict between tradition and modernity is personified in Eric Berry’s Robbie, who feels constricted by parental expectation, and childhood friend Andrew (Niall MacGinnis), who is involved with Robbie’s sister Ruth (Belle Chrystall) and wants to preserve the old ways. It’s followed by a quirky 1978 short that takes cast member John Laurie back to Foula, where the film was shot. SW

Live sport

Snooker: UK Championship, 1.15pm, BBC One The first semi-final on day eight at York Barbican.

Women’s International Football: England v USA, 4.30pm, ITV1 Former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes returns in charge of the USA team for this friendly at Wembley Stadium.

Premier League Football: West Ham v Arsenal, 5pm, Sky Sports Main Event At London Stadium.

Premiership Rugby Union: Bath Rugby v Exeter Chiefs, 5.30pm, TNT Sports 1 Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers is on Sunday at 2.15pm.


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