Art, Passion & Power: The Story of the Royal Collection, BBC 4, 9pm
IN a new, four-part series, Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the history of the Royal Collection, the dazzling array of art and decorative objects collected by kings and queens over the past 500 years, and today owned by the Queen as sovereign. The first programme focuses on the works acquired by the collection’s founders – Henry VIII and Charles I. Henry VIII tried to overwhelm with magnificence, believing great art projected power. For Charles I art was a way to compete with other kings through taste, and Andrew reveals how this doomed monarch became the greatest royal collector in British history.
House of Saud: A Family at War, BBC 2, 9pm
HOW some of the most prominent and richest Saudi royals were caught up in an unprecedented crackdown on corruption. Hundreds of the richest people in the Kingdom, including 11 members of the royal family, were kept in a luxurious five-star hotel. The detentions opened the door on a highly secret world of kickbacks and bribes on a monumental scale, which have also embroiled many foreign governments and some of the world’s leading companies. The anti-corruption drive is led by the new Crown Prince, 32-year-old Mohammed bin Salman.
Inside No 9, BBC 2, 10pm
ACCORDING to one report, the three most stressful experiences in life are the death of a spouse, divorce, and imprisonment. Moving house is only 32nd on the list, but anything can happen in this tale involving the Handle Me Gently removals company and a nervous resident. Yes, it’s another gem from writers and stars Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, who receive fine support from Emilia Fox, Monica Dolan and Nick Moran.
Working Class White Men, Channel 4, 10pm
IN the UK today, many working-class white men feel angry, demonised and forgotten. Professor Green examines what life is like for them, why many feel abandoned, and what the wider consequences are for Britain. In this concluding episode, he explores how the identity crisis he believes white working-class men face affects their families.
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