Pick of the day: Time Bandits

Streaming now, Apple TV+

This charming sci-fi remake, based on the 1981 film of the same name directed by Terry Gilliam, centres on 11-year-old Kevin Haddock (Kal-El Tuck), a nerdy, budding historian/genealogist with slightly negligent parents and sister (“Why can’t you have a normal birthday like a normal person with normal friends?”). He’s friendless and plays board games on his own until his bedroom wardrobe opens up a whole new world, a Viking warrior and then a ragtag of thieving Time Bandits, led by Lisa Kudrow’s self-important Penelope. Kevin is living in a trans-temporal portal, which is an “extremely dangerous place to live”. Tuck is very good as the bright adventurer.

Art Matters

8pm, Sky Arts

“Looking back on my childhood it was a wonderful cultural life,” claims Melvyn Bragg in this passionate manifesto for placing the arts at the centre of British life. In this feature-length film, the South Bank Show host and special guests explore the power of the arts to enrich our lives, strengthen our communities and our democracy, supercharge the economy and shape the future. They include Sir Lenny Henry (“Comedy is often seen as the poor relation to drama”), Dame Tracey Emin (“Even at my lowest low, art has always been there for me… art makes people feel wholesome and good”) and Armando Iannucci. Bragg reflects on his life experiences and transformative artistic encounters and makes the case for why the next generation deserves greater opportunities for self-expression and social mobility.

Mr Bigstuff

9pm, Sky Max and Sky Showcase

Ryan Sampson’s Glen has taken over as manager at World of Carpets, while his boss, Ian (played by Adrian Scarborough), is in prison after throwing noodles at staff at a Chinese restaurant. Meanwhile, dodgy Lee (Danny Dyer) questions Kirsty (Harriet Webb) about her and Glen’s wedding plans before he headbutts someone in a Loughton hardware store. This potty-mouthed comedy is moving along nicely, with Dyer clearly enjoying himself.

Hell Jumper

9pm, BBC Two

A sobering look at the story of the war in Ukraine captured through first-person footage of a group of volunteers saving strangers’ lives in one of the most dangerous places on Earth. It is a stark tale of courage, passion and loss among idealistic young people risking their lives in the middle of a war zone, without military support.

Suspect

9pm, Channel 4

Anne-Marie Duff’s shrink hooks up with sex worker Sapphire (Celine Buckens), whose friend was murdered, most probably by serial killer Jon (Dominic Cooper). Are they both under threat? Where are the police and Ben Miller’s detective? Nowhere, it seems, in this talky thriller that criminally under-uses its starry cast, most notably Tamsin Greig, Cooper and Eddie Marsan.

Turbulence: How Safe is Your Flight?

9pm, ITV1

This documentary certainly isn’t one for the flight averse as it investigates the science of turbulence, its causes, effects, implications and if it can be predicted after severe turbulence caused one death and 104 injuries aboard Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 in May 2024. Plus, there is a look at whether climate change might be having an effect when it comes to especially turbulent flights.