ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
BBC Two, 9pm
Acupuncture works. Nobody seems to know how or why, but 2,000-odd years of anecdotal evidence has been substantiated by a brain scan showing that acupuncture needles “de-activate” the pain matrix of the brain. An extensive study in the US under rigorous conditions also showed that it reduced inflammation and pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knees, and acupuncture is used regularly in China to perform open-heart surgery in place of a general anaesthetic. Professor Kathy Sykes, who presents this fascinating series on different alternative medicines, starts off her investigation as an incredulous sceptic (“the needles . . . the ideas and diagnosis bear no relation to science”) and ends up as a surprised convert.
CHINATOWN
BBC Two, 7pm
Two streets in the heart of the West End of London have long been the cultural centre for the diverse Chinese community in Britain. But now, more than ever before, it is experiencing a period of upheaval. The shops around the central pagoda have been closed down and are being replaced by a large shopping complex, and children of Chinese immigrants feel more English than Chinese. This revealing documentary, which follows a number of Chinese people living and working in England, provides a snapshot of a community in flux and examines the cultural conflicts they are experiencing.
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SURVIVING DISASTER
BBC One, 9pm
Nick Murphy’s powerful drama-documentary about the accident at Chernobyl is the strongest in the series. The story is told from the perspective of Valeri Legasov (Adrian Edmondson), who led the investigation into the accident and later committed suicide. According to Legasov’s published report, the men in charge of the control room were responsible for a series of errors that led to the accident.
In reality, there were known flaws in the design of the reactor of which the men in charge of the plant were wholly unaware. Not one word of warning was given or a single precaution taken in the immediate aftermath of the explosion because the Russian authorities believed that panic was more dangerous than lethal radiation. It is a convincing and unfamiliar account of an appalling event.
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IMAGINE
BBC One, 10.35pm
Here is a bizarre story. A young film producer bought an early Andy Warhol self-portrait in the early 1980s. But when he came to sell it, the Andy Warhol Authentication Board denied its authenticity, stamped it on the back and rendered it worthless. The board does not have to explain its decisions; it appears to ignore the advice of people who worked with Warhol in the 1960s and 1970s, and its decisions cannot be challenged. The problem is how to authenticate a work when so much of the artist’s method was hands-off.
Alan Yentob follows the trail of this contentious self-portrait, and discovers that even a genuine Warhol signature is insufficient proof of authenticity. The debate has shifted from “Is this art?” while he was alive to “Why isn’t this art?” now that he is dead.
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BEST OF THE REST . . .
THIS WORLD
BBC Two, 11.20pm
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The 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis is examined.
Daytime choice
by James Jackson
WOGAN: NOW AND THEN
UKTV Gold, 10.20pm
Terry Wogan returns to the world of television chat with a twice-weekly (Tuesday/ Thursday) show in which he interviews big name stars, many of whom will be old “friends” from the days of his BBC One show. Thus tonight we have David Icke, updating us on his views about being the Son of God, along with Christopher Lee, Ulrika Jonsson and a “special guest”.
JONATHAN ROSS’S ASIAN INVASION
BBC Four, 10pm
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In the final part of Ross’s eulogy to Asian cinema, he visits South Korea to inquire into a monster movie produced by, rather amazingly, a North Korean politician.
MONDOVINO
Artsworld, 10pm
If Sideways whetted your appetite for an idealised world of sun-drenched vineyards, then watch Jonathan Nossiter’s documentary for a reality check. The wine trade, like any other, is adapting uneasily to the forces of globalisation: the Napa Valley godfather Robert Mondavi, for example, is now a billionaire. To local producers in France and Italy, such big business is sacrilegious to their near-religious relationship with the grape. By hearing the views of brand owners, furious elderly Frenchmen, importers, businessmen and communist mayors, Nossiter builds a picture not just of Old Word v New World, “peasants” v marketing powerhouses, but of a disappearing way of life: you don’t need to know your sauvignon from your semillon to find this lengthy film engrossing and provocative.
CHAPPELLE’S SHOW
FX, 10.10pm
David Chappelle’s racially charged sketch show is a cult phenomenon in the States: its humour is very Richard Pryor, very un-PC and will be just too obnoxious for many viewers.
Daytime choice
by James Jackson
LIVE INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
Sky Sports 1, 6am
Live coverage from Adelaide of the VB Series match between Sri Lanka and South Africa. Proteas got off to a flying start victory over their hosts Australia, while Sri Lanka lost heavily to the Aussies in their opening match.