9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: how Serena Williams nearly became a punk guitarist
11.10pm, BBC One
The Williams sisters are almost always approached as a pair, sharing a destiny from early childhood. In this series, Serena tells her own story – though, of course, Venus chips in. The opening episode looks at the influence of their father Richard, who saw tennis as his family's passport out of Compton. But Serena initially had other ideas: she is a Green Day fan and fancied herself as a punk guitarist. 'All my dreams weren't on the tennis court,' she says. Phil Harrison
8.35pm, BBC Two
With their reunion concerts looming, what better time to revisit the couple of years when Oasis felt furiously essential. This compilation of the band's trips to the BBC leans heavily on their 1994-5 output – including buskers' favourite Wonderwall. PH
9pm, Channel 5
A feature-length documentary that investigates every aspect of the life of Prince William and reports as follows: everything he has ever done or said is almost unbearably brilliant. If you're a royalist, it's one long sigh of pleasure; if not, you'll feel as if you've taken mind-altering drugs. Jack Seale
9.25pm, BBC One
In the final episode of this delicate Australian drama, the day of the 'last anniversary party' arrives, bringing with it the reveals of some long-held mysteries. As Veronika learns the truth of Alice and Jack's story, Deborah brings Thomas's crush on Sophie to light, while Margie and Enigma unearth Ron's secret plans. Nicole Vassell
10pm, ITV1
Stick-on beards, secret phones and scary latex masks are the order of the day in this far-fetched transatlantic thriller, first seen on Apple TV+. As it begins, five Britons find themselves linked to a high-profile kidnapping, with Uma Thurman adding a bit of Hollywood polish as the victim's mother. Hannah J Davies
10.25pm, Channel 4
The remarkable Rhod Gilbert filmed this standup set in Cardiff in 2022. It mined laughter from a difficult period in his life – he'd lost his mum, had a stroke and struggled with infertility. Sadly, a cancer diagnosis was just round the corner, which gives the show added poignancy. PH
Piece By Piece, 8.25am, 4.20pm, Sky Cinema Premiere
We've had Robbie Williams played by a CGI chimp so why not Pharrell Williams as a collection of small plastic bricks? This weird but joyous documentary from Morgan Neville uses Lego to encapsulate the life of the wildly successful Neptunes producer and musician. Williams having synaesthesia – he experiences sound as colour – means the film can go off on visual flights of fancy; the beats he creates becoming rainbow fireworks or vibrant waves. All this trippy imagery covers up the fact that his rise to stardom has been fairly frictionless, but contributions from Lego versions of Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg et al attest to his offbeat worldview and hyperactive creativity. Simon Wardell
Saint Omer, 9pm, BBC Four
Why would a mother leave her 15-month-old daughter on a beach to drown? That's the central question in French film-maker Alice Diop's murky, moving courtroom drama, as a young Senegalese woman, Laurence (Guslagie Malanda), is put on trial. Lecturer Rama (Kayije Kagame) attends in the hope of writing a book about it, but uneasy resonances with her own life – immigrant family, pregnancy, mixed-race relationship – throw her off-track. Even the evasive, inconsistent Laurence appears unsure as to why she committed such a horrific act. SW
Men's Test Cricket: England v India, 10.15am, Sky Sports Main Event Day two of the first Test in the five-match series at Headingley, Leeds, with Shubman Gill captaining the visitors for the first time.
Men's Tennis: Queens, 1pm, BBC Two The semi-finals of the grass-court tournament at Queen's Club.
Racing: Royal Ascot, 1.30pm, ITV1 The final day of the meet, featuring the Jersey Stakes at 4.20pm.
International Men's Football: European Under-21s Championship, 4.45pm, Channel 4 The first quarter-finals, as the winners of Group C face the Group D runners-up. The second quarter-final, between the winners of Group A and the Group B runners-up, follows at 7.35pm.
Women's Golf: PGA Championship, 7pm, Sky Sports Main Event Day three of the major at Fields Ranch in Frisco, Texas.
