TV tonight: Kevin Bridges warms up for World Cup fever

Kevin Bridges: In Search of the Beautiful Game

10.30pm, BBC One

Football has changed almost beyond recognition since Scotland last qualified for the World Cup in 1998. But is the game still animated by the same raw emotion? To find out, comedian Kevin Bridges goes on a global journey, visiting the US, Brazil and Birmingham in search of the essence of the global game. Along the way, he spends time with São Paulo ultras, World Cup winner Cafu and Scotland vice-captain John McGinn. Phil Harrison

Tiger Island

7.15pm, BBC One

The thing about documenting and conserving tigers is you have to be very near these apex predators to do it. This issue is at the heart of a thrillingly intimate two-parter that follows guides, cinematographers and scientists on a river island in Nepal as they get up close and personal with the magnificent beasts. Heart-in-mouth moments abound. PH

Expedition With Steve Backshall

8.15pm, BBC Two

The upbeat naturalist heads to Gabon on the west coast of Africa hoping for a glimpse of some rare chimps. The quest takes him deep into an unexplored region of Moukalaba-Doudou national park, a dense rainforest that is also home to elephants, stinging caterpillars and an alarming number of crocodile species. Graeme Virtue

The Mother of All Cons

9pm, BBC Two

“Whenever Meg did something, it was so monumentally over the top,” says Will, a friend of Megan Bhari, the 16-year-old who claimed she had a terminal illness and founded a children’s charity on the back of it. The second part of the documentary looks at her attempts to fly to Disneyworld on a private jet, an apparent bucket list dream. Priya Elan

Tip Toe

9pm, Channel 4

The domestic war escalates in Russell T Davies’s drama. As it does, the wider cultural implications become more apparent with occupants of the street taking sides. However, Clive (David Morrissey) is exuding a level of rage that appears increasingly menacing. Can Leo (Alan Cumming) defuse the situation? PH

Death Valley

9.15pm, BBC One

More inconsequential but undeniably charming cosy crime-fighting as Janie and John are summoned to a new age commune that has experienced a significant buzzkill in the shape of a murder. Janie regards the communards as “selfish, unreliable dropouts” so she’s shocked to find a very familiar face among them. PH

Film choices

The Beautiful Game, 3.35pm, Channel 4

For better or worse, out come the footie films for the World Cup. Thea Sharrock’s quirky comedy is one of the niftier ones. Based on a true story, it revolves round the Homeless World Cup. Bill Nighy is his usual wryly comic self as Mal, the manager of the England squad – young men all with tragic backstories – as they head to the tournament in Rome. Mal’s secret weapon is Vinny (Micheal Ward), who nearly made it as a pro but is now a bundle of resentment. The social issues are only touched on, but the “no I in team” moral is loud and clear. Simon Wardell

Nomadland, 1am, Channel 4

Chloé Zhao’s moving 2020 drama is one of those rare Oscar winners that feels like an instant classic. It is a portrait of America’s “nomads” – mostly middle-aged loners whose home is their RVs, as they seek out seasonal work and form temporary communities. Acting among an array of real-life travellers, Frances McDormand is a case study in less is more as widow Fern, who heads out into the wide vistas of her nation to discover if this is a meaningful life or merely existing. SW

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