TV Tonight: What really happened to John Cantlie in Syria? | television

hostage

9pm on BBC Two
What really happened to John Cantlie? This three-part documentary draws on the popular Last Man Standing podcast to investigate a British photojournalist who “went into a hornet’s nest” for a news story and was kidnapped by a group of British ISIS extremists in Syria. Fellow hostages, politicians, including David Cameron, and imprisoned jihadists, tell the story. Holly Richardson

Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time

8pm on Channel 5
Professor Roberts explores the modern-day wards and archives of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. The Barts has withstood many crises, but it barely managed to survive the whims of Henry VIII, who cut off its funding before yielding to public pressure and signing a charter to protect it – and we’re looking at that very document. Jack Seale

Landscape Artist of 2026

8 p.m., Sky Arts
It’s the final, and the three remaining animators, Kim, Libby and Tom, take the wheel of the heavy-duty futuristic Falkirk in Scotland (“Steampunks would have a field day here”), says Tom. The winner receives a £10,000 commission for a Croagh Patrick drawing for the National Gallery of Ireland – which was documented on film immediately afterwards. Ali Catterall

Stolen girl

9pm on ITV1
Another week, another small-screen thriller about a play date gone terribly wrong à la All Her Fault (if this one sounds particularly familiar, it’s already been streaming on Disney+). As the mystery deepens, Eliza and Fred receive a ransom note for their missing daughter, Lucia. Hannah J. Davis

surgeon

9pm on Channel 5

Adita, 45, has been diagnosed with a rare brain tumor that has been growing since birth – and is now the size of a tangerine. The operation (described in fascinating and harrowing detail) is the first performed by consultant brain surgeon Omar Pathmanabhan, whose remarkable work was the focus of this week’s episode. Human resources

We may regret this

10pm on BBC Two
More biting sitcom, as Freya and Jo sit down to talk about their friendship problems. Have a fun, if painful, flashback to when they first arrived in London and started dating (“He called me Wheel Smurfette,” deadpans Freya). Meanwhile, Abe plans to show affection very publicly. Human resources

Choose a movie

Mars Attacks!, 8.40am, 4.10pm, Sky Cinema Greats

If you want to see Tom Jones with an eagle on his arm, this is the movie for you. Tim Burton’s 1996 film – based on the 1962 trading card series – is a delightful and very silly homage to the bad old sci-fi movies that always seemed to feature flying saucers levitated by strings. When a fleet of spaceships arrives from Mars, a dashing US president (Jack Nicholson) is keen to be the world’s peacemaker – but the Martians seem more keen on dissection than diplomacy. Simon Wardle

Live sports

men T20 Cricket World Cup, 1pm, Sky Sports main event
First semi-final. The second semi-final will be held on Thursday at 1 pm.

English Premier League, Newcastle vs. Man United, 7pm on TNT Sports 1
Brighton vs Arsenal, 7pm on TNT Sports 2.