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TV tonight: battenberg in a bubble as Bake Off returns

The Great British Bake Off

8pm, Channel 4

Now no longer just a baking tent, but also a social bubble, Bake Off has weathered the storm of the pandemic to return for a new series of oven-based delights and disasters. Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith return as our steadfast expert taste testers, while presenting comes from the veteran Noel Fielding and newbie Matt Lucas. It is cake week for the 12 amateur bakers as Prue and Paul request a geometric battenberg, while a fruit sponge is in store for the technical. There is one bubble and only one champion to be crowned. Ammar Kalia

The Sheriffs Are Coming

8pm, BBC One

More high court enforcement action as another set of cases test our agents’ patience and resourcefulness. They range from a struggling beauty business in London to a cowboy interior design company in Birmingham. Can their creditors’ debts be recovered without escalation? Phil Harrison


Britain’s Biggest Dig

9pm, BBC Two

Biological anthropologist Prof Alice Roberts and historian Dr Yasmin Khan continue their tale of two cities, London and Birmingham, that are undergoing HS2 excavation. In the capital, there are tales of haves and have nots, while in Birmingham, we trace the Industrial Revolution. Hannah J Davies

Danny Dyer on Harold Pinter

9pm, Sky Arts

Onscreen hardman Danny Dyer and revered playwright Harold Pinter might not seem like a typical match on paper, yet, at 22, Dyer was taken under Pinter’s wing, making his name as a young actor. This heartwarming film sees Dyer recount his first audition for Pinter while learning more of his life and writing. AK

The Write Offs

9.30pm, Channel 4

Former Bake Off host Sandi Toksvig fronts a decidedly more serious series tonight, shining a light on the prevalence of functional adult illiteracy in Britain. Pairing eight adults with expert tuition, this two-part series sees Toksvig encourage her recruits to tackle their learning difficulties. AK

9-1-1: Lone Star

10pm, Sky Witness

Rob Lowe plays a fireman with survivor’s guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder after 9/11 wiped out the rest of his crew. Can a move to Austin, Texas, with his equally troubled firefighter son, TK, help quell the demons? Unlikely. In this new series, he attempts to help some vulnerable locals while dealing with his own lung cancer. Ali Catterall

Film choice

Transcendence (Wally Pfister, 2014), 6.40pm, Film4

That knotty problem of our times (see Ex Machina, Her), the sentience of machines, raises its head in Pfister’s scorned, but ambitious sci-fi drama. Johnny Depp is a hi-tech Frankenstein whose creation of a self-aware computer attracts retribution, leading to the uploading of his own consciousness. Paul Howlett

Live sport

Indian Premier League cricket: Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings 2.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event. T20 clash from Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Premiership Rugby Union: Bath v Gloucester 5.15pm, BT Sport 1. A league match at the Rec.

EFL Cup football 7.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event. A third-round fixture.