Drunk History

Ten, 9.40pm

It's taken a good part of two years for Ten's local take on the American comedy hit, which was initially commissioned for their pilot week sweepstakes, to be broadcast. That should set off alarm bells, but the Drunk History concept – where the past is illuminated by a comedian recently acquainted with alcohol as actors provide the visuals – is so pliable that with the right talent talking it's harder to get this irreverent education wrong than right. Free of her terrifying Helen Bidou character, comic Anne Edmonds provides the lowdown on Dame Nellie Melba's ascent to opera glory, despite having a "head like a busted arse", while Harley Breen provides a mocking, mirthful retelling of the many failings that got Burke and Wills killed. The explorers are played by James Mathison and Osher Gunsberg respectively, which is an unlikely Australian Idol reunion, but nonetheless a daftly enjoyable one. Cheers!

Tuesday

The Trip to Greece (premiere)

ABC Comedy, 9.25pm

While cinemas in Australia get first dibs at an edited version of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's improvised fine dining comedy, the complete fourth season of director Michael Winterbottom's European vacation comedy has finally arrived for those who prefer their plating to be like their mockery: intricate and well-seasoned. As (hopefully) exaggerated versions of themselves, the two actors and pals start their odyssey at the ruins of Troy, although they're soon at the lunch table where Brydon, forever grasping for equality with Coogan, is quoting Aristotle to garnish the worth of his impressions. There's a sombre streak to this edition, which concludes the show, but nonetheless this remains a masterful upending of the culinary travelogue.

Todd Sampson's Body Hack

Ten, 7.30pm

How much hacking can Todd Sampson's body take? This is the fourth season of the advertising creative-turned-television presenter's international endurance test and he's previously been caught up in demonstrations in the Gaza Strip, trekked through Siberia, visited the French Foreign legion, and trained with various competitive fighters. By rights he should have accumulated plenty of frequent dying points. While Sampson's appetite for risk can sometimes suggest a self-improvement streak that's verging on self-obsession, he remains a good observer of others, a trait well deployed in the season's opening episode. Travelling to the American state of Utah to take part in a demolition derby contest, Sampson draws some dismissive glances from the white, working-class devotees of extreme driving when he's introduced. Kudos to him for noting their suspicion.

Bluff City Law

Nine, 9.40pm

Jimmy Smits has enjoyed an estimable television career, spanning roles in L.A Law and NYPD Blue to Dexter and Sons of Anarchy, but this pious legal drama where he plays a famous litigator whose personal flaws can't compare to his courtroom oratory is not going to dominate his highlight reel. Cancelled after a sole season, Bluff City Law is set in Memphis, where the firm run by Smits' Elijah Strait focuses on civil rights cases. His newest lawyer is formerly estranged daughter Sydney (Caitlin McGee), who is leaving behind her corporate clients to be closer to her father after a shared family tragedy.What unites the father and daughter? Some lofty legal ideals and grand speeches that in 2020 feel more like a sleek fantasy than the fabric of American life.

Wednesday

Friday Night Dinner

ABC Comedy, 9.30pm

Once more it's Friday night in North London and adult sons Adam (Simon Bird,The Inbetweeners) and Jonny (Simon Rosenthal) are attending Shabbat dinner with their parents, Jackie and Martin Goodman (Tamsin Greig and Paul Ritter). The Jewish tradition is the foundation stone for sibling pranks, parents embarrassing their children, oddball diversions, and eccentric guests. This is the first episode of the show's fifth season and, while there's a daft strain of slapstick still peeking through the plot, the defining element is the familial familiarity that defines these weekly gatherings.While it's far from acerbic, the writing and lead performances truly do capture the matter-of-fact oddness in getting together with people you've spent much of your life with but still don't fully comprehend. It's a mix of blood and bafflement that tie the clan together.

Thursday

Just Jen

SBS Food, 7.30pm

If you've seen American food blogger and kitchen creative Jen Phanomrat on YouTube you'll be well aware of her vibrant personality, feel for accessible dishes, and engaging food culture knowledge. Just Jen adds a broadcast sheen to her studio kitchen appearances, but it wisely keeps her style undiluted – some of the puns aren't good, but the pleasure she takes in cooking is infectious. This episode is dedicated to fare that will help you relax, which includes her own take on the lollipop.

Secrets of the Museum

ABC, 9.30pm

The items on display at London's Victoria and Albert Museum might number somewhere in the thousands, but the institution has approximately 2million pieces in its collection. This British documentary series captures the conversation with history – both practical and philosophical – that's involved in keeping those items viable. "Trying to keep the past alive," is how one conservator puts it, and it's a fascinating process even as it starts with a home-made Edwardian stuffed elephant named Pumpy, who is the worse for wear after a century of hands-on play and insect attack. The staff show deep connections to the pieces they're studying, revealing illuminating details about the works that connect them to today, so that an 18th century portrait miniature is analogous to Instagram. An exhibition of Christian Dior gowns is the glamorous headliner, but it's the niche items that reveal the best techniques and tales. And there's a matching level of care in the direction of Jack Warrender, who visually captures not just the intricacies of individual pieces but the museum itself as a space where wonder is fostered.

Friday

Naked Castaway

9Now

There are some things a viewing audience is entitled to expect from the television industry. One such article of faith is that any program with the word "naked" in the title should either be a gratuitous festival of firm young flesh, or a show where Jamie Oliver cooks pasta.Naked Castaway, sadly, is neither. There is flesh on display, but it all belongs to former British Army captain Ed Stafford, who is as titillating as you might expect a former British Army captain to be. Captain Ed has been dumped on an uninhabited Fijian island with nothing but his own unevenly-spaced body hair, to see if he can last 60 days. The physical and mental strength of Stafford is incredibly impressive, and inversely proportionate to his entertainment value. The question of why we care whether he lasts 90 days or not remains unanswered, and the constant yearning for someone more attractive to show up and strip off gets distracting.

Saturday

Kingdom

10Play

The makers of Kingdom were clearly trying to tap into a Sopranos-y, Sons of Anarchy-ish kind of vein with this tale of a retired MMA fighter trying to run his own gym and keep his family together. The level of public awareness that the show reached is testament to the fact that it never quite hit its KPIs. There's some fun to be had, though, in watching part-time minor MCU villain Frank Grillo take centre stage, brooding all over the scenery and exuding barely repressed rage like nobody's business. There's also Nick Jonas as Grillo's son, and if you can't get a laugh out of watching a Jonas brother trying to convincingly play an upand-coming mixed martial arts champion, then I can't do anything to help you.

Sunday

The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty

ABC, 7.40pm

There have been few individuals who have had as much influence on the world as Rupert Murdoch. He shaped global media in his own image and has swayed the fate of nations throughout his 50-plus-year quest for world domination. Far beyond the point at which most people would've put their feet up and enjoyed their mind-boggling riches, Murdoch has gone on pursuing money and power with equal relentlessness, and the ability of anyone to resist him has proven limited at best. This much-anticipated documentary series charts his rise and rise – and his uncanny habit of shrugging off any development that might at first glance look like a fall. It's a fascinating, epic story, and can be watched in several different ways: as a compelling drama, an enlightening history lesson, a chilling portrayal of the amorality of power, or a rather depressing story of how we got where we are. Unsurprisingly, for a doco airing on the ABC, by director Jamie Roberts – who made The Fires That Foretold Grenfell – it's not exactly complimentary of the dynasty it depicts, and it's sure to upset some important people. Which is, of course, exactly what it should do.