What to watch on TV today: Monday 8 July, from Long Lost Family to The Great

WE hope you’ve got a fresh box of tissues handy because you’re likely to make your way through them pretty swiftly as one of the most emotive shows on telly returns.

Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell kick-start their 14th series of Long Lost Family, the show that reunites people with loved ones they’ve been estranged from for years.

And boy, is the opener a tear-jerker.

Here’s TV Mag’s picks of the best telly to watch on Monday 8 July 2024…

Long Lost Family (9pm ITV1)

Nicky and Davina are back with more emotional searches and reunions, as LLF returns for a 14th run.

This week we meet Ros, who at 16 had to give up baby Christine for adoption.

Unable to have more children, Ros has never stopped thinking about her loss.

Her daughter, who became Lyndsey, mistakenly thought her birth mother had three other children.

Can the team help Ros and Lindsey have the reunion they’ve both dreamed about?

Meanwhile, Tegan was adopted as a child but always felt lonely.

In her 40s she discovered that she’d had a little brother who was due to join her new family alongside her, but was returned to care then adopted by another family.

Now it’s time for Tegan and Kenneth to build the bond they desperately missed as children.

The Great (10pm C4)

“We’ve had some difficulties,” says Catherine, Empress of Russia (Elle Fanning) to her marriage counsellor.

“Apparently marriage has challenges,” adds her husband, Peter (Nicholas Hoult).

“There was some bloodshed,” Catherine admits.

“She tried to kill me. With much stabbing,” elaborates Peter.

“He f***ed my mother. With much f***ing!”

Rude, crude and laugh-out-loud funny, this period comedy is back with a bang – but is Catherine any closer to being the leader her people want?

Spent (10pm BBC2)

Following in the footsteps of Michaela Coel and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, former model turned stand-up comedian Michelle De Swarte is taking centre stage in this brand-new comedy she’s written, produced and is starring in.

Spent introduces viewers to fortysomething Mia, a former catwalk model who has returned home to London without a penny to her name or anywhere to live.

But her dysfunctional family and friends still think she’s living the high life, and she’s quick to keep up that facade – whatever the cost.

A fresh new comedy that has heaps of potential and will keep you coming back for more.

24 Hours In A&E (9pm C4)

Motorcycle enthusiast Scott has been rushed to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham following a high-speed crash at a track event.

Before long, the doctors are concerned that Scott, who’s 53, might have sustained an injury to his spine that could result in long-term damage or even disability.

Meanwhile, 74-year-old Peter has been badly injured after being crushed underneath a static caravan.

Another tough but inspiring episode.

Help! We Bought A Hotel (9pm More4)

What does it take to buy, build, renovate and run a hotel?

That’s the crux of this new spin-off from the makers of Help! We Bought A Village.

Cameras follow different groups, including Martin and Silvia who have just five weeks to transform an Italian crumbling palazzo into a luxury, boutique hotel.

Ideal for fans of home renovation shows – but this time on a supersized scale and with the stakes even higher.

Greatest Prison Escapes With Billy Hayes (10pm Sky History)

After escaping from a Turkish prison in 1975, Hollywood star Billy Hayes is the perfect host of this series exploring some of the most outrageous jail breaks.

Featuring re-enactments and interviews with experts, each episode paints a vivid picture of the events that unfolded, beginning tonight with the 1986 case of American lovers Ron McIntosh and Samantha Dorinda Lopez.