28 Up South Africa  (10.35pm, ITV)

Just like the British version, this South African edition of the series has been revisiting the lives of a group of subjects every seven years. They were first filmed, aged seven in 1992, two years after Nelson Mandela’s release from prison would usher in the end of apartheid. And this snapshot of what life is like for ordinary South Africans and how they feel about their country is simple but powerful, even though here in the UK we’re meeting them for the first time.

One man, Willem Alberts, first filmed as a little boy on an Afrikaaner farm, is now an international rugby union star for the Springboks.  And  it was sport, rather than politics, which also shaped the life of Katlego, a black South African whose father was a successful footballer and had the money to send him to a predominantly all-white school, an hour away from their home in Soweto.

Now a market analyst in Johannesburg, Katlego moves in the most fashionable circles, but says: “I’ve always had this thought that in a sort of way, to live in South Africa, everyone must possess some sort of piece of racism in them. That’s going to take a long time  to go away.”

At the other end of the scale,  Luyanda earns the equivalent of £41 a week as a forklift driver.

He and his best friend Andiswa  were both filmed for this series and it’s their voices that will haunt you long after the end credits. These include a credit for “South African Protection” which tells a story of its own.

Lionel Bart: Reviewing the Situation (9pm, BBC4)

If you’ve been enjoying Channel 4’s series The Sound of Musicals, this portrait of one of Britain's greatest songwriters will be right up your street.

“A Greek tragedy with tighter trousers and catchier tunes,” is how Bart's biographer David Stafford describes a life story with its  major and minor chords that would see him   declared bankrupt and selling the rights to his greatest work.

From a noisy Jewish childhood in London’s East End, Bart went on to write Living Doll for Cliff Richard  and hits for Tommy Steele,  before the massive success of Oliver! was followed by the disastrous flop of Twang – his ill-fated 1965  Robin Hood Musical.

Clips of the man himself are in short supply, but there’s no shortage of friends and fans to sing his praises.

The British Comedy Awards Nominations Show (10.45pm, Channel 4)

This year’s actual Comedy Awards will be dished out on Thursday December 12 in the annual live show of bitching, back-slapping and banter hosted by Jonathan Ross.

But to stretch things out a bit, the reigning King Of Comedy, Jack Whitehall will be revealing here which of Britain’s funniest men and women have been nominated in the 15 categories.  Fresh Meat star Jack (whose new show Backchat also continues tonight on BBC Three) is in the running to hang onto his tiara for the second year in a row but faces competition from Graham Norton, Alan Carr, David Mitchell and previous winner Sarah Millican.

This is the only category decided by a public vote so if you want to get involved go to www.channel4.com/comedyawards for more details.  Jack will also be announcing the winner of the Best New Comedy Programme of 2013.

SOAP ROUND-UP

Coronation Street (7.30pm, ITV)

After Peter nearly fell off the wagon last night, it’s Carla who’s hitting the bottle big-time tonight in an hour long episode for the soap wedding of the year.   If the groom turns up, that is.

After they came within millimetres of a snog yesterday, Peter gets another visit from Tina to tell him he doesn’t have to go through with the wedding because it wouldn’t be fair on Carla if his heart’s not really in it.  It’s nice that Tina is so concerned about Carla’s welfare isn’t it?

Emmerdale (7pm, ITV)

Well this is awkward. Laurel finds herself having to be eternally grateful to Ross the car-jacker tonight after he performs some life-saving heroics.

But over at Santa’s grotto, all is not well.  Charity is trying to patch things up with Jai, but a family photo with baby Archie  is stretching her grin-and-bear-it skills to breaking point.