What’s on telly tonight? Our pick of the best shows on Tuesday 2nd January

(Image credit: BBC/Talesmith/Cineflix/Gordon We)

TV Times tops picks for tonight

What’s on telly tonight? Here the TV Times team of expert reviewers highlight the best shows on Tuesday 2^nd January

The Real T. Rex, 9.00pm, BBC2

Chris Packham has been obsessed with the Tyrannosaurus rex since he was a boy. But he fell in love with a fantasy, because the images he saw in films of the mighty dinosaur were a complete fabrication. In this fascinating documentary, the naturalist is on a mission to set the record straight and find the real T rex. He travels the world to meet international experts and, with their insights, plus the aid of trailblazing technology, he sets about creating the most accurate CGI representation of the T rex ever produced. Chris makes some remarkable discoveries along the way, including that the powerful predator was covered in spiny feathers, didn’t roar and was actually quite social. Rating: ****

Inside No 9, 10.00pm, BBC2

The most underrated show on telly is back with six brand new one-off stories, each promising lots of laughs, a deliciously bamboozling puzzle and a twist in the tale. This fourth series kicks off tonight with a classic farce, written in Shakespearean blank verse but with plenty of modern jokes. The guests staying on the ninth floor of the Zanzibar hotel get caught up in a tale of mistaken identity, frustrated love affairs and broken family ties… but will they get a happy ending? With stars and creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, and guest actors Rory Kinnear, Marcia Warren and Tanya Franks all on board, this acting masterclass is an absolute hoot – don’t miss it! Rating: *****

Off the Beaten Track, 7.00pm, BBC2

Kate Humble is certainly feeling brave as she begins this new series (first shown on BBC Wales)! She’s gamely stripping off (with long-shot camerawork preserving her modesty) to take a dip in a freezing lake in Snowdonia. That’s just one stop on Kate’s journey, which this week takes her from Llandudno to the hamlet of Nantor in a bid to show that remote adventures can happen surprisingly close to home. Rating: ****

More previews tomorrow

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David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.

Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough.

David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.

Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!