Coronation Street (ITV, 7.30 and 8.30pm)

EIGHT years after jetting off to Milan with young daughter Bethany, Corrie's Sarah-Louise Platt is back on the Weatherfield cobbles with the former gymslip mum is "a little older and wiser" according to actress Tina O'Brien, but little has changed underneath those fashionable Italian clothes.

"She has mellowed, but she's still very outspoken. I think she thinks Weatherfield is a little bit beneath her," says the 31-year-old, who appeared in Call The Midwife, Waterloo Road and Strictly Come Dancing before rejoining the ITV soap. "She's not very kind, but there's still a soft side to her. You see some really nice scenes with her daughter."

Newcomer Lucy Fallon, as 14-year-old Bethany, has already stirred up trouble by returning to the UK after a row with her mum, tapping up locals for drinks in the Rovers Return and giving grief to her grandmother, Gail.

Sarah-Louise was just 13 when she gave birth to Bethany and seems to be repeating her childhood mistakes as a mother.

"She's not a really bad parent, she just sees Bethany as more of a friend," says O'Brien, a mum to six-year-old daughter Scarlett with her ex, fellow Corrie star Ryan Thomas (Jason Grimshaw), and five-month-old son Beau with current partner Adam Crofts.

"When Bethany does something bad, she doesn't say, 'Right, you can't do this'. Sarah wants to go, 'Oh, okay, let's go shopping together'. She is trying to do the right thing but she's misguided."

Returning to the soap just months after giving birth to her baby boy has been "a juggle" for O'Brien, but her other half has been on hand to help with childcare.

"Adam's been amazing. Last night for example, I had a really early start today so he did the night feed," says the actress, who also finds time to run children's drama classes in Manchester.

"I'm very lucky that because he's a personal trainer, he can now stay at home on Mondays and look after Scarlett and Beau. It gives me flexibility."

And working again with her former boyfriend Thomas – whose Corrie character also happens to be Sarah-Lou's ex-husband – has been fine, the actress says.

"Ryan has been really supportive. He knew about my return from the very early stages because I discussed it with him. He was really good about it and said, 'I think it will be brilliant for you'."

On screen, Bethany will have fun stirring things up between her mum and Jason.

"She keeps telling Jason that Sarah has got a shrine of him, and he thinks that Sarah is still madly in love with him!"

Sarah-Lou has her sights set on someone else, however – bad boy Callum (Sean Ward) – the ex-lover of her sister-in-law Kylie Platt (Paula Lane).

"I am sure people will think it's funny that the second she walks in, she hooks up with the guy who will cause most problems with the family," says O'Brien.

"It will be interesting to see a more daring side to Sarah. Because she had a baby quite young, she has had to try and stay responsible."

The Ark (BBC1, 8.30pm)

ONE woman who's rather passionate about this new drama is Emily Bevan, the actress best-known for her work in cult BBC zombie saga In The Flesh. "The Ark is a very warm, down-to-earth retelling of the epic biblical story of Noah, played by David Threlfall," she explains. "Set within Noah's home, which he shares with his wife Emmy, four sons, and their wives, it explores how Noah's beliefs threaten to unsettle the equilibrium of their family unit. It's beautifully written by Tony Jordan, and directed by Kenny Glenaan," she says.

Emily plays Salit, who is married to Noah's eldest son, Shem. Increasingly frustrated with the lack of privacy in her husband's family home, she is desperate for them to move out and build their own house.