Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit (BBC2, 9pm)

THIS new series is driven by questions which have fascinated and intrigued Mary Beard throughout her whole academic career. Why the Romans? What made them special? What formula for empire building did they have and why does it still seem so relevant today?

And the questions keep coming. Why was the story of Romulus and Remus being suckled by a she-wolf, so potent? Why did the Roman Empire – so aggressive and expansionist – so mistrust the idea of an emperor? Their most important word was "citizen"; while "rex" (or king) was hated as meaning only tyranny. How did they persuade their subject peoples to become Romans and why, to an extent, were they so tolerant of local diversity? And what, in the end, brought about the Empire’s downfall? Was it really rampaging barbarian hordes, or something more complex?

Rome accumulated territory and allies throughout Italy, building an unstoppable momentum, and eventually taking on its great rival – Carthage. As Rome’s territory expanded, Beard explores how Romans dealt with new cultures and ideas, in particular in the Greek East, where Rome came face to face with the sophisticated Hellenistic world. Here, this meant a complex mix of brute force and cultural cringe, whereas in Western Europe, Beard finds evidence of methods akin to outright genocide.

In typical myth-busting style, she argues that the period of greatest Roman expansion occurred when Rome itself was little more than a provincial backwater. The marble, monumental Rome we know came about because of imperial conquest – not the other way round. Likewise, the creation and possession of an empire transformed the politics of Rome forever, creating the conditions for one-man rule, and ending the centuries-old Roman Republic.

Speaking to NPR, Beard says: "I think it's an even bigger question than the one that we're more used to answering, which is: Why does it fall? I mean, why does it rise is such a puzzle. In the end, I think we can't give any simple answer to that, but I do have a very strong hunch..."

And if most of your knowledge of the glory that was Rome comes from the movies, prepare to have some of your preconceptions challenged (although Beard would be the last person to insist that all sword-and-sandal films should be historically accurate – she admits she's a fan of both Gladiator and the Life of Brian).

She argues that when Rome was taking over the world, the city itself was little more than a provincial backwater. It was able to become a grand, imposing vision of marble and monuments because of imperial conquest, not the other way around.

Scott & Bailey (ITV, 9pm)

RACHEL is criticised for a lack of progress with the investigation and she knows she must find both a murder weapon and the encryption code used to access the website. However, as the team makes a significant breakthrough in the case, her position as Acting DI is jeopardised. Meanwhile, when Janet's attempt to help Taisie results in a complaint, her faith in justice is tested, and both Scott and Bailey have life-changing decisions to make about their futures. Crime drama, starring Lesley Sharp and Suranne Jones. Last in the series, and possibly, the programme's finale.

Normal for Norfolk (BBC2, 10pm)

IT'S the height of summer, so in theory the cafe should be swarming with tourists, but in reality, it's underperforming – and a washout bank holiday weekend only adds to gentleman farmer Desmond's woes. Luckily, he has a brainwave to bring in the crowds, as he invites a bluegrass band over from America to play in one of his barns. Meanwhile, Desmond's mother Chloe is about to turn 100, and to mark the occasion over a hundred friends and family will be celebrating with a garden party at Wiveton Hall. But first there's the task of clearing the dancefloor which has seven tons of barley sitting on it.

Viv Hardwick