The Secret Life of 5 Year Olds (C4, 8pm)

THIS returning documentary taking a candid look at five-year-old youngsters at work and play, examining how they interact, how their sense of gender roles is ingrained at such a young age, and whether there is a marked difference in their behaviour. The opening film finds out how the boys and girls react to identical experiments and stunts when they are tested separately, and compares how they get on in a penalty shootout. Plus, how do boys really think girls run?

The Great Pottery Throw Down (BBC2, 8pm)

IT doesn't take a genius to work out that this programme and The Great British Sewing Bee have utilised the same format as The Great British Bake Off. But as that show will infamously move to Channel 4 this year, their future is uncertain – will the BBC be allowed to make more series of them, or will this be their final throw of the dice? Whatever happens, at least we have a new run of the Throw Down to enjoy. Once again Sara Cox invites ten amateur potters to take part in the contest held in Stoke-on-Trent. Ceramic artist Kate Malone and master potter Keith Brymer Jones will judge their efforts across three challenges – the creation of a 16-piece dinner set, decorating a pair of jugs and making the tallest cone they can in 15 minutes.

Escape to the Wild (C4, 9pm)

NEW series. Jimmy Doherty sets out on a mission to find out if a simpler existence really can make people happier, meeting families who have quit the rat race to live simpler lives. He begins by heading to Indonesia, to meet Sophie, Simon and their 18-month-old son Max, who now live on a tropical island in the Pacific Ocean. With lush rainforest and coral reef, their island hideaway appears to be the stuff of dreams. But Jimmy soon discovers the paradise comes with some hidden perils, including lethal centipedes, monitor lizards and water pythons. Is their isolated existence worth the danger?

Death in Paradise (BBC1, 9pm)

IN the first of a two-part episode, a man is found murdered on his boat five miles out at sea, with no possible way a killer could have escaped. At first Humphrey turns his attention to the small group the victim was with the night before he died, but as the investigation deepens, it takes an unexpected turn that requires the team to leave the comfort of their Caribbean island – and go searching for their suspects in London. So, as well as a whodunnit, this episode might well solve the mystery of whether Death in Paradise's success is down to its plots or its sunny setting.

Natural World: Cheetahs – Growing Up Fast (BBC2, 9pm)

WHEN it comes to wildlife programmes, there are few broadcasters that do it better than the Beeb, if any. Spy in the Wild has provided plenty of talking points during the past few weeks, and David Attenborough's series are guaranteed to be wonderful (the most recent of them, Planet Earth II, certainly boosted his reputation, if that's possible). Attenborough is also involved in this documentary, although only as the narrator. Cameraman Kim Wolhuter offers a remarkable new insight into the life of the cheetah, spending almost two years walking alongside a mother and her young family to unravel in intimate detail what it takes to turn tiny cubs into accomplished predators. A must for fans of the genre and casual observers alike.

Parenting for Idiots (C4, 10pm)

NEW series. Light-hearted documentary in which a cast of famous faces reveal the many sides of modern parenting in a succession of magic moments and horror stories, while child-free celebrities experience the realities of looking after a child for the first time. Episode one focuses on the different types of chaos that ensue from having children, with Sally Phillips discussing living with nits, Frankie Boyle revealing how his children embarrass him, and Andrew Flintoff divulging a few truths about the Tooth Fairy. Plus, non-parents Jamie Laing and Mark-Francis Vandelli get a taste of parenthood by looking after a five-month-old baby for the day.

Viv Hardwick