Mary's Silver Service (Channel 4, 8pm)

WHAT'S It All About? Although they may be worried about how exactly they are going to pay for it, some people can't wait for the day they can officially give up work and start their retirement.

But could it be that by pensioning off older workers, we're losing out on valuable skills and experience? And would some retirees actually prefer to be back in employment, giving youngsters the benefit of their hard-earned wisdom?

Retail expert Mary Portas certainly thinks so. The erstwhile Queen of Shops is setting up a recruitment agency designed to get OAPs back into the workforce. She initially sets her sights on the hospitality industry, and puts out an ad for potential caterers, which generates a healthy response.

But how will her workers - including former pub landlady Dawn (68), veteran home cook Phyllis (91), and Salim (68), former head barman at The Savoy - fare when they cater for a Great Gatsby themed-party?

Mary Portas says: "I believe the over 65s are this country's biggest untapped resource. There are 10 million of them living in the UK with a complete lifetime of expertise and skills that I just think we're missing out on."

Live International Football (ITV, Regions Vary)

The build-up to England's World Cup campaign continues this evening with this friendly against Ecuador, which represents the penultimate match before Roy Hodgson's men take to the field for their Group D opener against Italy in 10 days' time.

The fixture takes place at the Sunlife Stadium in Miami, as England look to acclimatise to an increase in temperature and humidity that is likely to be such a factor in Brazil. Ecuador are a largely unknown quantity for England, with the nations having met on just two occasions, the last of which was in the 2006 World Cup when a David Beckham goal was all that separated the sides, allowing England to progress to the quarter-finals.

The South Americans' key player is Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia, who captains the side and is likely to come up against some of his club team-mates here, with most of the squad still based in Ecuador, or playing for clubs in Mexico.

Their qualification for Brazil was largely dependant on their ability to win at home at high altitude, and their record outside Ecuador leaves a lot to be desired.

The McCanns and the Conman (Channel 5, 9pm)

THE shocked eyes of the world turned to Portugal in May 2007, when four-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared from her hotel room, as her parents had dinner a few metres away. While there have been plenty of suspected sightings, the youngster remains missing, but she's not often far from the thoughts of Brits.

This one-off documentary takes a look at Operation Omega, the secret private investigation in 2008 to find the little girl. The investigation was set up by security consultant Kevin Halligen, but as it went on, it came to light that Halligen was not a spy at all - instead he was one of the world's most audacious conmen.

But that's not to take away from the operation - significant information and leads uncovered from Omega have actually gone on to form part of the current Scotland Yard inquiry to find out what happened to Madeleine. The programme features exclusive interviews with ex-MI5 undercover operatives, as well as FBI and ex-military personal - and even a few words from Halligen himself - to tell the story about the search for Madeleine.

DEATH comes to us all, yet it is a subject many of us are uncomfortable talking about. This moving series introduces to five people who have had little choice but to confront the subject head on as they have all been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Filmed over the course of two years, it follows the group - who are all aged between 38 and 58 - as they meet up for regular weekend at a Cotswold manor house to talk frankly about their experiences.

In the first episode, Jayne, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, tries to help father of 11 Junior come to terms with his prostate cancer prognosis, and the group debates the always controversial issue of euthanasia.