Walter
(BBC1, 9pm)

BBC has dominated the week and completes the set tonight with a “feeble Friday” comedy-drama featuring Adrian Dunbar as DI Walter Gambon, a world-weary detective and father to teenager Lily, who, with an answer for everything, manages to keep him on his toes.

While he’s good at his job, he hasn’t quite taken to the technological revolution, and on top of other woes, he’s also facing bankruptcy.

As the story unfolds, the force are shocked to hear of the dramatic death of serving detective Dick Romney, and for Walter, the bad news coincides with the appointment of a new chief superintendent.

Addison (Harry Hadden-Paton) is young and has been fast-tracked, but his first task is to put Walter in charge of taking over the dead officer’s cases – and trying to find an undercover officer, who is apparently so undercover that nobody knows where he is.

However, they do suspect he’s lost and alone deep within a drugs gang. Walter tries to juggle his financial worries and his workload, so gets a helping hand from DC Anne Hopkins (Alexandra Roach) who’s on the case with him.

Between them, they manage to track down the gang, and after interrogating a Greek drug lord, they are well on the way to finding their man and discovering what really happened between DI Romney and his undercover colleague.

Dunbar (who plays the eponymous role) is no stranger to fictional characters of the police force – he is well-known for his part as Superintendent Ted Hastings in BBC drama Line of Duty. The Enniskillen actor has clearly found his niche.

Walter also benefits from the addition of Fonejacker prankster Kayvan Novak to its cast line-up, who will be thrilled to have bagged himself another comedy role, albeit a slightly more toned-down effort than he’s used to.

He explains that comedy has been in his bones since he was young, admitting: “I was definitely that archetypal kind of classroom clown, making fun of the teachers and stuff. It’s just an urge you have really.

“It’s just kind of an instinct to do that, to be a mimic. It’s your commodity to be popular I guess, or try and be popular.”

Mastermind
(BBC2, 8pm)

The specialist and general knowledge quiz is back for another series, featuring John Humphrys, a handful of budding brainiacs, some foreboding music and a big black chair. This week’s posers include the BBC political comedy Yes Minister, the Battle of Lepanto between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League in 1571, Peter Pan creator JM Barrie and St Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London.

Rod Stewart at the BBC
(BBC4, 10.50pm)

THIS selection of the singer’s performances comes immediately after an Imagine interview with the singer, conducted at his LA home by Alan Yentob. While that will definitely be worth catching for fans of the Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? sexagenarian, it’s this which forms the most fitting tribute to his career. Songs include Sailing, You’re in My Heart and I Don’t Want to Talk About It. There’s also a chance to hear Handbags and Gladrags from his Glastonbury set in 2002, his cover of I’m in the Mood for Love – as well as a few choice words from the singer himself.