Marvellous (BBC2, 9pm)

THE fact that 27,000 Stoke City fans took up the invitation to file into the stands to sing “There’s only one Neil Baldwin” for the finale of this 90-minute (well it would be) tribute to the club’s greatest self-appointed fan, once again shows us that life is always more fascinating that fiction.

Award-winning playwright and screenwriter Peter Bowker (Blackpool, Eric and Ernie) saw an article in The Guardian, in 2010, which led to him scripting a TV film about a 68-year-old Staffordshire local hero.

Baldwin, who has learning difficulties, became a circus clown; a lay preacher; Stoke City employee (manager Lou Macari describes him as his best-ever signing), close friend to leading sportsmen, senior clergy and members of the royal family; and most recently, he was awarded an honorary degree by Keele University for the contributions he has made to campus life over 50 years.

Officially Stoke’s kit man, Baldwin saw himself more as a mascot, dressing up to lift the spirits of the fans. He was even brought on in attack against Aston Villa, during a testimonial match, and given the run of the penalty area.

Toby Jones takes on the life-affirming role, although Baldwin says he would have been keener to see Bruce Forsyth or Rowan Atkinson get the job.

Bowker blends gritty realism with musical and fantasy elements. "It struck me if there was going to be a drama about Neil then it had to reflect his fluid and eccentric story. It is, therefore, part biopic, part musical, part fantasy. It isn't always an easy story. It isn't sugar-coated, but I think it is ultimately optimistic and celebratory. And I think that's important in this era where vilifying and writing off others has become something of a national pastime."

Gemma Jones (Death In Paradise), Tony Curran (Defiance) and Nicholas Gleaves (Scott and Bailey) are among the consistently good supporting cast, while football pundit Gary Lineker appears as himself

Who Do You Think You Are? (BBC1, 9pm)

FRESH from terrifying contestants on his new horror-themed gameshow Release the Hounds, presenter and BBC Radio 1 DJ Reggie Yates is the latest famous face to research his past for this long-running hit genealogy series.

Reggie knows his mother and father were both born in Ghana, however he never knew his grandparents, and is hoping to find out a little bit more about them. He's curious about his surname, wondering whether it is in fact of Dutch origin – a distinct possibility, given the country's history. However, the further he probes into his ancestry, the more surprises are thrown up along the way.

Never Teach Your Wife to Drive (Channel 5, 9pm)

WITHOUT the services of someone like Les Dawson being available, Channel 5 has at least had a fair stab at filming this from a balanced perspective – at least as balanced as one can be with a title such as this.

The show follows the fortunes of three women who are learning to drive under the "expert" tutelage of their male partners, and charts how the drama and mayhem of fraught experiences on the roads only adds to the strain on their relationships.

The lucky learners include Becky from Hertfordshire who suffers from a lack of spatial awareness and a fondness for the accelerator pedal; Yasmin from Wigan whose partner John shows her the ropes in a car park and hot-tempered North Yorkshire wife Yaveli whose husband Matt tries to teach her the rules of the road. The best advice if your wife wants to learn to drive... don't stand in her way.