Conspiracies everywhere

WE’RE in Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers territory as The X-Files creator, writer and executive producer Glen Morgan, moves on to a secret society devoted to chasing immortality by seeking refuge in the bodies of others.

Unsurprisingly the eight-part series, made by BBC America, pulled in more than 1m viewers and if you can cope with John Simm switching from distraught North-West policeman to wound-up former Los Angeles cop, then it’s worth a look. A second series will mean we lose Simm for a while thanks to the interest in this paranormal drama based on a novel by English author Michael Marshall Smith – he claims he was inspired to write it by the notion that we can, at times, seem like more than one person.

Simm stars as Jack Whelan, who becomes suspicious of a shadowy group's activities when his wife Amy (Mira Sorvino) disappears. Whelan becomes obsessed with tracking Amy down, using the skills he learnt as a cop to follow her trail. But as he becomes increasingly consumed by his quest and begins to question whether he really knew her at all...

James Frain also appears with Millie Bobby Brown playing a nine-year-old, who may not be all she seems, hunted by a relentless killer.

Luckily, the second episode follows at 9.45pm (well there aren’t any commercial breaks) so we might have a clue about what’s going on... but I suspect I will be attempting to explain the plot to the rest of the family if we do intrude on the Intruders.

Marilyn Monroe: The Missing Evidence (Channel 5, 8pm)

Normally, it’s just the tabloids who drudge up yet another conspiracy theory relating to the death of poor Marilyn Monroe on the evening of August 5, 1962. Now Channel 5 will have former owner Richard Desmond (who runs Express Newspapers) humming Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend as the channel attempts a six-hour investigation into the entertainer’s demise.

The official report into the screen siren's death claims she committed suicide, but in the 52 years since, many conspiracy theorists have come up with alternative ideas - and one of them in particular is the focus of the first episode of this new documentary series.

The first detective on the scene claimed he didn't think Marilyn's death was self-inflicted; he believed somebody had killed her. Her links with Kennedy brothers John and Robert could have made her enemies in high places, and both the FBI and the Mafia have been accused of wrongdoing by some in the past.

According to this programme, tapes supposedly recorded on that fateful day hold the truth about what really happened. They allegedly suggest that somebody close to her was responsible for her death, and they were acting on orders from someone very powerful indeed. Hmm.. perhaps I will give The Intruders a chance after all.

Baby P: The Untold Story (BBC1, 8.30pm)

IN November 2008, the story of the death of a 17-month-old toddler horrified the nation. Then known only as Baby P, he had been subjected to a prolonged period of abuse and neglect. But perhaps the most shocking part of the story involved the authorities whose job it was to protect Baby P, later named as Peter Connelly. It was revealed that he and his family were visited more than 60 times by various agencies, and yet his suffering continued.

This documentary examines the story in detail, and speaks to some of those connected with the case, including Labour MP and former Children’s Secretary Ed Balls, Dr Kim Holt and Sharon Shoesmith, the former director of Children’s Services at Haringey Council who has always been unhappy at having to carry the can for Peter Connolly’s death.

"This documentary has been two years in the making and tells the most comprehensive story to date of what happened to Baby P," says Charlotte Moore, controller of BBC1. "Now those at the centre of the national scandal are finally prepared to speak openly about the clues that were missed, clues that may have helped save this child's life."