Wolf Hall (BBC2, 9pm)

FOR those who haven’t already spotted it in the credits, the TV adaptation of Hilary Mantel's books Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies is in the safe hands of North-East writer Peter Straughan.

His CV includes the films Frank, The Men Who Stare at Goats and the Oscar-nominated Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (which he co-wrote with his late wife Bridget O'Connor, who died of cancer in 2010).

"I remember reading A Place of Greater Safety in the early 1990s and being utterly gripped by it, falling in love with the characters and feeling hugely impressed by its scale and sweep," he remarks. "I felt exactly the same way reading Wolf Hall for the first time. I think before I began writing there was an afternoon meeting - just to say hello and get to know each other a bit. But during the actual writing I was often in contact with Hilary, checking on her reaction to changes, compressions, asking for advice or clarification. She was unfailingly inventive, open, generous and supportive. Just what you hope for in a novelist you're adapting!"

It's a partnership that seems to have worked because, three episodes in, the books' transition to the small screen has proved to be a gripping affair, even to those familiar with the history behind it. What also helped Straughan was that he likes the characters involved: "Very much so. I think one of the great achievements of the novel is the sympathy and loyalty we can feel for Thomas Cromwell, who is far from being an innocent man - particularly towards the end."

The former writer in residence at Newcastle’s Live Theatre reveals that episode one was the most difficult to createbecause as it had to combine so much background information and yet keep what he describes as the "front story" moving forward.

“Also, I really did love the books so much and felt they were so crammed with fantastic scenes that I had the miser's problem of not wanting to lose anything."

Tonight, Cromwell (Mark Rylance, who still manages to haunt me a little as the voice of CBeebies character Flop in Bing Bunny, maybe it's a Bing thing) wants to make sure a Bill is passed by Parliament that will see King Henry (Damian Lewis) recognised as the head of the Church of England rather than the Pope - and allow him marry Anne Boleyn (Claire Foy). But there's a fly in the ointment - Harry Percy (Harry Lloyd).

GPs Behind Closed Doors (Channel 5, 8pm)

THE staff at the Putneymead Group Medical Practice, in south London, have thrown open the doors of their surgery, and allowing viewers access to some of the 24,000 patients on its books. Among them is Janet, who has a personality disorder and is planning to kill herself - and it's up to Dr Ali Hassas to talk her down. Meanwhile, Dr Tim King treats alcoholic assault victim Vittoria whose drunken behaviour causes chaos, but Dr Kieron Earney has a happier time during his regular meeting with Theresa and Richard, a married couple who both have special needs.

Midsomer Murders (ITV1, 8pm)

TONIGHT there’s death by giant Perspex box for poor landlady Hannah Altman during a fundraising magic show by famous illusionist Gideon Latimer. Kate (Tamzin Malleson) discovers the cables holding the box had been deliberately sabotaged, but Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) and Nelson (Gwilym Lee) struggle to find their culprit. Amanda Burton makes a welcome return to the genre as Latimer's mother, alongside fellow guest stars Joe Absolom, Andrew-Lee Potts and Stephanie Leonidas.