Today's TV: The Flu That Killed 50 Million (BBC2, regions vary)

The Flu That Killed 50 Million (BBC2, regions vary)

IN 1918, the First World War, leaving people around the globe exhausted and in mourning. But before many of them could start rebuilding their lives, they faced a new horror - the Spanish Flu. Narrated by Christopher Eccleston and drawing on eyewitness testimony from doctors, soldiers, civilians and politicians, along with dramatic reconstructions, this documentary brings home the full scale of the virus which would go on to kill more people than both World Wars combined. It explores the terror of living through the outbreak and the efforts of scientists to find a cure. The programme also asks what lessons the events of 100 years ago might hold in the event of another global flu pandemic.

Take the Tower (ITV4, 9pm)

FORGET Anne Robinson or Jeremy Paxman - the contestants on this new series will be going up against arguably the toughest gameshow host of all time, Dolph Lundgren of Rocky III, Universal Soldier and The Expendables fame.

If that wasn't enough to make Take the Tower appeal to fans of classic action movies, all the games are based on the genre as Dolph challenges a team from Caerphilly to complete a series of questions and physical challenges as they make their way up a 53-storey building - and if they fail, they'll be leaving via the window.

Queen of the World (ITV, 9.15pm)

SHE may occupy a special place in the hearts of her British subjects, but the Queen is also an important figure on the global stage.

Filmed over the course of more than a year and drawing on interviews with world leaders and members of her family, as well as footage from the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's private archives, this documentary explores the central role the Commonwealth has played in the monarch's life. It also discovers how she is passing on her knowledge to a younger generation of royals and looks at how the Commonwealth has grown since her early days as its head. When Elizabeth II was crowned, she had the symbols of the then eight countries embroidered on her coronation crown - at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding this year, the number had grown to 53, which were represented by flowers on the bride's veil.

Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild (C5, 9.15pm)

IT may not be as extreme as his recent televised expedition up Everest, but in this new series, Ben Fogle will be heading to some remote and harsh environments.

He begins by journeying to the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas, to live with master craftsman Robert, learning why this 70-year-old former medical student ditched his education for America's counterculture 20 years ago, bought 200 acres of land deep in the woods, and raised a family of six children. Ben sees how far-reaching Robert's skills are, including cabin-making techniques dating back to the 13th century, and how his family have supported him in his dream.

Later Live - with Jools Holland (BBC2, 10pm)

LONDONER Jess Glynne, the first British female solo artist to have seven number one singles in the UK, makes her debut on the returning music show. Fellow newcomers to the series are Bristol's Idles, and synthpop duo Marc Almond and Dave Ball, better known as Soft Cell, who are back together after a 16-year-gap. Plus, LA-based Ella Mai, who became the first British artist to top the US R&B charts since Lisa Stansfield in 1992. And marking more than 50 years on the road, Ivor Novello Award-winner Ralph McTell.