Series watch
Silent Witness
Pearl, 10.30pm
There are many reasons why this gritty British drama series has such a large following. One of them is that everything - down to the dead bodies - looks so real. The bodies are all actors holding their breath (expect for those that get cut up into pieces). Another reason why Silent Witness is popular is because its protagonist Sam Ryan (played by award-winning actress Amanda Burton, above) is not a two-dimensional character. Besides the crime-plot there is also the story of Ryan herself. Tonight, she takes on a gangland murder case to help builder Brian McNally (Tom Georgeson), whom she believes to be innocent. The pathologist also is intrigued by the fact the murder was carried out with a wire garrote - similar to a double-murder case in which mobster Tony Georghiou (Peter Jonfield) was the principal suspect. Well, drugs, violence, loan-sharking, gun-running - and police corruption - are all part of the Georghiou business. Then the discovery of a long-buried body in a bog catches her interest. After some carbon dating, it is revealed that the body may be related to a disappearance more than 20 years ago. A gripping script from writer Peter Lloyd.
Healing Hearts
Home, 8.30pm
Will its celebrity-studded cast help boost this show's ratings even though it is shown on ATV? This hospital drama series is the TV spin-off of the film of the same title, both made by the local film production company BoB & Partners. Leading the cast are Kenny Bee (as Paul) and Kwan Wing-ho (Samantha, above with Paul). Others include Tao Tai-yue, Stephen Fung Tak-lun, Yeung Kung-yu and Valerie Chow. Both Bee and Chow were in the original movie along with Tony Leung Chiu-wai. Leung, apparently, will also appear in this series - but only because the producer has deftly edited bits out of the film to put in the TV version. Leung's manager is already saying doing so will infringe Leung's contract.
Joe Versus The Volcano
Cinemax, 12.05am
This lesser-known collaboration between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, above, (others being Sleepless In Seattle and You've Got Mail ) is a pleasant if pointless fable about a stressed-out nerd who learns he has only six months to live, and accepts an eccentric millionaire's offer to enable him to live like a king. The catch? He must jump into a volcano at the end of his 'vacation'. Unfortunately, the story also takes a dive. (1990)
Ground Zero
Cinemax, 10.30pm
A cameraman (Bruce Myles) learns that his father may have died because he saw - and photographed - too much during British A-Bomb testing in Australia in the 50s. An exciting political paranoia thriller directed by Michael Pattinson. Donald Pleasence is excellent in a supporting role as a survivor of those tests. (1987)
Airborne
Discovery, 7pm
More facts and statistics to make you feel queasy when flying. In this episode entitled En Route, pilots are preoccupied by the jet stream and a perfect position in the stream's core can mean dramatic fuel savings and increased profits for the airline - but these benefits come at a cost . . .