TV tonight: Richard E Grant on his obsession with The Odyssey
Channel 4's schedule tonight includes Richard E Grant's Very Modern Odyssey, a travelogue in which the actor visits Mediterranean locations linked to Homer's epic, drawing on a fascination with the text he has held since he was 18. The programme reflects a wave of celebrity travel documentaries prompted by renewed public interest in The Odyssey following Christopher Nolan's forthcoming film adaptation, with Grant's first stop being Malta.
Elsewhere, ITV1 airs the second episode of nature series Force of Nature, narrated by Andrew Lincoln, following a platypus through mating and hatching before a flash flood threatens her eggs, while Van Der Valk returns with Marc Warren investigating a hit on a whistleblower. Other picks include The Piano's visit to London Bridge station on Channel 4, a BBC Four programme on great Proms violin solos, a Sky Documentaries series revisiting the Ellie Williams grooming case, and the 1952 classic Singin' in the Rain as the film choice. The Hundred cricket also features live on BBC Two.
- Richard E Grant tours Mediterranean sites tied to The Odyssey on Channel 4.
- Van Der Valk, Force of Nature and The Piano also feature tonight.
- Singin' in the Rain is the film pick; live cricket airs on BBC Two.
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The Odyssey, Homer's ancient Greek epic poem about the hero Odysseus's ten-year journey home after the Trojan War, has long inspired retellings and adaptations. Interest in the story has picked up recently because of a forthcoming film version by director Christopher Nolan, prompting broadcasters to commission travel documentaries that explore its themes and locations.
Richard E Grant is a veteran actor known for stage and screen roles, and his new Channel 4 series sees him travel to places across the Mediterranean associated with the poem, beginning in Malta. He has said he has been drawn to the text since he was a teenager, and the programme forms part of a broader trend of celebrities fronting travelogues tied to classical literature.
Tonight's wider television schedule also features returning and ongoing series across several channels, including nature documentary Force of Nature, detective drama Van Der Valk, and live coverage of The Hundred cricket competition, reflecting the usual mix of factual, drama and sport programming on offer.