Masters of Sex (9pm, Channel 4)

Viewers disappointed by the lack of sex in Channel 4’s Sex Box  will have been mollified by the sheer, eye-popping abundance of it in Masters Of Sex which started last week.

It’s set in 1957, when gynaecologist William Masters (Michael Sheen) attempted to boldly go where no man had gone before and figure out How Sex Works.

But seeing how enthusiastic his volunteers were about doing it in a laboratory, under fluorescent lights while Masters and the head of the university watched on (through a glass dildo, no less) you might wonder whether the sexual revolution of the 1960s was going to be strictly necessary. 

Last week’s cliffhanger saw Masters suggesting to his assistant Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) that they should have sex  too – purely in the interests of science, of course. 

And this week we see her wrestle with that dilemma, while Masters treats his own wife for infertility.

It’s well acted, but the characters don’t quite ring true – even though they were real people. 

That’s the problem with period dramas – for all the bow ties and retro coffee tables, they often leave you feeling like you too are viewing the past through the wrong end of a glass dildo.

Paul Hollywood, Sue Perkins, Mel Giedroyc and Mary Berry prepare for the semi-final of The Great British Bake-Off
Paul Hollywood, Sue Perkins, Mel Giedroyc and Mary Berry prepare for the semi-final of The Great British Bake-Off

The Great British Bake-Off (8pm, BBC2)

As Frances, Beca, Kimberley and Ruby slug it out in the semi- final, it’s almost impossible to predict a winner. 

“Tell me if you want me to slap you in the face,”  Mel tells one of them, while another baker gets an actual handshake from Mr Flour Power himself, Paul Hollywood, pictured. 

Bake Off has gone all French this week and the technical challenge is a Charlotte Royal – which Sue tells them looks like a brain. And with the final in sight,  you wouldn’t blame them if their heads feel like they’re filled with strawberry mousse. 

This week’s show-stopper, the Opera Cake, is assembled from lots of  (theoretically) neat layers of sponge and filling – a chance for things to go wrong on so many levels.

Sophie Rundle plays detective constable Fiona Griffiths in Talking To The Dead
Sophie Rundle plays detective constable Fiona Griffiths in Talking To The Dead

Drama Matters: Talking to the Dead (9pm, Sky Living)

The last in the Drama Matters series is my least favourite but, ironically, the one most likely to go to a full series because it’s another off-kilter police procedural of  the kind TV viewers can’t seem to get their fill of. 

It’s also the only one in the run to be served up in two parts with the concluding half on Thursday.

Sophie Rundle, who’s currently being so ballsy in Peaky Blinders, stars as the terrifyingly young looking detective constable Fiona Griffiths with Russell Tovey as a fellow cop.

I was really looking forward to the moment when Fiona would solve her first murder by actually talking to the dead, or more specifically, the moment when the dead would talk to her.  But like Wire In The Blood and Waking The Dead, that title promises more spookiness than it delivers.

Holby City (8pm, BBC1)

This week, Sacha is agonising about whether or not he should tell Chrissie about his kiss with Mo while Elliot has both his hands full with new junior doctor Zosia, who’s way too clever for her own good.

And speaking of hands, just when Malick finally made it to consultant, he lost one of his when he heroically rescued Chantelle from the car crash.  Which meant he wasn’t able to wave goodbye to Hanssen who we also lost last week (sob) leaving Serena in charge.

Although Malick and his hand have now been reunited,  he’s making a terrible patient. 

He’s afraid he’ll never be able to operate again, which is exactly what happened to Dr Romano in ER after he lost half his arm in the blades of a helicopter. 

Still it could be worse. In a later episode, Romano’s arm caught fire and then a helicopter fell out of the sky and squashed him flat, so Malick should probably be grateful that he’s got off so lightly.

SOAP ROUND-UP

Emmerdale (7pm, ITV)

What with the torrential rain, the search for Sarah and an escaped murderer loose in the village,  there’s a serious crimp in Priya’s hen party which is under way in the Woolpack. 

This could actually turn out to be a stroke of luck, though, because the police are being so useless, the only hand-cuffs Cameron looks likely to end up in are furry ones. 

It’s all very dramatic, but the real highlight of the night is Georgia (yes, June Ackland off The Bill!) doing the splits.  Never mind calling the police – somebody phone Strictly!

Eastenders (7.30pm, BBC1)

After their failure of a flat warming party yesterday, Jack takes Ronnie on a romantic picnic today.  Another dud idea. 

It’s such a passion killer it ends with  Jack rushing home to fling his underpants and passport in a bag and flee  Walford before you can say: “What about the car lot?” 

At least he’ll escape the pub-based horror that is Fatboy’s Miss Teen Vic contest.