Great Expectations (1946, b/w) Channel 4, 1.15pm
The first of David Lean’s classic Dickens adaptations is an admirably elegant distillation of a weighty book. “Choose what you want to do in the novel and do it proud,” Lean said. “Don’t keep every character, just take a sniff of each one.” There are certainly plenty of pungent grotesques to sniff, notably Martita Hunt’s Gothic Miss Havisham and Finlay Currie’s menacing Magwitch. The novel’s orphan narrator Pip is initially played by Anthony Wager, then later by a young John Mills, while Jean Simmons and Valerie Hobson share the role of love-interest Estella. Alec Guinness, who later became Lean’s favourite collaborator, also appeared in his first speaking role. (118min)
Die Hard (1988) ITV2, 9pm
Off-duty cop Bruce Willis single-handedly defeats Alan Rickman’s heavily armed Teutonic terrorist gang. In his vest. Come on, you know you love it. (131min)
Onibaba (1964, b/w) Sky Arts, 10pm
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Kaneto Shindo’s highly atmospheric ghost story was later credited as an influence by The Exorcist director William Friedkin. (103min)
Mr 3000 (2004) BBC One, 11.30pm
Slushy comedy starring Bernie Mac as a cynical baseball star who comes out of retirement purely to notch up a lucrative high score. (104min)