Sky UK TV Guide

11:00 Gentleman's Agreement
Film An eye-opener in its day, this exposure of high-society racial prejudice still has the power to compel. The story of magazine writer Gregory Peck passing himself off as a Jew to reveal anti-Semitism is not violently confrontational, but is successful in showing that the subtle malaise is barely recognised as such by the people who sustain it. Writer Moss Hart pressed all the politically correct postwar buttons, adapting Laura Z Hobson's controversial bestseller for rising young director Elia Kazan, and, while it's one of Peck's finest performances, other members of the cast produced work of similarly high quality - the confused liberal Dorothy McGuire, the soured poseur Celeste Holm and the cynically bitter ex-serviceman John Garfield. Twentieth Century-Fox gave this blast at bigotry all the hype it needed and the result was Academy awards and nominations all round.

13:20 The Thief
Film If you've ever cringed at the ridiculous dialogue in many Hollywood movies, this one may provide some relief. Ray Milland stars in a spy drama that features no dialogue at all, relying instead on narration, sound effects, creating the right ambience, and the intelligence of the audience. Milland is a nuclear physicist who turns traitor for the Russians, but then finds himself under investigation by the FBI and forced to go into hiding. The gimmick isn't entirely successful as it leaves Milland's motivation unclear, but it's worth a look.

15:05 The Mudlark
Film This is a first-class British movie from 20th Century-Fox, which in its day achieved minor notoriety for casting Hollywood grande dame Irene Dunne as Queen Victoria opposite Alec Guinness's elegant Disraeli. Whether the Widow of Windsor actually looked this stern or padded her cheeks with cotton wool is irrelevant; what matters today is, why Irene Dunne? But she acquits herself well enough, and Guinness is superb: bravura screen acting indeed. The story is about one of those Oliver Twist-like foundlings (played here by Ted Ray's son, Andrew) and the sentimental plot is hard to take seriously. The young romantic leads are Anthony Steel and the lovely Beatrice Campbell, and they're much more interesting.

17:00 The Ghost and Mrs Muir
Film Ethereally beautiful Gene Tierney finds herself beguiled by the ghost of bewhiskered sea captain Rex Harrison when she moves into his former home in this wonderful romantic fantasy. A marvellously lyrical Bernard Herrmann score helps underline the poignancy of the enchanting tale, and Philip Dunne's literate screenplay avoids all the pitfalls normally associated with such delicate material. The movie is also enhanced by a particularly well-chosen cast, that includes George Sanders as Tierney's would-be suitor and Natalie Wood as Tierney's young daughter, Anna (Vanessa Brown portrays her in later years). Today the settings and pace may look studio-bound, but they suit the theatricality of the subject, and there's no question that this superb original is far better than its spin-off TV series.

19:15 Knights of the South Bronx
Film Learning chess gives new meaning to the lives of disadvantaged inner-city kids in this simplistic but uplifting melodrama from Allen Hughes, who's better known as a co-director with brother Albert on movies such as Menace II Society and From Hell. Based on real events, it stars a genial Ted Danson as a businessman-turned-substitute teacher who uses the game as a way of connecting with his pupils in a tough Bronx school. Although the well-trodden "tutor as inspiration" plotline ultimately holds no surprises, Hughes wisely adds some of his trademark urban grit to temper the inevitable schmaltz. Natural performances from the likeable youngsters complement this splash of authenticity, with the standouts being Malcolm David Kelley (Walt in Lost) and Keke Palmer (Akeelah and the Bee).

20:50 Green Zone Special
Interests Star Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass, the partnership behind the last two Bourne films, discuss Green Zone, a new conspiracy action-thriller set during the worst violence of the Iraqi insurgency.

21:00 The Simpsons Movie
Film Twenty years after their first appearance on The Tracey Ullman Show, America's favourite dysfunctional cartoon family finally makes it on to the big screen. Cheekily described by creator Matt Groening as Homer's Odyssey, this is certainly epic, with 11 writers, a team of South Korean animators and a plot that follows Homer from Springfield to Alaska and back again after he accidentally causes an environmental disaster in his home town (D'oh!). The script is glorious in its ambition, tackling everything from lowbrow slapstick to inventive visual gags (Bart's naked skateboarding is a highlight), barbed political comment (an ill-informed President Arnold Schwarzenegger declaring "I was elected to lead, not to read") and irreverent swipes at its competitors (Walt Disney gets a bashing). The rich relentlessness of the jokes demands at least two viewings and, while some fans will undoubtedly be upset that a few of their favourite characters are sidelined (including villainous Mr Burns), this re-establishes The Simpsons as the jewel in the crown of American animation.

22:50 The Libertine
Film Johnny Depp gives one of his most remarkable performances as John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester, the 17th-century poet who drank and debauched his way to an early grave. First-time director Laurence Dunmore places Wilmot in the context of his time, away from the "gadzooks-egad" stereotypes of the Restoration setting and squarely in the forefront of the era's revolt against puritanism. Samantha Morton is marvellous as the would-be actress embroiled in the Earl's life, while John Malkovich makes an intriguingly ambiguous King Charles II. There are many other high spots, particularly Wilmot's address to Parliament, and the whole film has a simplicity of mood that's enhanced by the music of Michael Nyman. But this is Depp's movie. He eloquently and emotionally portrays this immoral yet fascinating man who died at the age of 33 having exhausted what there was of life.