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'Savile: Portrait of a Predator', 'Hunting the Football Trolls' and 'Sexy Beasts': The 5 best things on TV, Thursday 7 October

'Savile: Portrait of a Predator', 'Hunting the Football Trolls - Jermaine Jenas' and 'Sexy Beasts' (ITV/Channel 4/Netflix)
'Savile: Portrait of a Predator', 'Hunting the Football Trolls - Jermaine Jenas' and 'Sexy Beasts' (ITV/Channel 4/Netflix)

Hard-hitting documentary Savile: Portrait of a Predator airs on ITV tonight with some of the disgraced presenter's former colleagues opening up on their experiences of working alongside him.

Over on BBC Two, two-part documentary Don't Exclude Me concludes with an uplifting look at how Marie Gentles is helping primary school children manage their behaviour.

Read more: The best TV to watch this autumn

Later in the evening, Channel 4 follows Jermaine Jenas on an investigation into the social media users who abused Black players on the England football team over the summer in Hunting the Football Trolls.

Get some garden inspiration from Carol Klein's new series on Channel 5, while surreal dating show Sexy Beasts returns to Netflix for a second series.

The best things to watch on TV on Thursday, 7 Octover, 2021

Savile: Portrait of a Predator - ITV - 9pm

Embargoed Picture: For publication from Tuesday 28th September 2021 

From Voltage Productions 

SAVILE PORTRAIT OF A PREDATOR
Thursday 7th October 2021 on ITV

Pictured: Jimmy Savile TV Presenter Radio Disc Jockey

This new documentary for ITV explores how Jimmy Savile - now recognised as one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders - engineered his career and lifestyle to abuse and escape detection. 
 
Savile's decades-long career of abuse seriously affected the reputation of those who failed to stop him - most notably the BBC, hospital trusts and the police - once the truth emerged widely after his death ten years ago.
 
Seen through the eyes of those who worked alongside him and investigated him after his death ten years ago, this programme features new testimony from those who were victims and who bore witness to his crimes, while providing a vivid insight into how he courted the Establishment as a way of protecting himself.

Operation Yewtree detective Gary Pankhurst followed up hundreds of reports of abuse by Savile. In his first ever interview Pankhurst describes Savile as an abuser first who went on to become a celebrity - a high functioning psychopath who learned from criminals early in his career as a DJ how to control and manipulate those around him. He says Savile used this approach at the BBC and at the Top of the Pops studio, where underage audience members became his victims. So much so that he felt able to grope a young girl live on the show without fear of repercussions.

Former Det Sgt Pankhurst says every move Savile made in his career and lifestyle was calculated to improve his chances of being able to offend and avoid detection. The officer says he rarely abused the same person more than once, and spread his offending round the country where he had several different homes, ensuring no single police force became aware of all of his actions

(C)  PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo 

For further information please contact Peter Gray
peter.gray@itv.com  

This photograph is ©  PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme SAVILE PORTRAIT OF A PREDATOR or ITV. Once made available by the ITV Picture Desk, this photograph can be reproduced once only up until the Transmission date and no reproduction fee will be charged. Any subsequent usage may incur a fee. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on the website https://www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms
How Savile pursued abuse in plain sight. (PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo)

A chilling look at how prolific late sex offender Jimmy Savile engineered his career and lifestyle to give him the opportunity to abuse.

Savile died 10 years ago this month, and the documentary interviews those who worked alongside him, investigated his crimes after his death, and some of his victims over the decades he was abusing in plain sight.

Read more: Jimmy Savile drama branded 'disgusting'

It's an uncomfortable watch as the obvious blind eyes turned to his actions are put under the spotlight.

Don't Exclude Me - BBC Two - 9pm

Programme Name: Don’t Exclude Me - TX: n/a - Episode:  Don’t Exclude Me - Ep2 (No. 2) - Picture Shows: Marie  - (C) BBC - Photographer: Peter Coventry
Marie Gentles continues her quest to help troubled kids. (BBC/Peter Coventry)

The incredibly skilled behaviour expert Marie Gentles concludes this two-part series working alongside some of the most troubled students at a primary school to prevent them from being excluded.

Uplifting and inspirational, the second episode shows Gentles achieving some breakthrough moments with children who had seemed out of the reach of help.

Gardening with Carol Klein - Channel 5 - 7pm

Gardening with Carol Klein. Presenter Carol Klein.
Carol Klein is back with advice for your garden. (Channel 5)

Horticulturalist Carol Klein is back for another series from her beautiful garden at Glebe Cottage in Devon.

She is a treasure trove of gardening tips for viewers, whether they're attempting planting on a grand scale or just starting out with a few pot plants.

Hunting the Football Trolls - Jermaine Jenas - Channel 4 - 10pm

Jermaine Jenas.
Jermaine Jenas opens up on the effects of racist trolling in football. (Channel 4)

Ex-footballer Jermaine Jenas investigates the racist abuse that players are subjected to, particularly England team members Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho after the summer's Euros final.

He speaks to football bosses about what can be done to stop trolling, as well as players about the impact abuse has had on them and also opens up on his own experiences.

Read more: The best things coming to Netflix this October

Sexy Beasts - Netflix

Sexy Beasts returns for series 2. (Netflix)
Sexy Beasts returns for series 2. (Netflix)

It's one of the weirdest dating shows around, but the surreal Sexy Beasts is a hit with viewers and is back today for a second series.

Singles looking for love try to make a connection without letting prejudices about looks get in the way by dating whilst wearing some rather creepy creature masks.

Watch: Coleen Nolan claims Jimmy Savile invited her to his hotel when she was 14