Who Do You Think You Are?
SBS, 7.30pm

Many of the stories of ancestral discovery in this series become quite emotional, but Ernie Dingo's is particularly raw and moving. The Aboriginal actor grew up with his mother, Bessie, and her loving family, but not knowing his father. The pain of that absence remains palpable, and, as he sets off to discover details about Tom Pepper and his side of the family, his ongoing anguish and resentment are evident. Dingo's travels and encounters here, which he describes as "bittersweet", go some way to filling the gaps: making connections, meeting relatives and receiving explanations and mementoes. Some of the information he gleans also serves to highlight the shameful treatment of Australia's Indigenous people. However there is a measure of comfort and joy for Dingo in discoveries about his mother and her parents. Debi Enker

Back in Time for Dinner (premiere)
ABC, 8.30pm

Taking an entertaining approach to history, this six-part series presented by Annabel Crabb sends a family on a journey back in time. The Ferrones agree to live as Australians did in different decades and their time-travel adventure begins in the 1950s. The currently popular open-plan design for homes is gone, as is an array of familiar appliances and devices. There's tripe for dinner and no TV. Mum Carol spends dispiriting days cooking, cleaning and doing laundry; dad Peter, banned from culinary contributions, is struck by his isolation. Their three children, teenagers Julian and Sienna and livewire 10-year-old Olivia, denied their phones, are forced to talk to each other. The recreation takes in food, fashion, gender roles and interior design, while providing statistics about social and political change. Each episode covers a decade; roll on the Swingin' '60s. DE

PAY
Rooster and Butch
A&E, 8.30pm