Prison Break (five); Nuclear Secrets (BBC2); Tales From The Jungle (BBC4): 'What do we do now?," asked one. "We run," replied another.
They're off and running, just like Leo Sayer breaking out of the Celebrity Big Brother house.
After escaping from jail, they're the eight most wanted men in America and the second series of Prison Break looks at life on the outside.
FBI man Bill Fichner intends using the media to do his dirty work. "The Press is a tool, they will bring those men back quicker than bloodhounds," he says.
He comes over all poetic about the escaped man having shadow and light but "we have television", he declares, revealing his secret weapon.
The man with the all-over tattoo is still reading himself because, as well as the design showing the prison plans, it carries a reminder of where he's left a change of clothes and five million dollars.
The switch in story and location has done nothing to slow down the series, which moves at breakneck speed as they try to evade capture and find out who killed the US President's brother.
Then he turns up alive - in his own private prison - although before the end of this opener there's an unexpected death of a major character.
The Hero - that was his British codename - of Nuclear Secrets didn't escape. He was shot as a traitor by the Russians, unaware that his information had helped President Kennedy avoid a nuclear war.
The story of Russian informant Penkovsky resembles one of those old spy films with its clandestine meetings, handing over of secrets in the park, and the world of codewords.
"When you get home ring one of these two numbers in Moscow, when someone answers, blow down the mouthpiece three times and hang up", were his instructions for signalling to the British and Americans that a nuclear attack was imminent. Well, it beats running out into the street screaming "we're all doomed".
The story provided a salutary lesson for those contemplating the betrayal of their country - the people you're working for will ditch you in an instant.
Despite all his good work at handing over Russian secrets, Penkovsky was overused by the British and Americans, and then deserted by them. "Get him out if you can but get out the information first," the spy bosses ordered.
Tales Of The Jungle tried to make interesting a feud between anthropologists. "She was the world's famous scientist loved by the American nation. He was the Australian loner forever walking in her shadow," intoned the narrator, desperate to grab our interest.
Alas, my mind wandered as the 20-year "most vitriolic of struggles - a battle for the very heart and soul of anthropology" was recounted. It was all to do with whether humans are the product of nature or nurture. Come on, keep awake at the back.
Although efficiently produced and with beautiful Samoan sceneryw, this was never going to entice viewers away from the equally violent, vitriolic struggle for supremacy in that real life anthropological experiment, commonly known as Celebrity Big Brother.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article