SATURDAY: MOTD Live: FA Cup Final (BBC One, Saturday 4.30pm)

A lot has happened since the likes of Framlingham Town, Plymouth Parkway, Brimscombe & Thrupp and Winterton Rangers were in FA Cup Preliminary Round action way back in August 2019.

Now, after the longest of seasons, the showpiece final is at last able to take place and the destination of the final piece of domestic silverware will be decided.

Although the 139th edition will be played without supporters, robbing us of the perennial crackling FA Cup final atmosphere, it still promises to be a keenly-contested match on the hallowed Wembley turf.

Today's showdown, presented by Gary Lineker with analysis from Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, will be an all-London affair, as 2018 victors Chelsea take on the winners from three years ago, Arsenal, in a repeat of the 2002 and 2017 finals, with Arsenal looking to lift the cup for a record 14th time.

SUNDAY: The Edge (BBC Two, Sunday 9pm)

England's cricketers wrote their names into the history books 12 months ago, winning their first World Cup title in a finale that went down as one of the most exciting ever in team sport.

Both England and New Zealand were locked on 241 after 100 overs of tension that cast Ben Stokes as the hosts' hero. That paved the way for a super over, a six-ball shoot-out that had previously never occurred in a one-day international, before England eventually triumphed by the smallest of margins.

Just days after that historic success, Amazon Prime released The Edge, a new documentary, narrated by actor Toby Jones, telling the story of the reinvention of English cricket under the guidance of coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss between 2009 and 2013.

Mixing spectacular aerial shots of packed stadiums in far-flung sun-drenched destinations with the nitty gritty close-ups of the duels between the batsmen and bowlers, Barney Douglas's film is a tale of what it takes to make it to the pinnacle of sport – and the cost on the participants' mental health.

The film supports the Heads Together mental health initiative, with a sizeable chunk of the net profits from the film going to support the work of the charity.

Although last year's limited-overs World Cup final delivered sporting brilliance and drama, The Edge shows exactly why cricket's elongated five-day version is still the purest form of the game - and why the matches are called Tests.

MONDAY: The Deceived (Channel 5, 9pm)

Writer Lisa McGee is probably best known for being the brains behind the hit sitcom Derry Girls. However, she's wading into darker territory with the psychological thriller The Deceived, which is airing across four consecutive nights on Channel 5 this week.

Co-written by her actor husband Tobias Beer, it focuses on English student Ophelia (Emily Reid), who embarks on an affair with her married lecturer Michael (Emmett J. Scanlan). When he mysteriously disappears, Ophelia tracks him down to his home in Ireland, where she discovers that his wife, successful author Roisin (Catherine Walker), has died in a fire.

She also meets local builder Sean (rising star Paul Mescal), who is set to become her confidante - and Ophelia is really going to need someone to talk to as her situation gets ever more complicated, and she's left doubting her own sanity.

Fortunately, McGee and Beer had each other to talk to - and they believe they bring out the best in each other.

The end result is a drama which mixes the thriller genre with elements of romance and a ghost story, which sounds worlds away from Derry Girls. However, McGee suggests that writing them wasn't as different as you might expect: "For me it's just about absolutely loving the project - writing something you'd like to watch. You never know if it's going to be successful. You just pray some people watch it and enjoy it."

TUESDAY: How to Lose Weight Well, Summer Special (Channel 4, 8pm)

Though lockdown has been lifted in some parts of the UK, it's clear we're not out of the woods yet. What we need is even more diet advice, preferably from one of the most in-demand experts on the box.

No, not Michael Mosley (though his show Lose a Stone in 21 Days will be offering sage advice on Channel 4 this Wednesday).

First we have Dr Xand van Tulleken. This week he pops up with sibling Chris in the one-off BBC documentary Surviving the Virus: My Brother and Me, a film which shows us the full horror of the pandemic.

Here, however, he joins forces with Dr Helen Lawal. They ask assorted Brits to road test popular and talked-about diets.

For those wondering how they can cook such body-friendly dishes, you're in luck because Stacie Stewart shows us how turn the diets into delicious meals. No show like this would be complete without a couple of friends and some random deadline to slim down for. In this case it's pals Sophie and Zoe, who have one week to look even more fabulous for a pending event.

While Sophie tries out the citrus diet, Zoe tries the more alluring sexy pineapple diet. No, that doesn't mean she eats nothing but pineapple every day. Just every other day. The question is: which plan will help the body-conscious buddies?

Well, all will be revealed before the closing credits roll.

WEDNESDAY: Harlots (BBC2, 9pm)

Samantha Morton and Lesley Manville are a formidable double act whose work in alluring period drama Harlots has been one of TV's best kept secrets for the past few years. If you've not already binged it on subscription telly, here's a chance to see what all the fuss is about.

Samantha plays Margaret Wells, the madam of an up-and-coming brothel, while Lesley is Lydia Quigley, the ruthless boss of an uppe- class house of ill repute.

Set against the backdrop of 18th-century Georgian London, Harlots offers a new take on the city's most valuable commercial activity - sex.

Inspired by the stories of real women, the saga follows Margaret and her daughters as she struggles to reconcile her roles as mother and brothel owner.

In the first of a double bill, Margaret plans to move up in the world by taking over a house in Greek Street, while rival Lydia enlists religious crusaders and constables to raid the illegal abode.

While some will boast about how they've already warmed to the charms of feuding madams Wells and Quigley via non-BBC means on channels such as ITV Encore, one of the benefits of being late to the party is the fact we can binge series one and two back to back in the coming weeks. The third series will air at a later date.

THURSDAY: Semi-Detached (BBC2, 10pm)

Lee Mack knows a thing or two about sitcoms. Yet he admits that starring in the new series Semi-Detached has still been something of a learning curve. If you missed the 2019 pilot, the series focuses on Stuart (Mack), a wedding DJ who is currently living with his much younger partner April (Ellie White) and their new baby in a cul-de-sac, where the neighbours include his ex-wife (Samantha Spiro) and her new husband (Patrick Baladi).

If that set up wasn't unusual enough, the sitcom also has another selling point - each episode plays out in real time.

Mack explains: "What makes this show unusual is that 99 percent of the time the camera is following my character around... Every step is filmed to give a feeling of thirty minutes in a man's life. And that's the essence of what the show is, thirty minutes in a man's life that's falling apart."

We get to see his acting chops in the opening episode, as Stuart gets ready for a make-or-break date with April, while also contending with interruptions from his inappropriate Dad (Clive Russell) and extortionist brother (Neil Fitzmaurice).

FRIDAY: The Young Offenders (BBC One, 9.30pm)

Original comedy is more welcome than ever during these dark times, and this sitcom has certainly helped lift the spirits in recent weeks.

If you're new to The Young Offenders party, it centres on Cork-based rogues Conor (Alex Murphy) and Jock (Chris Walley), and their mother/guardian Mairead (Hilary Rose) as she tries to keep them on the straight and narrow.

It was created by director, producer and screenwriter Peter Foott, himself a Cork native. His 2016 comedy film The Young Offenders went down a storm not only at the Galway Film Fleadh, where it landed Best Irish Feature Film, but also at the Los Angeles Comedy Festival.

Given its success on the world stage, there was little wonder a TV series was rushed into production in the spring of 2017. Three years on and it's still going strong, as this week's offering proves.

After Conor and Jock are almost caught by Sergeant Healy following a disastrous bike theft, Mairead tires of the duo's immature behaviour and demands change. She books them into a 'therapy' session in Dublin, hoping it will imbue them with a sense of responsibility. A road trip is duly arranged, leading to bizarre encounters with a bed and breakfast owner, the therapist herself and an unsuspecting pub crowd. (If you're a fan of Father Ted, look out for a guest appearance from Mrs Doyle herself, Pauline McLynn).