HISTORY was made on Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, Saturday). We are not talking something earth-shattering, like Tess suddenly turning moody, or a ban on Lycra. No. Let the record show that in 21st Century Britain, two women danced together on a prime time television programme and a great fuss was made about it.

Call me Nostradamus in a gilet, but I rather think 2020 will be remembered for something other than boxer Nicola Adams and Katya Jones forming what was breathlessly billed as “Strictly’s first ever same sex couple”. Women have been dancing with women for years. Or at least they did before The Germs arrived.

Not that Strictly could be seen to be milking the moment. The producers kept Adams and Jones to near the end of the running order. Adams was no slouch, as you would expect of an athlete, but between the tears flowing and the standing ovations you would have thought the pair had invented a coronavirus vaccine in the spare moments between learning the quickstep.

A record 10 million-plus viewers watched the first live episode. They would have found much that was familiar, which is the point really. If it ain’t broke, etc, especially this year. So we had the dad dancing one (JJ Chalmers), the soap actress who is so clearly going to win (Maisie Smith), this year’s John Sergeant (Bill Bailey), and Jacqui Smith, or to give the lady her official billing, “former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith”.

Strictly is no stranger to politicians, but a former Home Secretary is a feather in the old chapeau. One could only imagine Priti Patel watching at home and wondering if she was being given a glimpse of her future. She should be so lucky. Craig Revel Horwood said Jacqui’s dancing (which was awful) was “ten times better” than Theresa May’s. Only ten times. Bally cheek.

Halloween, like everything else, is aff this year, so telly brought us some chills in The Sister (STV, Monday-Thursday). Or at least that was the idea. Russell Tovey played Nathan, happily married, lovely house, all that. Everything was tickety-boo till an old acquaintance turned up during a rainstorm to declare that “they’re digging in the woods”. No good ever came of that sentence in a TV drama. Turns out Nathan and Bob (Bertie Carvel) were bound by a terrible secret from their past, one that had come back to haunt them.

The most disturbing thing about The Sister was the way it dragged on for four evenings when the story merited an hour at best. It was packed with irritations, from the whiny voice adopted by Bertie Carvel, to the ridiculously flabby dialogue. “Where are we?” asked Nathan. “My lock-up,” said Bob. “It’s locked. Unlock it.” The plot was laughably convoluted, stuff happened that would never happen (an ambulance crew busting a door down?), and not one character was believable. Apart from that, terrific.

The Big Scottish Book Club (BBC Scotland, Sunday) returned, with the first of eight programmes devoted to memoir. Shot in Lanark Memorial Hall, the absence of an audience was only too apparent. As Barr chatted to his guests, Janey Godley, Lemn Sissay, Alexandra Heminsley and Janette Ayachi, it was like watching a coffee morning take place in the middle of the SSE Hydro. While the first series made much of getting around Scotland, they might as well have admitted defeat and retreated to a studio. Barr proved his worth as an interviewer, though, listening to answers and reacting to them. It’s surprising how few do.

Autumnwatch (BBC2, Tuesday-Friday) returned and not a moment too soon. Chris Packham began proceedings with footage of a badger scratching its bits (I believe that’s the proper scientific term) and an inspirational speech about the glories of nature shining a light in the dark. Packham for PM, am I right?

Michaela Strachan was back after having to miss Springwatch because she was at home in South Africa. She had been given one of the best gigs, in Tentsmuir Forest in Fife, plus the Isle of May, home to a colony of seals that were busy pupping. It was touch and go which was cuter: the pups or Strachan’s sheer joy at the sight of them.

Otherwise, Packham, plus his step-daughter and now fellow presenter Megan McCubbin, were in the New Forest and the other two presenters, whoever they are, were in Wales and Yorkshire. To be brutal, this has always been the Strachan and Packham show, and now it’s the Strachan, Packham and McCubbin show. Add the wildlife and that’s quite a crowd.

The seasons may change but “Watch” rarely deviates much from its familiar format, from Packham teasing Michaela to those live shots where there is supposed to be wildlife but all the creatures are hiding from the cameras just for larks. We did see them eventually.

Apparently the critters have spent the summer refurbishing their homes, and now it was the season to grow fat for winter. Where they get such ideas from

I will never

know.