Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, 9pm)

IT’S going to be murder on the dance floor again, and we love it. A couple of weeks ago, the Strictly class of 2014 launched the red-carpet show without anyone falling down the stars or out of their costumes.

As always the gossips are looking for “the curse of Strictly” to strike, as yet another contestant finds the constant attention of a professional dancer too hot to handle – and Iveta Lukosiute, in particular, seemed very happy to have landed former rugby player Thom Evans.

The first six couples will be taking to the floor tonight, with the rest competing on Saturday. Judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel Horwood and Darcey Bussell are let loose on the poor devils for the first time, and MasterChef's Gregg Wallace now knows that dancing doesn’t get any tougher than this.

He says: "The judges scare me because you are working really hard and they are the experts and they are there to scrutinise everything you do. It is in their professional interest to critique you properly and that is scary. If they don't pick up on something you do wrong then they lose credibility. On MasterChef I let people get away with things as long as they cover it in Chantilly cream"

Meanwhile, DJ Scott Mills admits he has probably already given at least one judge a reason not to go easy on him. "I met Craig yesterday for the first time. He was on my show and we soaked him with water. So that's probably not going to do me any favours particularly."

Presenter Caroline Flack says: "Ever since I was a presenter on CBBC and used to see the Strictly judges walking around Television Centre I have wanted to be on the show... and this year the time was right."

Pixie Lott, Jake Wood, Frankie Bridge, Simon Webbe, Alison Hammond, Steve Backshall, Sunetra Sarker, Mark Wright, Jennifer Gibney, Judy Murray and Tim Wonnacott are the others about to face the music and dance.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will attempt to keep everyone in order, but the harshest judges of all, the viewing public, don't get to vote until next week.

Golf: The Ryder Cup (BBC2, 8.30pm)

THIS is a chance to see the pick of the day's action from Gleneagles, with Europe and the USA facing each other in the opening fourballs and foursomes.

Remarkably this is only the second time the Ryder Cup has taken place on Scottish soil, and the first time since Muirfield in 1973, and the local supporters will have been hoping to see Stephen Gallacher today, one of three rookies for Europe, whom Paul McGinley aims to captain to success for a third successive occasion.

The last two meetings have been tense affairs at Celtic Manor Resort and Medinah Country Club, with Europe winning 14.5-13.5 on both occasions to maintain their recent dominance of the competition.

The Graham Norton Show (BBC1, 10.35pm)

WELL, Graham's back], and judging by the line-up, he clearly means business. The host is joined by Doctor Who Peter Capaldi. As a life-long fan of the Time Lord, Capaldi will be talking about how it feels to finally get his hands on the key to the Tardis, but will he have anything to say about reports that US viewers are struggling to understand his accent?

Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington will discuss starring in a movie version of the 1980s TV favourite The Equalizer. Actress Gemma Arterton is also on hand to talk about appearing in a West End musical version of the 2010 film Made in Dagenham, and singer-songwriter George Ezra drops by to perform Blame It on Me.