TV tonight: Our highlights for Saturday, August 26

Casualty romance? Max Cristie is shocked by Donna Jackson's unexpected advances - but not for long!
There's plenty of drama in Casualty on TV tonight. (Image credit: BBC)

On TV tonight, there's a love triangle in Casualty, a documentary about Richard Williams, BBC Two celebrates Madonna, and there's a re-run of the great Case Histories. Here's what you shouldn't miss on TV Tonight.

  • Our hand-selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include TV shows, a film, live sport and the latest trending need-to-binge-on-now box set 
  • Keep up to date with the latest soap spoiler storylines on TV tonight with our daily soap synopsis 
  • For more information about what’s on TV tonight see our TV Guide

What's on TV tonight

Our expert TV journalists have picked the best things on TV tonight... 

Best TV shows on TV tonight

Casualty, 9:15 pm, BBC One

Love triangle alert! As if her life isn’t complicated enough, Donna (Jaye Jacobs) gets passionate with Max (Nigel Harman) in his office in tonight’s episode… shortly after agreeing to have dinner with Dylan (William Beck)! This all takes place against the backdrop of an intense shift. Casualties flood into the ED after news comes in that a man is stabbing women at a local rally. 

The staff are on edge when they hear this, as both Rida and Jodie were at the event and are now missing. So when the perpetrator, Lucas, is admitted, emotions are running high. Max, Donna and Stevie step in to treat the hate-filled killer in some tense and chilling scenes. 

★★★★ ER

Case Histories from 9 pm, Drama, UKTV Play

Case Histories promo image

(Image credit: BBC)

We’re well aware that viewers sometimes complain that they struggle to find something they want to watch on summer Saturdays – but it’s always worth checking out the Drama channel for quality reruns. Recent series include The Split and Strike, and tonight, it’s a rare showing for detective drama Case Histories, based on Kate Atkinson’s novel. Jason Isaacs stars as private investigator Jackson Brodie, who takes on a ‘cold case’ of a missing child, with Phil Davis, Amanda Abbington, Natasha Little and Sylvia Syms also in the cast.

★★★★ JP

Madonna Night, from 10 pm, BBC Two

It seems utterly bizarre to be writing the words ‘Madonna turned 65’, but that’s exactly what happened earlier this month when the singer celebrated a milestone birthday. Tonight, BBC2 pays homage to the best-selling female artist of all time, beginning with the compilation Madonna at the BBC, which includes performances of Holiday (her first Top of the Pops appearance in 1984), Like a Virgin, Vogue and Hung Up

That’s followed by a feature-length look at her 2015-16 Rebel Heart Tour (11pm), which includes hits from throughout her career, with the evening rounded off with Truth or Dare, the 1991 documentary about her Blonde Ambition tour. 

★★★★ JP

On The Line: The Richard Williams Story, 9 pm, Sky Documentaries

Richard Williams with Serena and Venus

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Richard Williams was born to a single mother who picked cotton to feed her five children, yet his daughters – Serena and Venus – would conquer one of the world’s most elite sports. Featuring new interviews and some fascinating home videos, this candid film tells the story of how he engineered their remarkable rise to the top of tennis, in a journey beset with obstacles. 

One stark highlight comes when Serena was booed by fans in her home tournament, while Richard suffered racial abuse in the stands. That Serena went on to win the tournament sums up their story perfectly. 

★★★★★ SMA

Best box set on TV tonight

Harlan Coben's Shelter, Prime Video

Episode 2 of Harlan Coben's Shelter

(Image credit: Amazon)

In Shelter, Mickey Bolitar survives the car crash that kills his father and puts his mother in hospital. While she recovers from her injuries in rehab, he goes to live with his estranged Aunt Shira (Entourage’s Constance Zimmer) in the quiet suburban town of Kasselton, New Jersey. 

Struggling with his grief and trying to fit into his new surroundings,  Mickey immediately forms a connection with another new student Ashley Kent (Samantha Bugliaro).  But when she disappears before their first date, he is determined to find out what’s happened to her. 

NC

Best film on TV tonight

The Third Man, 12:30 pm, BBC Two

Filmed 75 years ago in post-war Vienna, this is simply one of the best films ever made, as Joseph Cotten’s naive American searches for his friend Harry Lime in the ruins of the Austrian city. 

Directed by Carol Reed, with a screenplay by Graham Greene based on his own novel and a star turn from Orson Welles as Lime, the film shows its pedigree at every turn, not least in the unforgettable final scene (the cinematography was rewarded with an Oscar). You can also see Classic Movies: The Story of the Third Man on Thursday (8pm, Sky Arts). 

★★★★★ JP

Live Sport

  • Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United (Kick-off 5:30 pm), Sky Sports Main Event

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…

Don't miss Casualty on TV tonight.

Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide

Happy viewing!

CATEGORIES
Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Now she works for our sister site TechRadar in the same role. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress