TV tonight: Our highlights for Saturday, July 8

Champion key art
(Image credit: BBC)

On TV tonight, Bosco finds himself struggling in Champion, there's doubts about a breakthrough in Crime, Channel 5 turns the focus on Sophie Rhys-Jones in Sophie: The King's Secret Weapon, and more youngsters take to the stage in The Voice Kids. 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

Champion, 9.15 pm, BBC One/iPlayer (box set)

Beres (Ray Fearon) in Champion

(Image credit: BBC/New Pictures Ltd/Dan Fearon)

Candice Carty-Williams’ drama is a great addition to Saturday-night prime time, with a fresh feel from the original music by a team including Ray BLK (also one of the lead actors) and Shola Ama. After making an impression at a studio session organised by her friend Honey (Ray BLK), Vita (Déja J Bowens) is the Champion in the ascendant, although she’s leaving fractured relationships in her wake. Her brother Bosco (Malcolm Kamulete), meanwhile, is struggling. ‘You used to deliver hits in your sleep! What’s changed?’ asks his clueless manager Dawn (Holby City’s Jo Martin), unaware that Vita isn’t writing those hits any more…

★★★★ JP 

Sophie: The King's Secret Weapon?, 9.15 pm, Channel 5

Channel 5’s unofficial royal slot is given over to the Duchess of Edinburgh this week. Told using archive and interviews with historians, royal insiders and journalists, this profile charts Sophie Rhys-Jones’ journey from a career in PR to becoming one of the late Queen’s confidantes, thanks to her marriage to Prince Edward in 1999 and, by all accounts, her warm nature. She survived a tabloid run-in with the ‘Fake Sheikh’ and is now considered one of King Charles III’s most-trusted working members of the Royal Family. Not bad for a Kent ‘commoner’. 

★★★ NT 

The Voice Kids, 7.30 pm, ITV1

The Voice Kids 2023 coaches posing in a promotional shot

(Image credit: ITV)

As the search continues to find the nation’s best young singing stars, there have been scary amounts of talent and charisma on display in this year’s The Voice Kids so far. With two slots left in each of the teams of will.i.am, Pixie Lott, Danny Jones and Ronan Keating, that means there are eight places in total still to play for. First up tonight are Shanice and Andrea, 11-year-old twin sisters from Leicester, who sum up the whole vibe of the show when they say that just being there is ‘not even a wow, it’s a beyond wow’! They can sing, they have the moves,but can this sparky duo encourage the superstar coaches to punch their buzzers and spin their chairs? 

★★★★ SM 

Crime, 10.05 pm, ITV1/ITVX (box set)

In episode two of Irvine Welsh’s compelling crime drama, DI Lennox (Dougray Scott) is struggling with his sobriety following the discovery of the body of schoolgirl Britney. The troubled detective has his doubts about an apparent breakthrough in the case. Meanwhile, French detective Louis Leblanc (Réginal Kudiwu) arrives to investigate the double murder of the French couple. 

★★★★ IM

Best box set on TV tonight

The Witcher season 3, Netflix

Geralt (Henry Cavill) standing in front of a portal in The Witcher season 3

(Image credit: Netflix)

Season three – split into two, with five episodes released today, and three on 27 July – finds monster-hunting hero Geralt (Henry Cavill) joining forces with Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) to protect Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) from the monsters, mages and monarchs plotting to capture her. But when Yennefer shows Ciri how to harness her powers and leads her and Geralt to the fortress of Aretuza, the trio become cornered by dark magic… Hugh Skinner joins the cast as King Vizimir’s playboy brother Prince Radovid, while Cavill bows out this season, leaving Liam Hemsworth to take over as Geralt.

RM

Best film on TV tonight

Mission: Impossible - Fallout, 9 pm, Channel 4

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Ethan Hunt and the IMF team join forces with CIA assassin August Walker to prevent a disaster caused by mysterious arms dealer John Lark and a group of terrorists known as the Apostles. However, Hunt and his colleagues are soon pushed to their limits thanks to a face from their past. Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie's sixth entry in the action thriller saga, starring Tom Cruise and Henry Cavill.

Live Sport

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…

Don't miss Champion on TV tonight.

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

Happy viewing!

CATEGORIES
Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin was a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produced a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. Now he works for our sister site Tom's Guide in the same role.

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.