TV Tonight: our highlights for Saturday, September 18

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Strictly Come Dancing is just one of the gems on TV tonight.

The professional dancers for Strictly Come Dancing 2021.
The professional dancers for Strictly Come Dancing 2021. (Image credit: BBC)

On TV tonight, dust off your sequins and glitter to welcome the new bunch of nervous celebrities taking part in Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1, there's drama thanks to conniving consultant Stevie in Casualty also on BBC1 and Paul O'Grady brings more laughter and mayhem on ITV as his game show Saturday Night Line Up continues. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss on TV tonight.

  • Our hand selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include three 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

Strictly Come Dancing 2021, 7.45pm, BBC1

TV tonight Strictly's new judge Anton Du Beke

Strictly's longest serving pro and now new judge Anton Du Beke. (Image credit: BBC)

Our maths might be a little off, but we estimate that our weekends will get 130% sparklier from tonight as Strictly returns with its launch show! Tess and Claudia officiate as 15 celebrities – including Greg Wise, Dan Walker, Nina Wadia and Dragons’ Den’s Sara Davies – meet their professional dance partners. Plus, longest-serving pro Anton Du Beke joins the judging panel to fill in for Bruno Tonioli. There will also be a triumphant return for reigning champion Bill Bailey, and music from The Voice UK coach Anne-Marie. 

★★★★★ SP

Casualty, 9.30pm, BBC1

TV tonight Stevie, played by Elinor Lawless.

Vengeful Stevie, played by Elinor Lawless. (Image credit: BBC)

Vengeful consultant Stevie plants drugs in Jade’s locker, sending the young nurse on a downward spiral. Then an unwelcome and emotional reunion with mum Susie (Sophie Stone) accelerates Jade’s disillusionment with nursing, which is cemented when her line manager is a no-show as she faces a suspension! Elsewhere, Iain makes a house call to Jacob, who can barely face his own reflection, never mind deal with the possible barrage of questions following Tina’s violent assault. Another tender trip to Holby ED. 

★★★★ ER

Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line Up, 9.35pm, ITV

TV tonight Paul O'Grady.

Paul O'Grady hosts. (Image credit: ITV)

What do you get if you cross a chat show with a police line-up and a Family Fortunes-style ‘our survey says…’ quiz (come on, surely you can see where this is going…)? As Paul O’Grady’s new show continues, this week Amanda Holden, David Haye, Johnny Vegas and Aston Merrygold try to put themselves in the order the public ranked them for, among other things, who’d be most likely to win an argument. There’s entertaining banter, too. 

★★★ JP

Best box set to watch on TV tonight

Sex Education, season 3, Netflix

TV tonight Asa Butterfield as Otis and Emma Mackey as Maeve.

Asa Butterfield as Otis and Emma Mackey as Maeve. (Image credit: Netflix)

Few shows have captured the pleasure, pain and passionate intensity of teenage life as exquisitely as Netflix’s comedy drama Sex Education. And as the third run begins from Moordale Secondary School, there are twists and turns aplenty as the fallout from last series’ shocking STD outbreak continues. Moordale's nerdy but loveable resident sex guru Otis, played by Asa Butterfield, would usually be eager to steer his fellow students through any sexual crises, but he has vowed to stop doling out advice, and is involved in a surprising romance of his own. Joining the cast are Jason Isaacs as ex-headteacher Mr Groff’s brother and Girls’ Jemima Kirke, who plays Moordale’s cool new head Hope Haddon.

Best film to watch on TV tonight

Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Amazon Prime Video

TV tonight Max Harwood as Jamie.

Max Harwood as young drag queen Jamie. (Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

Based on the true story of teen drag queen Jamie Campbell, the hit stage musical sparkles in this film adaptation. With the loving support of his mum (Sarah Lancashire), Jamie New, 16, decides to go to his school prom in drag – but teacher Miss Hedge (Sharon Horgan) isn’t having it. With a superb cast, also including Richard E Grant and Shobna Gulati, and some very catchy songs, this is a real feelgood treat of a movie.

Live Sport

  • Premier League, Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brentford, 11.30am (k-o 12.30pm), BT Sport 1
  • Premier League, Aston Villa v Everton, 5pm (k-o 5.30pm), Sky Sports Main Event/NOW

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…

Don't miss Strictly Come Dancing on TV tonight – the glitz and glamour is finally back – with an amazing line-up of celebs and a fabulous new judge too!

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

Happy viewing!

CATEGORIES
Joanne Lowles
Joanne Lowles
Freelance writer and editor

Joanne Lowles has been writing about TV since 2002. After graduating from Cardiff University with a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism, she worked for All About Soap magazine covering the ups and downs of life on the cobbles, the square and the Dales. 

Next came nearly 10 years at TV Times magazine as a writer and then deputy features editor. Here she spent many happy days interviewing the biggest names in entertainment and visiting the sets of some of our most popular shows including Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife and Strictly Come Dancing. 

With a love of nature and wildlife she’s also interviewed the leading experts in this area including David Attenborough, Chris Packham and Steve Backshall. She’s also travelled the world visiting Mongolia, Canada and South Africa to see how the best in the business make the most brilliant natural history documentaries. 

Freelance since 2013, she is now is a digital writer and editor for What to Watch, previews the best on the box for TV Times mag each week and loves being constantly surprised, entertained and informed by the amazing TV that she is lucky enough to watch.