TV tonight: Our highlights for Thursday, July 20

Who Do You Think You Are key art
(Image credit: BBC/Wall to Wall)

On TV tonight, Chris Ramsey delves into his personal past in Who Do You Think You Are?, The Supervet returns with an emotional puppies special to kick-start the new series, comedian Rosie Jones shares some of the horrific abuse she faces online in Rosie Jones: Am I a R*tard?, and the second episode of Murder in the Family airs on ITV1. 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

Murder in the Family, 9 pm, ITV1/ITVX (box set)

Chris Ramsey in a field for Who Do You Think You Are? 2023

(Image credit: BBC/Wall to Wall)

By his own admission, comedian and podcaster Chris Ramsey is only alive because his ancestors survived in extraordinary circumstances. As the latest celeb to research his family history, he discovers how his paternal great-grandfather, Dryden Gordon Young, fought in the Gallipoli campaign during World War One, sustained a bayonet wound during hand-to-hand combat and was sent to fight at the Battle of Passchendaele, before being captured by the Germans. Meanwhile, his maternal grandfather, Alf Lawson, served on HMS Ulster Queen during World War Two and was lucky to escape unharmed when 40 German bombers attacked their fleet. 

★★★★ HD 

Rose Jones: Am I a R*tard?, 10 pm, Channel 4

Comedian Rosie is known for keeping us laughing on programmes such as Would I Lie To You? and 8 Out of 10 Cats, as well as her own travel show Trip Hazard. But there’s a side of her life that’s decidedly not funny: Rosie, who has cerebral palsy, receives horrific abuse on a daily basis via social media. In this frank and often upsetting documentary, Rosie shares some of the utterly disgusting comments she has been sent and asks why social networks, including Twitter, don’t do more to stop them. The answers she gets make for uncomfortable viewing. 

★★★ SP 

The Supervet: Puppy Special, 9 pm, Channel 4

Monti the cockapoo with his owners in The Supervet: Puppy Special

(Image credit: Channel 4)

Professor Noel Fitzpatrick makes a welcome return to help more animals in crisis in a four-part series, which begins with an emotional puppies special. The vet leaps into action when he tries to assist seven-month-old Weimaraner Tito, who has been hit by a van and fractured both her back legs, leaving her mum and dad Nicky and Matt on tenterhooks. We also find out how two of Noel’s previous young patients have fared since he treated them – rough collie Merida, who needed surgery on her front legs, and cockapoo Monti, who fractured his knee. 

★★★★ CC 

Consumed by jealousy when his ex-wife Susan met someone else, in 2018, sick Kieren Lynch took out his anger on his mother-in-law Jennifer, setting her on fire before committing suicide the same way. This week, using interviews with those closest to the case, text messages and home-video footage, the second episode of the true-crime series examines how Kieren’s controlling behaviour escalated and how the police failed to stop 72-year-old Jennifer’s brutal murder. It also hears from family members desperately trying to pick up the pieces of their lives in the wake of the tragedy. 

★★★★ NH

Best box set on TV tonight

The Replacement, Channel 4

The Replacement

(Image credit: BBC/Left Bank)

Originally shown on BBC1 in 2017, here’s another chance to see this three-part psychological thriller on demand starring Vicky McClure and Morven Christie. Ellen (Christie) is preparing for her maternity leave from her architectural practice when she finds the perfect replacement in mum-of-one Paula (McClure). But when Paula comes in to job-shadow, Ellen begins to see her as a friend-stealing manipulator. 

Are her own insecurities to blame or is Paula trying to take over Ellen’s life, not just her job? With an air of Single White Female about it, this is a spine-tingling take on office politics, with a good amount of ambiguity as you’re never quite sure whose side you’re on. 

★★★★★ RM

Best film on TV tonight

Arrival, 9 pm, Film4

Arrival

(Image credit: Film4)

The world is thrown into uproar when 12 alien spaceships arrive at locations around the globe. As tensions rise between nations and fear of the arrivals grows, a recently bereaved linguist is recruited by the US army to find a way to communicate with the aliens and discover why they have come. Sci-fi drama, starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker.

Soaps

Live Sport

  • 2023 Women's World Cup Football, from 7.30 am, BBC One/Two/iPlayer/ITV1/ITVX
  • The Open, 6.30 am, Sky Sports Golf/NOW
  • The Ashes, 11 am, Sky Sports Main Event/NOW

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…

Don't miss Who Do You Think You Are? 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.