On TV tonight, Netflix delivers a new mystery series in the form of 1899, Emily Blunt's quest for revenge continues in The English, former Strictly star Oti Mabuse heads back to South Africa, and Succession star Brian Cox lifts the lid on the lives of the uber-rich. 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
From the makers of acclaimed time-traveling German series Dark, this atmospheric horror mystery is set aboard a transatlantic steamship on the eve of the 20th century. The story centres on Maura (Emily Beecham), a troubled female doctor traveling alone, who wants to find out the fate of sister ship The Prometheus, which vanished four months earlier. Also on board are an unhappily married French couple, a mysterious Geisha, a French stowaway and a shifty-looking Italian priest traveling with his outspoken brother. All of them, it seems, have secrets to conceal, and when the captain receives a signal that could be from the missing vessel, things take a very strange turn indeed… ★★★★ IM
Oti Mabuse: My South Africa, 9 pm, BBC Two
We can’t deny we were all pretty saddened when Oti Mabuse quit Strictly to pursue other projects. But now the first of those is on our screens, and it’s a pretty personal one that sees the dancer return to her home country of South Africa to discover how it’s changed since she left 10 years ago. There are a lot of positives, as Oti meets the country’s first female, black wine-maker, and gets to dance with the stars of the new Amapiano dance movement, created in the Johannesburg townships. But South Africa can’t seem to fully escape its dark past, which Oti discovers when she’s shunned in a whites-only town, and when her parents open up about the traumas of apartheid. ★★★★★ HD
The English, 9 pm, BBC Two, BBC iPlayer (box set)
Lady Cornelia Locke’s revenge quest to find the man responsible for her son’s death is halted this week when she encounters a young girl and newborn baby whose mother has been killed by outlaws. Knowing they won’t survive in the brutish Wild West, Cornelia (Emily Blunt) vows to find their extended family – travelling Mennonites, heading south. But the planned mercy-mission stirs up distressing emotions for her travelling companion, Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), who’s traumatised by losing his family to invading settlers. Taking refuge with farmers, he promises to wait for Cornelia to return, but is it a promise he can keep? ★★★★ RF
Brian Cox: How The Other Half Live, 9 pm, Channel 5
Brian Cox lifts the lid on the world’s complicated wealth gap in this eye-opening two-part documentary, asking why the rich are getting richer while the poorest are struggling more than ever to make ends meet. Known for playing billionaire Logan Roy in hit US show Succession, Brian explains how his greedy character’s views on money are worlds away from his own, as he visits his home city of Dundee and recalls being plunged into poverty as a child. Brian also delves into the financial crisis of 2008, meets a London trader who became a millionaire at 24 and has a tour of a Mayfair mansion. ★★★★ RM
Best box set on TV tonight
The Crown season 5, Netflix
The Queen and her family find themselves on the back foot as this lavish saga moves into the 1990s with a brand-new cast (including Imelda Staunton as the Queen) and plenty of royal drama. The breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage hogs all the headlines, with Dominic West capturing our new King wonderfully, but the first episode of this 10-part series also sees him toying with the idea of ousting his mother. The show’s writer, Peter Morgan, handles the story with subtlety and skill, yet even the pulled punches can’t remove the edge from a story that resonates deeply in light of recent events. ★★★★★ SMA
Best film on TV tonight
Christmas With You, Netflix
It’s never too early for a yuletide romcom — this has a feelgood factor as warm as a fleecy fireside throw! It stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Aimee Garcia and Gabriel Sloyer, and follows down-on-her-luck pop star Angelina (Garcia) who’s seeking inspiration for a hit holiday song. She decides to grant a young fan’s wish to meet her, so travels to her suburban hometown outside New York City. There she not only finds what she’s missing to revitalize her music career but also has a shot at true love. ★★★ NC
Live Sport
- Live Snooker: UK Championship, day six, 7 pm on BBC Two
- Live PGA Tour Golf, 5 pm, Sky Sports Main Event
- Live Grand Slam of Darts, day six, 7 pm, Sky Sports Main Event
Soaps
- EastEnders, 7.30 pm, BBC One
- Emmerdale, 7.30 pm, ITV
- Hollyoaks, 6.30 pm, Channel 4
- Home and Away, 6 pm, 5Star
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss 1899 tonight: it sounds like this mystery thriller will grow even more disorienting as it unfolds...
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
