On TV tonight, the newest BBC drama Tokyo Vice kicks off, new game show You Won't Believe This sees Ellie Taylor on presenting duties, Zara McDermott explores disordered eating, and Alexander Armstrong continues his South Korean journey. 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
Tokyo Vice, from 9.10 pm, BBC One
Based on a true story, this gritty eight-part crime series has a nocturnal, noir-ish vibe as it follows rookie US reporter Jake Adelstein (West Side Story actor Ansel Elgort), who’s the only American working at a big Tokyo newspaper in the 1990s. Jake’s investigations lead him into the dangerous twilight world of Japan’s notorious yakuza crime gangs while he also crosses paths with American nightclub hostess Samantha (Legion’s Rachel Keller), who’s involved with a scary enforcer. Heat director Michael Mann produces the series (first shown on streaming service Lionsgate+) with his customary panache. ★★★★ RMC
You Won't Believe This, 10 pm, Channel 4
Ted Lasso star and Strictly Come Dancing 2022 contestant Ellie Taylor hosts a new game show in which contestants must work out who’s telling the truth. They hear extraordinary stories from four ordinary people and if they correctly identify the one truth-teller in the group, they win £5,000.
But if they pick the wrong person, the liar walks away with the money. To help them work out who’s fabricating their stories, the contestants look on from a surveillance room as former detectives cross-examine the storytellers in a state-of-the-art interrogation cell. The first contestants are Karen, 60, from Kent, and Antony, 39, from West Sussex, who must work out who had the worst date ever. ★★★ JE
Zara McDermott: Disordered Eating, 9 pm, BBC Three
Love Island’s Zara McDermott questions whether influencers like her have contributed to the recent surge in eating disorders. Since leaving the villa in 2018 Zara’s social media content has been all about healthy eating and exercise, with lots of photos of her recent weight loss. But, as she speaks to several young women with eating disorders, who all say social media has contributed to their illness, she begins to question her content.
There’s also a wake-up call when she meets Lauren, whose Instagram posts were full healthy food and gym workouts, until her obsession turned into full-blown anorexia. ★★★ HD
Alexander Armstrong in South Korea, 9 pm, Channel 5
On the final leg, Alexander visits the Busan fish market, where his guide instructs him to try ‘spoon worm’, ‘sea squirt’ and ‘long arm octopus’, some of which are still moving as he tucks in. ‘Thank you,’ says Alexander rather unconvincingly, and is altogether keener on the rice wine he samples later. On Jeju Island, he shows us a fascinating method of dyeing fabric, then heads to Sunrise Peak. He describes the UNESCO World Heritage Site as ‘totally and utterly heart-pumpingly magnificent’, and it’s possibly the high point of his trip in more ways than one. ★★★ JP
Upright season 2, from 9pm, Sky Comedy
The first run of Tim Minchin’s offbeat comedy was a wonderful mix of outlandish adventure and heartfelt pathos as Minchin’s troubled musician Lucky travelled across the outback to reach his dying mum, accompanied by mixed-up teenager Meg (House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock) and a piano. Now, in the equally charming second run, Lucky has become a success but still has his demons, and when Meg asks for help to find her estranged mother, the bickering pair embark on an emotional but hilarious journey through the rainforest. ★★★★ CC
Best box set on TV tonight
1899 is the latest series by Dark creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese. Their newest offering is an enigmatic show that will have viewers question what is going on at every turn of its eight-episode first season, so it's perfect for those looking for a twisty new thriller to entertain them over the weekend.
All eight episodes are now available to stream on Netflix and feature a great cast including The Pursuit of Love's Emily Beecham and It’s for Your Own Good's Andreas Pietschmann. ★★★★ LB
Best film on TV tonight
The Wonder is the latest film starring Florence Pugh, who plays an English nurse named Lib Wright as she travels to rural Ireland to meet a young girl named Anna who hasn't eaten for four months, claiming she has survived on "manna from Heaven".
Lib is skeptical and is hired to observe Anna to see if she can fully understand what's going on, which in turn starts a debate between religion and science. This beautiful, heartbreaking and intense film is certainly worth a watch. ★★★★ LB
Soaps
- EastEnders, 7.30 pm, BBC Two
- Emmerdale, 7 pm, ITV
- Hollyoaks, 6.30 pm, Channel 4
- Home and Away is on a Christmas break
Live Sport
- FIFA World Cup: Mexico v Poland, 3:30 pm (k-o 4.00 pm), BBC One
- FIFA World Cup: France v Australia, 6:30 pm (k-o 7.00 pm), BBC One
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss the newest drama to arrive on BBC, Tokyo Vice!
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
