Des is just one of the gems on today...
David Tennant takes on his darkest role yet in Des, Battle of Britain Day is commemorated on Sky History and BBC4, and C4 goes Inside the Bomb Squad. 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
Battle of Britain 80, from 9pm, Sky History
The official Battle of Britain Day is tomorrow, but throughout this week Sky History and BBC4 are showing programmes to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the epic battle of the skies that took place in the summer of 1940. On Sky History tonight the first of three films is Allies at War, which reveals how a battle-weary RAF was helped by Polish and Czech pilots. Next is The Race for the Radar, followed by the first of a three-part series called Battle of Britain. On BBC4 watch out for Spitfire tonight (9pm), then Battle of Britain: The Real Story tomorrow (10pm) and finally, Britain’s Greatest Pilot on Wednesday (9pm).
★★★★ JL
Des, 9pm, ITV
You’ll never look at David Tennant in the same way again after witnessing his stunningly dark performance as serial killer Dennis Nilsen in this spellbinding three-parter. Sensitively choosing not to show Nilsen’s crimes, the series begins as he is caught and confesses to killing up to 16 young men. It then explores the painstaking battle of DCI Peter Jay (the equally brilliant Daniel Mays) to identify the victims and his shocking interviews with Nilsen, also known as ‘Des’. This is a riveting watch that will take a long time to leave you. Continues on Tuesday and Wednesday.
★★★★ CC
Inside the Bomb Squad, 8pm, C4
The Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment responds to more than 2,000 UK call outs every year. This series follows explosives experts from units in Chester and London as they deal with everything from illegal hoards of ammunition to unexploded World War Two shells. Sadly, the bravery of these nerveless professionals is matched, at times, by the idiocy of the general public – notably in tonight’s case of a man who caught a grenade while fishing with a magnet, then drove to work to show it to his colleagues!
★★★ IM
Best box set to watch on TV tonight
Friday Night Dinner, seasons 1-6, All 4
This quirky comedy has a great ensemble cast and gets better the more you watch. Tamsin Greig is the wacky mother preparing the traditional Jewish Friday night dinner for her equally idiosyncratic family – her hubby (Paul Ritter) and sons (Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal).
Best film to watch on TV tonight
Green Zone, 9pm, Sony Movies
Reuniting with The Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass, Matt Damon stars as a US Army officer in Iraq who’s trying to discover the truth about alleged weapons of mass destruction. Damon’s ideally cast, while Brendan Gleeson as a gruff CIA man and Greg Kinnear as a nasty Pentagon guy add old-style acting value. A fine, fearless movie.
Live sport
- Premier League Football: Brighton and Hove Albion v Chelsea 7pm (k-o 8pm), Sky Sports Premier League
- Rugby Union: Gloucester v Harlequins 7pm (k-o 7.45pm), BT Sport 1
Soaps on TV tonight
- EastEnders, 8.05pm
- Emmerdale, 7pm
- Coronation Street, 7.30pm & 8.30pm
- Hollyoaks, 6.30pm
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss Des on TV tonight – chilling real-life drama
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
