TV tonight: our highlights for Wednesday 15th July
Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs is just one of the gems on today...
Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs is Back in Business, there are Bears About the House on BBC2, and Sky One's spy thriller Condor is back. 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
Bears About the House, 8pm, BBC2
Giles Clark, who runs the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, heads to Laos in south-east Asia to help his friend Matt Hunt build a sanctuary for sun and moon bears in this fascinating two-parter. The star of the show is undoubtedly Mary, an adorable sun bear cub that Giles helps to rear, whose playful antics are a delight to watch. However, the illegal wildlife-trade backdrop to this story is harrowing, with bears being kept in cramped conditions in farms, where prized ‘bear bile’ is extracted from their gall bladders. A charming and alarming watch.
★★★★ IM
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Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs– Back in Business, 8pm, ITV
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, like other animal sanctuaries, has been shut to the public due to COVID-19. But Paul O’Grady was on hand before the doors closed and here he follows the staff as they try to find new or temporary owners for their charges during lockdown. When Paul meets some puppies, will he take one home? What do you think?! He also goes to what he calls ‘the dark side’ and looks at how Battersea’s cats are being cared for. But handsome long-haired Bear is unimpressed with Paul’s attempts to make friends!
★★★★ CC
Condor, 9pm, Sky One/NOW TV
Jeremy Irons’ son Max is a convincing lead in this returning American spy thriller, based on the classic Robert Redford film Three Days of the Condor. As we rejoin, disaffected former CIA analyst Joe Turner (Irons) has fled to Europe to escape his past, but he’s reluctantly forced back into the field when approached by a Russian double agent who works for his uncle (William Hurt). Stand by for lots more cross-and-double-cross in an enjoyably twisted second series that’s more Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy than Homeland.
★★★★ IM
Best box set to watch
Strike, seasons 1-3, BBC iPlayer
The detective novels of JK Rowling, which she wrote under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, have been turned into thoroughly entertaining crime drama series. There are excellent performances from Tom Burke as brooding war veteran turned private detective Cormoran Strike and Holliday Grainger as his sardonic but trusted receptionist and assistant Robin Ellacott.
Best film to watch on TV tonight
The Misfits, 9pm, Sony Movies Classic
A double bill (with Suddenly Last Summer) featuring Montgomery Clift, who would have turned 100 this year. Having Arthur Miller as screenwriter and John Huston as director is impressive, but The Misfits cast is also top-notch. Along with Clift, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Eli Wallach form the misfits of the title in a tale made all the more poignant by the fact that this was the last complete film ever made by both Monroe and Gable.
Live sport
- Premier League Football 5.30pm , Sky Sports Premier League
- Premier League Football: Burnley v Wolves 5.30pm (k-o 6pm), BBC1 (2nd half 6.55pm, BBC1)
- Premier League Football 8pm, Sky Sports Premier League
Soaps on TV tonight
- Emmerdale, 7pm
- Coronation Street, 7.30pm
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs on TV tonight – we've missed him, and the dogs!
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!