TV tonight: our highlights for Thursday 16th July

TV tonight There She Goes
(Image credit: BBC/Merman/Scott Kershaw)

There She Goes is just one of the gems on today...

It's Christmas time – in February – in There She Goes, catch musical drama Little Voice on Apple TV+, and a live debate on ITV asks Stephen Lawrence: Has Britain Changed?. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss on TV tonight. 

  • Our hand-selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include three TV shows, live sport, a film and the latest trending need-to-binge-on-now box set 
  • 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

Little Voice, Apple TV+

TV tonight Little Voice

Brittany O’Grady stars as Bess

Sara Bareilles provides the songs for this musical drama, loosely inspired by her own experiences. After a previous attempt at performing her own material led to the crowd heckling her offstage, Bess (Brittany O’Grady) is suffering a crisis of confidence. Now she only performs covers at bar mitzvahs. Then, in the sweetest of meet-cutes, handsome neighbour Ethan (Mr Selfridge’s Sean Teale) overhears her, and tries to convince Bess that her songs are worth sharing. Much like Bess’s material, Little Voice can be overly earnest, but it’s hard to resist. 

★★★ SP

There She Goes, 9.30pm, BBC2

TV tonight There She Goes

Santa doesn’t seem to be giving off a festive vibe

December has long been and gone but with Rosie still fixated on Christmas and all that comes with it, the Yates household  is currently gripped  by festive fever. After bumping into a group  of Santas on a fun run, Simon and Emily realise that the only way to get around this is to throw another party and begin searching the calendar for something, anything, to celebrate. Luckily  the American holiday  of ‘President’s Day’ is approaching, so Emily invites her parents, Grandma (Serena Evans) and ‘Gandalf’ (Nigel Planer) to a chaotic celebration of all things American… 

★★★★ SMA

Stephen Lawrence: Has Britain Changed?, 8pm, ITV

In the wake of George Floyd’s death and the global protests that followed, this programme looks at racism in the UK, nearly 30 years after Stephen Lawrence was killed in a racist attack. At 9pm, there’s another chance to see The Murder of Stephen Lawrence, the BAFTA-winning 1999 drama about the struggle faced by Doreen and Neville Lawrence to get justice for their 18-year-old son. 

★★★★ SP

Best box set to watch 

Strike, seasons 1-3, BBC iPlayer

TV tonight Strike

Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger star

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

Funny Girl, 1.50pm, Sony Movies Classic

TV tonight Funny Girl

Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice

Recreating her Broadway role as stage star Fanny Brice, Barbra Streisand’s debut was the perfect beginning to her film career – and earned her a Best Actress Oscar. The big musical numbers are expertly staged, but director William Wyler and his star pay close attention to the emotional heart of the drama, too.

Live sport

  • Cricket: England v West Indies 10.30am, Sky Sports Cricket/NOW TV (highlights, BBC2, 7pm)
  • Golf: The Memorial Tournament 12.15pm, Sky Sports Golf

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight… 

Don't miss There She Goes on TV tonight – it will leave you feeling festive!

Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide. 

Happy viewing!