TV tonight: our highlights for Monday 19th October

(Image credit: BBC/Wall to Wall Media Ltd/Stephen Perry)

Who Do You Think You Are? is just one of the gems on today...

David Walliams gets serious in Who Do You Think You Are?, Hollyoaks Does Come Dine with me to help mark its 25th anniversary, and Bargain Hunt celebrates its 20th birthday. Here's what you shouldn’t miss 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

Hollyoaks Does Come Dine With Me, 7.30pm, E4

TV tonight Hollyoaks Does Come Dine With Me — Whose dishes will win the dosh?

Gary Lucy will be putting his culinary and hosting skills to the test alongside other past and present Hollyoaks stars for a 25th anniversary week of Come Dine with Me. Filmed before lockdown, it features Jorgie Porter, about to return as Theresa McQueen, original cast member Jeremy Edwards (Kurt), Rishi Nair (Sami) and Ruby O’Donnell (Peri). Will Gary’s American-style cooking impress his guests? Continues all week.

★★★★ NC

Who Do You Think You Are?, 9pm, BBC1

As much as we enjoy the sublimely silly fun that David Walliams brings to shows such as BGT, there’s a rare but lovely glimpse of his serious, sensitive side as he delves into his remarkable ancestry. First, he discovers the tragic story of how his paternal great-grandfather, a World War One veteran, suffered from shellshock for many years. But then David is thrilled to find a fellow showman in the form of his blind maternal great-great-grandfather, who was a street musician before running fairground rides. An emotional but entertaining watch.

★★★★ CC

Bargain Hunt's 20th Birthday, 12.15pm, BBC1

TV tonight Bargain Hunt's 20th Birthday — Presenter Charlie Ross is celebrating

The daytime show celebrates its 20th anniversary with a look back at some of the highlights and even a battle of the experts in a series of specials on all week. Presenters such as Charlie Ross and Christina Trevanion recall the best and worst buys, including the African mask that was snapped up for £60 that ended up making £230. But the highlight comes from 2003 when students Phil and Matt took a risk buying an old violin at an antiques fair for £150, which saw them making a tidy £430 profit when it went under the hammer.

★★★ HD

Best box set to watch on TV tonight

Strike, seasons one to four, BBC iPlayer

Following the recent fourth series on BBC1, now is the time to revisit the first three seasons of the detective drama based on the JK Rowling novels, written under the name Robert Galbraith, starring Tom Burke as private eye Cormoran Strike.

Best film to watch on TV tonight

Fences, 9pm, Film4

TV tonight Fences — Denzel Washington and Viola Davis shine

Denzel Washington shines in front and behind the camera for his directorial debut, giving a fine performance matched only by co-star Viola Davis. Although often unable to break free of its stage origins (August Wilson adapted his own play), this tale of an African-American family in the 1950s is deeply lyrical, in which Washington’s seemingly affable father is masking a complicated, bitter core, butting him against his wife Davis and his talented American football-playing teenage son, Jovan Adepo. With beautifully rhythmic soliloquies and career-best performances, this is an exceptional drama.