TV tonight: our highlights for Friday 22nd May

TV tonight Little Fires Everywhere
(Image credit: Erin Simkin)

Little Fires Everywhere is just one of the gems on today...

New Amazon Prime Video's Little Fires Everywhere and the second series of Homecoming will have you intrigued, and there's a classic episode of Vera on ITV. 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 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

Homecoming, Amazon Prime Video

TV tonight Homecoming

Janelle Monáe stars as an amnesiac trying to find out her identity

The chilling thriller is back for a second series with a different mystery and a new lead actor taking over from Julia Roberts. Janelle Monáe’s character wakes up in a rowing boat adrift on a lake with no memory of who she is. But the search for an identity soon leads her to the sinister Geist Group… Fans will also be pleased to hear Stephan James, breakout star of series one, returns as troubled army vet Walter Cruz. 

★★★ NC

Little Fires Everywhere, Amazon Prime Video

TV tonight Little Fires Everywhere

Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington star

A picture-perfect town, a mystery, mothers keeping secrets… could this be the new Big Little Lies? This gorgeous eight-part miniseries based on Celeste Ng’s novel opens with journalist Elena Richardson’s (Reese Witherspoon, playing uptight-polite as only she can) house ablaze, and we quickly learn it was deliberately set alight with her inside – but why? We jump back four months as pillar of the community Elena rents a property to single mum and artist Mia Warren (Kerry Washington) and her daughter Pearl… 

★★★★★ SP

Vera, 8.30pm, ITV

TV tonight Vera

We all need a bit of Vera at the moment

With filming of the 11th series of Vera halted for obvious reasons, we’ll have to wait a while for DCI Stanhope to be back on the case. We could do with some of Vera’s no-nonsense wisdom right now, so here’s a classic episode from 2013 revolving around the murder of a respected surgeon and the abduction of his two daughters, who he adopted from Iraq. And, of course, the investigation soon takes a violent and unexpected turn… 

★★★ LP

Best box set to watch 

Doctor Foster, two seasons, BritBox and Netflix

TV tonight Doctor Foster

Suranne Jones as Doctor Foster

There’s the chance to see Killing Eve star Jodie Comer in a more conventional role – as the younger woman who GP Gemma (Suranne Jones) is convinced her husband Simon (Bertie Carvel) is having an affair with in this compelling drama of a marriage falling apart.

Best film to watch on TV tonight

Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw, 8pm, Sky Premiere/NOW TV

TV tonight Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw

'No, I'm the toughest'

The Fast & Furious action series takes a high-speed detour with a thrilling spin-off vehicle for two of its most popular supporting characters – Dwayne Johnson’s strapping lawman Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s renegade SAS soldier turned mercenary Deckard Shaw. The rivals are on the same side here, forced to team up to save the world from Idris Elba’s cyber-enhanced terrorist Brixton Lore. The ensuing action is frantic and ridiculous, but also more streamlined than the last few instalments. 

Soaps on TV tonight

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight… 

Don't miss Little Fires Everywhere on TV tonight – it'll keep you guessing!

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

Happy viewing!