TV Tonight: Our highlights for Friday, March 17

A composite shot of the Comic Relief 2023 presenters: Joel Dommett, AJ Odudu, Paddy McGuinness, David Tennant and Zoe Ball. They are in front of a red background and everyone is wearing red outfits, except for Paddy, who is wearing a dark suit with a maroon tie, and David, who is wearing a blue suit with a blue tie
The Comic Relief 2023 team. (Image credit: Nicky Johnston/BBC)

On TV tonight, Comic Relief returns for another hilarious charity fundraiser, Apple TV Plus gains a new anthology series featuring the likes of Merly Streep, Edward Norton and David Schwimmer in Extrapolations, Matthew McConaughey lends his voice to Netflix animated series Agent Elvis, Redemption gets underway on ITV1 and Simon Gregson features in Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted. Here's what you shouldn't miss on TV Tonight.

  • Our hand-selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include 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

Comic Relief, 7 pm, BBC One

Mary Berry, Claudia Winkleman, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders sit around The Traitors roundtable. All of them are wearing black Traitor cloaks, and Mary, Dawn and Jennifer are all wearing black wigs with long fringes mimicking Claudia's hairstyle

(Image credit: BBC/David Emery)

Zoe Ball, Joel Dommett, Paddy McGuinness, AJ Odudu and David Tennant are our hosts for this year’s live telethon from Salford – and what a bag of treats they’ve got lined up for us. Tonight’s chortlesome charity fundraiser includes a special instalment of Ghosts in which Kylie Minogue visits Button House, a Comic Relief take on The Traitors with Dawn French as Claudia Winkleman, a spoof behind-the-scenes look at the UK’s Eurovision auditions, and the long-awaited return of Sir Tony Robinson as the lovable, turnip-obsessed Baldrick in a Blackadder bedtime story. Tune in, giggle and dig deep for a donation if you can. When Comic Relief Did Big Brother is on BBC2 (10pm). ★★★★★ SP 

Agent Elvis, Netflix

Animated Elvis singing in Netflix's Agent Elvis.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Elvis Presley always wanted to be a federal agent and now, nearly 46 years after his death, he gets his wish in this adult animated action comedy, co-created by his ex-wife Priscilla and singer-songwriter John Eddie. Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey voices Elvis, who is secretly inducted into the CIA’s covert spy programme to help battle evil forces that are threatening the US, while also continuing to be the King of Rock ’n’ Roll. Elvis’ espionage work involves wearing a jetpack, shooting to kill and having a pet chimpanzee as a sidekick. JE 

Celebrity Help! My House is Haunted, Discovery Plus

The latest famous face calling in TV’s super-squad of ghostbusters is Simon Gregson. The Corrie star has experienced spooky sightings of a woman in white on the landing of his Cheshire home. Before you can say ‘boo!’, TV ghost hunter Barri Ghai, exorcist Ian Lawman and historian Jayne Harris are at the abode armed with equipment that detects spirit voices. Simon’s startled reactions are a sight to behold, while Jayne reveals details of a gruesome murder that happened locally in 1893… ★★★ TL 

Extrapolations, Apple TV Plus

Meryl Street in Extrapolations

(Image credit: Apple TV)

A star-studded cast including Meryl Streep, Edward Norton, Marion Cotillard, Matthew Rhys, David Schwimmer, Tahar Rahim and more unite in this ambitious anthology series exploring the effects of climate change on everyday life in the near-future. Following eight interwoven stories over a 33-year time span, the drama opens in 2037, when melting ice caps, worldwide wildfires and the lack of clean water are wreaking havoc. Pregnant conservationist Rebecca Shearer (Sienna Miller) gets caught up in a forest fire, while tech tycoon Nicholas Bilton (Kit Harington) comes up with a plan to resolve the drought crisis – but at what cost? RM

Redemption, 9 pm, ITV1

Paula Malcolmson as Colette Cunningham on the phone in Redemption

(Image credit: Tall Story Pictures/ITV)

Ray Donovan’s Paula Malcolmson is DI Colette Cunningham, whose life catching criminals in Liverpool is upended when the body of her estranged daughter, Stacey, is found in Dublin following a suspected suicide. Having not seen Stacey since she went missing as a teenager, Colette is forced to move to the city to identify her daughter’s body and care for the two grandchildren she never knew existed. As she digs into the last months of Stacey’s life, she discovers her daughter was suspended from her nursing job for stealing prescription medication. Will Colette be prepared for the truth? Derry Girls’ Siobhán McSweeney also stars. ★★★ HD 

Best box set on TV tonight

You season 4, part 2, Netflix 

Joe looks out of a window

(Image credit: Netflix)

Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) is back, and it's time to round off season 4 now that the second part has landed on Netflix. When we left off, we found out the true identity of the Eat the Rich Killer, and it looks like Joe's got a new adversary to contend with.

All episodes are available to watch, making it the perfect show to binge watch this week, and there's plenty of drama in store as well as some fun cameos...

LB

Best film on TV tonight

Maid in Manhattan, 6.55 pm, Film4

A chambermaid at an exclusive hotel daringly tries on a designer dress belonging to a guest - and is spotted by a wealthy politician, who mistakes her for a socialite and invites her on a date. However, the differences in their social backgrounds soon become apparent and threaten their budding romance. Comedy, starring Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson and Bob Hoskins.

Soaps

Live Sport

  • Premier League: Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle United, 7 pm (k-o 8 pm), Sky Sports Main Event

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…

Don't miss Comic Relief on TV tonight.

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

Happy viewing!

Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin is a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produces a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. 

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.