TV Tonight: our highlights for Friday, Nov. 5

Susan with James and Tom at the Patterson Spade Mill.
Susan with James and Tom at the Patterson Spade Mill. (Image credit: Channel 5)

On TV tonight, Susan travels to Northern Ireland in Susan Calman's Grand Day Out on Channel 5, there's more mayhem and madness on C4 as The Big Narstie Show returns and there's another bunch of great guests on The Graham Norton Show on BBC1. 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

Susan Calman's Grand Day Out, 8pm, Channel 5

TV tonight Susan Calman at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.

Susan Calman at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. (Image credit: Channel 5)

‘What a day out this is already!’ enthuses Susan as she visits a spade mill in Northern Ireland. It’s certainly not your usual tourist hotspot, watching how a garden spade is made from a chunk of steel, but that’s why this series is so enjoyable. The Scottish comic loves to head off the beaten track and explore hidden gems like this. She also goes eel fishing on Lough Neagh, tries her hand at playing some traditional Irish pipes, has a go at hurling, visits a location used in one of her favourite ever TV shows, Game of Thrones, and ends this grand day out at the beautiful Giant’s Causeway. 

★★★ JL

The Big Narstie Show, 11.05pm, C4

TV tonight Mo Gilligan and Tyrone Lindo AKA Big Narstie

Mo Gilligan and Tyrone Lindo AKA Big Narstie. (Image credit: C4)

The raucous rapping comedian is back for a fourth run of his BAFTA-winning chat show, but this isn’t your typical cosy gathering of guests on a sofa plugging their next project. The larger-than-life host creates a chaotic atmosphere mixing celebrity guests – this week Idris Elba, Katherine Ryan and rapper Digga D – sketches, music and mayhem! If you fancy a relaxing Friday wind-down it might not be for you, but it’s definitely the perfect start to a wild weekend! 

★★★ JH

The Graham Norton Show, 10.35pm, BBC1

Hold on to your hats as the irrepressible actor Miriam Margolyes returns to Graham's sofa. Never one to disappoint, it's pretty much guaranteed she'll be full of great stories and hilarious anecdotes as she discusses her new autobiography, This Much Is True. Also joining Graham are actor Paul Rudd, to chat about his role in the new box-office smash, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and director Ron Howard to reveal all about his new Hollywood memoir called The Boys. Hollywood actor Halle Berry talks about her directorial debut with film Bruised, and the brilliant Stephen Fry pops in to chat about his new book Fry's Ties. And if all that wasn't enough, Gregory Porter will also be performing Revival.

★★★★ JL 

Best box set to watch on TV tonight

Colin in Black and White, season 1, Netflix

TV tonight Mary-Louise Parker and Jaden Michael as mother and son Teresa and Colin Kaepernick

Mary-Louise Parker and Jaden Michael as mother and son Teresa and Colin Kaepernick. (Image credit: Netflix)

Former NFL quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick co-created this six-part drama series about his early life. He narrates his own story as actor Jaden Michael plays the young Colin, a black kid adopted by a white family who just wanted to play American football. It delves into the obstacles he faced as a child, the issues of race, class and culture that led him to sit down during the American national anthem in a pre-season game in 2016. He then took the knee for the rest of the season, as a protest against the treatment of black people, which angered President Donald Trump, but sparked a global movement that highlighted inequality around the world.

Best film to watch on TV tonight

Heat, 7.05pm, Sky Cinema Greats/NOW

TV tonight Robert De Niro’s career criminal Neil McCauley

Robert De Niro stars in this classic thriller.  (Image credit: Sky)

Director Michael Mann’s extraordinary crime movie unites two of cinema’s greatest actors. Robert De Niro is the stoic career criminal with detective Al Pacino hot on his trail after he pulls his latest job. Both stars are spot-on, as are the impressive supporting thesps, but it is Mann’s film and he mixes superb action sequences, such as the brilliant shoot-out in the Los Angeles sunshine, with intense, quiet moments. Exceptional. 

Live Sport

  • FA Cup, AFC Sudbury v Colchester United, 7.30 (k-o 7.55pm), BBC2
  • Premier League, Southampton v Aston Villa, 7.30pm (k-o 8pm), Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
  • Premiership Rugby Union, Leicester Tigers v Bath, 7pm (k-o 7.45pm) BT Sport 1

Soaps on TV tonight

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…

Don't miss Susan Calman's Grand Day Out on TV tonight — Susan has a blast travelling around beautiful Northern Ireland.

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

Happy viewing!

Joanne Lowles
Freelance writer and editor

Joanne Lowles has been writing about TV since 2002. After graduating from Cardiff University with a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism, she worked for All About Soap magazine covering the ups and downs of life on the cobbles, the square and the Dales. 


Next came nearly 10 years at TV Times magazine as a writer and then deputy features editor. Here she spent many happy days interviewing the biggest names in entertainment and visiting the sets of some of our most popular shows including Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife and Strictly Come Dancing


With a love of nature and wildlife she’s also interviewed the leading experts in this area including David Attenborough, Chris Packham and Steve Backshall. She’s also travelled the world visiting Mongolia, Canada and South Africa to see how the best in the business make the most brilliant natural history documentaries. 


Freelance since 2013, she is now is a digital writer and editor for What to Watch, previews the best on the box for TV Times mag each week and loves being constantly surprised, entertained and informed by the amazing TV that she is lucky enough to watch.