On TV tonight, it cost a penny or two to make but we think fans will enjoy the much-anticipated The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power starting on Prime Video. There's also a special Have I Got News for Boris: A Special Tribute on BBC One, season 2 of The Cotswolds & Beyond with Pam Ayres begins on Channel 5 and on Sky History there's a new six-part series The American Presidency with Bill Clinton. Here's what you shouldn't miss on TV tonight.
- Our hand selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include four 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
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Prime Video
Strap on your sword and brush up on your elvish, because Amazon is taking us back to Middle-earth for another adventure, in one of the most eagerly anticipated shows of the year. Set three millennia before The Lord of the Rings, this eight-part prequel begins with Lady Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Lord Elrond, two characters who will be known to fans of Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, concerned by the return of Sauron to a dark corner of the world. It may sound like a familiar story, but there are plenty of new characters to meet in a series that cost nearly $500m, making it the most expensive ever made.
★★★★★ SMA
Have I Got News for Boris: A Special Tribute, 9.30 pm, BBC One
As Boris Johnson’s term as Prime Minister comes to an end, HIGNFY starts a new run with a show dedicated to the outgoing PM. Jack Dee hosts, with Phil Wang and Janet Street-Porter joining regulars Paul Merton and Ian Hislop.
★★★ JP
The Cotswolds & Beyond with Pam Ayres, season 2, 8 pm, Channel 5
Expect more gorgeous views and lovely jaunts, as poet Pam Ayres returns for a second series of her popular travelogue. Pam, who loves living in the Cotswolds, continues her tour of the region, and this time she’s peeking over the border, too, sharing other hidden delights. Tonight, she heads to Salisbury Plain at sunrise to marvel at Stonehenge, and to try to get to the bottom of how and why this incredible monument was constructed. Pam also visits former pop star Toyah Willcox, to discover why she’s set up home in Worcestershire, and tastes the healing (but unappetising) spa waters in Cheltenham.
★★★★ EB
The American Presidency with Bill Clinton, 9 pm, Sky History/NOW
In this six-part series, the 42nd President looks at the history of the American presidency. Using his unique perspective and experience the former President, alongside a team of expert contributors, reveals what it's like to carry the weight of responsibility and make often impossible decisions about the future of the country. Each episode focuses on a different theme including Race, Rights, Extremism, Global Power, Vision and Economic Might.
★★★ JL
Best box set to watch on TV tonight
The Capture, season 1, BBC iPlayer
The Capture season 2 began on Sunday, August 28 on BBC One, but you can catch up with the first six-part series, which initially aired in 2019, on the iPlayer. The lead in both seasons is the brilliant Holliday Grainger who plays Rachel Carey, an ambitious and determined police officer who thinks in this first series she is in control of her investigation about a possibly violent former soldier. But can she really believe everything she sees and is there a bigger and more sinister game at play that is hampering her attempts to get to the truth? Also starring Callum Turner as ex-soldier Shaun Emery and Ben Miles as Commander Danny Hart.
Best film to watch on TV tonight
Belfast, 8 pm, Sky Cinema Premiere/NOW
Kenneth Branagh mines his own childhood for this gorgeous monochromatic tale set in the troubled Belfast of 1969. We see the friction between Protestants and Catholics through youngster Buddy (Jude Hill), living on a street inhabited by both that’s stirred into violence by a vicious minority. His parents (Jamie Dornan and Caitríona Balfe) are split on how to handle the chaos around them, while his grandparents (Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench) look on with a wry eye. Branagh’s movie is filled with exuberance and hope – as a love letter to your home town, it’s pretty hard to beat.
Live Sport
- Athletics: Diamond League Brussels, 7 pm, BBC Three/iPlayer
- EFL, West Bromwich Albion vs Burnley, 7.45 pm (k-o 8 pm), Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
Soaps on TV tonight
- Emmerdale, 7.30 pm, ITV
- Coronation Street, 8 pm, ITV
- Hollyoaks, 6.30 pm, C4
- Home & Away, 6 pm & 6.30 pm, 5Star
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on TV tonight — the most expensive series ever made finally begins.
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
