On TV tonight, drum roll please, it's finally here, the much-anticipated prequel to Games of Thrones starts tonight and it looks amazing, House of the Dragon is on Sky Atlantic/NOW. Elsewhere, new cookery show, Jamie's One-Pan Wonders begins on C4, documentary Inferno at Sea: The Deepwater Disaster is on Channel 5, Long Lost Family: What Happened Next is on ITV and Zoe Ball hosts a new competition to find the Garden of the Year on More4. Here's what you shouldn't miss on TV tonight.
- Our hand selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include five 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
House of the Dragon, 9 pm, Sky Atlantic/NOW
Millions of fans were left disappointed by the much-maligned final series of Game of Thrones, yet the franchise inspired by the books of George RR Martin is back on form in this spin-off prequel. Opening 170 years before Queen Daenerys ever set eyes upon a dragon egg, this fresh and fiery new saga traces her Targaryen ancestors’ fall from power, in a blaze of Machiavellian court politics and spectacular special effects. Expectation was always high, but this could be the start of something very big, especially for The Crown favourite Matt Smith, who plays another blonde prince, the brooding Daemon Targaryen.
★★★★★ SMA
Jamie's One-Pan Wonders, 8.30 pm, C4
Going to pot takes on new meaning in Jamie Oliver’s new cookery show. The savvy-chef has come up with a series of single-pot recipes, designed to take the stress out of mealtimes and (more importantly) substantially reduce the washing up. On the menu tonight are innovative twists on classics in the form of a speedy single-portion mushroom carbonara, a family-sized fish pie, and roast lamb with tear-and-share vibes. So, pull up a chair, get out your pen and paper, and tuck into the first of eight inspirational 30-minute episodes, all packed with clever shortcuts and mouth-watering dishes. Wonderful stuff.
★★★★ ER
Inferno at Sea: The Deepwater Disaster, 9 pm, Channel 5
Oil companies are pretty well disliked at the moment, yet their recent unpopularity pales into insignificance when compared to how the world viewed BP in 2010. This documentary takes us back 12 years to the worst ecological disaster in history, when the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, killing 11 crewmen and sending millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Featuring the accounts of men present on that night and those involved in the mammoth project to stop the flow of oil into the ocean, it’s a sobering and topical tale of corporate greed.
★★★ SMA
Long Lost Family: What Happened Next, 9 pm, ITV
After surviving a brain tumour, former Premier League footballer Dominic Matteo felt a strong desire to find his birth mother. The LLF team help him track down mum Maggie to Glasgow and discover that Dominic, born Stephen, is her only child. Wendy O’Hagan has been searching for her father, Grant, since the age of seven. He was an American soldier who met her mother during the Troubles in Northern Ireland and then suddenly left the country. The truth as to why he lost touch is revealed in an emotional reunion.
★★★★ MC
Garden of the Year, 9 pm, More4
In this new six-part series, keen amateur gardener Zoe Ball is on the hunt for the UK’s Garden of the Year, with classic English country gardens, cool contemporary designs and urban spaces all vying for the title. It’s split into regions, and each episode will feature contrasting gardens, with the winners going head-to-head in the final. Get ready for some green-fingered inspiration!
★★★ NC
Best box set to watch on TV tonight
Marriage, BBC iPlayer
Fans of Stefan Golaszewski (Him & Her, Mum) are in for a treat, as the writer-director debuts his new series. TV heavyweights Sean Bean and Nicola Walker star as couple Ian and Emma, who are far from wedded bliss as they approach their 27th anniversary. Ian is in freefall after being made redundant, while Emma is quietly thrilled by the attentions of her boss, Jamie (an excellently obnoxious Henry Lloyd-Hughes). An intense look at the minutiae of married life, which for singles may feel like a blink-and-you-miss it backwater; for couples, it’s an eye-opening drive through the intricate landscape of long-term relationships. All four episodes are now available on BBC iPlayer.
Best film to watch on TV tonight
The Man with the Iron Heart, 11.15 pm, BBC Two (not Wales)
This drama about the plot to assassinate high-ranking Nazi Reinhard Heydrich (Jason Clarke) in 1942 Prague is, rather awkwardly, a film of two halves. The first chronicles Heydrich’s rise through the Nazi ranks, aristocratic wife Lina (Rosamund Pike) by his side. The second follows the mission of Jack O’Connell and Jack Reynor’s Czech resistance fighters.
Live Sport
- Premier League, Manchester United vs Liverpool, 6.30 pm (k-o 8 pm), Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
Soaps on TV tonight
- EastEnders, 7.30 pm, BBC One
- Emmerdale, 7.30 pm, ITV
- Coronation Street, 8 pm, ITV
- Hollyoaks, 6.30 pm, C4
- Home & Away, 6 & 6.30 pm, 5Star
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss House of the Dragon on TV tonight — set 200 years before the Game of Thrones storyline, many fans feel like they have been waiting for about the same amount of time for this prequel to drop. But, it's finally here, so enjoy!
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
