On TV tonight, a team of celebrities heads out to the track (and field!) to take part in a Sport Relief Commonwealth Games special to mark the event coming to an end. Plus, Reverend Richard Coles fronts a new documentary about grief and tries new ways to get in touch with his emotions, new drama Darby and Joan gets underway on Acorn TV and Gregg Wallace looks into how buses are made in another edition of Inside the Factory XL. 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
Sport Relief All-Star Games, 7 pm, BBC One
As the Commonwealth Games comes to an end tonight (the closing ceremony follows at 8 pm) stars such as Sky newsreader Dermot Murnaghan (above) will be swapping the studio for the sports track in a Sport Relief Commonwealth Games Special. Events such as basketball, cycling and athletics are all on the menu as a host of celebrities and sports legends are split into two teams, headed by Team GB legends Dame Kelly Holmes and Ellie Simmonds, both of whom are desperate to add the All-Star Games crown to their list of titles. We're anticipating some memorable moments, including plenty of thrills and spills in the rhythmic gymnastics competition.
★★★★ SMA
Good Grief with Reverend Richard Coles, 10 pm, Channel 4
Bereavement is something we will all sadly go through at some point in our lives, so there is a lot to relate to in this emotional documentary following Reverend Richard Coles as he grapples with the loss of his husband David in 2019. The retired vicar and former Strictly contestant gamely tries surfing, boxing, indoor skydiving and animal therapy in an attempt to tap into his feelings. But the most poignant moments come as he joins a grief cruise around the Caribbean and frankly shares his experiences with others in the same position. A surprisingly uplifting watch.
★★★★ CC
Greta Scacchi and Bryan Brown are a class act as straight-talking retirees Joan Kirkhope and Jack Darby in this sunny crime series. Two worlds collide when an unstoppable force (Joan's RV) meets an immovable object (Jack's truck) on a lonely outback road. She's trying to discover why her husband died in Australia after he claimed to be in Spain, and detective Jack, now truck-less, is forced to join her. So begins an intriguing nomadic crime-solving adventure, interspersed with bickering, breathtaking settings and episodic whodunnits... ★★★★ ER
Inside the Factory XL: Buses, 9 pm, BBC Two
it's never clear whether the factory workers featured in these series are wearing ear defenders because of the environment they work in or because they know Gregg Wallace is coming, "WE'RE BUILDING ONE OF THESE!", he bellows from a London double-decker bus, as he visits the Alexander Dennis factory near Scarborough to find out about production of fully electric models.
★★★ JP
Best box set to watch on TV tonight
Neil Gaiman's sprawling comic book series has been described as "unfilmable" in the past, but Netflix has taken on the task by transforming his universe into this 10-part adaptation which is based on the first two arcs from the books. The Sandman tells the story of Morpheus — aka Dream — who rules over a realm known as The Dreaming, the fantasy world that awaits every single one of us as we dream.
Tom Sturridge leads the cast alongside a whole host of exciting British stars including Charles Dance, Gwendoline Christie, David Thewlis, Stephen Fry, Jenna Coleman and Sanjeev Bhaskar.
Best film to watch on TV tonight
Tulip Fever, 11.15 pm, BBC Two
This historical romance didn't do well at the box office on its cinematic release in 2017 but it's actually a classy adaptation of Deborah Moggach's novel. Set in 17th-century Holland, it follows the affair between a painter (Dane DeHaan) and his married sitter (Alicia Vikander), with a parallel storyline about the red-hot trading commodity of the ages - tulips. An excellent supporting cast includes Holliday Grainger, Dame Judi Dench, Christoph Waltz, Tom Hollander and Joanna Scanlan.
★★★★ NP
Live Sport
- Commonwealth Games 2022 from 9 am, BBC One/Two/Three/iPlayer/Red Button.
- The Hundred 2022: London Spirit vs Manchester Originals, 6 pm (start time 6.30 pm), Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
- EFL: West Bromwich Albion vs Watford, 7.45 pm (k-o 8 pm), Sky Sports Main Event/Football/NOW
Soaps on TV tonight
- Emmerdale, 7.30pm, ITV
- Coronation Street, 8pm, ITV
- Hollyoaks, 6.30pm, C4
- Home and Away, 6pm & 6.30pm, 5Star
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss Sport Relief All-Star Games on TV tonight — keep your eyes peeled for your favorites from the worlds of comedy, reality TV, music and sport!
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
