TV Tonight: Our highlights for Monday, January 30

Maryam Afridi (Parminder Nagra) looks in the distance in Maternal
(Image credit: ITV Studios)

On TV tonight, Maryam juggles some difficult questions about her own well-being in Maternal, Silent Witness crew gets cracking on their final case of the season, the recruits tackle a 215-foot waterfall in SAS: Who Dares Wins - Jungle Hell, More4 presents the times the Royal Family have rocked the headlines in The Royals: A History of Scandals and the BBC presents the first episode of new documentary Putin vs The West. 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

Maternal, 9 pm, ITV1, ITVX (box set)

ABHIN GALEYA as Raz Farooqi and PARMINDER NAGRA as Maryam Afridi in Maternal

(Image credit: ITV Studios)

Doctor Helen (Lisa McGrillis) is fast losing all hope of getting her marriage into a better place. This episode begins with her attending couples therapy alone and ends with her going on a stress-inducing double date with husband Guy (Oliver Chris), and friend Catherine (Lara Pulver) and fellow surgeon Matt (Joe Thomas). Catherine and Matt seem to have a good time… a very good time! But for Helen and Guy it only highlights the gaping cracks in their relationship. Meanwhile, Maryam’s (Parminder Nagra) husband Raz (Abhin Galeya) is keen for them to adopt again, but Maryam, who is already feeling completely overwhelmed, has huge reservations. ★★★★★ TL 

SAS: Who Dares Wins - Jungle Hell, 9 pm, Channel 4

Is it a weird form of escapism watching this lounging on the sofa in the depths of winter, or does part of you worry that Billy Billingham is about to ring your door bell at any minute and demand that you ‘hit the ground running’, ignoring your protests that you haven’t got your slippers on? In tonight’s episode, one of the remaining 19 recruits is stranded at the top of a 215ft waterfall in the Vietnamese jungle, terrified of drowning, and probably also of the ‘beasting’ and ‘milling’ that awaits those who make it back to camp… ★★★ JP 

Putin vs The West, 9 pm, BBC Two, iPlayer (box set)

Putin vs The West key art featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin

(Image credit: BBC/Zinc Television London Limited)

This illuminating documentary series looks back at the past 10 years leading up to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as successive Western leaders tried to deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power grabs. This first episode details events in 2013-14 that led to the Russian occupation of Crimea. It was condemned by leaders including UK Prime Minister David Cameron, but they were hesitant to impose economic sanctions. Then, a passenger jet was shot down over eastern Ukraine and an emotional speech by Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Frans Timmermans – 194 of the 298 who died were Dutch – had a powerful effect on Europe’s leaders… 

★★★★ JP   

The Royal: A History of Scandals, 9 pm, More4

With the House of Windsor making headlines over their divisions, historian Suzannah Lipscomb looks back at the other times the Royal Family have put their reputation on the line. She begins with looking at their excess spending, from Henry VIII’s extravagant summit in Calais, The Field of the Cloth of Gold, to George IV’s huge debts amassed from his self-indulgence. ★★★ NT 

Silent Witness, 9 pm, BBC One

Cara (Rhiannon May) in Silent Witness episode 26

(Image credit: BBC)

The final two-part investigation takes the Lyell Centre team to the crime-ridden island of Southbay when the estranged wife of local police officer Mike Laing (Luke Allen-Gale) is found murdered in her home. Jack (David Caves) is the first to examine the scene, along with former mentor, Bill (Richard Cordery). But when the findings of Bill and his former protégé differ, Jack’s loyalties are divided. Meanwhile, since Laing – who was involved in a scuffle outside the house as the emergency services arrived – is the son of the chief superintendent, in a new relationship with a colleague who is a suspect, and has close links to the investigating officer, how impartial will the murder investigation be? Concludes tomorrow. ★★★ IM 

Best box set on TV tonight

Lockwood & Co., Netflix

Lockwood & Co key art featuring Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman and Ali Hadji-Heshmati

(Image credit: Netflix)

Former Bridgerton star Ruby Stokes swaps period drama for life as a ghost hunter in this lively and richly imagined new eight-part supernatural drama. Set in an alternative reality where phantoms plague the people of Britain, the tale follows Lucy Carlyle, a teenager with a psychic gift and plenty of emotional baggage, as she joins a new ghost-hunting agency trying to make a name for itself. Unlike their rivals, Lockwood & Co is comprised solely of teenagers who are sick of being exploited by adults, but they get more than they bargained for after stumbling on a dark conspiracy. SMA 

Best film on TV tonight

Hellboy, 10.05 pm, ITV4

A thwarted Nazi experiment lands the Allies with an unexpected visitor from another dimension in the form of a bright-red demon. A secretive US government agency fosters the little devil and he grows up to be its crucial weapon against the forces of darkness - but the re-emergence of the sinister wizard Rasputin proves a challenge even for him. Action fantasy based on the comic-book series, with Ron Perlman, John Hurt, Selma Blair and Karel Roden.

Soaps

Live Sport

  • FA Cup: Derby County vs West Ham United, 7 pm (k-o 7.45 pm), ITV4
  • Australian Open 2023, from 9 pm, Eurosport 1

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…

Don't miss Maternal 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.