TV Tonight: our highlights for Monday, September 20, 2021

Martin Clunes as DCI Colin Sutton. (Image credit: ITV)

On TV tonight, Martin Clunes stars in hard-hitting drama Manhunt The Night Stalker on ITV, Silent Witness continues on BBC1 and there's another delicious feast in Jamie Oliver: Together on C4. 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

Manhunt The Night Stalker, 9pm, ITV

TV tonight Martin Clunes as DCI Colin Sutton. — Martin Clunes stars. (Image credit: ITV)

Eyebrows were raised when Martin Clunes was cast as real-life detective Colin Sutton in 2019, but the Doc Martin star made the role his own and he’s back with a new case. This opener sees Colin on the verge of retirement when he’s asked to help with ‘Operation Minstead’, the hunt for a rapist who’s committed attacks on elderly women. It’s a disturbing subject matter, but Clunes handles it with great care as we delve into a high-profile detailed investigation conducted with diligence. Continues tomorrow.

★★★★ SMA

Silent Witness Season 24, 9pm, BBC1

TV tonight DS Galloway (STEPHEN WIGHT), Jack Hodgson [DAVID CAVES] — DS Galloway (Stephen Wight) and Jack Hodgson (David Caves). (Image credit: BBC)

In another solid story, the Lyell Centre team is called in to investigate when a surgeon is found dead in a hospital. The search to find DNA matching what’s discovered at the bloody crime scene sees the unfortunate Jack sifting through vast quantities of syringes and scrubs. Meanwhile, just as he’s building a relationship with new colleagues Nikki and Jack, Adam (Jason Wong) discovers an unexpected personal link to the case and finds himself in hot water with the police. Continues tomorrow night at 9pm.

★★★ IM

Jamie Oliver: Together, 8pm, C4

TV tonight Jamie Oliver. — Jamie Oliver cooks up another feast, including roasted sticky tomatoes. (Image credit: C4)

This week, Jamie is cooking for a group of volunteers to thank them for their tireless work during the pandemic. The star of the menu is going to be a stuffed side of salmon, but first it’s dessert. The day before his guests arrive, Jamie makes a summer pudding, packed full of strawberries and cucumber – yes,
it’s not just for salads and dainty sandwiches! The chef also makes some cheesy puff canapés for pre-dinner nibbles (which wouldn’t even make it beyond the kitchen in this house) and then an asparagus starter with crispy croutons, soft-boiled eggs and parsley sauce. His guests are suitably impressed.

★★★★ JL

Best box set to watch on TV tonight

Sex Education, season 3, Netflix

TV tonight Asa Butterfield as Otis and Emma Mackey as Maeve. — Asa Butterfield as Otis and Emma Mackey as Maeve. (Image credit: Netflix)

Few shows have captured the pleasure, pain and passionate intensity of teenage life as exquisitely as Netflix’s comedy drama Sex Education. And as the third run begins from Moordale Secondary School, there are twists and turns aplenty as the fallout from last series’ shocking STD outbreak continues. Moordale’s nerdy but loveable resident sex guru Otis, played by Asa Butterfield, would usually be eager to steer his fellow students through any sexual crises, but he has vowed to stop doling out advice, and is involved in a surprising romance of his own. Joining the cast are Jason Isaacs as ex-headteacher Mr Groff’s brother and Girls’ Jemima Kirke, who plays Moordale’s cool new head Hope Haddon.

Best film to watch on TV tonight

The Great Escape, 3.20pm, Film4

TV tonight Steve McQueen as Captain Virgil Hilts. — Steve McQueen as ‘Cooler King’ Hilts. (Image credit: Film4)

Having made its own escape from its Christmas scheduling straitjacket, The Great Escape can be watched any number of times thanks to its top-notch screenplay full of bantering PoW irreverence and a cast to die for. Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough and the gang all play fictional ‘composites’ but the great tunnelling escape (spoiler alert!) they pull off is based on a true story. Also true is the ‘did you know?’ fact that McQueen isn’t just playing the guy on the motorbike gunning for the border, he’s also one of the Nazis chasing… himself!

Live Sport

Ryder Cup Golf, 9pm, Sky Sports Main Event/NOW

Soaps on TV tonight

EastEnders, 8pm, BBC1
Emmerdale, 7pm, ITV
Coronation Street, 7.30pm & 8.30pm, ITV
Hollyoaks, 6.30pm, C4

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…

Don't miss Manhunt The Night Stalker on TV tonight – Martin Clunes is excellent as the real-life detective Colin Sutton.

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

Happy viewing!

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.