On TV tonight, it's Easter in Poplar as the new series of Call the Midwife begins on BBC1. On ITV Maxine Peake gives a brilliant performance in Anne, which details the fight of one mother to get justice for her son following the Hillsborough disaster and on C4 The Great Pottery Throw Down returns with a new host and plenty of smashing crockery. 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
Call the Midwife, 8pm, BBC1
Hot on the heels of the Christmas special, the latest series kicks off in typically poignant style when the team helps a couple who have had a difficult past and there’s a shock for some builders working on a house demolition. Amid the high drama, there are lovely moments, especially from the wonderfully unfiltered and now newly qualified Nancy (Megan Cusack) as we get more glimpses of her well-hidden vulnerability. Meanwhile, Poplar celebrates Easter 1967 and the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest!
★★★★ CC
Anne, 9pm, ITV
Maxine Peake gives a heart-rending performance as a mother battling for justice after her 15-year-old son is killed at Hillsborough in this real-life drama. The brooding sense of dread builds as the tragedy unfolds in tonight’s powerful opening episode, and Anne Williams’ despair quickly turns to anger as the authorities try to cover up what really happened to her boy and the other fans who died on that fateful day. What follows is a tale of true courage that shows the power of a mother’s love and how far she went to honour her beloved son. Documentary The Real Anne is on Thursday (9pm).
★★★★★ SMA
The Great Pottery Throw Down, 7.45pm, C4
It’s back to Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent , where 12 amateurs are fired up, hoping to impress experts Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller. The potters’ first challenge is to create a children’s crockery set inspired by their childhoods, and the results are first-class. The second task is to throw as many ceramic milk bottles as possible – within 15 minutes. Comedian Ellie Taylor is a smashing host while regular Siobhán McSweeney recovers from a broken leg before returning later in the 10-part series.
★★★★ ER
Best box set to watch on TV tonight
Cobra Kai, season 4, Netflix
Long-time martial-arts rivals Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) will need to bury their differences for good when The Karate Kid spin-off series returns for a fourth season. It’s the only way they will be able to stop ruthless sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove), aided by his old Vietnam war buddy Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), from winning LA’s All Valley Karate Tournament. The stakes are particularly high this year – the losers will have to leave the area for good. But can Daniel and Johnny really bring themselves to bury the hatchet?
Best film to watch on TV today
The Ipcress File, 2.05pm, BBC2
A refreshing change from the machismo of James Bond, Len Deighton’s Harry Palmer is a spy we can believe in – a cynical bespectacled cockney with a love of cooking. Palmer (Michael Caine) is charged with investigating how top scientists are being brainwashed by Cold War enemies. Later Palmer films never matched the original, and watching this film again you can see why. Director Sidney J Furie was innovative in his use of location, using the London streets to best effect to give this a thoroughly modern feel. How will the ITV series remake, coming soon, compare?
Live Sport
- Premier League, Brentford v Aston Villa, 2pm (k-o 2pm), Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
- Premier League, Chelsea v Liverpool, 4pm (k-o 4.30pm), Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
- World Darts Championship, 7.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss Call the Midwife on TV tonight – the new series gets off to a great start.
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
