On TV tonight, it's England vs World XI as Soccer Aid for Unicef returns on ITV, new period drama Becoming Elizabeth arrives on StarzPlay, while The Outlaws continues on BBC One and powerful documentary Our Falklands War: A Frontline Story is on BBC Two. As presenter Ella Al-Shamahi asks What Killed the Whale? On C4, documentary Bodies of Evidence: The Butcher Surgeon is on ITV and C4 shows Grenfell, a powerful dramatisation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss on TV tonight.
- Our hand selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include seven 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
Soccer Aid for Unicef, 6.30pm, ITV
West Ham United’s London Stadium is the venue for this year’s fundraising football match, hosted by Dermot O’Leary, in which Harry Redknapp’s England take on Arsène Wenger’s World XI (k-o 7.30pm). The England line-up features Sky football pundit Gary Neville, captain Liam Payne and comedian Alex Brooker, the first disabled player to take part in the event. The World XI is captained by legendary Olympian Usain Bolt and includes Line of Duty’s Martin Compston, Mo Gilligan and Patrice Evra. Alex Scott is your pitchside reporter, while founder Robbie Williams performs the half-time show.
★★★★ IM
Becoming Elizabeth, StarzPlay
Long before she became queen, Elizabeth Tudor was an orphaned teenager embroiled in the political and sexual politics of the English court. Action-packed with betrayal, ruthless plotting and forbidden love, this eight-part drama begins in the immediate aftermath of the death of her father, Henry VIII, in 1547. Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife) plays Henry’s widow, Catherine Parr, who’s been having a passionate affair with Thomas Seymour. Following Henry’s death, Catherine wastes no time in secretly marrying her lover, but power-hungry Thomas has his eye on her youthful stepdaughter, Princess Elizabeth.
★★★★ TL
The Outlaws, season 2, 9pm, BBC One
The prospect of having just eight weeks to launder a heap of cash to appease crime lord The Dean is leaving the community-service offenders a bit jittery. After John, Frank and Myrna fail to get back the money they’ve already spent, Rani decides the only way forward is for them to become drug dealers themselves. Despite their criminal records, the gang are soon out of their comfort zones. Look out for a hilarious cameo from Gavin & Stacey’s Julia Davis as HR worker Rita, who gives Greg no-nonsense feedback on a workplace romance.
★★★★ CC
Our Falklands War: A Frontline Story, 9pm, BBC Two
Forty years ago, British troops landed on the shores of the Falkland Islands to fight a cold and brutal war. This one-off documentary allows 10 soldiers who were there, battling to liberate the islands from Argentina, to tell their stories and reflect on the legacy it’s had upon their lives. Through their eyewitness testimonies the story of this short and often overlooked war is told, from the harsh conditions they faced to the bravery they saw and also the violence and loss on both sides. Powerful in its simplicity, this is a tribute to those who gave their lives and a reminder of the lasting impact it’s had on those who came back.
★★★★ JL
What Killed the Whale? 9pm, C4
When a dead 12m sei whale is found stranded off the coast of Fife, biologist Ella Al-Shamahi joins a team of experts to perform a six-hour autopsy on the animal. The investigation is looking for signs of entanglement with fishing equipment or evidence that the creature has been affected by noise pollution or ingested man-made pollutants. The results are sobering, and if this programme doesn’t shame us into cleaning up our oceans, then nothing will!
★★★★ NH
Bodies of Evidence: The Butcher Surgeon, 10.20pm, ITV
Ian Paterson ‘played God’ for more than a decade, performing needless breast operations which left hundreds of women scarred both mentally and physically. He was convicted in 2017 and sentenced to 20 years. This report asks how Paterson was able to get away with his shocking crimes for so long.
★★★ HD
Grenfell, 10.30pm, C4
The first of two filmed recordings of the stage play based on verbatim evidence given at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. It is a damning account of what caused the devastating blaze that killed 72 people on 14 June five years ago. Concludes tomorrow.
Best box set to watch on TV tonight
Hacks, season 2, Prime Video
The delay between the first series of this acerbic yet warm-hearted comedy being shown in the US and the UK was such that it had already won a clutch of awards before being screened here. But it also means that fans haven’t had to wait too long for this second series, which sees veteran comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her chaotic twenty something joke-writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) take to the road. Their relationship has never been better – but there’s a cloud hanging over them….
Best film to watch on TV today
Goodfellas, 10.20pm, Sky Cinema Thriller/NOW
Ray Liotta, who died last month at the age of 67, is at his finest playing mobster Henry Hill in this brilliant 1990 Mafia saga based on a real-life hood. Growing up around Italian-American gangsters, Henry dreams only of being one and is soon welcomed into their fold. He finds the violent life full of excitement, but his world collapses once he gets involved with drugs. A superb gangster drama, arguably director Martin Scorsese’s best.
Live Sport
- Formula 1, The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, 10.30am (start-time 12pm), Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss Soccer Aid for Unicef on TV tonight – a great collection of stars will be on the pitch and Robbie Williams performs the half time show – what's not to love?
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
