On TV tonight, Doctor Who returns, there's a special Antiques Roadshow episode, Bloodlands season 2 concludes and Stanley Tucci is in London for a new instalment of his cooking show. Plus, The Handmaid's Tale finally continues on Channel 4.
- 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
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What's on TV tonight
Our expert TV journalists have picked the best things on TV tonight...
Best TV shows on TV tonight
Doctor Who, 7.30pm, BBC One
A distress call from an intergalactic bullet train (presumably no ‘leaves on the track’-type delays with those) summons the Doctor, Yaz and Dan to the far reaches of the universe in this feature-length special — but little does the Doctor know that this will be her final day in this incarnation, as a climactic battle with Cybermen, Daleks and her arch-nemesis the Master (Sacha Dhawan) looms.
Filled with nods to the series’ rich history, and the return of classic-era companions Tegan (Janet Fielding) and Ace (Sophie Aldred), this excellent adventure is a perfect swansong for Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor.
★★★★★ SP
Antiques Roadshow: 100 Years of the BBC, 5.45pm, BBC One
To celebrate the BBC’s centenary, this special edition comes from Alexandra Palace, where the hosts meet BBC legends and find some classic TV memorabilia. Ronnie Archer-Morgan chats to Play School’s Baroness Floella Benjamin, who brings along Humpty and Jemima, while Fiona Bruce meets actor Neil Pearson, who has a script from Hancock’s Half Hour. Del Boy’s Ford Capri from Only Fools… makes an appearance, and Sally Magnusson showcases the original Mastermind chair.
In addition, Anita Dobson and Kate Adie discuss their careers, and there’s a look at Mr Benn artwork as well as a rare script from rival ITV’s Coronation Street.
★★★★ NC
The Larkins season 2, 8pm, ITV
Ma and Pop (Joanna Scanlan and Bradley Walsh) invite troublesome new arrivals the Jerebohms to a barbecue at the Larkins’ farm, hoping to pour oil on troubled waters with their legendary hospitality. While Pinkie (Morgana Robinson) lets slip that all is not well in her marriage, things get a bit steamy between Angela Snow and the Brigadier, and dishy Reverend Candy and Primrose (Lydia Page) end up in a romantic clinch.
There’s more good news for Primrose when Ma helps her daughter secure a job on the local newspaper, but the family celebrations are short-lived as, with help from his nemesis Alec Norman, the Jerebohms manage to land Pop in some seriously hot water.
★★★★ IM
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, 8.20pm, BBC Two
Why is Stanley Tucci searching for Italy in London in this episode of his foodie travelogue? Because, he says, by Italian population alone it could be the country’s 21st region. He visits some of the city’s Italian restaurants and delis, and chefs Gennaro Contaldo, Angela Hartnett (her grandparents came from Italy) and Francesco Mazzei, who have all made London their home, each cook something special for him.
★★★★ JP
Bloodlands season 2, 9pm, BBC One
With this second series giving us shock shootings, cat-and-mouse chases and risky relationships, this finale is suitably explosive. James Nesbitt’s cop-turned-killer Brannick knows he must flee with the gold that’s been at the heart of the drama, so he can start a new life. But American gangster Savage wants what’s his — and uses Brannick’s daughter to get it.
Can Brannick protect the thing that’s more precious to him than gold? And will he keep his secret identity covered up? You’ll have to watch to find out — and you won’t be disappointed.
★★★★ VW
The Handmaid's Tale, 9pm, C4
The multi-award winning dystopian drama based on Margaret Atwood’s novels returns for a fifth series. Elisabeth Moss stars.
Best box set to watch on TV tonight
Versailles, BBC iPlayer
If there’s a Bridgerton-shaped hole in your viewing, try this drama which formerly aired on BBC2. It follows ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV’s elaborate plan to base his court at Versailles, complete with a new palace. ‘A king without a castle is no king at all,’ his late mother warns Louis in a feverish dream. His ministers are aghast at being stuck in a ‘backwater’, not least because there’s always someone planning to kill Louis. You’ll have to concentrate at first as lots of the men look quite similar (a bit like the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz, which was obviously a look in 17th-century France) but thankfully George Blagden and Alexander Vlahos stand out as Louis and his brother Philippe.
★★★★ JP
Best film to watch on TV tonight
After Love, 10:45, BBC Two
Joanna Scanlan is quietly incredible in this tale of a woman whose life may just have been a complete lie. Living in Dover with her ferry-captain husband, for whom she converted to Islam, her world is shattered when he dies suddenly and she discovers he had a secret life with another woman (Nathalie Richard) over in France. Determined to confront her opposite number, Scanlan travels to Calais, but events unfold unexpectedly.
Aleem Khan’s first foray into writing and directing is a devastating but highly nuanced drama, filled with humanity and grounded in reality, with performances of the very highest standard, especially Scanlan, who delivers a career-best.
★★★★ NP
Live Sport
- Live Rugby League World Cup: Lebanon v Ireland (Kick-off 2.30pm), BBC Two
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss Doctor Who as it returns for its Centenary Special!
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
