TV Tonight: our highlights for Sunday, September 12

Roger Allam as DI Fred Thursday and Shaun Evans as Endeavour.
Roger Allam as DI Fred Thursday and Shaun Evans as Endeavour. (Image credit: ITV)

On TV tonight, the brilliant Shaun Evans returns in a new series of Endeavour on ITV, the tension continues to build in Vigil in BBC1 and the stars start to wonder what on earth they were thinking to take part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins 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

Endeavour, 8pm, ITV

TV tonight Oxford’s finest: DCI Thursday and DS Morse

Oxford’s finest: DCI Thursday and DS Morse. (Image credit: ITV)

While it’s wonderful to see the return of Oxford’s finest, we’re a bit worried about Endeavour (Shaun Evans), as the taciturn cop is more morose than ever and is hitting the bottle in a big way. The welcome return of Joan (Sara Vickers) causes him mixed emotions and his work’s not exactly cheering him up as he’s tasked with watching over a star footballer who receives a death threat and – spoiler alert – Endeavour’s not a football fan! But a terrifying bomb attack at a college heralds further complications...

★★★★★ CC 

Vigil, 9pm, BBC1

TV tonight DS Kirsten Longacre homes in on a killer

DS Kirsten Longacre homes in on a killer. (Image credit: BBC)

DS Longacre may have been attacked in her flat and followed by MI5, but the tenacious detective won’t be deterred in her hunt for the truth and she comes within a whisker of catching Jade Antoniak’s killer tonight. Her investigation into the anti-Trident campaigner’s death is eventually blocked to safeguard national security, but it would take a brave viewer to bet against her unravelling this explosive cover-up. Meanwhile, on board HMS Vigil, DCI Silva makes her own gamble by revealing the affair between Elliot Glover and Tiffany Doherty, in a taut episode that doesn’t let up for a second.  

★★★★ SMA

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, 9pm, C4

TV tonight Aled Davies and Jake Quickenden feel the pressure

Aled Davies and Jake Quickenden feel the pressure. (Image credit: C4)

The 10 remaining celebs ended last week’s gruelling episode on a high. They fell backwards out of a helicopter into the freezing sea without much fuss, which is really impressive. This week the theme is trust and they’re split into pairs for 48 hours. As well as another freezing-water-based task, the pairs rappel down a 100ft rock face and carry a 40kg fuel drum across the challenging terrain. As earlier episodes in the series have demonstrated, it’s not always those you expect who end up struggling or triumphing the most, with plenty of surprises in tonight’s exhausting third phase. 

★★★★ JL

Best box set to watch on TV tonight

Lucifer, season 6, Netflix

TV tonight Lauren German as Chloe Decker and Tom Ellis as Lucifer Morningstar.

Lauren German as Chloe Decker and Tom Ellis as Lucifer Morningstar. (Image credit: Netflix)

As Tom Ellis returns for his final season as crime-solving devil Lucifer Morningstar, the action picks up after an epic cliffhanger that saw God (Dennis Haysbert) decide to retire, sparking an unholy fight between Lucifer and his evil twin, Michael (also played by Ellis), about who would be the best ruler of the universe. When Michael killed Chloe (Lauren German), Lucifer was forced to go up to heaven and rescue his lover, dying in the process – only to be resurrected as the new God. 'Lucifer isn't really a story about devils – it's a story about family and feeling your own sense of self-worth,' says showrunner Joe Henderson. 'This final season is by far the most intimate we've done, but it also has the most expensive episode we've ever made. So we're going out with plenty of spectacle.'

Best film to watch on TV tonight

Brave, 3.10pm, BBC1

TV tonight Feisty heroine Merida

Feisty heroine Merida. (Image credit: BBC)

Line of Duty’s Kelly Macdonald lends her voice to Merida, fiery daughter of a Scottish medieval king, in this Disney  Pixar tale. Merida is determined to become the greatest archer in the kingdom, but her dad has other ideas. When she runs away, she’s turned into a bear by a witch, a spell that must be broken within two days or the princess will be a teddy for good. It’s a fun romp that looks wonderful, although there’s less meat on the bone for adults to chew on compared to other Pixar movies. That said, it bounds along nicely and kids are likely to be hooked. 

Live Sport

  • Great North Run, from 9am, BBC2/1
  • Formula 1, The Italian Grand Prix, 1.55pm, Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
  • Premier League, Leeds United v Liverpool, 4pm (k-o 4.30pm) Sky Sports Main Event/NOW

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…

Don't miss Endeavour on TV tonight – a welcome return to this popular series. 

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

Happy viewing!

Joanne Lowles
Freelance writer and editor

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.