TV Tonight: Our highlights for Thursday, March 23

Lord Sugar stands in front of The Apprentice 2023 contestants gathered in two groups.
The Apprentice final is on TV Tonight. (Image credit: BBC/Fremantle Media/Ray Burmiston)

On TV tonight, The Apprentice reveals Lord Sugar's next business partner, new Netflix thriller The Night Agent kicks off, and there's some great sport and soaps too. Here's what you shouldn't miss on TV Tonight.

  • 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 
  • 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

The Apprentice, 9 pm, BBC One

Having endured 10 different team-based challenges, from tropical island tours to lunchbox designs, the top two contestants made it through last week’s ruthless deconstruction of their business plans. Now it’s their final chance to show they have what it takes to become Lord Sugar’s next partner and earn a £250,000 investment.

First, they have to plan the launch of their businesses, including a TV advert, a digital billboard and an online presence in the metaverse, before pitching to industry bigwigs at a black-tie event. Who will come out on top? Post-match analysis follows with Tom Allen in The Apprentice: You’re Hired (10pm). 

★★★★ JPM

The Night Agent, Netflix

The Night Agent stars Luciane Buchanan and Gabriel Basso

(Image credit: Netflix)

A low-level FBI agent has a mundane job working in the basement of the White House, manning a phone that never rings – until, one night, it does. Suddenly, Peter Sutherland gets a lot more excitement than he bargained for in this intense spy thriller series. 

As Sutherland (The Big C’s Gabriel Basso) answers the call from distressed tech CEO Rose Larkin (Sweet Tooth’s Luciane Buchanan), whose beloved aunt and uncle have been assassinated, he’s thrust into a conspiracy that leads right to the heart of the Oval Office. Sutherland is no Bourne or Bond, but this boasts enough action and intrigue to keep things interesting.

 VW

The Dry, ITVX

Roisin told us she did plenty of research about alcoholism.

(Image credit: BritBox)

Previously shown on BritBox last year, this eight-part series follows recovering alcoholic Shiv Sheridan (Roisin Gallagher) when she returns to her native Dublin after her ‘party years’ in London. Having come back to Ireland for her grandmother’s wake, Shiv decides to stay for good, since her previous life has fallen apart. 

As she tries to rebuild her relationships with dad Tom (Ciarán Hinds), mum Bernie (Pom Boyd) and her siblings, can she stay away from the booze? And there’s another temptation in the form of bad-boy ex Jack (Moe Dunford)… 

★★★★ NC

Best box set on TV tonight

Shadow and Bone, Netflix

Archie Renaux as Malyen Oretsev, Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov on the ship in Shadow and Bone season 2

(Image credit: Netflix)

Shadow and Bone is perfect for fantasy fans waiting for their next big fix. Season 2 picks up with Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) on the run after escaping from General Kirigan's (Ben Barnes) grasp at the end of the first season. Here, she's determined to bring down the Shadow Fold, the rift of darkness that divides Ravka in half. Kirigan's got other ideas, though, as he's returned from the center of the Fold with powerful new monsters at his beck and call.  Expect more magic, more characters, and more romance.

MS

Best film on TV tonight

Victoria & Abdul, 9 pm, BBC Four

Judi Dench as Queen Victoria and Ali Fazal as Abdul Karim

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Following Monday’s Imagine… profile of director Stephen Frears (see page 52), here’s another chance to see his royal drama from 2017. Dame Judi Dench gives a peerless performance as Queen Victoria in a sort of sequel to Mrs Brown, this time about her surprising and unusual friendship with young Indian servant Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), which leaves the royal household horrified. The true story behind it is fascinating, so it’s a shame Frears leans into comedy rather than introspection. It’s an entertaining movie, but could have been greater. 

★★★ NP

Soaps

Live Sport

  •  England International Football: Italy v England, 7 pm (Kick-off 7:45 pm), Channel 4

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…

Don't miss The Apprentice final on TV tonight.

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

Happy viewing!

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress