On TV tonight, tense drama Riptide gets underway on Channel 5, Mo Gilligan hosts a festive edition of The Lateish Show, there's a fresh look at the Lionesses' Euros victory on Sky Documentaries, and Miriam Margolyes is exploring Down Under in Australia Unmasked. 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
Riptide, 9 pm, Channel 5
Prepare to experience serious house envy while watching this tense four-parter, as the beachfront Melbourne family home at the heart of it is the sort of thing entire episodes of Grand Designs are built around. Living within are newlyweds Alison (EastEnders’ Jo Joyner) and Sean (Neighbours’ Peter O’Brien), but when Sean fails to return home after his morning surf, Alison’s world is turned upside down. Was Sean the victim of a tragic accidental drowning – or did something more sinister happen to him? As well as the stunning location, this suspenseful thriller boasts a cast of suitably suspicious supporting characters and plenty of white-knuckle twists. Continues until Friday. ★★★★ SP
The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan: Christmas, 10 pm, Channel 4
Mo Gilligan gets into the festive spirit with some very special celebrity pals in this special episode of his BAFTA-winning show. Mo is joined by an all-star line-up of Jason Manford, Danny and Dani Dyer, Marvin Humes, Sophie Willan and Samson Kayo as he hosts the ultimate Christmas party. Expect comedy sketches, Christmas nursery ‘grimes’ and the return of the game Reply or Deny, in which the guests have to answer risqué questions from members of the public. House band The Compozers supply the party tunes, too. ★★★★ NH
Lionesses: When Football Came Home, 9 pm, Sky Documentaries/NOW
In July, 56 years of hurt came to an end when England’s Lionesses won the 2022 Women’s European Championships, the country’s first major football trophy since 1966. Now, it’s time to relive that glorious journey to victory with this documentary, which includes exclusive interviews from the stars of the team. With unseen football plus highlights from the games, we see how manager Sarina Wiegman and her team managed to beat Germany 2-1 in the final at Wembley and achieve something that had proved so difficult in the past. ★★★★★ NH
Miriam Margolyes: Australia Unmasked, 9 pm, BBC Two
As well as being a British national treasure, did you know Miriam Margolyes is a citizen of Australia? She’s in her adoptive country to explore the ‘fair go’ in a three-part series that sees Miriam travelling west from Tasmania to Western Australia, quizzing people about what this very Aussie notion means to them. Australia, brace yourselves. ★★★★ SM
Best box set on TV tonight
Emily in Paris season 3, Netflix
Fabulous fashionista Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) is back to inject some ‘joie de vivre’ into our lives this Christmas as series three of the chic comedy-drama from Sex and the City’s Darren Star lands on Netflix. The 10-part series finds Emily facing major decisions, both professionally and in her love life. Will she stay in Paris and accept a job at her boss’s new marketing firm, or return to her native Chicago? Then, of course, there’s the messy love triangle with ‘hot chef’ Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and British banker Alfie (Lucien Laviscount). Who will she end up with? Oh là là! RM
Best film on TV tonight
1917, 9 pm, BBC One
A remarkably gripping yet unusually poetic film set during World War One. There are bigger names in it – Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch, for instance – but most of the action centers on George MacKay’s Lance Corporal Schofield, one of two men racing against time to deliver a message that will prevent the slaughter of 1,600 of their fellow soldiers. There are shocking details – rats everywhere – and reminders, in some soldiers in turbans, that it really was a world war, but director Sam Mendes is less interested in the history-lesson aspect and more concerned to deliver a vivid, immersive spectacle. And he does – the cinematography in particular is astonishing. ★★★★★ SM
Soaps
- EastEnders, 7.30 pm, BBC One
- Emmerdale, 7.30 pm, ITV1
Live Sport
- Premier League: Chelsea vs Bournemouth, 5 pm, Prime Video
- Premier League: Leeds vs Manchester City, 7 pm, Prime Video
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss Riptide on TV tonight if you're looking for a new drama to hook you in.
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
