On TV tonight, Waterloo Road returns for a new term packed full of drama, the Hairy Bikers set off on a new cross-country food tour, Take a Hike returns for a new series and Ben Fogle heads to the Sierra Nevada in a new episode of New Lives in The Wild. 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
Waterloo Road, 8 pm, BBC One, BBC iPlayer (box set)
After seven years off our screens, Waterloo Road school throws open its doors to welcome the class of 2023. Angela Griffin, Adam Thomas and Katie Griffiths return as pastoral manager-turned-headteacher Kim Campbell and childhood sweethearts Donte and Chlo Charles respectively, alongside new faces including ex-Corrie favourites Kym Marsh as dinner lady Nicky Walters and Rachel Leskovac as English teacher Coral Walker. With a protest that descends into chaos, runaway teens and troubled staff thrown into the mix, plus a major shock that no one will see coming, Waterloo Road 2.0 really hits the ground running, paving the way for what looks set to be an excellent series. ★★★★ VW
Take a Hike, 6.30 pm, BBC Two
This gentle countryside ramble competition proved a hit for BBC2 last year, and it returns with impeccable timing, airing daily to tempt us to walk off any Christmas excess. Five walking enthusiasts take it in turns to lead a hike, with the others rating it on views, picnics and entertainment. This week, the hikes are in glorious Yorkshire, with ex-Army-turned-hiking-blogger Paul, aka the Bald Hiker, convinced that his route around Gordale Scar and Malham Cove is the finest. Will his fellow hikers agree and let Paul walk off with the £500 winner’s prize? Game of Thrones’ Robert Pugh acts as a soothing narrator. ★★★★ RF
The Hairy Bikers Go Local, 8 pm, BBC Two
National treasures Si King and Dave Myers go green in their latest series, which is all about sourcing ingredients locally while they journey across the country on electric bikes. The pair go from region to region – including Fife, Norfolk, Hexham and West Wales throughout their eight-part travels – meeting chefs and learning about their menus.
They then set about finding local producers who can improve the restaurant’s offerings. In this first episode, the duo head to Home, a restaurant in Penarth, South Wales, where they meet a father-and- daughter team who are looking for the highest-quality produce for their eight-course tasting menu.
★★★★ JE
Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild, 9 pm, Channel 5
Ben’s series about people who have chosen to drop off the grid returns with a visit to the Sierra Nevada. That’s where Mike Basich set up home after turning his back on a life of professional snowboarding. Now, living out of a hand-built log cabin, Mike is trying to reconnect with nature and live life at a slower pace. ★★★ SM
Best box set on TV tonight
Even if you haven’t seen this drama, chances are you’ve read about it or had someone tell you how good it is – there was certainly a buzz surrounding the show which some have called the best (and possibly most stressful) on TV. Jeremy Allen White plays young chef Carmy, who applies skills honed working in New York’s hottest spot to running a Chicago sandwich shop after his brother dies and leaves it to him. If you’re not shouting ‘Behind!’ every time you squeeze between the fridge and a bemused family member, you soon will be. A second series has already been commissioned – are we a little excited to see what’s next for the staff at The Original Beef of Chicagoland? Yes, chef! ★★★★★ JP
Best film on TV tonight
The Woman In Black, 10.40 pm (times vary), BBC One
Susan Hill’s bestseller has gone on to become the second-longest running play in the West End (after The Mousetrap), along the way morphing into a spooky TV movie in 1989 and then again into this 2012 big-screen version. Daniel Radcliffe stars as the junior solicitor trying to wind up the estate of a deceased client at her creaky old house in the middle of nowhere. Ye olde Hammer horrors are a clear inspiration, and there are some fine heart-fluttery ‘boo!’ shocks early on, but it’s the eerie locations that are the real standout. ★★★ SM
Soaps
- EastEnders, 7.30 pm, BBC One,
- Emmerdale, 7.30 pm, ITV1
- Coronation Street, 8 pm, ITV1
- Hollyoaks, 6 pm, Channel 4
Live Sport
- Darts World Championship Final, 8 pm, Sky Sports Darts (also Main Event from 9.45 pm)
- Premier League: Arsenal vs Newcastle United, 7 pm (k-o 7.45 pm), Sky Sports Main Event/ Premier League
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss Waterloo Road on TV tonight - it's bound to be full of drama!
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
