TV Tonight: Our highlights for Tuesday, January 31

Emily Atack wearing sunglasses in front of the London skyline
(Image credit: BBC/Little Gem Productions)

On TV tonight, Emily Atack: Asking For It? takes a frank look at online sexual harassment, there's more competitive cooking as The Great British Menu continues, Baywatch star Pamela Anderson fronts a documentary about her own life for Netflix in Pamela, A Love Story, Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild sees the adventurer meeting a self-sufficient family living in Tuscany, and the nature of Mr. Guthrie's personal life is revealed in Waterloo Road. 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

Emily Atack: Asking For It?, 9 pm, BBC Two

Emily Atack side by side with her mother, Kate Robbins

(Image credit: BBC/Little Gem Productions)

The Inbetweeners and I’m a Celebrity… star Emily speaks up in this candid exploration of online sexual harassment. Every day, Emily receives hundreds of explicit messages from strangers on social media which she feels powerless to stop - but that isn’t going to stop her trying. As Emily reveals the shocking content of her inbox on Instagram, she meets with detectives, academics and campaigners to discuss what can be done to prevent the sending of unsolicited images, and, in a particularly heartbreaking scene, meets a group of schoolgirls who reveal their own experiences at being sexually harassed online by older men. ★★★★ SP

The Great British Menu, 8 pm, BBC Two

Paddington Bear would say marmalade sandwiches take some beating, but Blighty’s top chefs plan to give it a go. The 18th series of the cookery contest takes inspiration from Paddington’s 65th birthday in 2023, with the 32 competing chefs celebrating the worlds of animation and illustration. Andi Oliver hosts, as this week’s North East heats see four chefs concoct mouth-watering dishes including an Andy Capp-inspired stout broth. Tom Kerridge, Nisha Katona and Ed Gamble return on the judging panel. Happy birthday, Paddington! ★★★★ RF 

Pamela, A Love Story, Netflix

Pamela Anderson headshot from Pamela, A Love Story

(Image credit: Netflix)

Pamela Anderson tells her story in her own words in this no-holds-barred documentary, which tracks her life from small-town girl to international sex symbol, actor, activist, and mother. The film begins with her childhood in British Columbia, Canada, and charts her rise to fame in the 1990s hit show Baywatch. Much of the focus is on her highly publicised romantic relationships with ex-husbands singer Kid Rock and poker player Rick Salomon. She also opens up about her turbulent marriage to Tommy Lee, which was depicted in the drama Pam & Tommy (Disney Plus). As well as interviews with Pamela, we see home-video footage and extracts from her personal journals. However, Pamela is adamant she won’t watch this herself! NC 

Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild, 9 pm, Channel 5

Ben is an hour into an uphill trek in the Casentinesi Forest National Park, Tuscany, to meet British couple George and Sophie. George, 35, arrived here aged 18, when he inherited a derelict farmhouse. He’d always had a longing to live off-grid, but realised he couldn’t do it alone, so he advertised for volunteers in return for food and lodging. Sophie was one of those volunteers. Now the couple have a young family and live almost entirely self-sufficiently, selling honey to pay for basics and still boarding volunteers. Ben is in awe of how the couple live in the moment while resourcefully planning ahead. It’s an exhausting but exhilarating existence as Ben quickly discovers. ★★★ MC

Waterloo Road, 8 pm, BBC One, iPlayer (box set)

Neil Guthrie (Neil Fitzmaurice) in Waterloo Road

(Image credit: BBC/Wall To Wall/Rope Ladder Fiction/Vishal Sharma)

Teenagers get wild ideas sometimes and Tonya’s (Summer Violet Bird) imagination runs away with her when she becomes convinced that history teacher Neil Guthrie’s (Neil Fitzmaurice) obsession with Henry VIII means he killed his own wife! Like a dog with a bone, Tonya plots to ‘dig up’ the truth... Meanwhile, the day has arrived for the inquest into the death of Donte’s (Adam Thomas) wife Chlo, and Coral (Rachel Leskovac) is clearly rattled. Packed with high drama, chaos and some humour, this is another cracking episode. ★★★★ VW 

Best box set on TV tonight

Lockwood & Co., Netflix

Lockwood & Co key art featuring Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman and Ali Hadji-Heshmati

(Image credit: Netflix)

Former Bridgerton star Ruby Stokes swaps period drama for life as a ghost hunter in this lively and richly imagined new eight-part supernatural drama. Set in an alternative reality where phantoms plague the people of Britain, the tale follows Lucy Carlyle, a teenager with a psychic gift and plenty of emotional baggage, as she joins a new ghost-hunting agency trying to make a name for itself. Unlike their rivals, Lockwood & Co is comprised solely of teenagers who are sick of being exploited by adults, but they get more than they bargained for after stumbling on a dark conspiracy. SMA 

Best film on TV tonight

Portrait of a Lady on Fire, 11.45 pm, BBC Two

Adéle Haenel and Noémi Merlant star

(Image credit: BBC)

An artist is commissioned to paint a portrait of a woman about to be married without her knowing. She observes her subject by day, then works on the painting by night, but in the process, the two women develop a close bond as the wedding draws nearer. Romantic period drama, starring Noemie Merlant and Adele Haenel. In French

Soaps

Live Sport

  • EFL Cup: Newcastle United vs Southampton, 7 pm (k-o 8 pm), Sky Sports Main Event
  • Australian Open 2023: 10 pm , Eurosport 1

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…

Don't miss Emily Atack: Asking For It? on TV tonight.

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

Happy viewing!

Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin is a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produces a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. 

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.