On TV tonight, the hunt for Connor Cairns intensifies in Shetland on BBC One, The Repair Shop continues also on BBC One and there's another chance to watch documentary Diana on ITV to mark the 25th anniversary of her tragic death. A new series of Grand Designs begins on C4 and The Great continues also on C4. Here's what you shouldn't miss on TV tonight.
- Our hand selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include five 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
Shetland, season 7, 9 pm, BBC One
It’s difficult to talk about this week’s episode without giving away major spoilers for viewers who might not have seen last week’s instalment yet, but suffice to say there has been a significant development in the investigation, and DI Perez (Douglas Henshall) is now pursuing Connor Cairns as a murder suspect rather than a missing person. As Connor’s closest friends are questioned again, with most of them insisting he was a quiet, non-violent person, Danny (Andrew Whipp) admits to Perez that his son got intense about environmental issues, while Abbie (Lauren Conroy) carries out an investigation of her own at the B&B…
★★★★ SP
The Repair Shop, 8 pm, BBC One
Expert cobbler Dean Westmoreland needs to get his skates on to bring back to life a pair of 70-year-old roller boots. Brought in by Angela and her daughter, Eve, the skates represent the enduring love story of Angela’s mum and dad, Irene and Colin, who met at the Astoria roller rink in Barnsley and were together for 67 years. Sadly, Irene passed away in 2019, and Angela hopes the revived skates will remind Colin of the fun times they shared. Also, there’s a radiogram in need of a retune and a battered toy fire engine, plus a precious leather wallet full of tales of heroic rebellion and family pride.
★★★★ JL
Diana, 9 pm, ITV
To mark the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic death, there’s another chance to see this profile that sheds light on her 36 years, drawing on archive footage and testimony from those closest to her. As ever, the horrendous media intrusion – including newspapers renting a flat opposite her London home when she was first linked to Prince Charles in 1980 – looms large. But we are also reminded of how adept Diana was at using the media to get her own message across, through Andrew Morton’s biography and her controversial Panorama interview. Above all, the ‘people’s princess’ comes across as a devoted mum and a royal who completely and naturally connected with the public.
★★★★ IM
Grand Designs, 9 pm, C4
The new series begins with couple Colin and Adele planning to spend £700,000 on a striking curved-glass family home in south Manchester. But fans of the show know that even the best-laid plans go awry as presenter Kevin McCloud stands by with a "I told you so" look on his face… However, this build really does have a lot to contend with, from contractors walking out and delays to budget chaos and a pandemic. As the rain pours in to their unfinished home and the money pours out, is there a way to turn the disaster design into a grand one?
★★★ JL
The Great, season 2, 11.05 pm, C4
Catherine (Elle Fanning) is accused of being all talk and no substance when her subjects tell her she isn’t delivering her promised changes quickly enough. To show she’s a woman of her word, Catherine proposes a radical new initiative of freeing all the serfs, which meets with some resistance. So Catherine decides to play "a jape" on the nobles by dressing up Marial’s (Phoebe Fox) new maid as "Lady Anastasia" and introducing her to the great and the good at court. But all hell breaks loose when her subterfuge is revealed…
★★★★ SP
Best box set to watch on TV tonight
The Capture, season 1, BBC iPlayer
The Capture Season 2 began on Sunday, August 28 on BBC One, but you can catch up with the first six-part series, which initially aired in 2019, on the iPlayer. The lead in both seasons is the brilliant Holliday Grainger who plays Rachel Carey, an ambitious and determined police officer who thinks in this first series she is in control of her investigation about a possibly violent former soldier. But can she really believe everything she sees and is there a bigger and more sinister game at play that is hampering her attempts to get to the truth? Also starring Callum Turner as ex-soldier Shaun Emery and Ben Miles as Commander Danny Hart.
Best film to watch on TV tonight
I Came By, Netflix
From Downton Abbey’s prim-and-proper lord to a creepy judge with a dark secret, Hugh Bonneville features in this eerie thriller as we’ve never seen him before! The story follows elusive graffiti artist Toby Nealey (1917 star George MacKay), whose attempts to fight the system involve breaking into the homes of London’s elite and spray-painting his signature artwork. But when he targets well-respected former judge Sir Hector Blake (Bonneville), Toby discovers a sinister surprise that pulls him into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Line of Duty’s Kelly Macdonald and Wizards vs Aliens’ Percelle Ascott also star in this remarkably fun but genuinely frightening film.
Live Sport
- EFL, Blackpool vs Blackburn Rovers, 7.45 pm (k-o 8 pm), Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
Soaps on TV tonight
- EastEnders, 7.30 pm, BBC One
- Emmerdale, 7.30 pm, ITV
- Coronation Street, 8 pm, ITV
- Hollyoaks, 6.30 pm, C4
- Home and Away, 6 pm & 6.30 pm, 5Star
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss Shetland on TV tonight — the case takes a new twist as the hunt to find Connor Cairns continues.
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
