On TV tonight, World on Fire continues, new Paramount Plus series Special Ops: Lioness arrives, Guy Martin heads to Colombia and there's more from A Spy Among Friends. 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
World on Fire season 2, 9 pm, BBC One
Robina Chase (Lesley Manville) was a stiff and austere presence in this sprawling war saga during its first series, but we’ve started to see a softer side to her of late. She’s made a connection with young Polish refugee Jan (Eryk Biedunkiewicz) and secretly adores her granddaughter Vera.
However, could we see her open up even more when a handsome stranger arrives on her doorstep tonight? Mark Bonnar makes quite the entrance as Sir James Danemere, an MI5 operative with a touch of Errol Flynn about him, and seeing him go to work opposite the always excellent Manville is a real treat.
★★★★ SMA
Special Ops: Lioness, Paramount Plus
With a cast boasting Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña and Morgan Freeman, this big-budget military thriller from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan has had lots of buzz around it – and it mostly lives up to the hype. Telling the story of Lioness, an elite female-led CIA unit that aims to infiltrate terrorist cells, the tale switches from the sweat and sand of the Middle East to the cold and clinical offices of Langley in the US, with tense action sequences offset by an interesting exploration of the hidden price agents pay for their service.
Anyone who enjoyed Homeland will be in their element. The first two episodes are available from today, then one episode weekly.
★★★★ SMA
Our Guy in Colombia, 9 pm, Channel 4
Thrill-seeker Guy Martin is on a hair-raising adventure in Colombia to find out whether a new government drive for peace can help the country escape its horrifying legacy of drugs and violence. But it turns out to be terrifying stuff. First, Guy undergoes the same brutal kidnap training that politicians are put through, which means being bound, gagged and water-boarded.
Then, he’s shot at point-blank range to test out a designer bulletproof jacket, before meeting drug kingpin Pablo Escobar’s nephew and visiting a hidden drug lab deep in the jungle. Guy is pretty fearless, but even he struggles to hide his unease at times…
★★★★ HD
A Spy Among Friends, 9 pm, ITV1
This first-rate adaptation of the Cambridge Spies scandal is so detailed that you need to follow every gesture and reference as each one carries significance. And this third episode is the most intricate of all. In London, Elliott (Damian Lewis) goes to a viewing at The Queen’s Gallery, where a slip of the tongue reveals a horrifying betrayal.
In Moscow, Philby is up to spycraft involving cigarette papers and Morse code. We also learn the identities of those surveilling both men – and realise the treason spreads far and wide.
★★★★★ NT
Best box set on TV tonight
The Replacement, Channel 4
Originally shown on BBC1 in 2017, here’s another chance to see this three-part psychological thriller on demand starring Vicky McClure and Morven Christie. Ellen (Christie) is preparing for her maternity leave from her architectural practice when she finds the perfect replacement in mum-of-one Paula (McClure). But when Paula comes in to job-shadow, Ellen begins to see her as a friend-stealing manipulator.
Are her own insecurities to blame or is Paula trying to take over Ellen’s life, not just her job? With an air of Single White Female about it, this is a spine-tingling take on office politics, with a good amount of ambiguity as you’re never quite sure whose side you’re on.
★★★★★ RM
Best film on TV tonight
Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 9 pm, 5STAR
A scientist carries out genetic experiments on apes, hoping to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. A chimpanzee used in the tests develops superior intelligence and becomes outraged at the human race's cruel treatment of his kind, forming his fellow primates into an army to overthrow mankind. Sci-fi thriller, starring James Franco, Freida Pinto and Andy Serkis.
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss World on Fire on TV tonight.
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
