TV tonight: Our highlights for Monday, July 17
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On TV tonight, the tense new drama The Sixth Commandment kicks off, there's a new series of University Challenge, there's more from Long Lost Family and Chris Packham presents nature series Earth. 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
The Sixth Commandment, 9pm, BBC One
The chilling real-life case of a murderer who preyed on two Buckinghamshire neighbours, Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin, is brought to life in this heartbreaking and compelling four-part series. Tenderly told, and with Timothy Spall and Anne Reid playing the victims, it shows how Peter, a highly respected retired teacher and novelist, and his neighbour Ann, a former model and headmistress, were duped by charismatic student and churchwarden Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke), who started relationships with them to get their inheritances.
Tonight’s opener shows the moment Peter meets Ben, who would later murder him by poisoning. A truly sinister story. Continues tomorrow.
★★★★★ TL
University Challenge, 8:30 pm, BBC Two
Britain’s longest-running TV quiz gets a new look and a quizmaster for its 53rd series, as journalist Amol Rajan takes over from the departing Jeremy Paxman in the host’s chair. While it’s always exciting to have a cosmetic revamp and a different presenter, the secret of University Challenge’s longevity is the simplicity of its format: two teams from universities all across the country go head-to-head to showcase the breadth of their knowledge over a wide range of topics. Getting the competition under way tonight are Trinity College, Cambridge and the University of Manchester.
★★★ SP
Earth, 9 pm, BBC Two
Chris Packham has a fabulous knack of making even the most knotty subjects both accessible and utterly fascinating, and he’s on top form in this thought-provoking five-part series, which explores the awesome and turbulent history of our planet over the past 4.5 billion years.
He begins by taking us back a mere 252 million years to when around 90% of life on Earth was decimated by volcanic activity, which also increased global temperatures to disastrous levels. But the subsequent long-lasting period of rainfall that then swept across the world allowed new species to evolve and gain a foothold.
★★★★ CC
Long Lost Family, 9 pm, ITV1
In one case this week, searcher Caroline, from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, is looking for the son she gave up for adoption when she was 18. She had split from her then-boyfriend and hoped adoptive parents could offer her son she named Simon a better future. She later married and had twins, who are now 23, but the pain of losing her firstborn only grew stronger.
Caroline says she’s thought about him every day for the past 43 years. Can Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell help to locate her long-lost son?
★★★ MC
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
Ghost, 9 pm, Sky Showcase
The spirit of murdered executive Sam Wheat tries to find a way to help his girlfriend Molly Jensen bring killer Carl Bruner to justice, and enlists the aid of fraudulent medium Oda Mae Brown - who is amazed and baffled when her supposed psychic powers turn out to be all too real. Romantic fantasy, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Tony Goldwyn and a Whoopi Goldberg, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Brown.
Soaps
EastEnders, 7.30 pm, BBC One
Emmerdale, 7.30 pm, ITV1
Coronation Street, 8 pm, ITV1
Hollyoaks, 6.30 pm, Channel 4
Home and Away, 6 pm, 5Star
Live Sport
Tour de France Highlights, 7 pm, ITV4
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss The Sixth Commandment on TV tonight.
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
