What to watch on TV this week: Wednesday 7 – Friday 16 January

Ready for a jam-packed schedule of telly treats? Dawn French is here to brighten up these long and cold January nights with chuckleworthy family sitcom Can You Keep A Secret? while David Baddiel is bringing some feline fun in Cat Man. Elsewhere, you can cancel all of your plans for the foreseeable and instead snuggle up with the return of some great series including Call The Midwife, Patience, Black Ops and Industry. Happy viewing!

With all this plus our usual sport and movie picks of the week, there’s something for all tastes across the service. And don’t forget, with Virgin TV Go, you can take your TV with you on the move.

There’s so much good stuff on this week that we’ve compiled a list of the best TV shows to watch. Bookmark this page to keep up to date with the latest changes.

Pick of the day: Can You Keep A Secret?
9.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

The Vicar Of Dibley’s Dawn French is back where she belongs, starring in a BBC One sitcom slap back in the middle of your evening’s telly entertainment. French plays Debbie Fendon, a widow with a big secret: she’s not really a widow at all. Her husband William (Friday Night Dinner’s Mark Heap) is hiding in the loft after he was mistakenly declared dead. Just until the insurance pays out… But can they keep the truth from their son Harry (Craig Roberts) and, more importantly, his police-officer wife Neha (Mandip Gill)? Beans are in constant danger of being spilled in this mischievous comedy written by This Country producer Simon Mayhew-Archer.

What else to watch:

• The Traitors – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Abandoned Engineering – 8pm, U&Yesterday HD (CH 127)

• Grantchester – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Patience – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Matlock – 9pm, Sky Witness HD (CH 110)

Pick of the day: Black Ops
9.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

After Dom (Gbemisoa Ikumela, The Paper) and Kay (Hammed Animashaun, The Wheel Of Time) somehow closed a huge case in the first series of this riotous comedy, they’ve secured themselves new roles… at, yes, MI5. But they’re no James Bonds and they’re stuck with decidedly unglamorous work – until Dom meets Steve, a charismatic spy offering the promise of more exciting, classified work. Put all enemies of the state on notice: Dom and Kay are on to you. Sort of.

What else to watch:

• The Traitors – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Live Well With The Drug-Free Doctor – 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Patience – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Allegiance – 9pm, U&Alibi HD (CH 114)

• Britain’s Favourite Railway Stations With Si King – 9pm, More4 HD (CH 147)

Pick of the day: The Big Fat Quiz Of Telly
9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

Somewhere along the way, The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year became a baked-in part of the UK’s Yuletide entertainment calendar. But its telly-themed spin-off The Big Fat Quiz Of Telly should be a must-watch in your household too. Harry Hill, Judi Love, Tom Allen, Joanne McNally, Sam Campbell and Susan Wokoma battle it out to see who knows the most about TV, with Jimmy Carr returning as question master. Tune in to brush up on your pub quiz knowledge.

What else to watch:

• The Traitors – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Can You Make £10K In 10 Days? – 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 101)

• Tom Read Wilson’s Magnificent Journey – 8pm, 5 HD (CH 105)

• Mystery Road: Origin – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Amanda & Alan’s Greek Job – 9.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

Pick of the day: The Hunting Wives
11.25pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

If you haven’t been tuning into all-star US drama The Hunting Wives then now’s the time. Inspired by May Cobb’s bestselling novel, it’s the pulse-racing story of Sophie O’Neill (Brittany Snow, Pitch Perfect) who, after moving from the East Coast to a small Texan town, becomes entangled in the dangerous world of socialite Margo Banks (Malin Åkerman, Rampage) and her elite clique. Dermot Mulroney (Chicago Fire) and Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) also star in this deeply addictive series. Stream all episodes now in Apps > ITVX.

What else to watch:

• The Masked Singer – 7pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Valley Of The Kings: Secret Tomb Revealed – 7pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• The Weakest Link – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• The 1% Club – 8.30pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Waiting For The Out – 9.35pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

Pick of the day: Call The Midwife
8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

After a heart-racing two-part Christmas special in which some of Poplar’s finest headed on a mercy dash to Hong Kong, everyone is back safe and sound at Nonnatus House. And it looks like her overseas adventure has left a profound impact on Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), who finds herself finally embracing changes in the Order. But revolution is in the air as several of the ladies embrace the Women’s Lib movement and even burn their bras outside Nonnatus House. You go, girls!

What else to watch:

• The Floor – 7pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• The Great Pottery Throw Down – 7.45pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• The Night Manager – 9pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Red Eye – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

Pick of the day: Industry
10.40pm, BBC One HD (CH 104)

While we’re still recovering from our last adventure into the Upside Down, Stranger Things’ Jonathan Byers aka Charlie Heaton is already back on screens in the return of cult thriller Industry. The fourth season picks back up with the Pierpoint grads in a world where the stakes have never been higher, while Claire Forlani (Departure), Kal Penn (Designated Survivor), Max Minghella (The Handmaid’s Tale), Toheeb Jimoh (Ted Lasso) and Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina) join the cast.

What else to watch:

• Jamie’s Feasts For A Fiver – 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Red Eye – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Love Island: All Stars – 9pm, ITV2 HD (CH 115)

• Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake – 9pm, U&W HD (CH 125)

Pick of the day: Harry Wild
8pm, U&Drama HD (CH 116)

The start of a new year might mean turning over a new leaf for most, but the criminals of Dublin are still keeping retired literature professor turned supersleuth Harry Wild (Jane Seymour) busy. The third series of the cosy crime drama brings a wave of bizarre cases including a boy band suicide that may be murder, a woman’s head served up in a packed restaurant and a hostage crisis that requires a murder to be solved under immense pressure. Rohan Nedd, Kevin Ryan, Amy Huberman and Samantha Mumba all return.

What else to watch:

• Rick Stein’s Australia – 7pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Inside The Factory – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• What Not To Eat – 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Waterloo Road – 9pm + 10.40pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• The Good Ship Murder – 9pm, 5 HD (CH 105)

Pick of the day: Patience
9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

If you’ve been missing Patience on your screens then we have good news for you: Channel 4’s biggest drama of 2025 is back. In this episode, a lawyer is shot dead in a packed boardroom and with only an unconventional clue at the crime scene, autistic archivist-turned-crime solver Patience (Ella May Purvis) and new boss DI Frankie Monroe (Jessica Hynes, W1A) must combine their investigative powers before the killer has a chance to strike again. Catch up on episodes 1 and 2 in Apps > Channel 4 now.

What else to watch:

• How To Keep Your Brain Young – 7pm, 5 HD (CH 105)

• The Traitors – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Abandoned Engineering – 8pm, U&Yesterday HD (CH 127)

• Can You Keep A Secret? – 9.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Matlock – 9pm, Sky Witness HD (CH 110)

Pick of the day: Rob & Romesh Vs Team GB: Winter Special
9pm, Sky Max HD (CH 111)

There’s never a dull day at the office for Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan. After taking on Bollywood and the jungle in their current series, the chaotic comedy pair are swapping warmer climes for a chilly new adventure as they join up with Team GB ahead of February’s Winter Olympics. Tune in to see Rob and Rom try their hands at everything from bobsledding and the biathlon to skiing and curling. Spoiler alert: you will laugh.

What else to watch:

• The Traitors – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Patience – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Allegiance – 9pm, U&Alibi HD (CH 114)

• Black Ops – 9.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Piglets – 10.05pm, ITV2 HD (CH 116)

Pick of the day: David Baddiel: Cat Man
8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

Comedian David Baddiel is letting the cat out of the bag in this new three-parter that celebrates our feline friends. Alongside a roster of celebrity cat fanatics including Jonathan Ross, Ricky Gervais and Lou Sanders, Baddiel is on a mission to prove that cats really are man’s best friends once and for all, while sharing his moggie musings along the way. First up, he shakes paws with Larry the Downing Street cat and takes part in his first-ever kitten yoga class. Strap yourself in for a cuteness overload.

What else to watch:

• The Traitors – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Monty Don’s Rhineland Gardens – 8pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Mystery Road: Origin – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Amanda & Alan’s Greek Job – 9.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Taskmasterclass – 10pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

Football: FA Cup Round 3 – Macclesfield v Crystal Palace
11.30am, TNT Sports 1 HD (CH 521) + 12pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

There’s always plenty of talk about the “magic” and “romance” of the FA Cup third round, but the footballing stars rarely align as perfectly as this: Macclesfield, a “phoenix” club formed after the liquidation of Macclesfield Town and who have worked their way up from the ninth tier of the pyramid to the sixth since 2020, have been drawn at home to the cup holders, Crystal Palace.

Apart from the significant payday this live TV game will bring Macclesfield, they’ll relish the opportunity to host the Premier League stars at Moss Rose, where the few thousand lucky ticket holders will no doubt make a noise like never before. Striker Danny Elliott, who scored 35 goals in the Northern Premier League last season, is their danger man.

As for Palace, after a good run in the autumn, they took just one point from five league games over the festive period. It’s tempting to say that despite that, and whatever changes Oliver Glasner makes to the side, they should have too much quality for the Silkmen. But thoughts invariably go to holders Coventry crashing out at non-league Sutton in 1988...

What else to watch:

Looking for more sport this week? We can help with that.

• All the best live sport you can watch on TV this week

• Got a Sky Sports subscription? Check out our monthly guide

• If you’ve got TNT Sports, your monthly guide is here

Big
Sunday 11 January, 2.40pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

While Tom Hanks might have recently swapped Hollywood film sets for the Broadway stage, you can enjoy the work of this legendary actor in one of his most iconic film roles. In the 1988 flick, 12-year-old Josh Baskin makes a wish that he was “big” to a fairground fortune-telling booth. Cue Hanks (who received his first Oscar nomination for his performance) as the suddenly grown-up Josh who has to navigate adulthood and all its complications from the point of view of a goofy tween. Classic viewing that’ll never fail to pull on your heart strings.

• Our monthly Sky Cinema guide featuring the best movies this month

• Looking for something on Netflix? Try our monthly guide to new releases

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