What to watch on TV this week: Wednesday 18 to Friday 27 March

Ready for a jam-packed schedule of telly treats? There’s a hoot to be had this week with return of Last One Laughing UK as well as the debut of Saturday Night Live UK and starry new prank series Celebrity Sabotage. Plus, don’t miss the return of The Great Celebrity Bake Off or Richard Osman hanging up his quizmaster hat as he presents his final episode of House Of Games. 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: The Marlow Murder Club
8pm, U&Drama HD (CH 116)

Return to the idyllic town of Marlow as super-sleuths Suzie Harris (Jo Martin), Judith Potts (Samantha Bond) and Becks Starling (Cara Horgan) take on their biggest cases yet, now as a respected part of DCI Tanika Malik’s (Natalie Dew) crime-solving team. Seemingly inexplicable murders in the third series of the beloved cosy crime drama include the sudden death of the town’s mayor and the public demise of a celebrity chef, while Becks is shocked to find herself among the suspects of foul play at a university reunion. Twisty stuff.

What else to watch:

• Hostage – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• The Stolen Girl – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• A Woman Of Substance – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Ellis – 9pm, 5 HD (CH 105)

• Mysteries Unearthed With Danny Trejo – 10pm, Sky HISTORY HD (CH 131)

Pick of the day: Last One Laughing UK
Stream episodes 1-3 of season 2 today in Apps > Prime Video. Episodes 4-5 are released on Thursday 26 March with episode 6 on Thursday 2 April

Who’d have thought that the show where you’re not allowed to crack a smile would turn out to be the funniest thing on TV? One year after his rip-roaring victory, Bob Mortimer is back to defend his title against a new roster of funny faces, featuring David Mitchell, Diane Morgan, Romesh Ranganathan, Amy Gledhill, Maisie Adam, Mel Giedroyc, Alan Carr, Gbemisola Ikumelo and Sam Campbell. We dare you not to laugh.

What else to watch:

• This Farming Life – 8pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Car SOS – 8pm, National Geographic HD (CH 183)

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

• Black Waters: The Sea Empress Disaster – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• A Woman Of Substance – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

Pick of the day: Comic Relief: Funny For Money
7pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

It’s that time of year again. Put on your red nose and get ready for a three-hour extravaganza that’s packed with delightful entertainment, and all for a good cause. Join Davina McCall, Joel Dommett, Catherine Tate as the foul-mouthed Nan, Nick Mohammed and Katherine Ryan as they host a night to remember, with side-splitting sketches, surprise celebrity guest stars and world-exclusive round table action in a sequel to Traitors: The Movie.

What else to watch:

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

• Ted – 9pm + 9.45pm, Sky One HD (CH 109)

• Blanca – 9pm, More4 HD (CH 147)

• Comic Relief Does The Weakest Link – 10pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• The Claudia Winkleman Show – 10.40pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

Pick of the day: Celebrity Sabotage
8pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

They say you should never meet your heroes, and that couldn’t be more true for those who are about to be the target of these celebrity saboteurs. In ITV’s daring new game show, a celebrity team made up of Joel Dommett, Judi Love, Sam Thompson and GK Barry are on an outrageous secret mission to pull pranks on unsuspecting members of the public and win them a big cash prize. What could possibly go wrong?

What else to watch:

• Britain’s Got Talent – 6.45pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• The Weakest Link: Gladiators Special – 7.45pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Comic Relief’s Hits And Hidden Gems – 8.45pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• The Walsh Sisters – 9.15pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Saturday Night Live UK – 10pm, Sky One HD (CH 101)

Pick of the day: The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer
7.40pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

Let the bakes begin! The celebs are back to proof (geddit?) that they’ve got what it takes in a series of Bake Off Signature, Technical and Showstopper challenges for their chance at winning a Star Baker apron or better yet, a coveted Hollywood handshake. And it’s all for a good cause, of course. First up, there’s a returning comedians special as Joe Wilkinson, Roisin Conaty, Rose Matafeo, Judi Love, Tom Davies and Jon Richardson enter TV’s most famous tent.

What else to watch:

• The Other Bennet Sister – 8pm + 8.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

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

• Gone – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Boarders – 10pm + 10.45pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107/113)

• In Our Blood: The Forever Chemicals Scandal – 10.15pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

Pick of the day: The Hunt: Prey Vs Predator
9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

While you might expect to see a wildlife documentary based on the title, predators hunting their prey is in fact the premise for Channel 4’s thrilling new competitive reality show. In a vast and unforgiving forest, 10 participants are pitted against each other as they battle to survive in action-packed hunts; the prey contestants are tracking down the £100,000 cash prize with the predators on their tails. Expect nail-biting quests, shocking betrayals and fiery plays for power.

What else to watch:

• Dom Chinea’s Cornish Workshop – 8pm, U&Yesterday HD (CH 129)

• Clash Of The Superpowers: America Vs China – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Gone – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Ross Kemp: Lost Boys, Deadly Men – 9pm, Crime+Investigation HD (CH 133)

• Rooster – 10pm, Sky One HD (CH 109)

Pick of the day: Miss Scarlet
9pm, U&Alibi HD (CH 114)

The Duke-less Miss Scarlet (Kate Phillips, Peaky Blinders) is back for another round of super-sleuthing in Victorian Britain. But after five series of catching criminals, the titular detective is about to crack open her biggest case yet: matters of the heart and more specifically, her growing feelings for Detective Inspector Alexander Blake (Tom Durant-Pritchard, The Forsytes). All while helping to keep the mean streets of London safe from a violent psychiatric patient who’s on the loose. Gulp! Cathy Belton (Philomena), Paul Bazley (Benidorm), Simon Ludders (Broadchurch) and Felix Scott (The Archers) all return.

What else to watch:

• Sort Your Life Out With Stacey Solomon – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• The Dog House – 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• The Hunt: Prey Vs Predator – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Muslim Matchmaker – 9pm + 9.35pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107/113)

• The Dyers’ Caravan Park – 9pm, Sky One HD (CH 109)

Pick of the day: The Comeback
10.10pm, Sky Comedy HD (CH 112)

After a decade-long hiatus, Lisa Kudrow (Friends) is stepping back into the shoes of Valerie Cherish for a third and final season of the award-winning comedy. Viewers have watched the washed-up sitcom actor attempt to regain her star power through a series of cringe-worthy escapades, all captured by a reality camera crew. But in her swansong season, it finally looks like Cherish has come back out on top as she accepts a role on a new comedy series. The catch? It’s written entirely by AI…

What else to watch:

• Help! I Bought It At An Auction With Sarah Beeney – 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• The Marlow Murder Club – 8pm + 9pm, U&Drama HD (CH 116)

• Decoding History’s Prophecies – 8pm, National Geographic HD (CH 183)

• A Woman Of Substance – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Warship: Life On The Frontline – 9pm, 5 HD (CH 105)

Pick of the day: The Martin Lewis Money Show Live: Tax Year End Special
9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

If the thought of filing a tax return leaves you with your head in your hands, then we know someone who can help. Financial guru and money-saving expert Martin Lewis is back to help viewers across the country with their money woes, and this time round his tried-and-tested tips will help prepare you for looming tax deadlines, dissect April price hikes and find the best penny-pinching deals out there.

What else to watch:

• Yorkshire’s Poshest Hotel: Grantley Hall – 8pm, 5 HD (CH 105)

• Car SOS – 8pm, National Geographic HD (CH 183)

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

• A Woman Of Substance – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Julian Barnes: Beyond The Page – 9pm, BBC Four HD (CH 108)

Pick of the day: Beyond Paradise
8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

It’s just another day in paradise in the cosy crime world of Shipton Abbot, where DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall, Love Actually) has another batch of more puzzling crimes to solve. Fact and folklore collide in a crime wave that prompts the team to investigate the death of a novelist who predicted their own demise, the sighting of a vengeful mermaid at sea, the reappearance of a stolen treasure map and a Dark Morris celebration that goes terribly wrong. Guest stars include Phil Daniels (EastEnders) and Melanie Walters (Gavin & Stacey).

What else to watch:

• Richard Osman’s House Of Games – 6pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Extraordinary Portraits With Bill Bailey – 7.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

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

• Blanca – 9pm, More4 HD (CH 147)

• The Claudia Winkleman Show – 10.40pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

Football: EFL Cup Final – Arsenal v Manchester City
Sunday 22 March, 3.30pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103) + Sky One HD (CH 109) + Sky Sports Football HD (CH 503)

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta got his hands on the EFL Cup twice when he was assistant to Pep Guardiola at Man City, but this competition hasn’t been a source of much glory for the Gunners. Despite their consistent FA Cup success – 14 wins, including seven in the 21st century alone – they haven’t won the League Cup since 1993, and that was only their second victory. Swansea, Birmingham, Blackburn, Newcastle, Leicester and even Spurs have won it since Arsenal’s most recent triumph.

And Arteta faces that modern manager’s dilemma as he approaches this match. Does he go all out to win, on the basis that all success is good for the club and will boost his players? Or does he rest key personnel, preferring to save them for the more prestigious Premier League and Champions League campaigns, at the risk of a debilitating defeat? The nature of the opponents may influence him to stick with a stronger team. But then, if his second string can get a win over Man City, could that be an even more powerful blow in the league title race?

There are so many questions and variables that it’s easy to forget there’s actual silverware up for grabs. City, for their part, have taken this trophy seriously in their modern era as demonstrated by six wins since 2014. In a slightly under-par season by their standards, an EFL Cup victory would be a terrific moment in itself. And if defeating Arsenal has implications for the Premier League, well, that’s a bonus for Guardiola and co. The game should be fascinating and, as so often in football, the narrative even more so.

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

Toy Story
Sunday 22 March, 6.05pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

It’s been 30 years since this multi-Oscar winning franchise inspired millions of kids (and adults) to believe toys could talk when their human occupants weren’t listening. Ahead of another rootin’ tootin’ adventure in which the toys must navigate a tech-obsessed generation, coming to cinemas in June, step back into simpler times with the 1995 flick that started it all (fun fact: Toy Story is the world’s first completely computer-generated animation feature). When Andy’s favourite toy, a pull string cowboy named Woody, meets state-of-the-art space ranger Buzz Lightyear, a hilarious and heartfelt rivalry for top spot in the toy’s hierarchy ensues. Delightful viewing that’s lost none of its magic.

• 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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