What to watch on TV this week: Wednesday 30 September to Friday 9 October

Looking for something new to watch this week? Sky Atlantic’s brand-new drama WAR brings Dominic West and Sienna Miller together in a high-stakes divorce battle between a tech entrepreneur and a Hollywood star.

There’s plenty more to look forward to on Virgin TV over the next 10 days, including the return of The Celebrity Traitors, Richard Armitage’s brand-new crime drama Winter, Strictly Come Dancing and The Great British Bake Off, plus new drama Pierre.

We've picked out the biggest shows, documentaries and entertainment highlights airing between Wednesday 23 September and Friday 2 October.

Don’t forget, with Virgin TV Go, you can take your TV with you wherever you go. Bookmark this page and check back regularly for the latest updates. Happy watching!

Pick of the day: Winter
9pm, ITV1 HD/STV HD (CH103)

Richard Armitage stars in brand-new crime drama Winter as brilliant but unconventional forensic pathologist Dr Ethan Winter. Set in Bristol, the six-part series sees Winter use his sharp analytical mind to help DI Lauren Bell solve some of the city’s most complex murder cases.

But there’s more to Winter than his work. He’s also secretly investigating the unsolved murder of someone close to him, giving the series a bigger mystery that runs alongside its individual cases. Expect forensic clues, plenty of detective work and a complicated partnership between Winter and the no-nonsense DI Bell.

What else to watch

• Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals, 7.30pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• The Chelsea Detective, 8pm, U&Drama HD (CH 116)

• Location, Location, Location, 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Clickbait Clinic with Stacey Dooley, 9pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107)

Pick of the day: The Celebrity Traitors
8pm, BBC One HD (CH101)

Claudia Winkleman is back at the castle as The Celebrity Traitors returns for a brand-new series. This time, 21 famous faces are taking part in the ultimate game of deception, including Michael Sheen, Richard E Grant, Maya Jama, Miranda Hart, James Acaster, Joe Lycett, Romesh Ranganathan, Bella Ramsey and Leigh-Anne Pinnock.

The celebrities must work out who they can trust as the Traitors secretly pick off the Faithfuls, while everyone competes for up to £100,000 for charity. The opening episode is extra-long, giving us plenty of time to meet the cast and find out who Claudia has chosen to join the Traitors. Let the games begin.

What else to watch

• The Chelsea Detective, 8pm, U&Drama HD, CH116

• The Cruise, 8pm, BBC Three HD, CH107

• Two Men on a Bike, 8pm, Channel 4 HD, CH104

• Fightland, 9pm, Sky Atlantic HD, CH111

Pick of the day: WAR
9pm, Sky Atlantic HD (CH 111)

Golden Globe nominated and Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning creator and showrunner George Kay (Hijack, Lupin, The Long Shadow) is bringing a returning legal drama to Sky and NOW - WAR.

The eight-part series delves into the high-stakes lives of London’s most powerful lawyers as firms Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne clash over a headline-grabbing legal battle, drawing ambitious young lawyer Jonathan “Johnny” Warren, played by Archie Renaux (Alien: Romulus, Upgraded), into a ruthless world where ambition is currency, betrayal is strategy and winning is everything.

What else to watch

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

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

• Beat the Chasers Celebrity Special, 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Special Ops: Crime Squad UK, 9pm, U&W HD (CH 125)

• Have I Got News for You, 9.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

Pick of the day: Strictly Come Dancing
6.15pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

The Strictly ballroom is back in action for Week 2, with all 15 couples returning to perform their second routines. After getting their first taste of the judges’ scores last week, the celebrities now have another chance to impress Shirley, Craig, Motsi and Anton.

There’s an extra bit of pressure this time, too, as the public vote opens for the first time this series. The couples’ scores from Weeks 1 and 2 will be combined with the public vote, with the lowest-scoring pairs facing the dance-off in Sunday’s first results show.

What else to watch

• Sandi Toksvig’s Hidden Wonders, 7pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Win Win with People’s Postcode Lottery, 7.50pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Yorkshire by the Sea, 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

Pick of the day: The Reluctant Vampire

6.40pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

October gets a supernatural twist with brand-new comedy The Reluctant Vampire. Lenny Rush stars as Val, a young boy who has grown up in a family of vampires and is expected to follow in his dad’s traditional footsteps.

There’s just one problem: Val has never been particularly good at the bloodthirsty side of vampire life. And just as he looks like he might finally be ready for his initiation into adulthood, his mum reveals a huge family secret that turns his world upside down. Now Val finds himself caught between two worlds and facing a very big decision.

What else to watch

• Strictly Come Dancing: Week 2 Results, 7.10pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

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

• Sister Boniface Mysteries, 8pm, U&Drama HD (CH 116)

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, 10.15pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

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

David Harewood takes the lead in brand-new crime drama Pierre, playing a London duty solicitor who finds himself investigating the suspicious death of one of his young clients.

Pierre refuses to accept the police’s portrayal of Michael as a criminal and starts digging into what really happened. But as he asks more questions, he begins to uncover a much bigger story involving institutional corruption. Balancing the pressures of his job with his own personal life, Pierre soon discovers that challenging the system comes with a price.

What else to watch

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

• Cooking with the Stars, 7.30pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Jamie’s 20 Minute Meals, 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Silent Witness, 10pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107)

• New Tricks, 10pm, U&Drama HD (CH 116)

Pick of the day: The Great British Bake Off
8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

It’s time to head back to the famous white tent as The Great British Bake Off gets stuck into Bread Week. The latest batch of bakers are back to tackle another trio of challenges, putting their skills, creativity and ability to work under pressure to the test.

There’s also a new face on the judging panel this year, with Nigella Lawson joining Paul Hollywood alongside returning hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond. Expect plenty of dough, proving, shaping and, hopefully, some impressive bakes as the contestants battle to stay in the tent for another week.

What else to watch

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

• Sort Your Life Out, 8pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107)

• Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, 9pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107)

• New Tricks, 10pm, U&Drama HD (CH 116)

Pick of the day: Portrait Artist of the Year
8pm, Sky Arts HD (CH 123)

Portrait Artist of the Year returns for a brand-new series, with artists from across the UK competing to create portraits of some very familiar faces. They’ll have just a few hours to capture their sitter on canvas before revealing their finished work to the judges.

There’s a fresh look behind the judging desk this year, too, with portrait artist Jonathan Yeo, Frieze director Eva Langret and art historian Katy Hessel joining returning host Stephen Mangan. The series also features celebrity sitters including Louis Theroux, Rylan Clark, Sheridan Smith and Deborah Meaden, while the eventual winner will get the chance to paint Damian Lewis for the National Portrait Gallery.

What else to watch

• The Chelsea Detective, 8pm, U&Drama HD (CH 116)

• Location, Location, Location, 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• DIY SOS, 8pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107)

• Clickbait Clinic with Stacey Dooley, 9pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107)

Pick of the day: The Chelsea Detective
8pm, U&Drama HD (CH 116)

DI Max Arnold and DS Layla Walsh return with another new case in The Chelsea Detective. In The Petrov Extension: Part 2, the investigation takes a darker turn after a second murder in Cambridge.

With two victims now connected, Max and his team start to uncover a conspiracy linking the deaths. It’s the latest case in the fourth series, which sees Max and Layla investigating deadly secrets and hidden motives among Chelsea’s powerful families and institutions.

What else to watch

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

• The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, 9.05pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Not Going Out, 9.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

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

Pick of the day:  Play for Today: Closing Time
9.05pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)

Closing Time is the latest standalone drama from Channel 5’s Play for Today strand. Antonio Aakeel stars as Mo, a talented migrant working in his uncle’s kebab shop who has kept his ambitions of becoming a chef firmly to himself.

That changes when he meets Laila, a lawyer who finds herself stuck in an engagement that no longer feels right. As the pair grow closer through late-night conversations and cooking sessions, Laila encourages Mo to chase his dreams, while he pushes her to take a closer look at the life she’s chosen.

What else to watch

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

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

• The Last Samurai, 10.45pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Have I Got News for You, 9.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

Pick of the week: Croatia v England
5pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103), Saturday 3 October

England head to Croatia for a big UEFA Nations League clash as the Three Lions continue their Group A3 campaign. Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka will be among the key names for England, while Croatia have plenty of experience of their own, with Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić set to feature.

With both sides battling for valuable points, it should be an intriguing international contest as England look to make their mark in another tough away fixture.

More sport this week

• Formula 1: Bahrain Grand Prix, 8am, Sky Sports Main Event HD / Sky Sports F1 HD (CH 501/507), Sunday 4 October

• Wales v Norway - UEFA Nations League, 7.45pm, BBC Two HD / S4C HD (CH 102/164), Thursday 1 October

• England v Czech Republic - UEFA Nations League, 7.45pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103), Tuesday 6 October

• World Grand Prix Darts, from 7pm, Sky Sports Main Event HD (CH 501), 30 September to 4 October

• South Africa v Australia - ODI, 12.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event HD / Sky Sports Cricket HD (CH 501/505), Wednesday 30 September

• India v West Indies - ODI, 9.30am, TNT Sports 1 HD (CH 521), Wednesday 30 September

• MotoGP: Grand Prix of Japan, TNT Sports 2 HD (CH 522), 2-4 October

• The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, 1pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103), Sunday 4 October

• NFL: Indianapolis Colts v Washington Commanders, 2.30pm, Channel 5 HD / Sky Sports+ HD (CH 105/504), Sunday 4 October

• Coppa Bernocchi, 2pm, TNT Sports 1 HD (CH 521), Monday 5 October

• Scotland v Slovenia - UEFA Nations League, 7.45pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102), Tuesday 6 October

• UK Raceday Live, 1pm, Sky Sports Racing HD (CH 512), Wednesday 7 October

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

9pm, Film4 HD (CH 428), Thursday 1 October

Paul Giamatti stars in this warm and funny comedy drama as Paul Hunham, a grumpy classics teacher at a New England boarding school who is left behind to supervise pupils who have nowhere else to go over the Christmas holidays.

When one student, Angus Tully, ends up staying behind, Paul and the school's cafeteria manager Mary form an unlikely trio with him. What starts as a miserable Christmas for all three gradually turns into something much more meaningful.

What else to watch

• Bridge of Spies - 6.15pm, Film4 HD (CH 428), Wednesday 30 September

• The Holdovers - 9pm, Film4 HD (CH 428), Thursday 1 October

• Shrek - 7.35pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107), Friday 2 October

• The Substance - 10pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102), Friday 2 October

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - 6.25pm, ITV2 HD (CH 115), Saturday 3 October

• The Wicker Man - 12.15am, BBC Two HD (CH 102), Saturday 3 October

• The Great Escape - 6.30pm, Film4 HD (CH 428), Sunday 4 October

• The Departed - 9pm, Film4 HD (CH 428), Monday 5 October

• The Truman Show - 9pm, Film4 HD (CH 428), Tuesday 6 October

• The Martian - 9pm, Film4 HD (CH 428), Wednesday 7 October

• A Quiet Place - 9pm, Film4 HD (CH 428), Thursday 8 October

• The Greatest Showman - 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101), Friday 9 October

For even more great movies

• 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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