It’s the latest instalment of “Celebs – they’re just like us!” as another batch of famous faces show off their culinary skills and try their best not to burn anything in a new series of ITV1’s Cooking With The Stars. The supernatural drama Interview With The Vampire returns to BBC Two, while there’s Antipodean entertainment in Miriam Margolyes: A New Australian Adventure and Totally Completely Fine, and one of Britain’s top comics provides laughs in Josh Widdicombe: Bit Much…

Plus don’t miss the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on Eurosport and the BBC, and remember you can watch it on the move with Virgin TV Go.

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.

Tuesday 23 July

Pick of the day: Elsbeth

9pm, Sky Witness HD (CH 110)

This spin-off from the popular legal series The Good Wife and The Good Fight opts to break the tradition and lose “Good” from its title. It focuses on Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston), an unconventional attorney who works alongside the NYPD to help catch criminals… and maybe has an ulterior motive. With series 2 on its way, join the show from the beginning as Elsbeth tries to prove a student’s death wasn’t suicide.

What else to watch:

• Midsomer Murders – 8pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
• Sharks Gone Viral – 8pm, National Geographic WILD HD (CH 182)
• The Body Detectives – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
• London ’48: How Britain Saved The Olympics – 9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
• Fugitive: The Mystery Of The Crypto Queen – 10pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

Wednesday 24 July

Pick of the day: Hell Jumper

9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

Captured through the eyes and extraordinary first-person footage of a group of volunteers saving strangers’ lives, Hell Jumper is the story of the war in Ukraine as you’ve never seen it. Meet 28-year-old Chris Parry, who decided to head to Ukraine without telling his family, and the other civilian evacuators – the so-called “Hell Jumpers” – who crowdfunded vehicles and equipment to help people escape. An unmissable story of courage, hope and tragedy.

What else to watch:

• Art Matters – 8pm, Sky Arts HD (CH 123)
• The Great British Sewing Bee – 9pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)
• Turbulence: How Safe Is Your Flight? – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
• Cause Of Death – 9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
• Salvage Dawgs – 10pm, DMAX (CH 169)

Thursday 25 July

Pick of the day: Whitstable Pearl

9pm, U&DRAMA

Kerry Godliman returns as Whitstable born-and-bred Pearl, who juggles her commitments to the restaurant where she works – the eponymous Whitstable Pearl – with her “side hustle” as a PI. It’s six months on from the events of the first series and the romance between Pearl and Mike (Howard Charles, Top Boy) is over. She’s now consumed with a new case, involving a local ex-soldier who denies kidnapping his son from the boy’s mother’s house in France. It’s set to be a bumpy ride.

What else to watch:

• The High Street Shops We Loved & Lost – 8pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
• Linford – 8.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)
• Tabloids On Trial – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
• Tricky Dick – 9pm, Sky HISTORY HD (CH 131)
• Naked And Afraid XL – 10pm, Discovery HD (CH 177)

Friday 26 July

Pick of the day: Olympics 2024: Opening Ceremony

4.30pm, Eurosport 1 HD (521) + 5.45pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

Bienvenue à Paris! More than 10,000 of the world’s finest athletes will descend on the French capital for the Olympic Games, a celebration of global sport running from Friday 26 July until Sunday 11 August. Today’s opening ceremony should be spectacular, and for the first time in the history of the Summer Olympic Games, it is not being held in a stadium. Instead, it will be staged across a 6km route that takes in the city of love’s most iconic buildings and venues.

What else to watch:

• Ghosts US – 8.30pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107/113)
• 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
• Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted – 9pm, Really (CH 128)
• Jimmy Carr’s I Literally Just Told You – 10pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
• The Stand Up Sketch Show – 10.05pm, ITV2 HD (CH 115)

Saturday 27 July

Pick of the day: Sandringham: A Royal Residence With Nigel Havers

9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)

Nestling in the Norfolk countryside near King’s Lynn, the Sandringham Estate is a favourite holiday retreat for Britain’s royal family. Queen Victoria first purchased Sandringham Hall as a residence for her son Prince Bertie in 1862, hoping the quiet country ambience would help tame his wild ways. However, as actor Nigel Havers explains in the first of this three-part series, the Queen’s plan didn’t quite work out. Co-hosted by JJ Chalmers and archaeologist Raksha Dave.

What else to watch:

• High Country – 9pm + 9.45pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)
• Canada’s Drag Race: Canada Vs The World – 9pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107/113)
• Changing Ends – 9.30pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
• Love & Death – 10pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
• Celine Dion At The BBC – 10.30pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

Sunday 28 July

Pick of the day: Saucy! Secrets Of The British Sex Comedy

10pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

In the 1970s the British film industry needed to produce movies that were (a) cheap and (b) profitable. As well as horror, that meant a lot of bawdy sex comedies, and this documentary looks at how the films pushed the boundaries of censorship to put bums both on screens and on seats, as titles like Adventures Of A Taxi Driver raked in the profits. Producers, directors and actors recall the glory days and the less savoury aspects of the industry, including Confessions Of A Window Cleaner star Robin Askwith – said to have the most famous bottom in Britain.

What else to watch:

• Jimmy And Shivi’s Farmhouse Breakfast – 8.25am, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
• McDonald And Dodds – 8.05pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
• The Turkish Detective – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)
• Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple – 9pm, Sky Documentaries HD (CH 188)
• Killing It – 10pm + 10.40pm, E4 Extra (CH 144)

Monday 29 July

Pick of the day: Totally Completely Fine

Apps > ITVX

Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit, One Night In Soho) stars as the catastrophically unfortunate Vivian, who’s about to give up on life when she gets a call: her grandfather has died and she’s inherited his clifftop house. On arrival, she’s not impressed – but when she intercepts a jilted bride (Contessa Treffone) who’s on her way to jump, she realises why the old man stuck it out in such a remote location. Can Vivian save enough souls that she ends up healing her own? All episodes of this dark Australian comedy are available today.

What else to watch:

• Jamie: What To Eat This Week – 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
• Abandoned Engineering – 8pm, Yesterday HD (CH 129)
• The Turkish Detective – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)
• Love Island: The Live Final – 9pm, ITV2 HD (CH 115)
• Spent – 10pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

Tuesday 30 July

Pick of the day: Cooking With The Stars

8pm, ITV1 HD (CH 130)

We’ve been impressed with the skills of celebrity cooks over three series of this show, particularly winning chefs Harry Judd from McFly, Dr Ranj Singh – whose signature butter chicken was to die for; hopefully he has the cure – and Coronation Street star Samia Longchambon. In 2024 eight more celebs are donning their aprons and sharpening their knives (only literally, of course), including ultra-competitive athletes Linford Christie and Ellie Simmonds, alongside familiar reality show faces like Abbey Clancy and Carol Vorderman. Emma Willis and Tom Allen are your hosts once again.

What else to watch:

• The Gentle Art Of Swedish Death Cleaning – 8pm, U&W HD (CH 125)
• The Body Detectives – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
• Your Kitchen: 60 Years Of Fads And Gadgets – 9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
• Elsbeth – 9pm, Sky Witness HD (CH 110)
• How I Caught The Killer – 9pm, Sky Crime HD (CH 121)

Wednesday 31 July

Pick of the day: Josh Widdicombe: Bit Much…

9.30pm, Sky Comedy HD (CH 112)

Comedian Josh Widdicombe has turned peevishness into an art form. He’s never quite furious about anything, but he can’t let the least irritation pass without comment – and his permanently petty, beautifully crafted observations have served him well over a successful comedy career, from stand-up specials and presenting to podcasting. In his newest stand-up show, filmed at the legendary London Palladium, the Devonian comic finds something to complain about – whether it’s advent calendars, weddings, pesto or the closing time of his local park.

What else to watch:

• Atomic People – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)
• Cause Of Death – 9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
• Mr Bigstuff – 9pm, Sky Max HD (CH 111)
• Alaska Daily – 9pm, Alibi HD (CH 114)
• Battle In The Box – 9pm, U&Dave HD (CH 127)

Thursday 1 August

Pick of the day: Interview With The Vampire

9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

The new adaptation of Anne Rice’s beloved vampire novels returns to BBC Two for a second season, and the story of Lestat (Sam Reid, The Newsreader) and Louis (Jacob Anderson, Doctor Who) has reached the end of the Second World War. Having left Lestat for dead in New Orleans, Louis and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) head for Romania in search of a new community of the undead. Will they find it in Vlad the Impaler country? 

What else to watch:

• Bangers & Cash – 8pm, U&Yesterday HD (CH 129)
• The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – 9pm, Sky Max HD (CH 111)
• Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA – 10pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
• Fantasmas – 10pm + 10.40pm, Sky Comedy HD (CH 112)
• Naked And Afraid: Last One Standing – 10pm, Discovery HD (CH 177)

Friday 2 August

Pick of the day: Miriam Margolyes: A New Australian Adventure

9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

Legendarily outspoken actor Miriam Margolyes considers Australia her second home, and loves it for its inspiration and optimism – so where better to recover from heart surgery? Her first stop in this three-part series is Perth, where she meets local characters and finds out more about life in the city that sprawls along the country’s western coast. But really, the appeal here is simply spending time with Margolyes, a constantly witty and occasionally outrageous presence who takes genuine pleasure in every aspect of her journeys.

What else to watch:

• Champions: Full Gallop – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
• 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
• Terror At 30,000Ft – 9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
• The Claremont Murders – 9pm, More4 HD (CH 147)
• Death Walker With Nick Groff – 10pm, Really (CH 128)

Pick of the week: Olympic Games Paris 2024

From Saturday 27 July, 7.45am, Eurosport 2 HD (CH 522) + 8am, BBC One HD (CH 101) + Eurosport 1 HD (CH 521)

You can catch a bit of football, rugby and handball action earlier in the week, but Saturday is when the proper action begins at Paris 2024, following the opening ceremony on the Seine on Friday. First up on Eurosport, it’s over to Vaires-sur-Marne in the east of the city for the first races of the rowing regatta, where Team GB will be aiming for a far better showing than at Tokyo 2020. On BBC One, we’re at the Aquatic Centre in Saint-Denis (next to the Stade de France) for the start of the diving and swimming competitions, also featuring lots of British medal hopes.

The weekend also brings fencing, volleyball, equestrianism, skateboarding, basketball and more, and over the next two-and-a-bit weeks you can enjoy hours of fantastic live coverage of all the Olympics Games’ disciplines on Eurosport and the BBC. It’s the perfect time to discover a new favourite sport, or you can just sit back and admire the dedication, skill and perseverance of some of the planet’s best athletes.

What else to watch:

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

• Check out our day-by-day-guide to sport on TV 
  
  
• If you’re a TNT Sports subscriber, you can discover all the action on TNT Sports this month
   
• If you subscribe to Sky Sports, find all the live matches, races, tournaments and more right here

Pick of the week: Deadpool 2

Saturday 27 July, 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

If you’re planning on catching the new Deadpool & Wolverine, in cinemas this week, it’s the ideal time to catch up on the story so far. Reeling from tragedy, Wade Wilson aka Deadpool (football club co-owner and gin entrepreneur Ryan Reynolds) seeks safety in numbers by joining the X-Men. His mission to protect a vulnerable young mutant (Julian Dennison) goes awry when he’s forced to evade a time-travelling assassin named Cable (Josh Brolin), leading to a spectacular action sequence on a convoy – and ultimately an epic finale.

Packed with fourth-wall-breaking wisecracks as well as thrilling action, this was already a thoroughly entertaining movie series even before Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine got involved. Zazie Beetz co-stars as the luck-manipulating mutant Domino.

What else to watch:

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

• Looking for something to watch on Sky Cinema? Our monthly round-up has the best on the service this month
  
  
• Looking for something on Netflix? Try our monthly guide to new releases here