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What to watch on TV this week

What to watch on TV this week

Here’s all the very best entertainment on your TV this week across your favourite channels, including a funny fundraising fest and the nation’s favourite bakeathon

By Charlotte Briggs, Staff Writer

Can you feel the Kenergy? Ryan Gosling stole the show on Sunday evening with his iconic performance of Barbie’s hit song “I’m Just Ken” at the 96th Academy Awards. And if you missed the fun, or if you just want to watch Ryan and co in action again, stream this year’s Oscars now on Apps > ITVX now – and you can catch Barbie on Sky Cinema later this month. 

 

After the Oscars, another great annual screen tradition is heading our way this week.  And Sir Lenny Henry is ending his near 40-year tenure as a host for Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day on the BBC this Friday, which will be packed with brilliant skits, revivals and studio entertainment as always – all in a good cause of course. 

 

Meanwhile, famous faces are entering TV’s most famous tent for The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer on Channel 4, while Jason Watkins and David Bradley put in a tense performances in Coma.


Finally, raise a glass and get in the celebratory mood for St Patrick’s Day weekend with Lindsay Lohan, who’s paying homage to her Irish heritage in Netflix’s brand new rom-com Irish Wish.

 

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.

 

Wednesday 13 March

Pick of the day: Backstage With The London Philharmonic Orchestra

9pm, Sky Arts HD (CH 123)

Think you’ve got what it takes to perform in a world-famous orchestra? This new four-part series takes viewers down into the pits where the magic happens, spotlighting London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Principal Conductor Edward Gardner and key musicians from the percussion, woodwind, string and brass sections as they rehearse day and night before the opening of their 2023/24 season.

 

What else to watch:

  • Celebrity Big Brother – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
  • The Rise And Fall Of Boris Johnson – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
  • Love Rat – 9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
  • The Idaho Murders: Trial By TikTok – 9pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107)
  • Naked Attraction – 10pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

 

Thursday 14 March

Pick of the day: The Dog House

8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

How people can watch this show and not end up in a crumbled, blubbing wreck on the floor is beyond us. These dogs need a home, and the people who pass through the doors of Woodgreen Pets Charity need those pups. It’s a beautiful, soul-enriching programme, and we have a lump in our throats just thinking about it. This edition includes a girl with Tourette’s who’s looking for a dog. In anticipation of just how much we’ll cry, we’re putting in a request for annual leave now.

 

What else to watch:

  • Swamp People – 8pm, Sky HISTORY HD (CH 131)
  • The Apprentice – 9pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)
  • Love Rat – 9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
  • Murdoch Mysteries – 9pm, Alibi HD (CH 114)
  • Whitstable Pearl – 9pm, Drama HD (CH 116)

 

Friday 15 March

Pick of the day: Comic Relief: Funny For Money

7pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

It’s the end of an era for the annual fundraiser, as Sir Lenny Henry presents the big night of comedy for one final time. That should be enough reason to tune in, but with sketches including The Traitors: The Movie, Alan Partridge returning to his regional radio show and the long-awaited return of the hilarious W1A, it’s going to be a night to remember. For the night owls, at 10.40pm on BBC One, don’t miss Comic Relief: A Whole Lotta Lenny.

 

What else to watch:

  • Gardeners’ World – 8pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)
  • Canal Map Of Britain – 8pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
  • Hope For Wildlife – 8pm, Sky Nature HD (CH 189)
  • Astrid: Murder In Paris – 9pm, More4 HD (CH 147)
  • Fantasy Football League – 10pm, Sky Showcase HD (CH 109)
 

Saturday 16 March

Pick of the day: Wonka: The Scandal That Rocked Britain

7.35pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)

Oompa Loompa doo-pa-dee doo, I’ve got a tragic tale for you. Glasgow’s less-than-magical Willy Wonka experience made international headlines in recent weeks, when families expecting to enter a real-life chocolate factory were instead greeted by cheap props, a few jellybeans and “The Unknown” (IYKYK). This documentary examines how organisers deceived the public by using AI to create misleading marketing and hears from the staff who were roped into working this “immersive experience” that became a viral sensation.

 

What else to watch:

  • Inside Cadbury: The Real Chocolate Factory – 6.10pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
  • A Royal Guide To… Wales – 7pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
  • Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel – 7.40pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)
  • St Patrick’s Day At The BBC – 8.40pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)
  • Sinéad O’Connor At The BBC – 9.40pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

 

Sunday 17 March

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! Jodie Whittaker, Mel B, Dermot O’Leary, Oti Mabuse and even more celebrities are proofing (geddit?) they’ve got what it takes to impress Prue and Paul as Celebrity Bake Off returns. Each week four famous faces will take on a Signature, Technical and Showstopper challenge, attempting to snag a Star Baker apron or better yet – a coveted Hollywood handshake – in aid of the charity Stand Up To Cancer. Find out more about this year’s series here.

 

What else to watch:

  • Comic Relief: Even More Funny Money – 4.35pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)
  • World’s Most Dangerous Roads – 8pm, Dave HD (CH 127)
  • Queens – 8pm, National Geographic WILD HD (CH 182)
  • Celebrity Big Brother – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
  • Hunted – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

 

Monday 18 March

Pick of the day: Secrets In The Sand

9pm, Sky HISTORY HD (CH 131)

This intriguing new docuseries explores how Mother Nature is helping to unearth some of the world’s most astounding discoveries. In recent years, a combination of increasingly violent sandstorms and erosion has revealed lost ancient cities and mysterious geological formations from their resting places in desert locations, allowing scientists and historians to examine these extraordinary curiosities for the first time in centuries.

 

What else to watch:

  • Paying More For Less: Councils In Crisis - Panorama – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)
  • Anton & Giovanna’s Adventures In Spain – 9pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)
  • Great British Menu: The Finals – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)
  • Celebrity Big Brother – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
  • Coma – 9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)

 

Tuesday 19 March

Pick of the day: The Dropout

10.40pm + 11.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

Making its network TV debut, this bingeworthy drama earned Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!) a Golden Globe for her performance as fraudster Elizabeth Holmes, once described by Forbes as “the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire”. Based on a headline-making true story, the series depicts the rise and fall of the disgraced American health tech entrepreneur, who was imprisoned after peddling underdeveloped technology that promised to revolutionise diagnosing diseases. Naveen Andrews (Lost) and Stephen Fry (It’s A Sin) also star.

 

What else to watch:

  • Interior Design Masters With Alan Carr – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)
  • Celebrity Big Brother: Live Eviction – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
  • The Real Serpent: Investigating A Serial Killer – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
  • Coma – 9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
  • Catch Me A Killer – 9pm, Alibi HD (CH 114)
  • Royal Kill List – 9pm, Sky HISTORY HD (CH 131)
  • Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable – 10pm, Dave HD (CH 127)

 

Wednesday 20 March

Pick of the day: Hightown

10pm, Alibi HD (CH 114)

We have a feeling that this American crime drama produced by Hollywood hotshot Jerry Bruckheimer (Top Gun: Maverick, National Treasure, Pirates Of The Caribbean franchises) will be at the top of your must-watch list. When National Marine Fisheries Service agent Jackie Quiñones (Monica Raymund, Chicago Fire) discovers a body in a small coastal town, it sparks an investigation into the area’s organised crime network and the local opioid epidemic, threatening to derail Jackie’s own journey to sobriety. Gripping stuff.

 

What else to watch:

  • Backstage With The London Philharmonic – 8pm, Sky Arts HD (CH 123)
  • Celebrity Big Brother – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)
  • The Real Serpent: Investigating A Serial Killer – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
  • Coma – 9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)
  • Naked Attraction – 10pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

 

Thursday 21 March

Pick of the day: Coma

9pm, Channel 5 HD (CH 105)

Jason Watkins (The Crown) and David Bradley (Hot Fuzz) star in this tense four-part drama about an ordinary man who makes a split-second decision that leads to a fatal consequence. Devoted family man Simon (Watkins) has his world turned upside down when a violent confrontation with a teen (newcomer Joe Barber) pushes him to do the unthinkable. It started on Monday and in tonight’s final episode, we’ll find out if Simon’s grumpy neighbour Harry (Bradley) will reveal the truth about Simon’s actions.

 

What else to watch:

  • The Dog House – 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
  • The Apprentice – 9pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)
  • Carrie Fisher: A Life In Ten Pictures – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)
  • The Real Serpent: Investigating A Serial Killer – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)
  • Whitstable Pearl – 9pm, Drama HD (CH 116)

 

Friday 22 March

Pick of the day: Travel Man: 48 Hours In Trieste

8.30pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

If you’re dreaming of pastures new then join comedian Joe Lycett in the latest instalment of his mini-break series. First up, Lycett and fellow funny man Alan Davies head to the northern Italian town of Trieste, using all their travel nous to immerse themselves in the local culture for a jam-packed two-day trip. Highlights include a boozy trip to the town of Prosecco as well as a visit to Trieste’s Wind Museum. We know where we’d rather be…

 

What else to watch:

  • Gardeners’ World – 8pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)
  • Hope For Wildlife – 8pm, Sky Nature HD (CH 189)
  • Beyond Paradise – 9pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)
  • Great British Menu: The Finals – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)
  • Fantasy Football League – 10pm, Sky Showcase HD (CH 109) + Sky Max HD (CH 111)

 

Pick of the week: Rugby Union – Ireland v Scotland

Saturday 16 March, 3.55pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

Despite the thrilling last-minute defeat to England that yanked away the possibility of a Grand Slam, the Men’s Six Nations championship is still very much in Ireland’s hands as they welcome Scotland to the Aviva Stadium. With a four-point lead at the top of the table, even a high-scoring defeat would see them claim their second consecutive title, but a win would 100% clinch it. On the eve of St Patrick’s Day, could an Irish victory be written in the fates? 


If Ireland don’t win or get a bonus point – and Scotland certainly aren’t just the fall guys – England will know what they need to do to claim the crown when they meet France in Lyon on Saturday evening (7.20pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)). And with Wales vying to avoid the wooden spoon against Italy, who are targeting their best ever finish (1.45pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)), it’s an absolutely massive day of rugby.  

 

Pick of the week: Irish Wish

Available in Apps > Netflix from Friday 15 March

After 2022’s Falling For Christmas, Lindsay Lohan brings her charms to a different holiday, channelling the luck of the Irish in this new romcom. When Maddie (Lohan) is asked to be a bridesmaid at her friend’s wedding in Ireland, she agrees and puts her romantic feelings for the groom aside. However, Maddie’s wish for true love made on an ancient stone magically comes true when she wakes up as the bride-to-be, leading her on an unexpected journey across the Emerald Isle that alters her fate forever. Ed Speelers (Downton Abbey), Alexander Vlahos (Outlander) and Jane Seymour (Puppy Love) also star.

 

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Image credit: Comic Relief © BBC / Comic Relief