What to watch on TV this week: 7 – 16 May

Ready for another jam-packed week of telly treats? A fresh batch of singletons are looking for love in the return of I Kissed A Boy while another group of romance seekers are hoping to find “the one” in Virgin Island. There’s also the BAFTA Television Awards, the lead up to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and an eye-opening weekend of fun with national treasure Alison Hammond.

Plus, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day and the end of the Second World War, don’t miss special instalments of EastEnders and The Repair Shop as well as spectacular live concert VE Day 80: A Celebration To Remember plus more remarkable programmes and films across Virgin TV. Check out what’s on below:

• The Repair Shop: VE Day Special – Wednesday 7 May, 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• VE Day: We Were There – Wednesday 7 May, 11.30pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• VE Day 80: The Nation Remembers – Thursday 8 May, 10.45am, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• The Commandant’s Shadow – Thursday 8 May, 3pm, Sky Documentaries HD (CH 188)

• Dunkirk – Thursday 8 May, 4pm, Sky HISTORY HD (CH 131)

• Hitler V Churchill: The Eagle And The Lion – Thursday 8 May, 4pm, Sky HISTORY HD (CH 131)

• Spitfire – Thursday 8 May, 7pm, Sky Documentaries HD (CH 188)

• EastEnders – Thursday 8 May, 7.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• VE Day 80: A Celebration To Remember – Thursday 8 May, 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• The Sound And The Fury – Thursday 8 May, 8pm, Sky HISTORY HD (CH 131)

• Lancaster – Thursday 8 May, 9pm, Sky Documentaries HD (CH 188)

• Their Finest – Thursday 8 May, 11pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Vicky McClure: My Grandad’s War – Thursday 8 May, 11.15pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

Watch them live or on demand. 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 telly on the move with you.

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 Repair Shop: VE Day Special
8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which is Thursday 8 May, The Repair Shop team are restoring four items which each have an extraordinary wartime story behind them. First up, a 101-year-old Royal Navy veteran brings in a special timepiece, while a small plastic doll that travelled from wartime Austria to the UK with its orphan owner gets an expert makeover. Plus, an RAF cap with a remarkable owner and an autograph book filled with messages from wounded soldiers are also given the five-star treatment. Pass the tissues…

What else to watch:

• Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star – 8pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107/113)

• Race Across The World – 9pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Genius Game – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Groomed: A National Scandal – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• I, Jack Wright – 9pm, U&Alibi HD (CH 114)

Pick of the day: The Trial
9pm, 5 HD (CH 105)

Fans of Stephen Graham’s brilliant series Adolescence won’t want to miss this chilling drama that explores a future where parents are held responsible – and punished – for their juvenile children’s crimes. The thought-provoking show is set in 2035 and follows parents David (Ben Miles, The Crown) and Dione (Claire Skinner, Outnumbered) as they navigate this scary legal system. Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls) and India Fowler (Insomnia) also star.

What else to watch:

• VE Day 80: A Celebration To Remember – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Marie Antoinette – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Genius Game – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

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

• Poker Face – 9pm, 10pm + 11pm, Sky Showcase HD (CH 109) + Sky Max HD (CH 111)

Pick of the day: Eurovision 2025: When Graham Met Remember Monday
10.40pm, BBC One HD (CH 104)

In anticipation of the world’s favourite song competition, Graham Norton is kick-starting the countdown by grilling girlband and this year’s UK entry Remember Monday. The Eurovision presenter sits down with Lauren, Holly-Anne and Charlotte, as they chat about their music and the upcoming Eurovision performance, as well as giving viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of their journey so far to the big night in Basel, Switzerland.

What else to watch:

• Millionaire Hoarders – 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Storms From Space: Into The Hurricane – 8pm, 5 HD (CH 105)

• Martin Clunes’ Islands Of The Atlantic – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Hacks – 9pm, Sky Showcase HD (CH 109) + Sky Max HD (CH 111)

• Open House: The Great Sex Experiment – 10pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

Pick of the day: A Life Among Elephants
4.25pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

Renowned elephant researcher and conservationist Iain Douglas-Hamilton is the subject of this awe-inspiring documentary that captures his groundbreaking research and lifelong dedication to protecting these majestic animals from poachers and habitat loss in Africa.

What else to watch:

• Britain’s Got Talent: Live Semi-Final – 7pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Doctor Who – 7.10pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• The Handmaid’s Tale – 9pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Fake – 10pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Milli Vanilli – 10.05pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

Pick of the day: I Kissed A Boy
9pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107/113)

Dannii Minogue is looking sun-kissed in the stunning Italian countryside, but she’s not alone – she’s playing Cupid for a fresh batch of singletons who are looking to find new connections. Layton Williams returns for narrating duties as 10 guys, including the show’s first trans contestant, share a kiss upon arrival before embarking on a holiday filled with fun, frolics and flirting.

What else to watch:

• BAFTA Television Awards 2025 – 7pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• This City Is Ours – 9pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Malpractice – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Bibaa & Nicole: Murder In the Park – 9pm, Sky Documentaries HD (CH 188)

• The Assembly – 10pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

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

This innovative Channel 4 reality series has nothing to do with the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. Instead, Virgin Island brings together 12 adult virgins who embark on a unique course in intimacy with world-renowned sexologists at a luxury resort to find out what all the fuss is about and if they can discover the sexual beings within.

What else to watch:

• Inside Our ADHD Minds – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Malpractice – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• The Game – 9pm, 5 HD (CH 105)

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

• Silence Is Golden – 9pm, U&Dave HD (CH 127)

Pick of the day: Change Your Mind, Change Your Life With Matt And Emma Willis
11pm + 11.50pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

One of TV’s favourite couples are at the centre of this moving docuseries that’s set to explore navigating mental health in modern day society. Matt and Emma Willis take viewers inside the treatment room where the UK’s leading therapists help patients dealing with everything from anxiety and ADHD to grief and phobias.

What else to watch:

• Eurovision Song Content Semi-Final 2025 – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Shock & Awe: Trump’s Return – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

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

• The Game – 9pm, 5 HD (CH 105)

• Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive And Kids – 9pm, More4 HD (CH 147)

Pick of the day: The Game
9pm, 5 HD (CH 105)

Jason Watkins (Coma) stars as a retired detective who’s haunted by the one case he didn’t solve in this gripping cat-and-mouse thriller. When Huw Miller (Watkins) suspects that his new neighbour Patrick Harbottle (Robson Green, Grantchester) is the elusive Ripton Stalker that he never caught, he does everything in his power to bring him to justice. As another body is found in the penultimate episode, it looks like time could be running out for Miller. Concludes tomorrow.

What else to watch:

• Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star – 8pm, BBC Three HD (CH 107/113)

• Race Across The World – 9pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Genius Game – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• I, Jack Wright – 9pm, U&Alibi HD (CH 114)

• Garbo: Where Did You Go? – 9pm, Sky Arts HD (CH 123)

Pick of the day: Signora Volpe
9pm, U&Drama HD (CH 166)

You’d like to think that life in the picturesque village of Panicale in Italy would be peaceful. However, that’s never been the case for former spy and British expat Sylvia Fox (Emilia Fox), who’s found herself helping to solve local crimes – much to the frustration of police chief Riva (Giovanni Cirfiera). As the second season draws to a close, Riva and Sylvia’s family find themselves in a critical race against time as they desperately search for a missing Sylvia.

What else to watch:

• Eurovision Song Content Semi-Final 2025 – 8pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

• Marie Antoinette – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Genius Game – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

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

• Poker Face – 9pm, Sky Showcase HD (CH 109) + Sky Max HD (CH 111)

Pick of the day: Alison Hammond’s Big Weekend
8.30pm, BBC One HD (CH 101)

Who wouldn’t want to spend the weekend with the brilliantly funny Alison Hammond? In her new series, the beloved TV presenter is travelling across the country to stay with starry hosts including Luke Evans, Jimmy Carr, Sir Lenny Henry, Mel B and Tony Bellew, to have a nosy around their homes while chinwagging with the famous faces about their careers, childhoods and everything in between. First up, she visits pop sensation Perrie Edwards.

What else to watch:

• Millionaire Hoarders – 8pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

• Hidden Treasures Of The National Trust – 9pm, BBC Two HD (CH 102)

• Martin Clunes’ Islands Of The Atlantic – 9pm, ITV1 HD (CH 103)

• Hacks – 9pm, Sky Showcase HD (CH 109) + Sky Max HD (CH 111)

• Open House: The Great Sex Experiment – 10pm, Channel 4 HD (CH 104)

Football – Newcastle United v Chelsea
Sunday 11 May, 11am, TNT Sports 1 HD (CH 521)

The battle for a Premier League top five place – and with it that all-important, super-lucrative UEFA Champions League qualification – looks like it’s going all the way to the final day, and this match is one that could have a huge impact. On Sunday, Newcastle and Chelsea will walk out level on points and goal difference in fourth and fifth (Newcastle are just ahead on goals scored), and if either team can get a victory it’ll be a giant step towards Europe’s top club competition in 2025/26.

Both sides are in decent form and have scored some impressive recent results, although we do feel Liverpool weren’t trying that hard against Chelsea last week. But with the St James’ Park crowd roaring their team on in a game that’s been pushed back 24 hours because of Chelsea’s Conference League semi on Thursday, Newcastle surely have the edge. They also have one of the world’s deadliest strikers in Alexander Isak – but it could come down to who wins the confrontation between two powerful and skilful midfields.

She Said

Thursday 15 May, 9pm, Film4 HD (CH 428)

As the retrial of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein continues to unfold in court, don’t miss your chance to watch this groundbreaking film that tells the real-life story of how Weinstein’s shocking crimes were brought to worldwide attention. Taking inspiration from the 2019 book written by reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, She Said chronicles their long-running and arduous New York Times investigation into Weinstein that exposed his history of abuse against women. Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby) and Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick) star as Twohey and Kantor respectively.

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

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