A properly stacked Sunday night ahead, with drama dominating the schedules. The Night Manager reaches a pivotal moment after last week’s bombshell, while ITV launches series two of After the Flood at the same time. If you’re after something weightier, Schindler’s List airs ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day. Sport fans get the Masters snooker final, and Channel 4 has a boxing documentary about four legends who defined British fighting in the 1990s.
Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best
- The Night Manager – BBC One, 9pm – Major developments following that Roper revelation
- After the Flood – ITV1, 9pm – Series 2 premiere with Sophie Rundle
- Schindler’s List – BBC Two, 10pm – Spielberg’s Holocaust drama ahead of Memorial Day
- Call the Midwife – BBC One, 8pm – Rabies scare hits Poplar
Early Evening (6pm – 8pm)
Countryfile – BBC One, 6pm
Charlotte Smith and Adam Henson are down in Devon for this week’s edition, reporting on conservation work around the Exe Estuary. Standard Sunday evening viewing that does exactly what you’d expect – gentle countryside stories before the heavier stuff kicks off later.
Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future – BBC Two, 6:15pm
A repeat from November, but worth catching if you missed it. The comedian, who lost his sight in his early twenties, investigates the technology that might change life for blind and partially sighted people. McCausland’s had quite the year between Strictly and his stand-up tours, and this documentary shows a more reflective side.
Inside the World’s Most Luxurious Escapes – Channel 4, 6:45pm
Property envy television at its finest. Tonight we’re whisked off to St Lucia’s La Belle Hélène – a ten-bedroom villa running around £22,000 a week, complete with private jetty and chauffeur service. There’s also an exclusive Cornish retreat and a remote Lapland hideaway where having enough cash isn’t sufficient – you need the owners to actually approve you first. Aspirational stuff, or mildly nauseating, depending on your outlook.
The Floor – ITV1, 6:55pm
Rob Brydon presides over the quiz where 65 contestants battle for territory on a giant grid. It’s all about knowledge categories and strategic battles, with tonight’s episode offering a £5,000 bonus prize for whoever can expand their domain most effectively.
Murdoch Mysteries – U&Alibi, 7pm
Into its nineteenth season now, which is genuinely remarkable for a period detective show. Tonight brings potentially significant developments for Constable Crabtree, who learns he’s been offered a promotion – but it means relocating to Newfoundland. His wife Effie isn’t convinced, raising questions about where their marriage goes from here. Jonny Harris has been with the show since the beginning, so this could signal a major departure.
The Great Pottery Throw Down – Channel 4, 7:45pm
The remaining ten potters face two properly tricky challenges tonight. First up: puzzle jugs. If you’ve never heard of them, neither had most of the contestants – they’re historic drinking vessels designed to spill liquid everywhere unless you know the secret to drinking from them. After that, there’s a blindfolded task making Victorian jugs where potters have to select their best work purely by touch. Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller are on judging duties, and someone goes home. As always.
Prime Time (8pm onwards)
Call the Midwife – BBC One, 8pm
Anyone old enough to remember the 1970s public information campaigns about rabies will find tonight’s episode hitting differently. The terror those adverts instilled – the poster of a child menaced by a snarling dog, the stark warning “Don’t Smuggle Death” – was enough to frighten an entire generation. That fear gets revisited when a dog turns up foaming at the mouth during an Easter egg hunt in Poplar. Panic spreads quickly, and Dr Turner has to step in to calm the community. It’s another example of Call the Midwife finding real social history to weave into its storylines.
The Night Manager – BBC One, 9pm ⭐
Here’s your pick of the night. If you saw last week’s episode, you’ll know about the game-changing twist that’s completely altered where this series is heading. Richard Roper – Hugh Laurie’s arms dealer villain, supposedly identified as dead by Angela Burr not so long ago – has turned up very much alive. It’s the kind of soap opera twist that shouldn’t work in a prestige spy drama, but somehow the show pulls it off. Tonight, Jonathan Pine processes this revelation while Roper continues operating in his usual style, casually orchestrating chaos whilst apparently working through the Gilbert and Sullivan back catalogue. The collision between these two is building towards something significant.
After the Flood – ITV1, 9pm
Sophie Rundle returns as PC Jo Marshall for a second run of the drama that saw her investigating corruption within her own force. Series one ended ambiguously – would Jo report her husband and her boss for their respective crimes? – and this new outing picks up twelve months later to reveal the fallout. There’s a new disaster threatening too: last time it was catastrophic flooding, now there’s a dangerous fire building. The tension is there, but it’s more of a slow burn at this stage. Continues tomorrow night.
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins – Channel 4, 9pm
The celebrity recruits thin out further as the challenges intensify. Tonight’s tasks focus on teamwork and leadership, with the group attempting to extract vital equipment from a village under simulated enemy threat. There’s also a time-limited hostage rescue that proves too much for Dani Dyer, whose self-doubt returns at exactly the wrong moment. Continues tomorrow.
Late Night
Schindler’s List – BBC Two, 10pm
Screening ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th, Steven Spielberg’s 1993 drama remains one of cinema’s most important achievements. Shot largely in stark black and white, it tells the true story of German industrialist Oskar Schindler, who started the war profiting from Nazi contracts and ended it having saved more than 1,100 Jewish workers from the concentration camps. Liam Neeson brings surprising warmth to Schindler’s gradual moral awakening, Ben Kingsley is quietly devastating as his accountant Itzhak Stern, and Ralph Fiennes is genuinely chilling as the sadistic camp commandant Amon Göth. It runs over three hours and demands your full attention – this isn’t background viewing.
Four Kings – Channel 4, 10pm & 11pm
A double bill of the documentary series examining four British boxers who dominated the 1990s: Frank Bruno, Lennox Lewis, Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn. All four were heavyweight personalities as much as they were fighters, driven by personal demons and fierce rivalries that were enthusiastically hyped by promoters and press alike. The key moment arrives in October 1993, when both pairs of rivals met in separate title fights within a week of each other. The bad blood between Benn and Eubank appears to have survived the decades intact.
Richard Eyre Remembers… Ibsen – BBC Four, 10pm
Sir Richard Eyre introduces an evening dedicated to Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, beginning with his own reflections on the writer’s significance. Having both directed and adapted Hedda Gabler himself, Eyre knows the territory well. Following at 10:15pm is the 1962 television production starring Ingrid Bergman in the title role – a remarkable performance that captures Hedda’s desperation and detachment in equal measure. The evening continues at 11:30pm with Certainties and Doubts, a 1979 drama exploring Ibsen’s own troubled life.
Sport
Snooker: The Masters Final – BBC Two, 7pm
The final of the prestigious Masters tournament at Alexandra Palace, also available on TNT Sports 2 from 6:45pm. This invitational event features only the top 16 players in the world, making it one of snooker’s most coveted titles.
Tennis: Australian Open – TNT Sports, 7am & 12:30am
Continued coverage from Melbourne as the first Grand Slam of 2026 progresses through its early rounds.
Football: Premier League – Sky Sports
Two matches today: Wolverhampton Wanderers versus Newcastle United kicks off at 2pm, followed by Aston Villa hosting Everton at 4:30pm.
The Viewing Schedule
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00pm | BBC One | Countryfile |
| 6:15pm | BBC Two | Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future |
| 6:45pm | Channel 4 | Inside the World’s Most Luxurious Escapes |
| 6:55pm | ITV1 | The Floor |
| 7:00pm | U&Alibi | Murdoch Mysteries |
| 7:00pm | BBC Two | Snooker: The Masters Final |
| 7:45pm | Channel 4 | The Great Pottery Throw Down |
| 8:00pm | BBC One | Call the Midwife |
| 9:00pm | BBC One | The Night Manager |
| 9:00pm | ITV1 | After the Flood |
| 9:00pm | Channel 4 | Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins |
| 10:00pm | BBC Two | Schindler’s List |
| 10:00pm | BBC Four | Richard Eyre Remembers… Ibsen |
| 10:00pm | Channel 4 | Four Kings |
What’s On Streaming
BBC iPlayer: The Night Manager (full series), Call the Midwife, Schindler’s List after broadcast
ITVX: After the Flood, The Floor
Channel 4 Streaming: Celebrity SAS, The Great Pottery Throw Down, Four Kings, Inside the World’s Most Luxurious Escapes
Now: Murdoch Mysteries
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is The Night Manager on tonight?
The Night Manager is on BBC One at 9pm tonight (Sunday 18th January 2026). This episode follows last week’s revelation that Richard Roper is still alive.
What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight?
Our top pick is The Night Manager on BBC One at 9pm – Tom Hiddleston’s spy thriller reaches a crucial turning point following the bombshell about Hugh Laurie’s Roper.
What time is After the Flood on tonight?
After the Flood series 2 premieres on ITV1 at 9pm tonight. Sophie Rundle returns as PC Jo Marshall in a new investigation involving a dangerous fire.
What channel is Schindler’s List on?
Schindler’s List is on BBC Two at 10pm tonight, airing ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th.
Is EastEnders on tonight?
No, EastEnders is not on tonight. EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One. Catch up on BBC iPlayer if you’ve missed any episodes.
What time is Call the Midwife on tonight?
Call the Midwife is on BBC One at 8pm tonight. This episode features a rabies scare during an Easter egg hunt in Poplar.
Final Verdict
A strong Sunday with the 9pm slot offering genuine choice. The Night Manager gets the star tonight for capitalising on last week’s twist – the Roper revelation has injected new energy into the spy thriller. After the Flood is worth recording if you’re committed to The Night Manager, and Schindler’s List is essential viewing for anyone who hasn’t seen it, or hasn’t seen it recently. Earlier on, Call the Midwife continues to mine 1970s social history effectively, and the Masters Final is unmissable for snooker fans.
