A packed Wednesday with something for every taste. Grantchester delivers an emotionally devastating episode on ITV1 as Alphy finally opens the letter from his biological mother, MasterChef: The Professionals continues its strong second outing on BBC One, and The Summit sends its contestants further into the New Zealand wilderness. Channel 4 presses on with the gripping Michael Jackson: The Trial, while BBC Four offers a Michael Palin double bill that’s pure comfort television. Not a weak link in the prime-time line-up.
Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best
- Grantchester — ITV1, 9pm — Alphy opens the letter from his mother in a heartbreaking episode
- MasterChef: The Professionals — BBC One, 8pm — Matt Tebbutt and the judges continue series 18
- Michael Jackson: The Trial — Channel 4, 9pm — Episode three: the circus comes to court
- Can You Keep a Secret? — BBC One, 9pm — Series finale of Dawn French’s dark comedy
- Michael Palin Remembers — BBC Four, 10pm — Palin recalls making Number 27
Early Evening (7pm — 8pm)
EastEnders — BBC One, 7:30pm
Albert Square drama continues. Available on iPlayer from 6am for those who prefer to get ahead of the broadcast.
Deal or No Deal: Banker’s Best Battles — ITV1, 7:30pm
A compilation of the banker’s most dramatic encounters from the classic game show. Easy-watching filler ahead of the soaps, though the format holds up surprisingly well as a nostalgia exercise.
Great British Railway Journeys — BBC Four, 7pm
Michael Portillo continues his Bradshaw’s-guided tour of the nation’s rail heritage, this time covering the route from Derby to Hinckley. Lovely scenery, interesting history, comfortable viewing.
Coastal Path — BBC Four, 7:30pm
Explorer Paul Rose continues his trek along England’s longest national walking trail, the South West Coast Path. Over 630 miles of stunning coastline condensed into manageable half-hour portions.
Prime Time (8pm onwards)
MasterChef: The Professionals — BBC One, 8pm
Following last night’s impressive series premiere, Matt Tebbutt returns alongside Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti for the second helping of series 18. Tebbutt’s debut showed a judge whose critiques are grounded in proper kitchen experience rather than mere enthusiasm, and the format continues to hum along nicely. Another batch of professional chefs face the nerve-shredding combination of skills tests and signature dish presentations.
If you missed last night’s opener, it’s on iPlayer — well worth catching up before tonight.
Emmerdale — ITV1, 8pm
The Butler’s Farm saga reaches boiling point. Joe Tate issues a six-hour ultimatum to the Sugdens and Aaron — he wants all signatures on the farm sale paperwork, including Moira’s. If they don’t comply, Joe threatens to hand over footage showing Victoria killing her brother John. Victoria visits Moira in prison and reveals the decision to sell, but when Moira learns the buyers are the Tates, the fragile agreement threatens to collapse entirely. Meanwhile, Bear opens up to April about his sadness over killing Ray.
Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It — Channel 4, 8pm
Series 11 of the property perennial continues as Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer go head to head over another set of homeowners wrestling with the eternal question: fix the house you’ve got, or start fresh somewhere else? Allsopp’s renovations usually deliver a crowd-pleasing reveal, though Spencer’s alternative finds have a habit of turning heads too.
Landscape Artist of the Year 2026 — Sky Arts, 8pm
Stephen Mangan hosts as the competition for a semi-final place continues. Series 11 has been a strong run so far, with judges Tai-Shan Schierenberg, Kathleen Soriano and new panellist Eva Langret maintaining high standards without veering into pomposity. Exactly the kind of gentle, absorbing television that Sky Arts does so well.
Brian Cox’s Adventures in Space and Time — BBC Four, 8pm
What Is Gravity? Professor Brian Cox takes a fresh look at the force that keeps our feet on the ground, revealing it to be far more complex and fascinating than the simple “things fall down” explanation. Features his famous demonstration at NASA’s vacuum chamber, where a bowling ball and a feather fall at the same speed. If you’ve never seen that footage, prepare to have your mind gently expanded.
The Marlow Murder Club — U&Drama, 8pm
Samantha Bond leads this cosy mystery as retired archaeologist Judith Potts, who witnesses what she believes to be a murder and decides to investigate. Teaming up with the new vicar’s wife Becks Starling (Cara Horgan) and dog walker Suzie Harris (Jo Martin), the unlikely trio set about solving the case. Based on Robert Thorogood’s novels — he of Death in Paradise fame — this has a similar sun-dappled, low-stakes charm. The sort of thing that pairs perfectly with a cup of tea and a biscuit.
Coronation Street — ITV1, 8:30pm
The Weatherfield drama continues with the fallout from Debbie’s sentencing and tensions simmering across the cobbles. The show’s current run has been building multiple storylines toward critical mass, with several characters heading for collision.
Grantchester — ITV1, 9pm
Tonight’s the one to watch. After weeks of Alphy side-eyeing that unopened letter from his biological mother, he finally confronts what’s inside — and the results are devastating. Geordie has organised a surprise birthday party for Alphy, which sounds lovely until a member of a local rock band turns up dead with a wound to the back of his head. The murder investigation unfolds in parallel with Alphy’s personal reckoning, and Rishi Nair delivers his finest work in the role.
The key scene comes late in the episode when Alphy asks Geordie to read the letter aloud. “My dearest, never question if you were loved,” it begins. Viewers who watched the original broadcast were reportedly “absolutely broken” by what follows. Robson Green is superb as Geordie, providing the emotional ballast Alphy needs. This is Grantchester at its best — a show that uses its period setting and murder-mystery framework to explore genuinely affecting human stories.
Can You Keep a Secret? — BBC One, 9pm
The series finale of Dawn French’s dark comedy. Debbie has spent five episodes trying to maintain the fiction that her husband William is dead while secretly claiming his life insurance, but the lies have caught up with her. Tonight, as Debbie considers confessing everything, the blackmailer decides enough is enough and places the Fendon family in genuine danger. French and Mark Heap have made a convincing partnership throughout this six-part run, and the final episode brings matters to a head with enough twists to justify the investment. The entire series is available as a box set on BBC iPlayer.
Michael Jackson: The Trial — Channel 4, 9pm
Episode three of this compelling four-part documentary series. Having covered Jackson’s comeback plans and the police raid on Neverland in the first two episodes, the focus now shifts to the trial itself. Jackson’s first court appearance becomes a media circus of staggering proportions — the singer posing on top of his SUV for fans who’ve been bussed in to show support, the 2,000 journalists crammed into Santa Maria, California, and a nation dividing on lines of race, fame and American justice.
The archival footage remains extraordinary throughout, and the documentary does a measured job of examining the cultural fault lines the trial exposed. Whether you’re watching as preparation for the forthcoming biopic or as a standalone piece, this is essential viewing. Concludes tomorrow.
The Summit — ITV1, 9pm
Episode two of Ben Shephard’s mountain challenge series. The 14 contestants are deeper into the New Zealand Alps now, and the early irritations that surfaced in last night’s premiere — map reading disputes, diva behaviour, complaints about pace — are hardening into something more serious. Alliances are forming, cracks are widening, and another brutal vote looms to send one person home.
The diverse cast remains the show’s strongest asset. When you’ve got an Olympic athlete, a former Gladiator-turned-church-minister, a man with one arm and someone who hates heights all climbing the same mountain, the interpersonal dynamics practically write themselves. Continues tomorrow.
Our Yorkshire Pub Rescue with Jon Richardson — More4, 9pm
Episode two of this heartwarming renovation series sees hidden structural problems emerge at The Plough Inn in Fadmoor, North Yorkshire. The pub has been derelict since 2011, and while the first episode’s demolition work was full of optimistic energy, the reality of what lies beneath is starting to bite. Costs are spiralling. Timelines are slipping.
Jon Richardson’s natural pessimism is the perfect lens through which to view a building project going over budget — you can almost see his inner catastrophist vibrating with vindication every time another problem surfaces. The villagers who’ve volunteered their time and labour remain the heart of the show, though. A warm, engaging series.
The Pope’s Exorcist — Film4, 9pm
Russell Crowe stars as Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s real-life chief exorcist, in this 2023 horror that takes a “based on true events” approach to supernatural terror. When a young boy shows signs of demonic possession, Amorth is dispatched to investigate and finds himself confronting an ancient evil. Crowe appears to be having an enormous time, delivering his lines with the kind of scene-chewing relish that suggests he knew exactly what film he was making. Not subtle, but entertaining enough if you’re in the mood for some late-evening horror. Rated 15.
Black Ops — BBC One, 9:30pm
The spy comedy thriller continues its second series. Gbemisola Ikumelo, Hammed Animashaun and Akemnji Ndifornyen return as the hapless intelligence operatives who keep accidentally stumbling into espionage. Series two has upped the stakes with guest turns from Nigel Havers, Ed Speleers and Annette Badland, and the show’s blend of genuine tension and broad comedy continues to find its groove.
Late Night
First Dates — Channel 4, 10pm
Fred Sirieix welcomes a fresh batch of hopeful singletons to the restaurant in what appears to be a new run of the long-running dating format. After the Beach Club spin-off, the original formula returns — and frankly, there’s nothing wrong with a proven format. Sirieix’s warmth and the show’s ability to find genuine human moments amid the awkwardness remain its greatest assets.
Michael Palin Remembers – Number 27 — BBC Four, 10pm
Michael Palin introduces his 1988 drama Number 27, recalling how this early post-Python solo venture came together. The screenplay tells the story of 90-year-old Miss Barwick, played by Joyce Carey, who faces eviction from the house she’s lived in her entire life when property developers come circling. Palin recalls how Carey gave the production its heart, and how audiences — and the drama’s property shark — ended up falling in love with the house itself. This is followed at 10:15pm by the drama itself, making for a lovely double bill.
Gogglebox — Channel 4, 11:05pm
Series 27 continues in a late-night slot. The nation’s favourite armchair critics cast their verdicts on the week’s television. A repeat from earlier in the week for those who missed the Friday broadcast.
Sport
Winter Olympics: Milano Cortina 2026 coverage continues across BBC Two (5:15pm-10pm, presented by Clare Balding), BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports and Discovery+. Day 6 of the Games with multiple medal events scheduled throughout the day.
The Viewing Schedule
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00pm | BBC Four | Great British Railway Journeys |
| 7:30pm | BBC One | EastEnders |
| 7:30pm | ITV1 | Deal or No Deal: Banker’s Best Battles |
| 7:30pm | BBC Four | Coastal Path |
| 8:00pm | BBC One | MasterChef: The Professionals |
| 8:00pm | ITV1 | Emmerdale |
| 8:00pm | Channel 4 | Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It |
| 8:00pm | BBC Four | Brian Cox’s Adventures in Space and Time |
| 8:00pm | Sky Arts | Landscape Artist of the Year 2026 |
| 8:00pm | U&Drama | The Marlow Murder Club |
| 8:30pm | ITV1 | Coronation Street |
| 9:00pm | BBC One | Can You Keep a Secret? |
| 9:00pm | ITV1 | Grantchester |
| 9:00pm | Channel 4 | Michael Jackson: The Trial |
| 9:00pm | Film4 | The Pope’s Exorcist |
| 9:00pm | More4 | Our Yorkshire Pub Rescue |
| 9:30pm | BBC One | Black Ops |
| 10:00pm | Channel 4 | First Dates |
| 10:00pm | BBC Four | Michael Palin Remembers – Number 27 |
| 10:15pm | BBC Four | Number 27 |
| 11:05pm | Channel 4 | Gogglebox |
What’s On Streaming
BBC iPlayer: MasterChef: The Professionals, Can You Keep a Secret? (full box set), EastEnders, Black Ops (series 1-2), Winter Olympics coverage
ITVX: Grantchester (full series), The Summit, Emmerdale, Coronation Street
Channel 4 streaming: Michael Jackson: The Trial (full series), First Dates, Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It, Our Yorkshire Pub Rescue (More4)
NOW/Sky Go: Landscape Artist of the Year 2026 (Sky Arts)
U: The Marlow Murder Club (full series)
Discovery+: Winter Olympics (full coverage)
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is MasterChef The Professionals on TV tonight?
MasterChef: The Professionals is on BBC One at 8pm tonight (Wednesday 11th February 2026). This is the second episode of series 18 featuring Matt Tebbutt, Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti. Last night’s series premiere is available on BBC iPlayer.
What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight?
Our top pick is Grantchester on ITV1 at 9pm — an emotionally devastating episode where Alphy finally opens the letter from his biological mother while investigating a rock band murder. Rishi Nair delivers his best performance in the role. For foodies, MasterChef: The Professionals continues on BBC One at 8pm.
What time is Grantchester on TV tonight?
Grantchester is on ITV1 at 9pm tonight (Wednesday 11th February 2026). This is series 10 episode 6, featuring a rock band murder and the scene where Alphy opens his mother’s letter that left viewers “absolutely broken.”
What time is The Summit on TV tonight?
The Summit is on ITV1 at 9pm tonight (Wednesday 11th February 2026), airing simultaneously on ITVX. This is episode two of the new series hosted by Ben Shephard, following 14 contestants climbing a mountain in New Zealand for a chance to win £200,000.
Is EastEnders on TV tonight?
Yes, EastEnders is on BBC One at 7:30pm tonight (Wednesday 11th February 2026). Episodes are also available on BBC iPlayer from 6am.
What is on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight?
Michael Jackson: The Trial episode three is on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight (Wednesday 11th February 2026). This episode covers Jackson’s dramatic first court appearance, with the singer posing on top of his SUV for fans in scenes that divided America. The four-part series concludes tomorrow.
Final Verdict
Grantchester takes tonight’s crown — Rishi Nair and Robson Green deliver an episode that balances a solid murder mystery with genuinely moving personal drama. The scene where Alphy finally opens his mother’s letter is the kind of television that earns its emotional payoff through weeks of patient storytelling. If you only watch one thing tonight, make it this.
MasterChef: The Professionals continues its strong start with Matt Tebbutt settling into the judging role with quiet authority, while Can You Keep a Secret? brings Dawn French’s dark comedy to a satisfying close on BBC One at 9pm. Michael Jackson: The Trial reaches its most spectacular episode yet as the circus descends on Santa Maria, and The Summit keeps the mountain jeopardy ticking along on ITV1.
Later in the evening, the Michael Palin double bill on BBC Four — his introduction followed by the 1988 drama Number 27 — is the kind of warm, thoughtful programming that justifies the channel’s existence. And Jon Richardson’s pub renovation on More4 continues to be this year’s most unexpectedly engaging documentary series. A strong Wednesday all round.
