BBC Three TV Guide: Listings, Schedule & What’s On BBC Three Tonight

The BBC has announced it will close the BBC Three TV channel in spring 2027. The news broke on 20 October 2026 as part of a savings drive, and no exact date has been given. Programmes will stay on BBC iPlayer. Until then BBC Three remains on Freeview 23, on air from 7pm. Tonight, Saturday 24 October 2026, that means two Doctor Who episodes from 7pm, Miranda from 8:40pm, Hyperdrive from 9:40pm, Extras from 10:40pm and Krapopolis at 11:40pm.

BBC Three Schedule: Saturday 24 October 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete BBC Three schedule for Saturday 24 October 2026, on Freeview 23.

Overnight

Morning

Early evening

Primetime

Late night

Also on TV tonight at 9pm

• BBC One: Wisdom of the Crowd (from 8.35pm)
• ITV1: The Voice UK (from 8.35pm)
• BBC Two: Amy Winehouse at the BBC (from 8.35pm)
• Channel 4: The Equalizer 2
• Channel 5: Alan Carr: My Best Bits & More (from 8.35pm)
• Film4: Shaun of the Dead
• E4: Celebrity Gogglebox
• ITV2: FYI Daily
• ITV3: Midsomer Murders (from 8pm)
• ITV4: Darts: European Championship (from 6pm)

Every channel tonight, side by side · Films on TV tonight · Tomorrow’s TV

What’s on BBC Three today

There is no daytime service. The channel is off air from 5:30am until the evening and only comes on air properly at 7pm, when CBBC hands over the capacity.

The overnight hours carried over from the previous night are in the table above: Ice Road Truckers at 1:05am, four episodes of Krapopolis from 2:30am, then This is BBC Three and closedown.

BBC Three tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the BBC Three primetime line-up for tonight, Saturday 24 October 2026.

This is BBC Three — BBC Three, 6:58pm

The channel opens with a two-minute ident slot before the evening begins.

Doctor Who — BBC Three, 7pm and 7:50pm

Two Jodie Whittaker episodes open the night, both from series 11. The 7pm instalment sends the Doctor and Yaz back to 1940s India, where Yaz meets her own grandmother as the country is being divided. The 7:50pm episode is set in a vast space warehouse where a delivery goes wrong, with Julie Hesmondhalgh and Lee Mack among the guests.

Miranda — BBC Three, 8:40pm and 9:10pm

Two half-hours of the Miranda Hart sitcom, series 2 episodes 3 and 4. In the first her love life looks up when two dates arrive at once. In the second she and Stevie compete for a new friend, and take offence at being guessed to be in their forties.

Hyperdrive — BBC Three, 9:40pm and 10:10pm

The space-racing comedy gives two half-hours of series 2, starting with episode 1. It is a light, silly sci-fi sitcom and a quick sit-down after the longer shows before it.

Extras — BBC Three, 10:40pm and 11:10pm

Ricky Gervais’s showbusiness sitcom gets two episodes, series 2 episodes 3 and 4. Both are repeats of a long-established comedy, and a fair fit for the late slot.

Krapopolis — BBC Three, 11:40pm

The animated closer is series 1, episode 13 of Krapopolis, a mythological family comedy set in ancient Greece. It is the last programme of the evening before the overnight run.

When does the BBC Three channel close?

Yes, as a TV channel. The BBC announced on 20 October 2026 that the BBC Three channel will close in spring 2027 as part of a BBC-wide savings drive. No exact date has been set.

The shows are not going with it. The BBC says BBC Three programmes will remain on iPlayer and other platforms, including YouTube. BBC Scotland’s TV channel and Radio 4 Extra are also due to close as linear services. It is BBC Three’s second closure: the channel left broadcast TV in February 2016 to go online-only, and returned on 1 February 2022.

Until the closure date is confirmed, nothing changes on your box. Tune in as normal, and see below for how to follow the programmes online.

What kind of shows are on BBC Three

Family and history comedy

Horrible Histories is a regular early-evening fixture on other nights, a sketch show that treats history as a series of silly characters and bad decisions. Tonight the 7pm slot goes to Doctor Who instead.

Entertainment and reality

Tonight is comedy and drama rather than reality: Doctor Who at 7pm, then a long run of sitcoms. Other evenings bring Drag Race UK and home makeovers such as DIY SOS.

Documentaries

Stacey Dooley’s investigations fill much of the late evening, covering difficult subjects such as addiction and sexual violence. Many carry content warnings, so check the listing details before you settle in. Top Gear also turns up in the small hours.

How to watch

Channel numbers

Here is where to find BBC Three across the main UK television platforms:

On Freeview, BBC Three is in HD in England, the Channel Islands and Northern Ireland, while in Scotland and Wales channel 23 is standard definition. It is on air from 7pm to about 4am, because it shares capacity with CBBC, which closes at 7pm. In the daytime that slot belongs to CBBC; see CBBC and CBeebies channel numbers.

Streaming on BBC iPlayer

BBC Three streams live and on demand on BBC iPlayer, and you need a TV Licence to watch. As the TV channel is due to close in spring 2027, iPlayer is where its programmes are meant to carry on.

Sister channels

BBC Three sits alongside the BBC’s other channels. BBC One is on Freeview 1, BBC Two on 2 and BBC Four on 9. See the BBC One TV guide, the BBC Two TV guide, the BBC Four TV guide and the CBBC TV guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is BBC Three closing?

Yes, as a TV channel. The BBC announced on 20 October 2026 that it will close in spring 2027. No date is set, and the programmes will stay on BBC iPlayer and other platforms, including YouTube.

When will BBC Three close?

In spring 2027. The BBC announced the closure of the TV channel on 20 October 2026 but has not set an exact date yet. Until then it broadcasts as normal from 7pm on Freeview 23.

Why is BBC Three closing?

The BBC is closing the BBC Three TV channel as part of a savings drive across the corporation. BBC Scotland’s TV channel and Radio 4 Extra are closing as broadcast services in the same round of cuts.

What’s on BBC Three tonight?

Tonight, Saturday 24 October, programmes start at 7pm with two episodes of Doctor Who. Miranda follows from 8:40pm, then Hyperdrive from 9:40pm and Extras from 10:40pm, and Krapopolis closes the night at 11:40pm. The channel is off air in the daytime.

What time does BBC Three start?

Programmes start at 7pm. BBC Three shares capacity with CBBC, so it is off air in the daytime and runs until about 4am.

What channel is BBC Three on Freeview?

Channel 23. It is in HD in England, the Channel Islands and Northern Ireland, and standard definition in Scotland and Wales.

Can I watch BBC Three online?

Yes, on BBC iPlayer. You need a TV Licence.

Verdict

With the closure now announced, tonight is a snapshot of what the channel does on a Saturday: a Doctor Who double bill, an hour of Miranda, and a late run of Hyperdrive and Extras before Krapopolis. It is almost all sitcom, with one drama block at the front.

If you want to keep watching after spring 2027, iPlayer is where the programmes are due to stay.

Related: What’s On TV Tonight | BBC Two TV Guide | BBC Four TV Guide | Freeview Channel Guide | Films on TV Tonight and This Week