Channel 5 TV Guide: Listings, Schedule & What’s On Channel 5 Tonight

Updated: 21 July 2026

Channel 5 is the UK’s third commercial terrestrial broadcaster, free to air and funded by advertising. It streams live and on demand through My5. Below you’ll find tonight’s full schedule, the shows the channel is known for, its channel numbers on each platform, and how to watch online.

Tuesday 21 July 2026 keeps the cycling in the schedule, with nightly Tour de France highlights holding the 7pm slot as the race reaches its stage 16 time trial. Inside Longleat opens a new series at 8pm, and The Crow Girl carries on at 9pm with its second episode, a night after Eve Myles and Katherine Kelly’s crime drama finally made the move from Paramount+ to terrestrial television.

Channel 5 Schedule: Tuesday 21 July 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Channel 5 schedule for Tuesday 21 July 2026, on Freeview 5.

What’s on Channel 5 today — the daytime schedule

Tuesday’s a standard weekday shape. A short Milo slot leads into Milkshake! at 5:45am, which holds the schedule for three and a half hours before Jeremy Vine takes over at 9:15am with the day’s topical debate.

Storm & Alexis follows at 11:30am, then 5 News at Lunchtime gives a quick bulletin at 12:45pm ahead of Matt Allwright at 12:50pm, consumer investigations and viewer complaints filling the early afternoon.

The Disappearance of Cari Farver takes the mid-afternoon slot from 2:20pm, Castle reruns from 4pm, and a brief Love Nature insert at 4:55pm bridges into 5 News with Dan Walker at 5pm, which closes out the daytime run before tonight’s primetime line-up begins at 6pm.

Channel 5 Tonight — Primetime and the Evening Schedule

Here’s the Channel 5 primetime line-up for tonight, Tuesday 21 July 2026.

Jersey and Guernsey — Channel 5, 6pm

Jersey and Guernsey opens the evening at 6pm, its usual mix of island life, local trades and property-programme comfort viewing from across the Channel Islands.

Tour de France 2026 — Channel 5, 7pm

Nightly Tour de France highlights hold the 7pm slot, condensing stage 16, an individual time trial between Evian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains, into an hour for anyone who missed the live coverage on TNT Sports.

Inside Longleat — Channel 5, 8pm

Inside Longleat returns for a second series at 8pm. Tonight’s opener follows water bailiff Nick as he keeps the lakes and waterways running through the Wiltshire estate in order, part of the wider look at the staff who keep Longleat ticking over.

The Crow Girl — Channel 5, 9pm

The Crow Girl continues at 9pm with its second episode, a night after finally reaching UK terrestrial screens more than a year after it first streamed on Paramount+. Eve Myles and Katherine Kelly lead the six-part psychological thriller, with Dougray Scott also in the cast, and the case at its centre starts to widen tonight.

The Body in the Bag: The Murder of Melanie Hall — Channel 5, 10pm

The Body in the Bag: The Murder of Melanie Hall turns to one of the West Country’s most enduring cold cases at 10pm. Melanie Hall vanished from a Bath nightclub in 1996, and her remains weren’t found until 2009; the documentary revisits the case nearly three decades on.

A Killer Makes a Call — Channel 5, 11:30pm

A Killer Makes a Call closes primetime at 11:30pm with its familiar format: a 999 call reporting a murder that turns out to have been placed by the killer, and the detective work that ties the call to the case.

Popular shows on Channel 5

Drama

The Fortune is the channel’s newest drama, a four-part psychological thriller with Eleanor Tomlinson. The Madame Blanc Mysteries is the long-runner to track if cosy crime is more your thing: Sally Lindsay plays an antiques dealer turned amateur sleuth, with the whole thing set in the south of France.

Factual and documentary

The Yorkshire Vet has run for well over fifteen series since 2015. It follows the team at Skeldale Veterinary Centre in Thirsk, and Peter Wright has been the anchor throughout, though by now the supporting cast of vets is familiar enough that it watches more like an ensemble drama than a documentary.

Police Interceptors has aired without a break since 2008, riding along with specialist road traffic units, cameras in the cars and helicopters overhead. Motorway Cops and the other road-policing titles are cut from the same cloth.

The countryside strand is the channel’s calling card. Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales and A Yorkshire Farm rotate through the schedule across the year rather than every night, so which one is on depends on the week. Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly with Graeme Hall rounds out the animal side.

Daytime favourites

Milkshake! has held its spot every morning for over twenty years, surviving more than one change of ownership in the process. Jeremy Vine is the daytime draw for adults, topical by design and built around the day’s main arguments.

How to watch Channel 5

Channel numbers

One change to flag: in March 2026 Channel 5 dropped the SD simulcast on Sky and Freesat, so satellite viewers now get the HD feed at 105 only. It affects very few households, since most set-top boxes have handled HD for years.

My5 — watch online for free

Channel 5 streams live and on demand through My5 at channel5.com and the My5 app, which runs on smart TVs, phones, tablets and the usual streaming boxes. There’s no subscription, though you’ll see adverts. A free account unlocks catch-up, where most shows stay up for 30 days and a few longer as boxsets. My5 also carries the wider Paramount stable, so Comedy Central, MTV, BET and CBS titles sit alongside the Channel 5 stream.

The Channel 5 family of channels

Four sister channels run alongside the main service, all free to air on Freeview and carried on Sky and Virgin:

5Star is the entertainment sibling, heavy on reality and acquired US shows. Freeview 32, Sky 128.

5USA runs American drama, crime and procedurals. Freeview 21, Sky 141.

5Action is the home for films, action drama and motorsport. Freeview 33, Sky 150.

5Select is the odd one out, a grab-bag of factual, documentary and lifestyle that doesn’t fit the main channel’s primetime. Freeview 50, Sky 153.

All four live inside My5 too, so streamers get the whole family in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

What channel number is Channel 5 on Freeview?

Channel 5 is on channel 5 on Freeview. If you have a Freeview HD receiver or an HD-capable television with a built-in Freeview HD tuner, Channel 5 HD is on channel 105. Both carry the same national broadcast.

What channel is Channel 5 on Sky?

Channel 5 is on channel 105 on Sky, which applies to Sky Q, Sky Stream and Sky Glass. As of March 2026, the SD version of Channel 5 on satellite has been removed. Channel 105 is the only place to find it on Sky, and it broadcasts in HD.

What channel is Channel 5 on Virgin Media?

Channel 5 is on channel 105 on Virgin Media. It is included as standard on all Virgin TV packages and carries advertising.

What channel is Channel 5 on Freesat?

Channel 5 is on channel 105 on Freesat. The SD version was removed in March 2026, so the channel is HD-only on satellite.

What kind of shows is Channel 5 known for?

Channel 5 built its identity on British factual and countryside television — The Yorkshire Vet and its Dales farming series, true-crime documentaries and practical daytime entertainment such as Jeremy Vine. Alongside that sits a growing slate of original British drama, and every morning the schedule opens with children’s programming under the Milkshake! banner. Most of it is available to stream free on My5.

What’s on Channel 5 tonight?

Tonight, Tuesday 21 July 2026: Jersey and Guernsey opens primetime at 6pm, Tour de France highlights cover stage 16 at 7pm, and Inside Longleat returns for a new series at 8pm. The Crow Girl continues with its second episode at 9pm, The Body in the Bag: The Murder of Melanie Hall follows at 10pm, and A Killer Makes a Call closes the night from 11:30pm. Stream live or catch up free on My5 at channel5.com.

Can I watch Channel 5 online for free?

Yes. Channel 5 streams live and free on My5 at channel5.com and via the My5 app. No subscription is needed, though the service carries advertising. A free account registration is required for catch-up and on-demand content.

Is Channel 5 free?

Yes. Channel 5 is a free-to-air commercial broadcaster. There is no subscription or pay-TV requirement to watch it on Freeview, Freesat, Sky or Virgin Media, and My5 online is also free. The channel is funded by advertising.

Verdict

Tuesday’s Channel 5 schedule turns on The Crow Girl’s second episode at 9pm, carrying the thriller forward a night after its terrestrial premiere. Inside Longleat’s return at 8pm is the gentler option, with water bailiff Nick taking the lead in the opener of a new series.

Tour de France highlights at 7pm suit anyone who wants the day’s stage without sitting through the live broadcast, and Jersey and Guernsey at 6pm is an easy way to start the evening. The Body in the Bag: The Murder of Melanie Hall and A Killer Makes a Call carry the true-crime slot through to midnight.

Tonight’s pick: The Crow Girl at 9pm, with Inside Longleat at 8pm the best way to ease into the evening.

Related: What’s On TV Tonight | Channel 5 Schedule | My5 Streaming Guide