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

Updated: 20 September 2026

Channel 5 is the UK’s third commercial terrestrial broadcaster, free to air and funded by advertising, and it streams live and on demand through My5. Below: tonight’s full schedule, the shows the channel is built on, its channel numbers on every platform, and how to watch online.

Sunday 20 September 2026 opens primetime with 5 News Weekend at 6:25pm, then When Motorhoming Holidays Go Horribly Wrong from 6:30pm. A new episode of 22 Kids & Counting airs at 8pm, and the night’s main event is live NFL from 9pm: Washington Commanders away at the Dallas Cowboys, kicking off at 9:25pm from AT&T Stadium. Full times are in the table below.

Channel 5 Schedule: Sunday 20 September 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Channel 5 schedule for Sunday 20 September 2026, on Freeview 5.

Overnight

Breakfast

Morning

Afternoon

Early evening

Primetime

What’s on Channel 5 today — the daytime schedule

Overnight follows the Hughie Green documentary just after midnight with Cruise TV with LoveitBookit and an episode of Amazing Railway Adventures with Nick Knowles, before two editions of The Highland Vet and an early Entertainment News on 5 bulletin see out the small hours. Milkshake! takes over from 5:25am with Mixmups and Peppa Pig, then Milo at 6:15am opens a long run of children’s programming that carries breakfast past 8am with Thomas & Friends, Fireman Sam and The Adventures of Paddington.

A new episode of The Creature Cases opens the second half of breakfast at 8:10am, followed by The Smurfs, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom and The Patrick Star Show. Wonderful World of Chocolate and two hour-long editions of The Cruise: Fun-Loving Brits at Sea carry the late morning, before Cruising with Susan Calman at 11:30am hands over to two editions of Warship: Life in the Royal Navy either side of 1pm. The Railway Map of Britain and The Motorway Map of Britain fill the mid-afternoon, and Michael Palin in Venezuela runs almost two hours from 4:25pm through to the evening news.

Channel 5 tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the Channel 5 primetime line-up for tonight, Sunday 20 September 2026.

5 News Weekend — Channel 5, 6:25pm

The regular weekend bulletin opens the evening with national and international headlines before the channel’s factual run begins.

When Motorhoming Holidays Go Horribly Wrong — Channel 5, 6:30pm

Paul Merton narrates this compilation of motorhome trips gone wrong, mixing breakdowns, driver mistakes and holidays cut short.

22 Kids & Counting — Channel 5, 8pm

A new episode of the long-running Radford family series, now into its ninth run. Sue Radford features on a weight-loss journey this week, alongside one of her daughters committing to an endurance challenge.

Live: NFL on 5 — Washington Commanders @ Dallas Cowboys, 9pm

Channel 5 carries this NFC East fixture live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with kick-off at 9:25pm. Dermot O’Leary hosts, with Sam Quek and Osi Umenyiora on analysis, and as with any live American football broadcast, the coverage runs well past its nominal finish time.

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 follow the same format.

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 inherited the mid-morning slot from The Wright Stuff and has not let go of it since.

How to watch Channel 5

Channel numbers

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’s schedule is built on British factual and countryside television: The Yorkshire Vet and its Dales farming series, true-crime documentaries and daytime entertainment such as Jeremy Vine. Alongside that sits a growing slate of original British drama, and every morning opens with children’s programming under the Milkshake! banner.

What’s on Channel 5 tonight?

Sunday 20 September 2026 opens primetime with 5 News Weekend at 6:25pm, then When Motorhoming Holidays Go Horribly Wrong from 6:30pm. A new episode of 22 Kids & Counting airs at 8pm, and live NFL takes over from 9pm as Washington Commanders travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, kicking off at 9:25pm. Full times are in the schedule table above.

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

Sunday keeps things simple ahead of the big finish. When Motorhoming Holidays Go Horribly Wrong at 6:30pm is comfort viewing rather than appointment television, and 22 Kids & Counting returning for a new episode at 8pm does what the long-running strand always does — the Radford family’s scale is still the hook nine series in. The real reason to be in front of Channel 5 tonight is the 9pm slot: live NFL as Washington Commanders travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, kicking off at 9:25pm with Dermot O’Leary, Sam Quek and Osi Umenyiora on commentary and analysis. Live sport doesn’t keep to a schedule, so expect the broadcast to run well past its nominal three-and-a-half-hour slot.

Watch

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