What’s On TV Tonight: Friday 2nd January 2026

The first Friday of 2026 brings a decent spread for a January evening. There’s a proper film on BBC Two in the shape of Operation Mincemeat – one of those wartime stories so outlandish you’d swear someone made it up – while Red Eye continues being cheerfully ridiculous on ITV1. If you’d rather something lighter, Taskmaster has assembled a surprisingly strong celebrity lineup.

Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best

• Operation Mincemeat – BBC Two, 9pm – Firth and Macfadyen in a cracking WWII thriller
• Taskmaster’s New Year Treat – Channel 4, 9pm – Rose Ayling-Ellis leads a strong celeb cast
• Red Eye – ITV1, 9pm – Gloriously daft mid-air mayhem
• Darts Semi-finals – Sky Sports, 7:30pm – Alexandra Palace drama

Early Evening (7pm – 9pm)

Tom Read Wilson’s Magnificent Journey – Channel 5, 8pm

There’s a pleasing match of subject and presenter in this new travelogue. Tom Read Wilson, best known for greeting the hopefuls on Celebs Go Dating with maximum enthusiasm, brings his boundless energy to scenic locations. He’s an acquired taste, but if you’ve acquired it, you’ll enjoy this.

Darts: World Championship Semi-finals – Sky Sports, 7:30pm

The arrows are flying at Alexandra Palace as we reach the business end of the World Championship. Two semi-finals tonight determine who’ll contest Sunday’s final. If you’ve been following the tournament, you know how good this year’s been. If you haven’t, it’s never too late to discover the peculiar joy of watching very serious men throw small pointed objects at a board.

Prime Time (9pm onwards)

Operation Mincemeat – BBC Two, 9pm ⭐

Here’s your pick of the night. John Madden’s 2022 war drama tells the genuinely extraordinary true story of how British intelligence fooled the Germans about the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943. The plan? Plant fake invasion documents on a dead body and let it wash up on the Spanish coast, knowing the information would find its way to Berlin.

Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen bring considerable period drama credentials – both, amusingly, have played Mr Darcy in separate Pride and Prejudice adaptations, a fact that reportedly helped them bond on set. Kelly Macdonald provides the romantic complication as the secretary who helps them construct the dead man’s fictional identity.

Previously filmed as The Man Who Never Was in 1955, this version has more polish and more ambiguity about its heroes’ methods. The story’s so outlandish it could only be true.

Red Eye – ITV1, 9pm

Where’s Keanu Reeves when you need him? Series two of Red Eye continues with Lesley Sharp’s MI5 chief Madeline Delaney learning there’s a bomb on her plane – and if the altitude drops below 20,000 feet, boom. Speed at 35,000 feet, basically.

In most thrillers this would be the main plot, but Red Eye is not most thrillers. Madeline’s predicament plays second fiddle to Martin Compston’s Clay Brody, head of security at the US Embassy, dealing with an assassin roaming the building. Compston’s key personality trait appears to be barking instructions into his sleeve while looking harried. Jing Lusi returns as DS Hana Li, and the two have history. It’s all magnificently silly.

Taskmaster’s New Year Treat – Channel 4, 9pm

Greg Davies and Alex Horne’s sixth New Year special benefits from an unusually strong lineup: EastEnders and Strictly champion Rose Ayling-Ellis, Eurovision hero Sam Ryder, Countdown’s lexicographical queen Susie Dent, chef Big Zuu, and World Cup-winning footballer Jill Scott.

Better still, this is the first two-part New Year’s Treat, so the contestants actually have time to bed in rather than rushing through everything. Tonight’s tasks involve foot pumps, glockenspiels and flag-based confusion, all in pursuit of Greg’s golden eyebrows. If you’ve ever felt the one-off specials don’t let celebrities find their rhythm, this format change should help.

Jane McDonald: From Pole to Pole – Channel 5, 9pm

Jane continues her epic journey from the Arctic to the Antarctic, combining stunning scenery with her signature warmth. It’s comfort viewing of the highest order – Jane having a lovely time in beautiful places while we sit on the sofa in January. Sometimes that’s all you need.

Amanda and Alan’s Greek Job – BBC One, 9:35pm

Amanda Holden lets rip with that familiar cackle when she first claps eyes on the building wreck she and Alan Carr are meant to renovate on Corfu. He, meanwhile, feels a sense of doom. Hard to blame him – there’s poo on the floor and a soil pipe that inexplicably runs through the rooms.

Local builder Stamatis warns them about regulations. Paint the shutters blue? Absolutely not. It’s property porn with added chaos, and Holden and Carr’s genuine friendship makes it watchable even when the renovation challenges mount up.

The Viewing Schedule

What’s On Streaming

BBC iPlayer: Operation Mincemeat, Amanda and Alan’s Greek Job
ITVX: Red Eye (full series available)
Channel 4 streaming: Taskmaster’s New Year Treat
My5: Jane McDonald: From Pole to Pole, Tom Read Wilson’s Magnificent Journey

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is Operation Mincemeat on tonight?

Operation Mincemeat is on BBC Two at 9pm tonight (Friday 2nd January 2026).

What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight?

Our top pick is Operation Mincemeat on BBC Two at 9pm – a polished WWII thriller telling an almost unbelievable true story, elevated by Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen’s excellent chemistry.

What channel is Red Eye on?

Red Eye series 2 continues on ITV1 at 9pm tonight. The full series is also available on ITVX.

Who is in Taskmaster’s New Year Treat?

The celebrity lineup includes Rose Ayling-Ellis, Sam Ryder, Susie Dent, Big Zuu and Jill Scott. This is part one of a two-part special.

What’s on BBC One tonight?

BBC One’s main highlight is Amanda and Alan’s Greek Job at 9:35pm, the new property series with Amanda Holden and Alan Carr renovating on Corfu.

Final Verdict

A solid Friday night spread. Operation Mincemeat is the clear highlight – genuinely gripping wartime thriller stuff with a cast you’d happily watch in anything. Taskmaster’s celebrity special has assembled an unusually watchable lineup, and if you’re after something undemanding, Amanda and Alan bickering over a Greek ruin should do the trick. Red Eye remains gloriously daft, which is either a recommendation or a warning depending on your taste.

Clint Edgar

Clint is a writer and self-proclaimed professional binge-watcher who treats the "Skip Intro" button with the suspicion it deserves. When he isn't dissecting plot holes or getting emotionally invested in fictional characters, you can find him scrolling through streaming queues or arguing about why The Office is a masterpiece. Clint lives in London with a dangerously comfortable couch and a remote control that he guards with his life.