TV Guide UK Tonight: Mon 13 Jul 2026 – Evolution, The Dark & House of the Dragon

Updated: 13 July 2026

Monday 13 July 2026. ITV1 pushes on with the second part of its Scottish serial-killer thriller The Dark at 9pm, while BBC Two hands the same slot to Chris Packham’s ambitious new natural-history series Evolution. With Wimbledon done and dusted for another year, EastEnders is back where it belongs on BBC One at 7:30pm, and House of the Dragon keeps the fantasy end of the evening covered on Sky Atlantic. Channel 5 adds a grim slice of true crime with its dramatisation of the Tracie Andrews case, also at 9pm.

Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best

• Evolution ⭐ BBC Two, 9pm. Chris Packham’s new series traces how animals became what they are today.
• The Dark ITV1, 9pm. Part two of the Highlands serial-killer thriller.
• House of the Dragon Sky Atlantic, 9pm (also 2am). The Targaryen civil war rolls on.
• EastEnders BBC One, 7:30pm. Back in its normal slot after Wimbledon.
• Under Suspicion: Tracie Andrews Channel 5, 9pm. Emma Rigby leads the true-crime drama.
• Only Connect BBC Two, 8pm. Victoria Coren Mitchell’s connections quiz, now extended to 38 episodes.

Early Evening

BBC One’s daytime has kept things busy: nature series Animal Park at 9:30am, antiques show The Bidding Room at 3:45pm, and over on CBBC, the animated reboot Winx Club: the Magic Is Back at 5:20pm.

Our Lives: Seeing with Sound – BBC One, 7pm

A gentle profile slot tonight, following blind pianist Ethan Loch as he talks through how he learned and now performs music without being able to see a score, leaning entirely on hearing and memory instead. BBC iPlayer.

EastEnders – BBC One, 7:30pm

Wimbledon’s finished, so EastEnders is back in its usual Monday-to-Thursday berth at 7:30pm. Ian has a decision to wrestle with, Max puts an offer on the table, and the Fox-Truemans get the house ready for Denise’s return. BBC iPlayer.

BBC Two runs its regular quiz triple bill either side of 8pm: Mastermind at 7:30pm has Clive Myrie in the chair for specialist rounds on Edward IV, Depeche Mode and Roy Keane, Only Connect follows at 8pm with Victoria Coren Mitchell now presiding over a run extended to 38 episodes, and University Challenge closes it out at 8:30pm with Amol Rajan. Over on BBC One at 8pm, Panorama turns to Dubai, asking how conflict in the wider region has changed the way outsiders see the city.

Prime Time

Evolution – BBC Two, 9pm ⭐

The pick of the night. This new five-part series sees Chris Packham step back from the day-to-day and take the long view, tracking the pressures that turned ancient creatures into the animals we recognise now. The opening hour starts with the palaeomastodon and follows the long, strange route to the modern elephant — patient, well-argued television that trusts its subject to hold your attention without needing to shout about it. The full series lands on BBC iPlayer alongside the broadcast.

The Dark – ITV1, 9pm

Episode two of the six-part thriller set in the Scottish wilderness. DI Monica Kennedy and DC Connor Crawford keep working the case from Sunday’s opener, and the investigation starts drawing in more of the small community around them. Newcomers are better off catching episode one on ITVX first — this one rewards knowing where it started. ITVX.

Sky Witness has Law & Order: Special Victims Unit at 9pm too, with Chief Kathryn Tynan and Captain Olivia Benson at odds over how the unit should be run.

Under Suspicion: Tracie Andrews – Channel 5, 9pm

A feature-length dramatisation of one of the more notorious cases of the 1990s. Emma Rigby plays Tracie Andrews, who invented a fictional road-rage attacker to explain her fiancé Lee Harvey’s murder, and the film tracks the slow unravelling of her story as detectives start to doubt the account she gave them. Channel 5 streaming.

House of the Dragon – Sky Atlantic, 9pm

Rhaenyra and Daemon push their campaign further as the fight for the Iron Throne grinds on, with Caraxes drawn back into the action. Tonight’s episode also gets an earlier airing at 2am for anyone determined to watch it before the rest of the country wakes up. NOW.

Late Night

How to Trick Your Way onto the Property Ladder – Channel 4, 10pm

Oobah Butler turns his talent for elaborate stunts toward something with real stakes: helping a young couple find a way onto the housing ladder. Expect the usual mix of mischief and a genuinely sympathetic case underneath it. Channel 4 streaming.

BBC Four closes its evening with The Sky at Night at 10pm, weighing up the odds of life beyond Earth and taking a closer look at the markings that keep turning up on the surface of Mars.

Sport

Golf gets going early, with practice-round coverage from Royal Birkdale ahead of Thursday’s first tee at The Open, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Golf from 9am. The women’s Test between England and India continues too, with ball-by-ball coverage on Sky Sports from 10:30am.

The Viewing Schedule

What’s On Streaming

• BBC iPlayer: Animal Park, The Bidding Room, Winx Club: the Magic Is Back, Our Lives: Seeing with Sound, EastEnders, Mastermind, Panorama, Only Connect, University Challenge, Evolution, The Sky at Night
• ITVX: The Dark
• Channel 4 streaming: How to Trick Your Way onto the Property Ladder
• My5: Under Suspicion: Tracie Andrews
• NOW: House of the Dragon

Frequently Asked Questions

Is EastEnders on tonight (Monday 13 July 2026)?

Yes. EastEnders returns to its normal Monday-to-Thursday 7:30pm slot on BBC One tonight, now that Wimbledon has finished and BBC One’s evening schedule is back to its usual shape. BBC iPlayer.

What time does Evolution start on BBC Two?

Evolution begins at 9pm on BBC Two. It’s a new five-part natural-history series presented by Chris Packham, tracing how evolutionary pressure has shaped the animals we know today, and the full run is available on BBC iPlayer as soon as it airs.

What time is The Dark on ITV1 tonight, and can I follow it from episode two?

The Dark airs at 9pm on ITV1 tonight. It’s the second episode of a six-part thriller that started on Sunday, so it’s worth catching episode one on ITVX first — the case builds steadily across the run.

What time is House of the Dragon on tonight?

House of the Dragon is on Sky Atlantic at 9pm tonight, with a repeat showing at 2am for anyone who wants the earliest possible watch. It’s also available to stream on NOW.

What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight (Monday 13 July 2026)?

Evolution on BBC Two at 9pm is the standout, a handsomely made new series with Chris Packham on typically thoughtful form. The Dark on ITV1 and House of the Dragon on Sky Atlantic, both at 9pm, make for strong company if you’d rather have drama than documentary.

Final Verdict

A solid Monday with a genuine highlight. Evolution on BBC Two at 9pm is the one to make time for — Chris Packham has built something that looks expensive and thinks carefully, a rare combination. If drama’s more your thing, The Dark on ITV1 keeps its Highlands mystery moving at a decent clip, and House of the Dragon gives the fantasy crowd their weekly fix on Sky Atlantic. And after a fortnight away, EastEnders is exactly where you left it: BBC One, 7:30pm, business as usual.

Watch

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