What’s On TV Tonight: Monday 12th January 2026

Monday nights in January can feel a bit grim, but tonight’s telly is pulling its weight. ITV wraps up Red Eye with a double-bill finale, Industry returns looking as viciously sharp as ever, and there’s Lucy Worsley investigating whether Victorian London had two serial killers operating at once. Plus Jamie Oliver’s back with budget recipes for anyone whose bank account still hasn’t recovered from Christmas.

Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best

• Red Eye – ITV1, 9pm – Series finale as the assassin hunt reaches its climax
• Industry – BBC One, 10:40pm – City traders reunite for series 4
• Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club – BBC Two, 9pm – Thames Torso Murders investigation
• The Beauty Queen and the Catfish – BBC Three, 9pm – Gripping catfish documentary

Early Evening (6pm – 8pm)

Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes – BBC Two, 6:30pm

Robson’s on a mission to get people outdoors, and this week he’s dragging former Lioness captain Steph Houghton around County Durham. There’s canoeing, woodland survival skills, and tree-climbing – which Steph makes look embarrassingly easy. Robson’s always been a natural on camera, chatting away without it feeling forced, so this doubles as a chance to hear about his guests’ lives beyond their day jobs. Tomorrow he’s off to Scotland with actor Mark Benton, which apparently ends with competitive welly-tossing.

EastEnders – BBC One, 7:30pm

Walford continues its post-New Year drama with Ravi reaching a shocking realisation that’s bound to have consequences. Max, meanwhile, appears to have picked up an admirer – which rarely ends well for anyone in Albert Square. And Linda’s running around after Bea, presumably while trying to keep her own life from falling apart. If you can’t wait until tonight, the episode drops on iPlayer at 6am.

Millionaire Hot Seat – ITV1, 7:30pm

Jeremy Clarkson hosts as six hopefuls take their shot at the million-pound prize. Standard quiz fare, but Clarkson’s sardonic delivery keeps things watchable.

Celebrity Mastermind – BBC Two, 7:30pm

JB Gill, Susie McCabe, Lucy Shepherd and Richie Anderson take their turns in the famous black chair. This leads into Only Connect at 8pm (the second semi-final) and University Challenge at 8:30pm (first quarter-final) – a solid evening for quiz enthusiasts.

Prime Time (8pm onwards)

Jamie’s Feasts for a Fiver – Channel 4, 8pm

January is traditionally the month for staring at your bank balance and wondering how Christmas cost quite so much. Jamie Oliver’s budget cooking series arrives at exactly the right moment. He’s done these before – meals that feed families without tasting like an afterthought – and claims everything genuinely costs under five pounds.

Tonight features a chicken and vegetable one-pot that’s designed for feeding a crowd, a frozen fish curry for those midweek moments when you can’t be bothered, and an orange-honey drizzle cake that looks far more impressive than its price tag suggests. Practical rather than exciting, but that’s what January needs.

Lynley – BBC One, 8:30pm

The aristocratic detective returns, though tonight’s episode highlights a frustration with the series. At ninety minutes per case, you’d expect real depth in the dynamic between Lynley (Leo Suter) and his working-class partner Havers (Sofia Barclay). Instead, neither character seems to challenge the other’s worldview much. Compare it to Morse and Lewis, or Vera and Joe – those partnerships crackled because of their differences.

Still, tonight there’s an added complication: someone from Lynley’s past has resurfaced and is thoroughly distracting him from the case at hand. Whether that adds enough friction remains to be seen.

Red Eye – ITV1, 9pm ⭐

Tonight’s pick. The final two episodes of this surprisingly enjoyable thriller air back-to-back, with DS Hana Li (Jing Lusi) and Clay Brody (Martin Compston) closing in on their assassin somewhere inside a US embassy. Look, you know roughly how this is going to end – there’ll be tense confrontations, guns drawn, earnest dialogue about trust, and Hana and Brody will probably have to set aside their differences at the crucial moment.

But that’s fine. Red Eye has never pretended to be anything other than heightened entertainment, and it’s all the better for it. Jing Lusi anchors the whole thing with a performance that deserves a third series, and there’s apparently an “intriguing offer” coming Hana’s way that suggests ITV thinks so too.

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins – Channel 4, 9pm

The Directing Staff keep reminding contestants that SAS selection is about endurance – accepting pain, misery and suffering without giving up. One celebrity learns this the hard way after quitting and receiving a spectacular dressing-down from Billy Billingham.

Tonight’s challenges include abseiling down a dam, swimming to a timed extraction point, and a casualty evacuation exercise. It all sounds unrealistic until you remember the DS have actually done this stuff in combat situations, usually while people were shooting at them. Puts complaining about a cold office in perspective.

Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club – BBC Two, 9pm

This week Lucy tackles a fascinating historical puzzle: were the Thames Torso Murders – where dismembered bodies kept appearing across London – connected to Jack the Ripper? Both killers were active at the same time, in the same city, which seems almost impossible.

But Lucy digs into the possibility that the torso murderer was actually copying the Ripper, craving the same press attention. There’s also an exploration of possible motives, including the spread of syphilis. It’s grim subject matter handled with the compassion the victims deserve.

Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake – U&W, 9pm

The Dogs Trust normally rehomes their charges fairly quickly, but some take longer. Tetley, for instance – deaf and three-legged – has been with them for six years. Tonight also features a pair of Belgian Malinois puppies being assessed as potential police dogs, and feisty chow chow Nugget needing knee surgery. Watching Pete coax her onto a treadmill for rehabilitation is genuinely heartwarming stuff.

The Beauty Queen and the Catfish – BBC Three, 9pm (BBC One, 11:40pm)

“I have just heard the most astounding narrative of facts I think I’ve heard in my entire career.” That was Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane during the trial at the heart of this documentary series. It follows Dr David Graham, whose online pursuit of women left a trail of destruction through their lives.

When Abbie Draper – one of six women who share their stories – starts investigating after sensing something wasn’t right, the whole thing takes several unexpected turns. The trial forms the climax, but getting there is a gripping journey.

Industry – BBC One, 10:40pm

Who would have bet on a drama about City traders making it to series four? Industry started in 2020 as a sharp, uncomfortable look at high finance – the dialogue impenetrable, the characters rarely likeable, and every episode featuring at least one scene designed to make you wince. Apparently there’s a market for that.

Series four finds the ensemble scattered. Harper’s running a short fund, still hamstrung by people who aren’t as clever as her. Yasmin has reinvented herself as Lady Yasmin. And new characters are fighting over a payment app called Tender, whose CEO orders cocktails “bone dry and cold as space.” If you’ve never watched it, jumping in now will be bewildering. If you have, welcome back to the chaos.

Sport

FA Cup: Liverpool host Barnsley in third-round action from 6:30pm on TNT Sports 1 and 2 (kick-off 7:45pm). Should be a comfortable evening for Arne Slot’s side.

Snooker: The Masters continues from Alexandra Palace. Coverage from 12:45pm on TNT Sports and 1pm on BBC Two, with evening coverage from 6:45pm on TNT Sports 2.

Tennis: The ATP and WTA tours continue with tournaments in Auckland, Adelaide and Hobart. Sky Sports Tennis from 6am.

The Viewing Schedule

What’s On Streaming

ITVX: Red Eye (full series), Love Island: All Stars
BBC iPlayer: EastEnders (from 6am), Lynley (full series), Industry, Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club, The Beauty Queen and the Catfish
Channel 4 streaming: Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, Jamie’s Feasts for a Fiver

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is Red Eye on TV tonight?

Red Eye is on ITV1 at 9pm tonight (Monday 12th January 2026). It’s the series finale double-bill with DS Hana Li and Clay Brody.

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

Our top pick is Red Eye on ITV1 at 9pm – the series finale brings the assassin hunt to a dramatic conclusion, with Jing Lusi delivering a performance that deserves another series.

What time is Industry on BBC One?

Industry is on BBC One at 10:40pm tonight (11:10pm in Northern Ireland). It’s the premiere of series 4, with the City traders scattered and new characters entering the fray.

What time is EastEnders on tonight?

EastEnders is on BBC One at 7:30pm tonight (Monday 12th January 2026). Ravi makes a shocking realisation, Max gains a new admirer, and Linda looks after Bea. You can also watch on iPlayer from 6am.

What’s on BBC Two tonight?

BBC Two’s evening highlight is Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club at 9pm, investigating possible links between the Thames Torso Murders and Jack the Ripper. Earlier there’s The Masters snooker coverage from 1pm.

Final Verdict

Red Eye is your unmissable pick tonight – the series finale should deliver the tense payoff this thriller has been building towards, and Jing Lusi has been a revelation. If you’re still awake past 10:30pm, Industry returns as sharp and uncomfortable as ever. Earlier, Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club offers fascinating true-crime history, while Jamie’s Feasts for a Fiver provides practical help for January budgets. And football fans have Liverpool in the FA Cup – though Barnsley might want to bring earplugs for Anfield.

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.