What’s On TV Tonight: Monday 29th December 2025

Monday night’s got more going on than you’d expect between Christmas and New Year. The Titanic documentary continues its grim countdown, Lord Sugar’s being weirdly cheerful, and Kenneth Branagh’s moustache is back on Channel 4.

Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best…

• Titanic Sinks Tonight – BBC Two, 9pm – Episode two as the evacuation begins
• Murder on the Orient Express – Channel 4, 8pm – Branagh’s star-studded Christie adaptation
• The Celebrity Apprentice – BBC One, 9pm – Festive gingerbread chaos for charity
• Midsomer Murders – ITV1, 8:30pm – Peter Serafinowicz and pottery-based mayhem

Early Evening: Family Viewing (6:30pm – 8pm)

Celebrity Escape to the Country – BBC One, 6:30pm

Angelica Bell and Michael Underwood are house-hunting in Devon. It’s exactly what you’d expect from the format – rolling hills, exposed beams, and the eternal question of whether the kitchen’s big enough. Pleasant enough background telly while you’re sorting the leftovers.

Nicola Benedetti & Friends – Sky Arts, 7:30pm

The Scottish violinist performs at Belfast’s Ulster Hall. If you’re after something a bit more cultured than another quiz show repeat, this’ll do nicely.

Prime Time Picks (8pm onwards)

Murder on the Orient Express – Channel 4, 8pm

Look, some people will tell you the 1974 Lumet version is the only one worth bothering with. They’re not entirely wrong, but Branagh’s 2017 take has its own charms – mainly the bonkers cast he assembled. Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Derek Jacobi… it’s like he raided every awards ceremony green room.

Branagh himself admitted being “a little intimidated” telling that lot what to do. The moustache deserves its own billing. It’s entertaining enough, even if you’ve already guessed whodunnit.

MasterChef Festive Extravaganza: Champion of Champions – BBC One, 8pm

Four past winners – Thomas Frake, Chariya Khattiyot, Erin Pirathapan and Natalie Coleman – return to cook something “fit for royalty.” Given the brief, expect coronation chicken and Victoria sponge. Natalie won in 2013, which feels impossible. Where does the time go?

Midsomer Murders – ITV1, 8:30pm

Peter Serafinowicz as a ceramicist. In Midsomer. You can already picture how the pottery tools might be repurposed for murder. This show knows exactly what it is, and the deaths are sculpted (sorry) with gleeful imagination. Neil Dudgeon and Nick Hendrix investigate the inevitable carnage. There’s a second episode Tuesday if you need more.

Titanic Sinks Tonight – BBC Two, 9pm ⭐

This is the one to watch. Episode two picks up as Captain Smith finally accepts his ship is doomed. He orders the wireless operators to send distress calls, but the closest ship – SS Californian – doesn’t respond because their radio operator’s asleep. Meanwhile, there aren’t enough lifeboats for half the passengers.

The strength of this series is how it uses actual testimonies from survivors. Letters, memoirs, public enquiries – it paints a picture of slow-motion disaster that’s genuinely harrowing. You know how it ends, but watching it unfold in something approaching real time is devastating.

The Celebrity Apprentice – BBC One, 9pm

Lord Sugar in festive mood is frankly unsettling. The two-part special has Rob Rinder, AJ Odudu, Angela Scanlon and Sarah Hadland making gingerbread biscuits for Children in Need. Karen Brady says in ten years she’s never seen a brainstorm quite like theirs. One team went with bubblegum and pepper flavour. The biscuits are actually on sale now, so you can judge for yourself.

Late Night

The Godfather Part II – BBC Two, 10pm

If you watched The Godfather on Sunday, here’s the arguably even better sequel. Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone tries to legitimise the family business while Robert De Niro shows us how Vito built it in the first place. It’s over three hours, so pace yourself. Two Oscars including Best Picture – one of the few sequels to win.

Amandaland – BBC One, 10:30pm

Jennifer Saunders reunites with Joanna Lumley (sort of) in this comedy where Amanda and family descend on Aunt Joan’s country house for Christmas. It’s no Ab Fab, but Saunders doing her thing is always watchable.

Imagine… Tom Stoppard: A Charmed Life – BBC Four, 10pm

Repeated as a tribute following Stoppard’s death in November. The playwright resists Alan Yentob’s attempts at soul-searching – “We’re not surely reduced to showing my wedding photographs?” – but there are glimpses of the man behind Arcadia and Shakespeare in Love. That Oscar-winning film follows at 11.30pm if you’re staying up.

Bob Monkhouse: The Last Stand – BBC Four, 9pm

From 2003, Bob Monkhouse performing a masterclass in stand-up for an audience of fellow comedians. The man was a craftsman. If you’ve only seen him hosting game shows, this is a proper education in comedy timing.

Bohemian Rhapsody – Channel 5, 9pm

Rami Malek won the Oscar for his Freddie Mercury, and you can see why – he absolutely disappears into the role. The film takes liberties with Queen’s actual timeline (Live Aid wasn’t a reunion, for one), but as a celebration of the music it works brilliantly. That final 20 minutes recreating the Wembley performance is something else.

Con Air – ITV4, 9pm

Peak Nicolas Cage. He’s got a mullet, a stuffed bunny, and a Southern accent that comes and goes. He’s also on a plane full of convicts including John Malkovich chewing every piece of scenery available. It’s gloriously stupid 90s action. Steve Buscemi’s serial killer reading a children’s book is genuinely unsettling though.

Click and Collect – BBC Three, 11:30pm

Stephen Merchant’s festive comedy about a dad who travels across the country with his annoying neighbour trying to track down his daughter’s Christmas present. It’s short, it’s funny, and it captures that very specific December panic.

What’s On Streaming

• Back to the Future – BBC One, 2:40pm (also iPlayer) – Michael J Fox’s time-travelling classic. Part II is on tomorrow.
• Despicable Me triple bill – BBC Three, from 7:05pm – All three animated films back to back. Minions is at 10:05pm.
• Have I Got a Bit More News – Dave, 10pm – Victoria Coren Mitchell guest-hosts the panel show

The Viewing Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is The Celebrity Apprentice on tonight?

The Celebrity Apprentice festive special is on BBC One at 9pm tonight (Monday 29th December 2025).

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

Our top pick is Titanic Sinks Tonight on BBC Two at 9pm – the gripping second episode of the real-time Titanic documentary as the evacuation begins.

What channel is Murder on the Orient Express on?

Murder on the Orient Express (2017) is on Channel 4 at 8pm tonight.

What’s on BBC One tonight?

BBC One’s highlights tonight include MasterChef Champion of Champions at 8pm and The Celebrity Apprentice festive special at 9pm.

What time is Midsomer Murders on?

Midsomer Murders is on ITV1 at 8:30pm tonight, featuring Peter Serafinowicz as a ceramicist caught up in murder.

What time is Bohemian Rhapsody on TV?

Bohemian Rhapsody is on Channel 5 at 9pm tonight, starring Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury.

Final Verdict

Make time for Titanic Sinks Tonight – it’s compelling, sobering television that sticks with you. If you want something lighter alongside, the Celebrity Apprentice chaos is good festive fun, and Branagh’s Orient Express is perfect post-Christmas comfort viewing. Monday’s sorted.

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.