A properly stacked Monday. Death in Paradise brings a genuine twist to the BBC One 9pm slot — forget the usual murder-of-the-week, tonight it’s an outright rescue mission with Sterling Fox back to cause trouble. Before that, Would I Lie to You? at 8:30pm has Lou Sanders on flying form, a guest who makes the show feel electric again. ITV1’s Emmerdale at 8pm delivers one of the soap year’s most powerful scenes as Cain Dingle finally confronts his cancer diagnosis head-on. Throw in the FA Cup fifth round on TNT Sports 1 and the series finale of AI Confidential on BBC Two, and there’s barely a dead half-hour on the schedule tonight.
Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best
- Death in Paradise — BBC One, 9pm — Rescue mission, Sterling Fox’s return, and Selwyn goes rogue
- Would I Lie to You? — BBC One, 8:30pm — Lou Sanders is absolutely electrifying. Don’t miss it
- Emmerdale — ITV1, 8pm — Cain Dingle’s emotional cancer confession to Moira
- AI Confidential with Hannah Fry — BBC Two, 9pm — LAST IN SERIES: AI in healthcare and designer babies
- FA Cup Fifth Round — TNT Sports 1, 7:30pm — West Ham v Brentford wraps up the fifth round
Early Evening
Dom Chinea’s Cornish Workshop — U&Yesterday, 8pm (NEW SERIES)
The Repair Shop’s Dom Chinea — the one who can fix anything with a piece of metal and an irritatingly calm expression — has uprooted his life to Cornwall. He and wife Maria have bought a farmhouse in the far west of the county, which sounds idyllic until you see the state of it. The former cowshed that’s earmarked as Dom’s workshop is essentially a ruin, the driveway has potholes you could lose a sheep in, and there’s a vintage Land Rover in the yard that hasn’t moved under its own power in years. Dom takes all of this as cheerfully as you’d expect. Catch up via U.
Emmerdale — ITV1, 8pm
Butlers Farm — the parcel of land that has been at the heart of Emmerdale’s identity for decades — is under serious threat from the Tate empire, and Cain Dingle is running out of options on both fronts simultaneously. He’s also been sitting on an advanced prostate cancer diagnosis, the weight of it pressing down on him in that way that stubborn men carry terrible news: in silence, badly, until they can’t.
Tonight, he breaks. Cain visits Moira in prison and tells her everything, which amounts to one of the most emotionally demanding scenes either Jeff Hordley or Natalie J Robb has had to play in years. These two are the engine of the show — their chemistry is the reason Emmerdale still compels when so many soaps feel like they’re marking time. If you’ve drifted away from the village, this is the episode to come back for. Catch up via ITVX.
Dangerous Dogs: Is the Ban Working? — Panorama, BBC One, 8pm
A government ban on XL bullies was meant to solve Britain’s dangerous dog problem. Panorama investigates whether it actually has. The results, judging by the volume of attacks that still make the news, suggest the picture is complicated. Essential viewing if you have an opinion on the subject, which most people do. Note: 8:30pm in Northern Ireland; 10:40pm in Wales.
Prime Time
Would I Lie to You? — BBC One, 8:30pm ⭐
Lou Sanders is the guest who makes you forget there’s a format. She arrives tonight in full force — flirting outrageously with David Mitchell one moment, then delivering a story about a gymnastics outfit she used to charm a schoolmate at the age of seven that has everyone in fits. The tell is that Lou’s most outlandish-sounding stories are the real ones and her plausible ones are often invented — which makes her surprisingly tricky to read for all the other panellists.
She and Mitchell aren’t the only ones with chemistry on display. Blur bassist Alex James faces down a supposed fan encounter that plays out beautifully, and Nabil Abdulrashid and Nella Rose share a moment that Rob Brydon wisely gets out of the way of. Lee Mack is in sharp form throughout. (11:40pm in Northern Ireland; tomorrow 10:40pm in Scotland.)
Death in Paradise — BBC One, 9pm
Last week ended with Mervin announcing his plan to reunite with his brother Solomon in Antigua, and if you watched with any sense of foreboding, you were right to. He’s found in very bad shape indeed — hands bound, the whole situation immediately more serious than anyone had prepared for. DS Thomas and Commissioner Patterson set off at pace to help, but find their path blocked by the return of Sterling Fox: flash, brash, and with enough influence to make official channels very slow indeed.
Into this steps Selwyn, who decides that asking for permission takes too long when there’s a life on the line. The “act first, apologise later” approach is why people like Selwyn — there’s real moral backbone under all that bureaucratic caution. The next episode of Death in Paradise is on Friday at 9pm on BBC One. Catch up via iPlayer.
AI Confidential with Hannah Fry — BBC Two, 9pm (LAST IN SERIES)
The series closes with a topic that feels both very current and very uncomfortable: artificial intelligence in medicine. Hannah Fry uses the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as the starting point — his killer, Luigi Mangione, argued publicly that the company was allowing AI algorithms to make life-and-death coverage decisions on behalf of human beings, and the disturbing thing is that Mangione has a substantial online fanbase who broadly agree with him.
From that genuinely unsettling opening, Fry pivots halfway through to the world of designer babies, confronting the head of a DNA analysis startup who is, to put it politely, extremely young to be making these calls. Fry is a calm and authoritative guide through material that could easily become sensational. Available in full on iPlayer.
Gone — ITV1, 9pm
The drama series continues on ITV1 with Detective Annie Cassidy (Eve Myles) visibly rattled by Michael’s latest behaviour. Catch up via ITVX.
Will and Ralf Should Know Better — U&Dave, 9pm
The boys confront the uncomfortable reality that getting older does not make physical challenges easier — in fact, it mostly makes them worse. A flying trapeze trainer puts them through their paces, and mid-air leaps turn out to be where Will’s nerve fails him entirely. Ralf, meanwhile, struggles with something theoretically simpler: keeping a fake baby alive in a parenting class, which raises questions about his life choices that the programme handles with unexpected candour. The real test of the evening is a live stand-up set at a Glasgow comedy club. Catch up via U.
Late Night
Small Prophets — BBC Two, 10pm (11pm Northern Ireland)
Mackenzie Crook’s comedy continues to do things no other show on television is doing. Tonight, Michael’s alchemical experiments in the shed are developing in directions that shouldn’t work but do, while next-door neighbour Roy (Paul Kaye) is deploying pressure from two directions at once — wanting Michael out of his house and off his radar. Roy could easily be a villain, but the show keeps undercutting that with small, humanising moments that leave you genuinely uncertain how to feel about him. That’s the Crook method: never quite what you expect, never comfortable to categorise. Full series on iPlayer.
Trying — BBC One, 10:40pm
Season 3 of the Apple TV+ comedy, now airing on BBC One. Jason (Rafe Spall) and Nikki (Esther Smith) have been providing temporary care for two children and are now pushing to make the arrangement permanent. Tonight brings a trip to the zoo and a pointed intervention from Jason’s dad Vic (Phil Davis), who has opinions about how the council is handling things and is not shy about sharing them. The second episode airs immediately after: their rented flat goes on the market, Jason has a plan to deal with it, and the plan is predictably terrible. Two for the price of one. Catch up via iPlayer.
Sport
Football: FA Cup Fifth Round — West Ham v Brentford on TNT Sports 1 from 7:30pm (kick-off 7:30pm). All-Premier League tie that wraps up the fifth round.
Tennis: Indian Wells Open — Men’s and women’s singles third round on Sky Sports Tennis/Main Event from 6pm.
Winter Paralympics — Women’s Super-G VI from 8:30am and Men’s Super-G VI from 9:50am on Channel 4, featuring Menna Fitzpatrick and Neil Simpson.
The Viewing Schedule
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30am | Channel 4 | Winter Paralympics: Women’s Super-G VI |
| 9:50am | Channel 4 | Winter Paralympics: Men’s Super-G VI |
| 6:00pm | Sky Sports Tennis | Tennis: Indian Wells Open (Third Round) |
| 7:30pm | TNT Sports 1 | Football: FA Cup 5th Round – West Ham v Brentford |
| 8:00pm | ITV1 | Emmerdale |
| 8:00pm | BBC One | Panorama: Dangerous Dogs |
| 8:00pm | U&Yesterday | Dom Chinea’s Cornish Workshop (NEW SERIES) |
| 8:30pm | BBC One | Would I Lie to You? |
| 9:00pm | BBC One | Death in Paradise |
| 9:00pm | BBC Two | AI Confidential with Hannah Fry (LAST IN SERIES) |
| 9:00pm | ITV1 | Gone |
| 9:00pm | Sky History | Great British Castle Rescue (NEW SERIES) |
| 9:00pm | U&Dave | Will and Ralf Should Know Better |
| 10:00pm | BBC Two | Small Prophets |
| 10:40pm | BBC One | Trying |
What’s On Streaming
BBC iPlayer: Death in Paradise, Would I Lie to You?, Panorama, Trying, Small Prophets (full series), AI Confidential with Hannah Fry (full series)
ITVX: Emmerdale, Gone
Now: Great British Castle Rescue (Sky History)
U (UKTV Play): Will and Ralf Should Know Better, Dom Chinea’s Cornish Workshop
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is Death in Paradise on BBC One tonight?
Death in Paradise is on BBC One at 9pm tonight (Monday 9th March 2026). The episode picks up after last week’s cliffhanger, with Mervin’s planned reunion with his brother Solomon in Antigua turning dangerous. DS Thomas and Commissioner Patterson race to help, but Sterling Fox is back to complicate matters. Selwyn takes matters into his own hands. Catch up on BBC iPlayer. The next episode is on Friday 13th March at 9pm.
Is EastEnders on TV tonight Monday 9 March 2026?
EastEnders does not appear to be scheduled on BBC One tonight (Monday 9th March 2026). This is unusual for a Monday — EastEnders normally airs on Mondays through Thursdays — but the listings for this evening do not include Albert Square, possibly due to other BBC One commitments displacing it from the schedule. Check BBC iPlayer to catch up on recent episodes.
What time is Emmerdale on ITV1 tonight?
Emmerdale is on ITV1 at 8pm tonight (Monday 9th March 2026). Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) finally confesses his advanced prostate cancer diagnosis to his imprisoned wife Moira (Natalie J Robb). Jeff Hordley and Natalie J Robb at their best. Catch up via ITVX.
What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight?
Would I Lie to You? at 8:30pm on BBC One with Lou Sanders is unmissable. Death in Paradise at 9pm on BBC One delivers a cliffhanger-driven episode that breaks from its usual format. Emmerdale at 8pm on ITV1 is worth watching for Cain and Moira alone — one of the soap’s most powerful scenes of the year.
Is there football on TV tonight?
Yes. West Ham v Brentford in the FA Cup fifth round is live on TNT Sports 1 tonight (Monday 9th March 2026), with kick-off at 7:30pm. It is an all-Premier League tie and the final fifth-round fixture to be played.
What’s on BBC One tonight?
BBC One tonight (Monday 9th March 2026) features Panorama at 8pm investigating the XL bully ban, Would I Lie to You? at 8:30pm with Lou Sanders and Alex James, Death in Paradise at 9pm, and Trying with Rafe Spall at 10:40pm.
Final Verdict
Would I Lie to You? at 8:30pm on BBC One is tonight’s star turn. Lou Sanders is the reason to watch panel shows. Unpredictable and genuinely impossible to read — her real stories sound made up and the invented ones play completely straight. Don’t miss it.
Death in Paradise at 9pm delivers something the show rarely attempts: a proper rescue thriller. Forget the usual sunlit detective formula; tonight Selwyn makes a decision that feels genuinely consequential, Sterling Fox makes life difficult for everyone, and the whole thing is more tense than the usual Montmartre murder-in-a-restaurant fare.
Emmerdale delivers something genuinely moving in Cain’s cancer confession to Moira — Jeff Hordley and Natalie J Robb make every scene together count. And AI Confidential with Hannah Fry rounds off its run on BBC Two at 9pm with the healthcare AI episode that has real teeth, especially in its dissection of the UnitedHealthcare case.
FA Cup fans have West Ham v Brentford wrapping up the fifth round on TNT Sports 1 from 7:30pm. A very good Monday.
Related: What’s On TV Tonight Monday | What’s On TV Tonight Sun 8 Mar 2026 | What’s On TV Tonight Tues 10 Mar 2026
