TV Guide UK Tonight: Sat 21 Mar 2026 – La Chimera, Celebrity Sabotage & Saturday Night Live UK

Published: 17 March 2026

A packed Saturday. BBC Four has the best film of the week in La Chimera at 9:20pm — Alice Rohrwacher’s 2023 Cannes competition entry, with Josh O’Connor doing career-best work as a melancholy British grave robber in rural 1980s Italy. ITV1 launches Celebrity Sabotage at 8pm, the new prank format where GK Barry, Sam Thompson, Joel Dommett and Judi Love sabotage members of the public who think they’re filming a proper TV show. Saturday Night Live UK premieres on Sky One at 10pm — fifty years of American sketch comedy getting a British transplant, with Tina Fey as first guest host. Earlier, Gladiators on BBC One at 5:45pm reaches the penultimate episode with Sabre’s unbeaten record finally done. Brighton host Liverpool in the Premier League at 12:30pm on TNT Sports, and Milan-San Remo runs all day on TNT Sports 4.

Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best

• La Chimera ⭐ — BBC Four, 9:20pm — Five-star Italian cinema. Josh O’Connor is superb. Don’t miss this one
• Celebrity Sabotage — ITV1, 8pm — New series, solid format; GK Barry and Jo Brand are the highlights
• Saturday Night Live UK — Sky One, 10pm — First episode of the British version. Tina Fey hosts. Wet Leg play
• Gladiators — BBC One, 5:45pm — Penultimate episode. Sabre’s run ends. High drama in the Eliminator
• The Walsh Sisters — BBC One, 9:15pm — Still the best drama on Saturday night. Louisa Harland is very good in this
• Brighton v Liverpool — TNT Sports 1, 11am (k/o 12:30pm) — Premier League at the Amex

Early Evening

Gladiators – BBC One, 5:45pm

Penultimate episode, and things are building nicely. The women’s contest tonight is between firefighter Millie and multilingual Emily, while the men’s match pits sales manager Josh against aerospace apprentice Shaun — whose dad Murray, apparently, reached the semi-finals of the original 1995 series, which is a lovely bit of Saturday night television heritage. Legend turns up to have a go at someone who picked up an injury along the way, which is very on-brand. The main talking point is Sabre, whose unbeaten record throughout the series doesn’t survive this episode — which will delight a section of viewers and horrify another. Bradley Walsh has some sort of balloon-related incident. The Eliminator, as always, doesn’t hold back. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

Britain’s Got Talent – ITV1, 6:45pm

The auditions continue in Birmingham with the full judging panel of Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI, joined this week by guest judge Stacey Solomon. Birmingham auditions tend to throw up a reasonable spread of the genuinely gifted and the bracingly deluded, and the show is still doing a solid job of holding viewers during what is now, by any measure, a very long audition run. Catch up via ITVX.

The Race for Ancient Egypt in Colour – Channel 4, 7pm

Most people know the 1922 Howard Carter story in outline — the Valley of the Kings, the sealed antechamber, the golden shrines. What this documentary adds is the colourised archive photography, which makes a real difference: the outer coffins, the linen-wrapped artefacts, the floral garlands placed three thousand years ago look like objects in a room rather than relics in a glass case.

The more interesting thread is political. Egypt in 1922 was edging towards independence, and the question of who got to excavate, interpret and export what was found in Egyptian soil was anything but neutral. Western archaeologists held enormous authority, and it took decades and significant political change for Egyptian scholars to reclaim proper control of their own heritage. The 1939 discovery of the royal cemetery at Tanis is also covered. Catch up via Channel 4 streaming.

Prime Time: 8pm

Celebrity Sabotage – ITV1, 8pm (New Series)

The format is fairly simple and quite clever. Members of the public believe they have been selected for a new ITV entertainment series — the sort of Apprentice-adjacent thing hosted by a recognisable face (Dragons’ Den’s Sara Davies fronts the fake show). What they do not know is that behind the scenes, a group of celebrities are watching through hidden cameras and running sabotage operations designed to derail whatever task the contestants think they’re doing.

GK Barry, Sam Thompson, Joel Dommett and Judi Love are the regular saboteurs, and each week a guest joins the team. Tonight it is Jo Brand, which is an inspired choice — Brand’s timing and commitment to the bit is impeccable, and the combination of her deadpan and Thompson’s chaos is consistently good television. The show runs for six episodes. Catch up via ITVX.

Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts – Channel 4, 8pm (Last in Series)

The final leg of Alice Roberts’ 1,300-mile rail journey through the Roman world ends in Spain tonight. The programme traces how Rome moved from military conquest to cultural and administrative occupation of the Iberian Peninsula — the infrastructure, the cities, the language that still shapes modern Spanish. Roberts is a good presenter for this kind of material: she has genuine archaeological training and the confidence to argue a point rather than just describe one. A decent series finale. Catch up via Channel 4 streaming.

Casualty – BBC One, 8:30pm

Siobhan, played with real determination by Melanie Hill, gets her chance to face the man who assaulted her — in a prison visit that immediately becomes considerably more complicated when a riot breaks out. An inmate escapes in the confusion and causes a road accident, which means the ED picks up the consequences. Simultaneously, CQC inspector Ceri is in the building, observing everything, and the staff are well aware that a poor verdict from her could mean job losses. A lot happening at once, which is how Casualty works best. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

Comic Relief: Hits and Hidden Gems at the BBC – BBC Two, 8:45pm

A Comic Relief compilation drawing from the BBC archive — some of it well-known, some of it the kind of thing you half-remember from a late evening years ago. The Alan Partridge sequence covering Kate Bush is the undisputed highlight, for obvious reasons. There is also a detective spoof involving Helen Mirren and Robbie Coltrane that apparently does not quite land in the way it was probably intended, which is fine — archive compilations have variable batting averages, and even the misses are interesting in their own way. BBC Two has quietly established Saturday night as something of a music and entertainment night. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

Prime Time: 9pm

⭐ La Chimera – BBC Four, 9:20pm

Let’s be direct: this is the film of the night and quite possibly the best thing on BBC Four this year. Alice Rohrwacher’s 2023 drama takes its time getting where it is going and rewards absolutely every minute you give it.

Josh O’Connor plays Arthur, a British man who has just been released from an Italian prison and returns to the community of grave robbers he was working with in rural Tuscany. Arthur has an unusual quality: he can sense where Etruscan tombs are buried, some kind of physical pull that drags him towards the earth above undiscovered chambers. The gang digs them up and sells the contents. It is illegal, profitable and, for Arthur, almost beside the point.

What he is actually looking for is Beniamina — his dead lover, whose absence runs through everything he does. The film sits between the practical and the metaphysical and never loses its balance. Arthur moves through 1980s Tuscany like someone not quite fully present in the world, and O’Connor plays that dislocation without the actorly gestures that might make it easier to read. You have to meet this film halfway, and it rewards the effort.

O’Connor reportedly wrote to Rohrwacher addressed simply to “Alice Rohrwacher, Italy” asking to be considered for the role, which tells you something about his feeling for the material. He speaks Italian throughout. The film was selected for competition at the 76th Cannes Film Festival and was named among the top five international films of 2023 by the National Board of Review. Five stars. 15 certificate. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

Bill Bailey’s Vietnam – Channel 4, 9pm

Episode five, and Bailey has reached Hanoi. He is annoyed by the miniature stools that constitute standard seating in street food establishments, which is a sensible position to take if you are six feet tall and built like a prog rock drummer. He signs up for a laughing yoga session, which promptly inverts its own premise by informing participants that humour is not required. He watches the famous 11:23 train navigate the impossibly narrow gap between residential buildings along the old railway track — one of those things that seems physically implausible until you are standing there watching it happen.

The episode has more weight to it too. Bailey meets an American veteran who has spent decades working to clear unexploded ordnance and chemical residue left by the war — a job that is still ongoing fifty years after the last troops withdrew. He also talks to a former Vietnamese counter-intelligence officer who collects war relics: someone who was on the other side of that conflict and now sits with its artefacts in a way that is thoughtful and complicated. The series has been finding these layers quite well. Catch up via Channel 4 streaming.

The Forgotten Prince: the Mystery of the Duke of Kent – Channel 5, 9pm

On the 25th of August 1942, a Royal Air Force Sunderland flying boat took off from Invergordon in Scotland with fifteen people on board and flew into a hillside near Dunbeath in Caithness. Fourteen of the fifteen died. One of them was Prince George, Duke of Kent — 39 years old, Air Commodore, youngest surviving brother of King George VI, and uncle to the young Princess Elizabeth.

The official explanation, a navigational error in poor visibility, has never fully satisfied people who followed the Duke’s life closely. He had a reputation that sat uncomfortably with his position: rumoured involvement with figures who had connections to the Nazi regime, a personal life that by the standards of the time was considered scandalous, and a trip to Iceland whose stated purpose has been questioned. The documentary examines new documents that have emerged and puts the conspiracy theories alongside the official record. Whether those theories hold up is for viewers to judge — but the life this man led, quietly and largely out of public view, is strange enough to hold your attention for the full hour. Catch up via 5 streaming.

The Walsh Sisters – BBC One, 9:15pm

The series dropped in full on BBC iPlayer when it launched, so for many viewers this episode is a repeat visit rather than a first. That said, the Saturday broadcast audience has been following it weekly, and tonight’s instalment is a solid one.

Anna, played by Louisa Harland with the kind of stillness that is much harder to achieve than it looks, is still unable to open the letter from her sister. The fiancé she has lost is present in everything she does — not in a showy, weeping way, but in the way that grief actually operates: as a filter over ordinary moments. Rachel is in a rehab facility where her roommate has taken a fairly dim view of her claim to have a boyfriend waiting for her outside, and the facility’s director Josephine is the sort of person who says true things that people are not ready to hear. Caroline Menton is very good in this episode. Full series on BBC iPlayer.

Late Night

Saturday Night Live UK – Sky One, 10pm (World Premiere)

Fifty years after the American original launched with the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, Britain gets its own version. The eleven-person cast — Ania Magliano, Emma Sidi, Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep and Paddy Young — is an interesting mix of established comedy names and newer faces. Lorne Michaels, who created the original and has produced every episode since 1975, is behind this version too.

Tina Fey hosts the first episode with indie rock duo Wet Leg as musical guests. She is a knowing choice — a former SNL head writer and long-term cast member who can hold the show’s institutional memory while the British version finds its feet. Ania Magliano and Paddy Young anchor the Weekend Update segment.

Nobody knew who Will Ferrell was before SNL. The same was true of Eddie Murphy, Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. Whether any of the cast here reaches those heights depends on factors well beyond anyone’s control right now — but the infrastructure is serious and the intent is genuine. Available via Now.

The Jonathan Ross Show – ITV1, 10pm

Ruth Jones, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kathryn Newton and Alison Hammond are on the sofa tonight. Jones is always good value. Gellar’s ongoing presence on British chat shows continues to be a reminder of how much Buffy mattered to a generation of viewers. Catch up via ITVX.

Sport

Football: Premier League – Brighton v Liverpool — Live on TNT Sports 1 from 11am. Kick-off at the Amex Stadium 12:30pm. Liverpool sit sixth in the table but remain in decent form, and Brighton under their current setup are always capable of an uncomfortable afternoon for whoever visits.

Cycling: Milan-San Remo — Both the men’s and women’s races on TNT Sports 4. Coverage from 8:30am, 11:30am and 1:45pm. The men’s race is the longest on the WorldTour calendar at just under 300km. The women’s Sanremo runs the same day for the second consecutive year.

Athletics: World Indoor Championships — Day two from Torun, Poland. Live on BBC Two from 9am and 5:15pm. The 2026 championships are at the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena in the city that hosted the 2021 edition too.

Tennis: Miami Open — Day five at Hard Rock Stadium on Sky Sports Main Event from 3pm, with further coverage at 10:45pm.

The Viewing Schedule

What’s On Streaming

BBC iPlayer: La Chimera (after broadcast), Gladiators, Casualty, The Walsh Sisters (full series available now), Comic Relief: Hits and Hidden Gems at the BBC, Athletics World Indoor Championships
ITVX: Celebrity Sabotage (new series), Britain’s Got Talent, The Jonathan Ross Show
Channel 4 streaming: Bill Bailey’s Vietnam (Ep 5), Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts, The Race for Ancient Egypt in Colour
5 streaming/My5: The Forgotten Prince: the Mystery of the Duke of Kent
Now: Saturday Night Live UK (Sky One)
TNT Sports: Brighton v Liverpool (Premier League), Milan-San Remo (cycling)
Sky Sports: Miami Open tennis

Frequently Asked Questions

Is EastEnders on TV tonight Saturday 21 March 2026?

No — EastEnders does not air on Saturdays. The soap runs Monday to Thursday on BBC One at 7:30pm. You can catch up on all recent episodes via BBC iPlayer.

What is La Chimera on BBC Four tonight?

La Chimera is a 2023 Italian film directed by Alice Rohrwacher, on BBC Four at 9:20pm tonight (Saturday 21st March 2026). Josh O’Connor plays Arthur, a British man with an inexplicable ability to locate buried Etruscan tombs, who is drawn back into a gang of grave robbers in rural 1980s Tuscany while looking for something more elusive — the presence of his dead lover. It was selected for competition at Cannes in 2023. Five stars, 15 certificate. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

What is Celebrity Sabotage on ITV1 tonight?

Celebrity Sabotage is a new ITV1 entertainment series launching at 8pm tonight (Saturday 21st March 2026). GK Barry, Sam Thompson, Joel Dommett and Judi Love are celebrity saboteurs who observe and disrupt members of the public who believe they are appearing in a legitimate TV show, fronted by Dragons’ Den’s Sara Davies. This week’s guest saboteur is Jo Brand. Catch up via ITVX.

What time is Saturday Night Live UK on tonight?

Saturday Night Live UK premieres on Sky One at 10pm tonight (Saturday 21st March 2026). The British version of the 50-year-old American institution launches with an eleven-person cast including Ania Magliano, Emma Sidi and Hammed Animashaun. Tina Fey hosts the first episode with Wet Leg as musical guests. Available via Now.

What time is Gladiators on BBC One tonight?

Gladiators is on BBC One at 5:45pm tonight (Saturday 21st March 2026) — the penultimate episode of series three. The women’s heat is firefighter Millie versus multilingual Emily, and the men’s is sales manager Josh versus aerospace apprentice Shaun. Sabre’s unbeaten record ends tonight. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

What time is Casualty on tonight?

Casualty is on BBC One at 8:30pm tonight (Saturday 21st March 2026). Siobhan faces her attacker in prison, a riot breaks out, an inmate causes a road accident, and the ED is simultaneously under inspection from the CQC. Melanie Hill carries the main storyline. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

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

Our top pick for Saturday 21st March 2026 is La Chimera on BBC Four at 9:20pm — a five-star 2023 Italian film with Josh O’Connor doing the best work of his career. Don’t let the BBC Four scheduling put you off; this is the real deal. For lighter entertainment, Celebrity Sabotage on ITV1 at 8pm is a strong debut. Saturday Night Live UK on Sky One at 10pm is the one you’ll want an opinion on.

Is there live sport on TV tonight?

Yes. Brighton v Liverpool is live on TNT Sports 1 from 11am (kick-off 12:30pm at the Amex Stadium). Milan-San Remo cycling — men’s and women’s one-day classics — runs throughout the day on TNT Sports 4. The World Athletics Indoor Championships continues from Torun, Poland, on BBC Two at 9am and 5:15pm. Miami Open tennis is on Sky Sports Main Event from 3pm.

Final Verdict

La Chimera on BBC Four at 9:20pm is the one tonight. Five stars, and Josh O’Connor’s performance is the sort of thing you’ll still be thinking about three days later. If you miss it tonight, it will be on BBC iPlayer, but it is the sort of film that rewards a proper Saturday night watch rather than a Tuesday afternoon catch-up.

Celebrity Sabotage on ITV1 at 8pm is the most interesting new show of the night. The format works, the cast is well-chosen, and Jo Brand as this week’s guest saboteur makes the first episode stronger than it might otherwise have been.

Saturday Night Live UK on Sky One at 10pm is worth watching even if you’re sceptical — you’ll want to have an opinion on it by Monday morning. Tina Fey as host is a smart choice.

Gladiators at 5:45pm starts the evening with something properly dramatic. Casualty at 8:30pm is doing solid work with the Siobhan storyline. The Walsh Sisters at 9:15pm remains the best drama on BBC One on Saturday nights. And Bill Bailey’s Vietnam at 9pm on Channel 4 keeps delivering — tonight’s Hanoi episode has more substance to it than the earlier instalments.

Related: What’s On TV Tonight Friday 20 Mar 2026 | TV Guide UK – Saturday Night TV