What’s On TV Tonight: Saturday 3rd January 2026

The first Saturday of 2026 brings a properly impressive lineup. There’s a brainy new drama that’ll make you think, a documentary about Bowie that’ll make you cry, and enough light entertainment to ease you through the post-Christmas slump.

Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best

• Waiting for the Out – BBC One, 9:30pm – Dennis Kelly’s smart prison drama
• Bowie: the Final Act – C4, 10pm – Poignant documentary about Bowie’s final years
• The Traitors – BBC One, 7:45pm – Claudia’s backstabbing returns
• Darts World Championship Final – Sky Sports, 8pm – Alexandra Palace showdown

Early Evening (6pm – 8pm)

The Masked Singer – ITV1, 6:30pm

Series seven kicks off, and yes, it’s still brilliantly bonkers. Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross, Mo Gilligan and Maya Jama are back guessing which celebrities are hiding inside elaborate costumes. Tonight features a giant fish called Goldfish fronting a band called No Trout. I’m not making this up. Four unmaskings across this weekend, including a bonus reveal of the Masked Singer Band’s lead vocalist.

The Weakest Link – BBC One, 7pm

Some of the best episodes are when Romesh Ranganathan has a fellow comic to bounce off. Tonight that’s Josh Widdicombe, who Romesh introduces as “the person most likely to change their voice when talking to a builder.” Widdicombe fires back: “Don’t listen to the critics, you are good at this!” Sue Cleaver, Nicola Adams, Charlotte Hawkins and Maryam Moshiri also compete.

Rentaghost at 50 – BBC Four, 7pm

Can it really be 50 years since Timothy Claypole and his fellow ghosts first haunted children’s TV? Christopher Biggins reminisces about his time as entrepreneur Adam Painting. An episode from 1982 follows at 7:15pm – a panto special where Claypole plays Jack of Beanstalk fame. If you’re of a certain age, this is pure nostalgia.

The Traitors – BBC One, 7:45pm

Claudia Winkleman hosts another round of deception, paranoia and dramatic roundtable eliminations. If you’re not watching this yet, I genuinely don’t know what you’re doing with your Saturday evenings. The Traitors Uncloaked follows at 9pm with Ed Gamble dissecting events.

Hetty Wainthropp Investigates – BBC Four, 7:45pm

Following Patricia Routledge’s death last October, BBC Four pays tribute. Before a repeat of the 1996 opening episode at 7:55pm, Routledge speaks fondly of the character and co-stars – particularly Dominic Monaghan, who got his first screen credit here before Lord of the Rings made him famous.

Prime Time (8pm onwards)

Space Shuttle Challenger: Days That Shocked the World – Channel 4, 8pm

It was a bitingly cold day. That fact proved critical when the space shuttle Challenger broke apart after launch on 28 January 1986. This documentary hears from families of the crew about the moment they knew their loved ones were gone forever, and from engineers who warned about the risk to rubber seals in extreme cold – warnings refused by NASA management “in a rather forceful way.” Sobering viewing.

40 Duets at the BBC – BBC Two, 9pm

The phrase “And now we’d like to sing a duet” can strike terror into hearts – let’s hope certain musical crime scenes like Mariah Carey and Westlife’s Against All Odds stay in the archives. Instead, expect alchemical combinations: Eminem and Dido for Stan, George Michael and Aretha Franklin with I Knew You Were Waiting. At 11:25pm, Jools Holland reviews memorable collaborations from Later.

The 1% Club – ITV1, 9pm

Lee Mack hosts the devilishly simple logic quiz – a hundred contestants, questions of increasing difficulty, £100,000 at stake. It would count for little without Mack at the helm, his brand of mickey-taking relished by contestants however barbed the comments. A kids’ version is coming later this year.

Taskmaster’s New Year Treat – Channel 4, 9pm

The second episode of this two-part special. Big Zuu’s competitive nature “slightly outguns his competence” while Jill Scott and Rose Ayling-Ellis prove almost scarily capable. Susie Dent looks like she might be quite glad the torture ends here. Tasks involve breaking things dramatically and self-portraits with hands full, before the “shoe games” finale.

Waiting for the Out – BBC One, 9:30pm ⭐

Here’s your pick of the night. Dennis Kelly – the writer behind Utopia, The Third Day and the sitcom Pulling – delivers a new drama that’ll tickle your brain in ways most TV doesn’t bother trying.

Josh Finan plays Dan, a clever but anxious young man teaching philosophy classes in a prison. His troubled background has left him with obsessive behaviours, and as he tries to school inmates on Locke and Descartes, the conversations end up shaping him as much as them. Some prisoners know nothing about academic philosophy; others know more than he expects.

Finan was so good in The Responder and Say Nothing, and here he gets a bigger chance – bringing all of Dan’s vulnerability and strength to life in a way that feels completely real. The full series drops on iPlayer today if you can’t wait.

Bowie: the Final Act – Channel 4, 10pm

Essential viewing if you’re any kind of Bowie fan. Director Jonathan Stiasny examines how the star turned his confrontation with death into one last artistic statement, using a “Starman” framework to explore his gift for reinvention at moments of greatest challenge.

There’s footage of Tin Machine – one review made him cry – and his triumphant Glastonbury 2000 comeback. Rick Wakeman, Dana Gillespie and Hanif Kureishi contribute, but it’s producer Tony Visconti who provides the emotional gut-punch: “I cried my eyes out… he was my lifetime friend.” Nine years on, Bowie’s absence still hits hard.

The Hunting Wives – ITV1, 10pm

The American crime drama continues, with Margo attempting to win Sophie back.

Sport

The Darts World Championship Final takes over Alexandra Palace at 8pm on Sky Sports. The Australia v England Test begins in Sydney at 11pm on TNT Sports 1. Earlier, there’s an Old Firm derby – Celtic v Rangers at 12:30pm on Sky Sports – and Bournemouth v Arsenal kicks off at 5:30pm in the Premier League.

The Viewing Schedule

What’s On Streaming

BBC iPlayer: Waiting for the Out (full series), The Traitors, The Weakest Link
ITVX: The Masked Singer, The 1% Club
Channel 4 streaming: Bowie: the Final Act, Taskmaster, Challenger documentary

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is Waiting for the Out on TV?

Waiting for the Out is on BBC One at 9:30pm tonight (Saturday 3rd January 2026). The full series is also available on iPlayer.

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

Our top pick is Waiting for the Out on BBC One at 9:30pm – a smart new prison drama from Dennis Kelly (Utopia, The Third Day) with a standout performance from Josh Finan.

What time is The Traitors on?

The Traitors is on BBC One at 7:45pm, followed by The Traitors Uncloaked at 9pm.

What time is the Bowie documentary on?

Bowie: the Final Act is on Channel 4 at 10pm tonight.

What’s on BBC One tonight?

BBC One’s highlights include The Weakest Link at 7pm, The Traitors at 7:45pm, and the new drama Waiting for the Out at 9:30pm.

Final Verdict

Clear your evening for Waiting for the Out – it’s the kind of smart, character-driven drama that doesn’t come along often. If you’re still up at 10pm, Bowie: the Final Act is unmissable. Otherwise, settle in with The Traitors and let Claudia Winkleman guide you through another evening of betrayal and paranoia. Sports fans have the darts final to keep them occupied.

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.