TV Guide UK Tonight: Sun 21 Jun 2026 – Death Valley Series Finale, Belgium v Iran & Free Nelson Mandela

Published: 16 June 2026

Sunday 21 June 2026 — Father’s Day. Death Valley reaches its series finale on BBC One at 9:15pm: one last case, one last conversation between Janie and John, with fatherhood quietly at the centre of it all. Belgium v Iran on ITV1 from 7pm (kick-off 8pm) is the World Cup pick. Free Nelson Mandela continues on Channel 4 at 9pm, and the otter documentary on Channel 4 at 4:25pm is the warm afternoon option. EastEnders isn’t on this weekend — back Monday 22 June.

Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best

• Death Valley (Series Finale) BBC One, 9:15pm. One last case, one last goodbye between Janie and John. Don’t miss it. ⭐
• Belgium v Iran ITV1, 7pm (kick-off 8pm). Group G World Cup. The pick of tonight’s football.
• Billy and Molly: an Otter Love Story Channel 4, 4:25pm. A man on Shetland, a wild otter, a tiny house. Warm and unhurried.
• Free Nelson Mandela Channel 4, 9pm. Episode two. Winnie Mandela, the 1970s, and the moment pop music joined the cause.
• Inside Barlinnie BBC Two, 9pm. The real world of Glasgow’s most famous prison. Addiction, hard choices, no tidy endings.
• Antiques Roadshow BBC One, 8:15pm. Beaumaris Castle. Lady Megan Lloyd George’s jewellery. Worth £70,000 apparently.

Sport

FIFA World Cup 2026: Spain v Saudi Arabia – BBC One, 4:30pm (kick-off 5pm)

Group H gets underway as Spain — among the tournament favourites — take on Saudi Arabia. Coverage from 4:30pm, kick-off 5pm UK time. Free on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

FIFA World Cup 2026: Belgium v Iran – ITV1, 7pm (kick-off 8pm)

Group G and the game of Sunday evening. Coverage from 7pm, kick-off 8pm UK time. Belgium will want a statement result; Iran, as ever, will make it difficult. Free on ITV1 and ITVX.

Daytime & Early Evening

Billy and Molly: an Otter Love Story – Channel 4, 4:25pm

Billy lives on the Shetland coast; Molly is a wild otter who turns up in his life and doesn’t leave. His wife Susan watches the bond deepen — and Billy builds the otter a house, which tells you everything about the man. A film about companionship and knowing when to let go, the Father’s Day slot feels about right for it. Channel 4 streaming.

Countryfile – BBC One, 7:15pm

Charlotte Smith examines how changes to visa rules could squeeze sheep-shearing — overseas workers handle around a fifth of the UK’s annual clip. Matt Baker explores the chalk streams and heathland of Hampshire. BBC iPlayer.

Prime Time

Antiques Roadshow – BBC One, 8:15pm

Fiona Bruce is at Beaumaris Castle in north Wales this week, and the finds are properly good. The standout is a bracelet-and-earring set that once belonged to Lady Megan Lloyd George — the first female MP for Wales — valued by expert Joanna Hardy at around £70,000. There’s also a 1765 dog collar, a dragon vase, and a collection of Isle of Man TT trophies. The usual Sunday treat. BBC iPlayer.

Free Nelson Mandela – Channel 4, 9pm

The series continues. Mandela is on Robben Island; the apartheid state turns its attention to Winnie. British anti-apartheid support builds through the 1970s even as Thatcher and Reagan push back on sanctions. And there’s a real charge in the episode’s treatment of pop music as a political instrument — the Specials’ “Free Nelson Mandela” wasn’t just a hit, it moved things. Channel 4 streaming.

Inside Barlinnie – BBC Two, 9pm

Inside Glasgow’s HMP Barlinnie, addiction runs through every story. Frankie started smoking cannabis at nine and dealing at ten. Sean has been in heroin and crack’s grip for years — and the scenes as he walks out of prison and begins to slide back into old habits are genuinely difficult to watch. No tidy conclusions here. BBC iPlayer.

Death Valley – BBC One, 9:15pm ⭐

Series finale. Janie (Gwyneth Keyworth) is about to head off for a year with her father; John (Timothy Spall) has a one-man theatre tour waiting. But first: a suspicious death at a rugby club. In between the investigation, John keeps pressing Janie on why she really wants twelve months on the road with her dad — and that question carries more weight than any of the murders. A warm, properly funny, occasionally moving send-off. BBC iPlayer.

Little Disasters – Channel 5, 9pm

Things keep fraying in Richmond-upon-Thames. Jess (Diane Kruger) is behaving more erratically as the series goes on, and this episode introduces the suggestion that her son experienced something traumatic. The other couples in the group are unravelling in different ways too, and still nobody has a clean answer for what happened to baby Betsey. Continues tomorrow. 5 streaming.

Late Night

Later… with Jools Holland – BBC Two, 10pm (LAST IN SERIES)

The series ends at Alexandra Palace. Shania Twain headlines, Arlo Parks performs, Sam Smith brings new material. A fitting close. BBC iPlayer.

Sondheim at the BBC – BBC Four, 10pm

A dig through the BBC archive’s Sondheim material — the composer died in 2021, and the footage is extraordinary. Alfie Boe and Renée Fleming outside Buckingham Palace in 2012, Shirley Bassey, Judi Dench, and the Pet Shop Boys taking “Losing My Mind” somewhere unexpected. Good late-night television. BBC iPlayer.

The Viewing Schedule

What’s On Streaming

• BBC iPlayer: Death Valley, Antiques Roadshow, Countryfile, Inside Barlinnie, Later with Jools Holland, Sondheim at the BBC, Spain v Saudi Arabia, Uruguay v Cape Verde
• ITVX: Belgium v Iran
• Channel 4 streaming: Billy and Molly: an Otter Love Story, Free Nelson Mandela
• 5 streaming: Little Disasters

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Death Valley on BBC One tonight the series finale?

Yes. The series finale airs on BBC One at 9:15pm on Sunday 21 June 2026. Janie (Gwyneth Keyworth) and John (Timothy Spall) take on one last case — a suspicious death at a rugby club — before heading off in separate directions. The episode also addresses the real question of why Janie wants a year away with her father. Full series on BBC iPlayer.

Is EastEnders on Sunday 21 June 2026?

No. EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One — no weekend episodes at all. It returns on Monday 22 June 2026. All episodes are available on BBC iPlayer.

What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight (Sunday 21 June 2026)?

Death Valley on BBC One at 9:15pm is the must-watch — the series finale of Timothy Spall’s comedy-drama, funny and quietly moving in equal measure. Belgium v Iran on ITV1 from 7pm (kick-off 8pm) is the World Cup pick. Free Nelson Mandela on Channel 4 at 9pm is the documentary pick — episode two is where the series really finds its stride.

What time is Belgium v Iran on tonight and what channel?

FIFA World Cup 2026: Belgium v Iran is on ITV1. Coverage starts at 7pm, with kick-off at 8pm UK time. Group G. Free to watch on ITV1 and available to stream live on ITVX.

What is Billy and Molly an Otter Love Story about?

Billy and Molly: an Otter Love Story is on Channel 4 at 4:25pm. Billy lives on the Shetland coast and forms an unlikely friendship with a wild otter he names Molly. His wife Susan looks on as the bond deepens — and Billy builds the otter a tiny house. A warm, gentle documentary about companionship and letting go. Available on Channel 4 streaming.

Final Verdict

Sunday night belongs to Death Valley on BBC One at 9:15pm — a series finale that earns its goodbye. Belgium v Iran on ITV1 from 7pm is the World Cup pick, Spain v Saudi Arabia earlier on BBC One. Free Nelson Mandela on Channel 4 is getting better with each episode, Inside Barlinnie on BBC Two is unflinching, and Billy and Molly this afternoon is the warm, unhurried counterweight to all of it. EastEnders back Monday at 7:30pm.

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