TV Guide UK Tonight: Thurs 13 Aug 2026 – Hit Point, A House Through Time & Possession

Thursday 13 August 2026 brings new-drama excitement: Hit Point launches on Dave at 9pm, with Nick Blood and Saffron Hocking as detectives who do their best work from a car seat. BBC Two explores Georgian Edinburgh on A House Through Time, Channel 4 tackles the tragic case of Rhianan Rudd, and EastEnders holds its usual slot on BBC One despite the Athletics taking over afterwards.

Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best

• Hit Point ⭐ Dave, 9pm. Dave’s first original drama series launches.
• A House Through Time BBC Two, 9pm. David Olusoga investigates an Edinburgh townhouse.
• The Schoolgirl Terrorist? Channel 4, 10pm. Documentary on the radicalisation of Rhianan Rudd.
• Possession Sky Atlantic, 9pm & 10pm. The gothic mystery’s second week.
• Benidorm Is Murder Channel 5, 9pm. Rosa and Dennis take on another Costa Blanca case.
• EastEnders is on as usual, BBC One, 7:30pm.

Early Evening

EastEnders – BBC One, 7:30pm

Walford gets its usual Thursday visit before BBC One switches to live athletics for the rest of the night. The Alexander Stadium coverage doesn’t touch the soap’s slot, so it’s business as usual, with the episode landing on iPlayer soon after broadcast.

The Big Deal with Steph McGovern – BBC Two, 8pm

New series, essentially Bargain Hunt with sharper elbows. Seven pairs of amateur art-lovers try to spot which unknown graduates are worth backing, then flip the work at auction for profit. Cordelia de Freitas and a panel of experts decide who stays in, and Steph McGovern hosts, with real money on the line.

The Yorkshire Vet Special: Peter’s Dream – Channel 5, 8pm

Peter Wright spends this hour on something more personal than his usual farm rounds: a plan for a permanent pet memorial in Thirsk. He meets the UK’s first animal chaplain, and treats an elderly Highland cow and a prizewinning hare. Channel 4’s Renovation Rescue runs at the same time in Worcestershire, and Yesterday‘s Bangers and Cash auctions a 1968 Mini Moke once driven by Patrick McGoohan in The Prisoner.

Prime Time

Hit Point – Dave, 9pm ⭐

Dave’s first ever commissioned drama, and a confident one to launch with. Nick Blood and Saffron Hocking play Leo and Bella, detectives who trade insults in the car and grill suspects across burger bar tables rather than filling in incident boards. Written by Howard Overman, it leans on colourful villain nicknames and a split-screen trick. Simulcast on U&Drama and U&W, full run already on U.

A House Through Time – BBC Two, 9pm

David Olusoga moves to Edinburgh for what’s billed as the final outing, focusing on a Calton Hill townhouse dating to the 1700s. Standout resident the Reverend Fitzwilliams was jailed for helping French prisoners escape. Later came carver John Steell, brilliant with a chisel but hopeless with money, who packed eleven children in while racking up debts worth around £660,000 today. His son became a well-regarded sculptor.

Possession – Sky Atlantic, 9pm & 10pm

Second week for this drama built around two meanings of its title. Oliver (Jonny Lee Miller) remains under Charlotte’s spell, while Claudia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) tries to break free of her own situation and runs into a different one, learning how an older kind of possession has followed generations of the Black diaspora, through a ritual guided by her aunt Mercy.

Late Night

The Schoolgirl Terrorist? – Channel 4, 10pm

In 2020, teenager Rhianan Rudd was arrested over verbal terror threats and bomb-making material found on her devices. A year later she became the youngest girl to face terrorism charges here and was placed on an MI5 watchlist. She took her own life at 16. This documentary uses family interviews and unseen material to trace her online radicalisation, and what the authorities missed.

Inside Llewyn Davis – BBC Four, 10pm

The Coen brothers’ 2013 film follows a struggling folk singer chasing a friend’s runaway cat around 1960s Greenwich Village, Oscar Isaac carrying it on a thankless, permanently broke performance. Joel Coen has said the film barely has a plot, which is apparently why the cat got written in. A new documentary on the brothers precedes it at 9pm.

Elsewhere, Channel 5‘s Benidorm Is Murder investigates a maid of honour strangled with her own sash, ITV1‘s The Chase around the World lands in Zurich, More4’s The Reclaimers wraps up in Suffolk, and U&Alibi’s The Hunting Party (9:10pm) has Bex working out why the “1% Killer” has stopped targeting the wealthy.

Sport

Day four of the European Athletics Championships continues from Birmingham, live on BBC One from 8pm and BBC Two from 7pm, plus coverage on TNT Sports 3. The Canadian Open tennis finals are live on Sky Sports Tennis from 4pm, and Leeds Rhinos host Leigh Leopards at Headingley in the Super League, kicking off at 8pm on Sky Sports Main Event.

The Viewing Schedule

What’s On Streaming

• BBC iPlayer: EastEnders, The Big Deal with Steph McGovern, A House Through Time, Inside Llewyn Davis
• U: Hit Point, Bangers and Cash
• Now: Possession, The Hunting Party
• Channel 4 streaming: Renovation Rescue, The Schoolgirl Terrorist?, The Reclaimers: Made in Suffolk
• My5: The Yorkshire Vet Special: Peter’s Dream, Benidorm Is Murder
• ITVX: The Chase around the World

Frequently Asked Questions

Is EastEnders on tonight (Thursday 13 August 2026)?

Yes. EastEnders airs at its usual 7:30pm on BBC One, and live Athletics coverage takes over from 8pm without moving the soap’s slot.

What time is Hit Point on and what channel?

Hit Point launches at 9pm on Dave, simulcast on U&Drama and U&W. It stars Nick Blood and Saffron Hocking, and the full run is already on U.

What’s on BBC One tonight (Thursday 13 August 2026)?

EastEnders at 7:30pm, then live coverage of the European Athletics Championships from Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium from 8pm.

What live sport is on TV tonight: Thursday 13 August 2026?

Day four of the European Athletics Championships runs from Birmingham on BBC One and BBC Two from 7pm. The Canadian Open tennis finals are live on Sky Sports Tennis from 4pm, and Leeds Rhinos host Leigh Leopards in Super League rugby from 8pm on Sky Sports Main Event.

What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight (Thursday 13 August 2026)?

Hit Point on Dave at 9pm is the pick, a confident first original drama for the channel. A House Through Time on BBC Two and The Schoolgirl Terrorist? on Channel 4 are also worth your time.

Final Verdict

Hit Point ⭐ is the one to build tonight around, a new drama that doesn’t waste time proving itself. A House Through Time is the strongest factual alternative, with David Olusoga again finding real people behind an old front door. The Schoolgirl Terrorist? is tougher going but worth the time, and Possession keeps building on Sky Atlantic. EastEnders regulars can relax too: the soap holds its usual 7:30pm slot.

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