TV Guide UK Tonight: Thurs 14 May 2026 – Eurovision Semi-Final 2, The Hardacres & Taskmaster

Updated: 16 June 2026

A busy Thursday. Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Final 2 is live on BBC One at 8pm from Vienna, with 15 countries competing for Saturday’s grand final. The Hardacres returns to Channel 5 at 9pm for Series 2, Taskmaster is on Channel 4 at the same time, and BBC Four marks Eric Morecambe’s centenary with a recovered piece of television history. EastEnders is at 7:30pm.

Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best

• Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Final 2 ⭐ — BBC One, 8pm — Live from Vienna. 15 countries, one night
• Taskmaster — Channel 4, 9pm — Joanna Page called the police; Amy Gledhill and the spoons
• Morecambe and Wise: the Lost Tape — BBC Four, 8pm — Lost for 57 years, back tonight. Eric Morecambe’s centenary
• The Hardacres — Channel 5, 9pm — Series 2, 1895 Yorkshire
• MasterChef — BBC Two, 8pm — Final heat. Grace Dent, a blowtorch and someone crying over gnocchi
• EastEnders — BBC One, 7:30pm — On tonight at 7:30pm

Early Evening

EastEnders – BBC One, 7:30pm

On at its usual Thursday slot. EastEnders runs Monday to Thursday on BBC One; tonight wraps this week’s storylines. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

Prime Time

Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Final 2 ⭐ – BBC One, 8pm

Live from Vienna, the second of two semi-finals before Saturday’s grand final. Fifteen countries perform tonight and semi-finals are almost always better value than the main event: absolute stakes, uneven quality, genuine surprises. The UK pre-qualified, but Look Mum No Computer perform their entry “Eins, Zwei, Drei” tonight as a live preview, a peppy synth-pop number whose fate on Saturday remains genuinely open. Graham Norton commentates. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

MasterChef – BBC Two, 8pm

The final qualifying heat, with Grace Dent presenting and all six cooks knowing only some will make it through. The dishes include langoustine curry, lemongrass panna cotta, steak in ouzo, and an almond and rosemary tart; one contestant cries when praised for their gnocchi, another gets a quiet word about the blowtorch. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

Morecambe and Wise: the Lost Tape – BBC Four, 8pm

Today is one hundred years since Eric Morecambe was born in Morecambe, Lancashire. BBC Four is marking the occasion by screening a variety programme the duo made in 1968 that was repeated in 1969 and then lost from the archive for over fifty years, recently recovered and donated to the Film Is Fabulous charitable trust. Musical contributions from Trio Athene and the Paper Dolls; the standout sketch is set in a nudist camp. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

The Yorkshire Vet: Night Shift – Channel 5, 8pm (NEW SERIES)

A spin-off following Donaldson’s veterinary surgery after dark. Tonight’s cases: a spaniel called George may lose a leg after an evening walk gone wrong, Honey the dog needs a caesarean for four puppies, Wilbur the cocker spaniel has trapped wind, and Del the fighting cat lost his latest duel. In Lancashire, two lambs are stuck mid-birth. Catch up via Channel 5 streaming.

Taskmaster – Channel 4, 9pm

One of the better episodes of this series. Joanna Page commits so hard to a task that a passing golfer phones the police about the noise; Joel Dommett blows PVA glue through a coconut; Kumail Nanjiani embarrasses himself twice; Amy Gledhill narrates while fitting progressively larger spoons into her mouth. Greg Davies looks appropriately horrified throughout. Catch up via Channel 4 streaming.

The Hardacres – Channel 5, 9pm

Series 2, set in 1895. Former dock workers Mary (Claire Cooper) and Sam (Liam McMahon) now live at Hardacre Hall, to the resentment of the local gentry. Mary has started a literacy class for her staff; Sam has converted his fish shops into general stores. Lady Emma Fitzherbert (Cathy Belton) returns and Mary’s difficult mother Lady Imelda Hansen (Michele Dotrice) arrives to make things worse. Full series on Channel 5 streaming.

Sport

Golf: PGA Championship — Sky Sports Main Event/Golf from 12:30pm. Round one from Aronimink Golf Club, Pennsylvania. The second Major of the year; Scottie Scheffler won last year by five strokes.

IPL Cricket: Punjab Kings v Mumbai Indians — Sky Sports Cricket from 2:50pm. T20 from Dharamshala.

Cycling: Giro d’Italia — TNT Sports 1 from 12:30pm. Stage 6, flat 161km from Paestum to Naples.

The Viewing Schedule

What’s On Streaming

BBC iPlayer: Eurovision Semi-Final 2, EastEnders, MasterChef, Morecambe and Wise: the Lost Tape
Channel 4 streaming: Taskmaster, Paul Merton: Driving Amazing Trains
Channel 5 streaming/My5: The Hardacres (full series), The Yorkshire Vet: Night Shift
Now: Prisoner, The Miniature Wife, Classic Movies: the Story of Chaplin
U: Bergerac (full series)
ITVX: Rubbish: Are We All Paying? Tonight
Sky Sports: PGA Championship golf

Frequently Asked Questions

Is EastEnders on TV tonight?

Yes, EastEnders is on BBC One at 7:30pm tonight (Thursday 14 May 2026). EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

What time is Eurovision Semi-Final 2 on tonight?

Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Final 2 is live on BBC One at 8pm tonight (Thursday 14 May 2026) from Vienna. 15 countries compete for Saturday’s grand final. The UK pre-qualified and Look Mum No Computer perform “Eins, Zwei, Drei” tonight. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

What time is The Hardacres on Channel 5 tonight?

The Hardacres Series 2 is on Channel 5 at 9pm tonight (Thursday 14 May 2026). The Yorkshire period drama is set in 1895, with Claire Cooper as Mary and Liam McMahon as Sam. Full series on Channel 5 streaming.

What time is Taskmaster on tonight?

Taskmaster is on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight (Thursday 14 May 2026). Greg Davies hosts. Catch up via Channel 4 streaming.

What is Morecambe and Wise: the Lost Tape?

A BBC variety programme first broadcast in 1968, lost from the archive for over fifty years, and recently donated to the Film Is Fabulous charitable trust. It screens on BBC Four at 8pm tonight (Thursday 14 May 2026) to mark what would have been Eric Morecambe’s 100th birthday. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

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

Eurovision Semi-Final 2 on BBC One at 8pm is the top pick tonight, with 15 countries performing live from Vienna. Taskmaster on Channel 4 at 9pm is excellent this week. The Hardacres Series 2 is on Channel 5 at 9pm, and BBC Four’s Morecambe and Wise: the Lost Tape at 8pm is a genuine event.

What’s on BBC One tonight?

BBC One tonight (Thursday 14 May 2026) has EastEnders at 7:30pm followed by Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Final 2 live from Vienna at 8pm. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

Final Verdict

Eurovision Semi-Final 2 on BBC One at 8pm is the clear pick tonight. Fifteen countries live from Vienna, with Look Mum No Computer previewing “Eins, Zwei, Drei” ahead of Saturday’s final. It’s the kind of live event that broadcast television does better than anything else.

Taskmaster on Channel 4 at 9pm is the evening’s other essential, with The Hardacres Series 2 on Channel 5 a solid alternative at the same time. And don’t skip Morecambe and Wise: the Lost Tape on BBC Four at 8pm. A piece of television history, back on the right night.

Related: What’s On TV Tonight Thursday | What’s On TV Tonight Wed 13 May 2026 | What’s On TV Tonight Fri 15 May 2026