A Tuesday that delivers drama on multiple fronts — and a major new documentary to boot. Silent Witness begins a new two-parter on BBC One at 9pm, tackling a racially motivated murder in Birmingham that promises to be the most challenging case of series 29 so far. Channel 4 launches The Tony Blair Story at 9pm, a substantial new documentary from Michael Waldman examining the former PM’s backstory, real achievements and how history will judge him. Earlier in the evening, MasterChef: The Professionals continues its second week with a Korean-inspired skills test that should sort the genuinely gifted from the merely competent. Over on ITV1, The Summit reaches its first vote-off — and if the simmering tensions of the opening episodes are anything to go by, somebody is about to get a frosty farewell on that mountainside. Channel 5 has The Good Ship Murder at 9pm followed by episode 2 of The Curfew at 10pm (following last night’s premiere), while the Winter Olympics hit Day 11 with the Women’s Figure Skating Short Program among the headline events from Milano Cortina. A strong midweek slate.
TV Guide UK: Quick Picks
- Silent Witness — BBC One, 9pm — The Enemy Within Part 1: a racially motivated murder in Birmingham
- The Tony Blair Story — Channel 4, 9pm — Major new documentary on Blair’s legacy from Michael Waldman
- MasterChef: The Professionals — BBC One, 8pm — Korean skills test set by Philli Armitage-Mattin
- The Summit — ITV1, 9pm — First vote-off as the climbers turn on each other
- The Curfew — Channel 5, 10pm — Episode 2 of Channel 5’s dystopian hit
- The Darkest Web: Storyville — BBC Four, 10pm — Unflinching documentary on cyber crime investigators
- Winter Olympics — BBC Two, from 9am — Day 11: Women’s Figure Skating Short Program
Daytime (Winter Olympics & Cricket)
Winter Olympics Day 11 — BBC Two from 9am
Day 11 from Milano Cortina and the headline event is undoubtedly the Women’s Figure Skating Short Program — always one of the most eagerly anticipated disciplines of any Winter Games, combining athletic brilliance with genuine artistry. There’s also the Nordic Combined Individual Large Hill (ski jumping followed by cross-country), the Biathlon Men’s 4×7.5km Relay, and plenty more medal events scattered throughout the day. Clare Balding presents the BBC’s coverage, with full action available on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online. TNT Sports and Discovery+ carry comprehensive coverage for those wanting every last slalom and salchow.
With the Games ending on 22 February, we’re into the final stretch now — and the medal table is taking its familiar shape. There’s still time for upsets, though, and the British curlers continue their campaign.
Cricket: Men’s T20 World Cup — Sky Sports from 9am
Two group stage matches today. Ireland take on Zimbabwe from 9am on Sky Sports Main Event/Cricket, followed by Scotland versus Nepal at 1pm. The T20 World Cup continues to deliver the fast-paced cricket format that has revitalised the sport’s shorter form — if you can arrange a late start at the office, the Ireland match is worth a look.
Early Evening (6pm — 8pm)
A Place in the Sun — Channel 4, 6pm
The reliable early-evening warmer. House hunters search for their dream property abroad, providing the kind of aspirational escapism that pairs nicely with a cup of tea and the lingering hope that you too might one day own a villa with a pool. It’s comfort viewing of the highest order.
The One Show — BBC One, 7pm
The magazine show continues with its usual mix of topical interviews, light features and the occasional celebrity plugging their latest project. A dependable lead-in to the evening’s drama.
Kenneth Williams Archive — BBC Four, from 7:20pm
An evening devoted to the late, great Kenneth Williams, beginning with the comedian and actor hosting an edition of Wogan. Williams remains one of the most fascinating figures in British entertainment history — a man of formidable intellect and crippling self-doubt, whose diaries revealed a private torment that his public persona worked so hard to conceal. BBC Four’s archive evenings are always a treat, and Williams is a subject worthy of the extended attention.
EastEnders — BBC One, 7:30pm
Albert Square drama continues. The fallout from recent events keeps Walford’s residents on edge, with tensions running high across multiple storylines. Available on iPlayer from 6am if you prefer to watch on your own schedule.
Football: League One — Blackpool v Mansfield — Sky Sports Main Event/Football, 7:30pm (k/o 8pm)
League One action from Bloomfield Road as Blackpool host Mansfield Town. Kick-off at 8pm.
Champions League: Monaco v PSG — TNT Sports 1, 7:45pm (k/o 8pm)
A tasty Champions League affair as Monaco welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Stade Louis II. French football’s domestic rivalry given the European treatment — expect fireworks. Kick-off at 8pm.
Prime Time (8pm onwards)
MasterChef: The Professionals — BBC One, 8pm
Week 2 gets properly interesting. Tonight’s skills test is set by 2020 finalist Philli Armitage-Mattin, a chef whose love of Asian flavours defined her competition run. The first pair of chefs face grilled cod’s collar, tempura cod cheeks and a Korean-style barbecue sauce — a combination that demands precision timing and a real understanding of how to balance heat, sweetness and umami. The second pair tackle mushroom and kimchi-filled dumplings with a chilli dipping sauce, which sounds deceptively simple until you consider the pleating technique alone could undo most home cooks, let alone professionals under studio lights.
Matt Tebbutt continues to settle into the judging chair with a quiet authority that already feels like he belongs there. Where his predecessor relied on enthusiasm, Tebbutt brings the knowing eye of someone who has cooked professionally at the highest level — his observations about texture and technique are consistently insightful. Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti remain the show’s backbone, of course, and the dynamic between the three judges is becoming more natural with every episode. There’s another helping tomorrow.
Harry Wild — U&Drama, 8pm (Series Finale)
The stakes are raised for the final episode of this Jane Seymour-led detective series. A man with a bomb strapped to his chest takes Harry and the family hostage at the police station, just at the point when they’re about to depart for Glenn and Petra’s wedding. The aggressor has some singular demands — and the situation is as tense as anything the show has attempted. Help could be at hand in the form of the groom-to-be, who realises his friends are being held captive.
Jane Seymour has carried this show with a warmth and wit that makes each episode an easy watch, and this finale gives her plenty to work with. The wedding-day jeopardy provides a genuine ticking clock, and the hostage scenario is a bold departure from the show’s usual investigative formula. Series 1-3 are all available via U for those who want to start from the beginning.
Emmerdale — ITV1, 8pm
The Dales drama continues. The village remains a place where nobody can keep a secret for longer than roughly one episode, and tonight’s instalment promises further fallout from recent revelations. Catch up on ITVX.
Coronation Street — ITV1, 8:30pm
Weatherfield drama continues on the cobbles. The ongoing storylines keep building toward developments that are sure to keep soap fans talking at the water cooler — or, more accurately, on social media at approximately 8:47pm. Catch up via ITVX.
Silent Witness — BBC One, 9pm ⭐
The Enemy Within Part 1. This is the big one tonight. Nikki, Jack and the Lyell team must navigate deep-rooted divisions in their adopted city of Birmingham to solve a racially motivated murder — but as with all the best Silent Witness stories, not everything is as it first appears.
The move to Birmingham for Silent Witness series 29 has given the show a palpable change of energy. London served the show well for decades, but the new setting forces the writers to grapple with different communities, different tensions and a different relationship between the forensic team and the police. Guest stars Phaldut Sharma (as Hamza Ahmed) and Selin Hizli (as DI Kayla Baran) bring real depth to their roles, and the script doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable questions at the heart of the case.
Emilia Fox and David Caves remain a formidable pairing — Fox’s quiet determination complementing Caves’s more instinctive approach. After the emotional weight of the previous two-parters, The Enemy Within looks set to be the most politically charged story of the series. Part 2 continues tomorrow at 9pm. Catch up on the full series via BBC iPlayer.
The Tony Blair Story — Channel 4, 9pm (New Series)
A major new documentary and one of the evening’s most significant offerings. Michael Waldman — who previously made documentaries on Karl Lagerfeld and Boris Johnson’s time at the Foreign Office — turns his lens on Tony Blair, examining the former Prime Minister’s backstory, his real achievements and how history will ultimately judge him.
Waldman’s approach is more nuanced than the usual Blair hagiography or hatchet job. The documentary unearths genuine nuggets: Blair’s grandparents were travelling performers, and he has apparently never once bought Cherie flowers — details that humanise a figure who has, over the decades, become more symbol than man. Peter Mandelson contributes, naturally, and his presence alone signals that this has access to the inner circle. Whether you regard Blair as the architect of New Labour’s greatest achievements or the man who took Britain into Iraq, this is a substantial piece of work that demands engagement rather than knee-jerk reactions. Continues tomorrow. Catch up via Channel 4 streaming.
The Summit — ITV1, 9pm
Episode 3, and the gloves come off. After two episodes of gruelling hikes and treacherous crossings that have already reduced the group from 14 to 11, tonight brings the first formal vote-off. The climbers must decide who leaves the mountain — and if you thought the physical challenges were brutal, wait until you see what happens when exhausted, sunburnt people are asked to look their companions in the eye and effectively say “you’re the weakest link.”
The Mountain’s Keeper — the show’s enigmatic challenge-setter — raises the difficulty another notch, while fatigue is clearly taking its toll. Ben Shephard wisely stays in the background for the most part, letting the group dynamics speak for themselves. The format is proving itself: there’s something genuinely compelling about watching ordinary people pushed to extraordinary limits, not in a studio but on the side of an actual mountain in the New Zealand Alps. The vote-off promises real tension. More on Thursday.
The Good Ship Murder — Channel 5, 9pm
Grief is rarely at the forefront of murder mysteries — most present a death as a puzzle to be solved, a cryptic crossword with a body. But unlike previous episodes, this instalment of The Good Ship Murder carries a degree of emotional gravity that elevates it above the format’s usual cruise-ship breezes. There’s genuine weight here, and the episode is all the better for it. The show won’t win awards for reinventing the genre, but when it leans into the human cost of its crimes, it finds something worth watching. Catch up via My5.
Lost Grail with Alice Roberts — Sky History, 9pm (Final Episode)
The final episode of Alice Roberts’s archaeological adventure, and it tackles perhaps the most tantalising legend of them all: the claim that the Holy Grail is buried beneath Rosslyn Chapel. It’s the kind of subject that could easily descend into breathless Da Vinci Code territory, but Roberts brings her characteristically measured approach — following the evidence rather than the mythology, and letting the history speak for itself. Whether or not you believe the Grail exists, the journey to Rosslyn is a satisfying conclusion to the series.
Renfield — Film4, 9pm (Film)
Nicolas Cage as Dracula. Three words that either fill you with dread or delight, and if you’re in the latter camp, you’re in for a treat. Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield, the long-suffering familiar of Count Dracula — essentially the world’s worst personal assistant to the world’s most toxic boss. It’s a high-concept horror comedy that lives or dies on Cage’s willingness to go completely unhinged, and he duly obliges with a performance of such extravagant camp that it borders on performance art. Hoult makes a likeable straight man, and while the script doesn’t always match the manic energy of its leads, Cage in full flight is worth the price of admission alone. Catch up via Channel 4 streaming.
Late Night
The Curfew — Channel 5, 10pm
Episode 2 of Channel 5’s bold dystopian drama. Following last night’s attention-grabbing premiere, the investigation deepens as veteran police officer Pamela Green (Sarah Parish) pursues her theory that a man is responsible for a woman’s murder — despite the 7pm-to-7am curfew that supposedly makes male involvement impossible.
Sarah Parish remains the show’s greatest asset, bringing a steely authority to every scene. The world-building continues to impress: the small details of how society has adapted to the curfew — the tagged men, the monitoring systems, the shift in power dynamics — are handled with a confidence that elevates this well above typical Channel 5 fare. Mandip Gill and Anita Dobson provide strong support, and the murder mystery itself has enough twists to keep you guessing. If you missed last night’s premiere, the full boxset is available on My5 — binge at your leisure.
The Darkest Web: Storyville — BBC Four, 10pm
This is one of those documentaries that reminds you why the Storyville strand exists. Greg Squire joined US Homeland Security over 20 years ago and, assigned to its fledgling cyber unit, began working to expose online paedophile networks. Sam Piranty’s excellent, unflinching film traces the capture of some of Squire’s quarries, conducted with humbling diligence and perseverance, often racing against time to save children at risk.
What makes this more than a procedural is its refusal to treat its subjects as superheroes. There is a cost to this work — to family lives, to psyches, to the ability to see the world as anything other than a place of hidden menace. Essential viewing, and essential work carried out by people who deserve to be recognised for it. Catch up on BBC iPlayer.
Fukushima: Days that Shocked the World — Channel 4, 10:30pm
On the afternoon of 11 March 2011, Japan was struck by the most powerful earthquake in its history. This two-part report (concluding tomorrow) looks at how the disaster unfolded and the aftershocks that have lasted to this day. The earthquake was one of the strongest ever recorded, but it was the tsunami that followed which did the worst of the damage — bringing waves of seawater up to 40 metres high that flooded 10 kilometres inland. Nearly 20,000 people died. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was inundated. Survivors and witnesses recall a catastrophic day. Harrowing but important. Catch up via Channel 4 streaming.
Industry — BBC One, 10:40pm
Series 4 episode 7, Points of Emphasis. The penultimate episode of this series, and the walls are closing in at Pierpoint. Industry has grown into one of the sharpest dramas on television — part financial thriller, part character study, part unflinching examination of what happens when ambition meets amorality in the City of London. If you’ve been following the series, tonight’s episode ratchets up the tension considerably as the endgame approaches. If you haven’t been watching, the full series is on iPlayer and is worth catching up on — though you may need a glossary of financial terms to hand. Times vary by region.
Mr Nobody against Putin — BBC Four, 11:25pm (Film)
First shown last October and now nominated for both an Oscar and a Bafta, this is a film that demands to be seen. The “nobody” of the title is Pavel Talankin, a Russian school staffer who spent over two years filming the rise of propaganda in the classroom after the invasion of Ukraine. When it became clear Talankin was under police surveillance, American film-maker David Borenstein helped him flee the country. The former educator now resides in Europe and can never go home.
Few documentaries demand such a sacrifice from their creator; fewer still have captured such a powerful and live issue at such close quarters. This is not a polished piece of advocacy cinema — it’s raw, sometimes chaotic, and all the more powerful for it. A fascinating study of everyday life in Putin’s Russia, and one of the most important documentaries you’ll see this year. Catch up on BBC iPlayer.
The Traitors Ireland — BBC One, 11:40pm
The Irish spin-off of The Traitors continues with more deception and accusation from the castle. The format translates remarkably well, and the Irish contestants bring their own particular brand of warmth, wit and barely concealed suspicion to proceedings. Two episodes drop weekly on iPlayer every Monday for those who’d rather not wait up.
Sport
Winter Olympics: Milano Cortina 2026 Day 11 coverage on BBC Two (from 9am, presented by Clare Balding), BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport. Key events include the Women’s Figure Skating Short Program, Nordic Combined Individual Large Hill, Biathlon Men’s 4×7.5km Relay and further medal events. Full coverage also available on TNT Sports and Discovery+. The Games end on 22 February — we’re into the home straight.
Champions League: Monaco v PSG on TNT Sports 1 at 7:45pm (kick-off 8pm). A French derby with European stakes.
Cricket — Men’s T20 World Cup: Ireland v Zimbabwe at 9am and Scotland v Nepal at 1pm, both on Sky Sports Main Event/Cricket.
Football — League One: Blackpool v Mansfield on Sky Sports Main Event/Football at 7:30pm (kick-off 8pm).
The Viewing Schedule
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00am | BBC Two | Winter Olympics Day 11 |
| 9:00am | Sky Sports ME/Cricket | Cricket: Ireland v Zimbabwe (T20 World Cup) |
| 1:00pm | Sky Sports ME/Cricket | Cricket: Scotland v Nepal (T20 World Cup) |
| 6:00pm | Channel 4 | A Place in the Sun |
| 7:00pm | BBC One | The One Show |
| 7:20pm | BBC Four | Kenneth Williams Archive |
| 7:30pm | BBC One | EastEnders |
| 7:30pm | Sky Sports ME/Football | Football: Blackpool v Mansfield (k/o 8pm) |
| 7:45pm | TNT Sports 1 | Champions League: Monaco v PSG (k/o 8pm) |
| 8:00pm | BBC One | MasterChef: The Professionals |
| 8:00pm | ITV1 | Emmerdale |
| 8:00pm | U&Drama | Harry Wild (Series Finale) |
| 8:30pm | ITV1 | Coronation Street |
| 9:00pm | BBC One | Silent Witness |
| 9:00pm | Channel 4 | The Tony Blair Story |
| 9:00pm | ITV1 | The Summit |
| 9:00pm | Channel 5 | The Good Ship Murder |
| 9:00pm | Sky History | Lost Grail with Alice Roberts (Final) |
| 9:00pm | Film4 | Renfield |
| 10:00pm | Channel 5 | The Curfew |
| 10:00pm | BBC Four | The Darkest Web: Storyville |
| 10:30pm | Channel 4 | Fukushima: Days that Shocked the World |
| 10:40pm | BBC One | Industry |
| 11:25pm | BBC Four | Mr Nobody against Putin |
| 11:40pm | BBC One | The Traitors Ireland |
What’s On Streaming
BBC iPlayer: Silent Witness (full series), MasterChef: The Professionals, EastEnders, Industry (full series), The Traitors Ireland, The Darkest Web: Storyville, Mr Nobody against Putin, Winter Olympics coverage
ITVX: The Summit, Emmerdale, Coronation Street
My5: The Curfew (full boxset), The Good Ship Murder
Channel 4 streaming: The Tony Blair Story, Renfield, Fukushima: Days that Shocked the World, A Place in the Sun
Discovery+: Winter Olympics (full coverage)
U: Harry Wild (series 1-3)
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is Silent Witness on TV tonight?
Silent Witness is on BBC One at 9pm tonight (Tuesday 17th February 2026). This is series 29 episode 5, The Enemy Within Part 1, in which Nikki and Jack investigate a racially motivated murder in Birmingham. Part 2 airs tomorrow (Wednesday) at 9pm on BBC One.
What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight?
Our top pick is Silent Witness on BBC One at 9pm — The Enemy Within is a powerful new two-parter that gives the Birmingham setting real narrative purpose. The Tony Blair Story on Channel 4 at 9pm is also essential viewing as Michael Waldman’s major new documentary examines the former PM’s legacy. For something lighter, MasterChef: The Professionals at 8pm delivers a brilliant Korean-inspired skills test. The Summit on ITV1 at 9pm has its first dramatic vote-off.
What time is MasterChef The Professionals on TV tonight?
MasterChef: The Professionals is on BBC One at 8pm tonight (Tuesday 17th February 2026). This is series 18 episode 4, featuring a Korean-inspired skills test set by 2020 finalist Philli Armitage-Mattin. Matt Tebbutt judges alongside Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti.
What time is The Summit on ITV tonight?
The Summit is on ITV1 at 9pm tonight (Tuesday 17th February 2026). This is episode 3, featuring the group’s first vote-off as climbers decide who must leave the mountain.
Is The Curfew on TV tonight?
Yes, The Curfew continues on Channel 5 at 10pm tonight (Tuesday 17th February 2026) with episode 2. Sarah Parish stars in this dystopian drama. The full boxset is also available on My5.
What is The Tony Blair Story on Channel 4?
The Tony Blair Story is a major new documentary series starting tonight (Tuesday 17th February 2026) at 9pm on Channel 4. Director Michael Waldman — who previously made documentaries on Karl Lagerfeld and Boris Johnson — examines Blair’s backstory, real achievements and how history will judge him. Continues tomorrow. Catch up on Channel 4 streaming.
Is EastEnders on TV tonight?
Yes, EastEnders is on BBC One at 7:30pm tonight (Tuesday 17th February 2026). Episodes are also available on BBC iPlayer from 6am.
What’s on BBC One tonight?
BBC One tonight (Tuesday 17th February 2026) includes The One Show at 7pm, EastEnders at 7:30pm, MasterChef: The Professionals at 8pm, Silent Witness at 9pm, Industry at 10:40pm and The Traitors Ireland at 11:40pm.
TV Guide UK: Final Verdict
Silent Witness takes tonight’s headline spot with The Enemy Within — a new two-parter that makes full use of the show’s Birmingham relocation. The racially motivated murder at its centre is handled with genuine sophistication, and guest stars Phaldut Sharma and Selin Hizli bring real weight to a story that refuses to offer easy answers. Emilia Fox and David Caves remain as watchable as ever. Part 2 tomorrow.
The other major arrival tonight is The Tony Blair Story on Channel 4 at 9pm — Michael Waldman’s documentary goes beyond the usual political biography to find the human behind the headline. Whether you love or loathe Blair, this is substantial television that rewards engagement. Continues tomorrow.
Earlier at 8pm, MasterChef: The Professionals delivers another absorbing episode as Philli Armitage-Mattin’s Korean-inspired skills test separates those who can truly cook from those who merely think they can. Matt Tebbutt’s judging eye is proving increasingly assured — week by week, the format feels like it has gained something rather than lost it in the transition. And on U&Drama, Harry Wild bows out with a high-stakes series finale that gives Jane Seymour a hostage scenario worthy of the send-off.
The 9pm slot is fiercely competitive tonight. The Summit on ITV1 reaches its first vote-off, delivering the kind of raw interpersonal drama that no amount of scripting could replicate. The Good Ship Murder on Channel 5 at 9pm finds unexpected emotional depth, followed by The Curfew at 10pm continuing to punch above its weight with a dystopian thriller that Sarah Parish owns completely. Over on Sky History, Lost Grail with Alice Roberts concludes with the Rosslyn Chapel legend, while Renfield on Film4 lets Nicolas Cage loose as Dracula in gloriously unhinged fashion.
The late evening is exceptionally strong. The Darkest Web: Storyville on BBC Four at 10pm is essential viewing — Sam Piranty’s unflinching documentary about the heroes tackling online paedophile networks. And if you can stay up, Mr Nobody against Putin at 11:25pm on BBC Four is an Oscar and Bafta-nominated masterpiece of documentary film-making. Industry on BBC One at 10:40pm brings its penultimate episode with the tension cranked to breaking point.
Add in Day 11 of the Winter Olympics — with the Women’s Figure Skating Short Program the jewel in the crown — Champions League football on TNT Sports, and Men’s T20 World Cup cricket, and this Tuesday has something for everyone. A genuinely outstanding midweek slate. If you missed last Tuesday’s highlights, catch up on what you may have missed.
Related: What’s On TV Tonight Tuesday | What’s On TV Tonight Tues 10 Feb 2026 | What’s On TV Tonight Mon 16 Feb 2026 | What’s On TV Tonight Wed 18 Feb 2026
