PICKS OF THE WEEK: 21-27 SEPTEMBER 2026, WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
Our picks of what to watch during the week ahead.
THE WARGAME
Monday, Sky One
Produced by The Garden, part of ITV Studios, (24 Hours in Police Custody) The Wargame brings viewers inside a sealed COBR‑style crisis room as an impressive cross-party cast, including Michael Gove, Nicola Sturgeon, Harriet Harman, Penny Mordaunt, Sayeeda Warsi, Jim Murphy, Ayesha Hazarika, Richard Barrons, Kim Darroch, Christopher Steele, George Robertson and Anthony Scaramucci, grapple with minute‑by‑minute decisions that could shape the fate of the nation.
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF
Tuesday, Channel 4
Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding are back to guide a fresh batch of bakers through 10 weeks of challenges set by judges Nigella Lawson and Paul Hollywood. It all begins with cake week, where Nigella sets the contestants a stout cake signature, before they get artistic in the technical and serve up a self-portrait showstopper.
TEMPTING FORTUNE
Tuesday, Channel 4
Stripped of home comforts and surviving on the most basic rations, the contestants start their trek with a chance of winning a share of the £300,000 prize pot.
Along the way, they will be faced with a series of tantalising temptations, from familiar favourites from home and unforgettable money can't buy experiences. But each one comes with an eye-watering price tag, and every pound spent is taken straight out of the shared prize fund. Will they resist their own desires for the good of the group, or indulge and look after number one?
NOT GOING OUT
Wednesday, BBC One
When Lucy’s goddaughter Ella has her 20th birthday party in their house, Lucy forbids Lee from leaving the bedroom to check that everything’s OK in case he ruins Ella’s big day. But when Lee hears someone playing his precious special edition Frankie Goes to Hollywood LP, he can’t stop himself from rushing downstairs to save it.
SHAKESPEARE & HATHAWAY
Wednesday, U&Alibi
Love is in the air when Lu Shakespeare (Jo Joyner) and Frank Hathaway (Mark Benton) investigate a rather unique dating agency while Lu gets word that her sister Lia is getting married. Could handsome stranger Cassius make the perfect plus one for the wedding?
Meanwhile Sebastian's acting dreams may be about to come true, and we meet enthusiastic new assistant Bea Gardiner who is keen to make a good impression. This proves more difficult when our P.I.'s are faced with a series of thrilling new cases, from Frank and Lu being hypnotised into believing they are trapped in each other's bodies, to British Fashion Week arriving in Stratford-upon-Avon with a deadly bang.
THE REAL ROONEYS
Thursday, Disney+
The Rooneys invite the cameras into their home for a pivotal year. It’s all change as Wayne swaps football management for school runs, while Coleen embraces new opportunities. With unprecedented access, we follow them through the highs and lows of married life while raising four lively boys. This is Britain's most famous and private family as never seen before: warm, funny, and authentic.
PLAY FOR TODAY
Friday, 5
Daniel Mays (Line of Duty, A Thousand Blows, The Thursday Murder Club), Joel Fry (Alice and Steve, Inside No. 9, Paddington in Peru) and Amit Shah (Murder Before Evensong, Happy Valley, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office) star in Wild; a survival dramedy set in the breath-taking yet unforgiving Scottish Highlands.
Lou (Mays), Dev (Shah), and Alistair (Fry), three old friends clinging to their annual wild camping tradition, begin with banter, nostalgia, and amateur vlogging, but soon unravel into a battle of egos, secrets, and survival when they get lost, food runs short, and friendships fracture. At once funny, poignant, and unsettling, Wild explores the line between adventure and recklessness, and how toxic masculinity has become a huge part of the epidemic decline in men’s mental health.
STRICTLY COME DANCING
Saturday, BBC One
It’s the first live show of 2026, and the full Strictly cast take to the floor for an incredible opening performance. Emma, Josh and Jojo welcome our 15 couples back to the ballroom as they prepare to perform for the very first time.
While there’s no public vote or elimination this week, there will still be plenty of paddle action as Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke award the first set of scores. Those will be carried over to week 2, when viewers will have their first opportunity to vote for their favourites. For now, our couples can enjoy their dance floor debut safe in the knowledge that they’ll be back for more.
THE MARBLE HALL MURDERS
Saturday, BBC One
Susan Ryeland has returned to England and been headhunted for a senior editor position at a leading publishing house. The grandson of the hugely successful Miriam Crace has been commissioned to write a new Atticus Pünd detective story, and Susan is asked to mentor this troubled young man.
