New Year's Day telly traditionally falls into two camps: easy-watching comfort for the hungover, or ambitious drama for those who made it to bed at a sensible hour. Today's schedule caters admirably to both. The Traitors is back for its fourth series, The Night Manager returns for a long-awaited second run, and if you fancy something darker, 28 Years Later brings the zombie apocalypse to Sky Cinema. Here's what's worth watching.

Table of Contents

Quick Picks: Today's Best

  • The Traitors (BBC One, 8pm) - Series 4 begins with fresh contestants and Claudia's castle awaits
  • The Night Manager (BBC One, 9:05pm) - Tom Hiddleston returns in the acclaimed Le Carré adaptation
  • Red Eye (ITV1, 9pm) - Series 2 of the thriller with Martin Compston and Jing Lusi
  • 28 Years Later (Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm) - Danny Boyle's long-awaited zombie sequel

Early Evening: Nature and Baking

The gentle viewing hour, perfect for easing into the first day of 2026 with a cup of tea and minimal brain engagement.

Wild London - BBC One, 6:30pm

Wild London

A 90-minute exploration of the wildlife thriving in Britain's capital. From foxes prowling Hampstead Heath to peregrine falcons nesting on the Tate Modern, this documentary reveals the extraordinary nature hiding in plain sight among London's eight million human inhabitants. Perfect New Year's Day viewing - calming, beautiful, and requiring absolutely no prior knowledge or emotional investment.

The Great New Year Bake Off - Channel 4, 6:40pm

The Great New Year Bake Off

The annual celebrity special that brings former contestants back to the tent for a festive baking challenge. Expect wobbly showstoppers, innuendo-laden commentary from Noel and Alison, and the comfortable familiarity of Paul Hollywood pointing at things and saying "that's baked beautifully." It's comfort telly of the highest order, and exactly what January 1st demands.

Prime Time: Treachery and Spies

The evening's main attractions bring two of the BBC's biggest hits back to screen.

The Traitors - BBC One, 8pm

The Traitors

Series 4 of the reality phenomenon that has somehow made backstabbing and paranoia into appointment television. Claudia Winkleman returns to the Scottish Highlands, cloaked in her signature black roll-neck, to welcome a fresh batch of contestants to her castle of deception. The format remains brilliantly simple: spot the traitors before they eliminate you. What's remarkable is how gripping it remains despite everyone now knowing exactly how the game works. The casting, as ever, will make or break it - last year's lineup produced some genuinely memorable television. Here's hoping Series 4 delivers the same combination of strategic gameplay and emotional chaos that made the show a cultural phenomenon.

9pm Dramas: Thrillers to Choose From

The 9pm slot presents a proper dilemma tonight, with two excellent thrillers going head-to-head.

The Night Manager - BBC One, 9:05pm

The Night Manager

Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as Jonathan Pine, the night manager turned undercover operative, in this second series of the acclaimed 2016 adaptation of John le Carré's novel. Nearly a decade on from the original, which was a masterclass in spy thriller television - Hugh Laurie's arms dealer Richard Roper remains one of the great TV villains - this follow-up has considerable expectations to meet. If you missed the original, catch up immediately; if you loved it, this is essential viewing.

Red Eye - ITV1, 9pm

Red Eye

ITV's airline thriller returns for a second series, this time with Martin Compston stepping into the lead role alongside returning star Jing Lusi as DS Hana Li. The action moves from a transatlantic flight to a US Embassy lockdown following a bomb threat, with Compston playing Clay Brody, the Head of Embassy Security trying to prevent disaster. It's a change of setting but not of pace - expect the same taut, claustrophobic tension that made the first series such compulsive viewing.

Late Night: Comedy from Ireland

Shedites - BBC One, 10:35pm

Shedites

A one-off comedy from the Mrs Brown's Boys team, set in an Irish village men's shed. Brendan O'Carroll, Phil Davis, and Simon Delaney star as a group of friends attempting to build a bike from recycled parts to win the local 'Santa Spin' race. It's warm, daft, and unexpectedly moving - the kind of gentle comedy that works perfectly for a New Year's Day late-night slot when you're not quite ready for bed but can't face anything too demanding.

Sky Cinema: Zombies Return

28 Years Later - Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

28 Years Later

Danny Boyle returns to the franchise he started with 28 Days Later, picking up the story nearly three decades after the original rage virus outbreak. The first film essentially reinvented zombie cinema for a new generation; the sequel 28 Weeks Later was a worthy follow-up. This third instalment has been in development for years, and finally arriving feels like a genuine event. Not one for the faint-hearted - Boyle's vision of infected Britain remains profoundly unsettling - but for horror fans, it's unmissable.

Today's Viewing Schedule

Time Channel Programme
6:30pm BBC One Wild London
6:40pm Channel 4 The Great New Year Bake Off
8:00pm BBC One The Traitors
8:00pm Sky Cinema 28 Years Later
9:00pm ITV1 Red Eye
9:05pm BBC One The Night Manager
10:35pm BBC One Shedites

Final Verdict

New Year's Day 2026 offers a genuinely strong lineup. The Traitors returning for Series 4 is the obvious highlight - it's become one of those shows that generates genuine water-cooler conversation, and the New Year's Day launch is a smart scheduling move.

The 9pm clash between The Night Manager and Red Eye is frustrating - both deserve your attention - but that's what catch-up is for. If pushed, I'd watch The Night Manager live (Hiddleston's return to the role is the bigger event) and save Red Eye for later.

For something lighter, Wild London and The Great Bake Off provide perfect early evening viewing, while Shedites offers a warm-hearted late-night comedy. And if you're after something with a bit more bite, 28 Years Later on Sky Cinema should deliver the scares.

Happy New Year, and here's to 2026.

All times shown are UK times. Schedule may vary by region.