Friday is BBC One's night this week, and the channel knows it. If you're wondering what's on TV tonight, the answer starts with a four-programme run on BBC One from 7:30pm through to nearly midnight -- a confident block that is hard to resist. Elsewhere, Channel 5 wraps up five nights of mystery with the Missed Call series finale, BBC Four hands the evening over to Prince, and Hacks returns on Sky Atlantic for its final season. Check the full tv listings below, see the Freeview TV guide for live updates, or browse what's on right now.
What's On TV Tonight: Quick Picks
- Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey ⭐ – BBC One, 7:30pm – S4 ep 4/6; dementia diagnosis; artist Unza Saleem; Bill Bailey delivers the reveal alone; deeply moving
- Beyond Paradise – BBC One, 8pm – S4 ep 4/6; seaweed farm sabotage; mermaid legend; two Susans; Humphrey investigates
- Missed Call – Channel 5, 9pm – SERIES FINALE ep 5/5; a body has been found; Saint-Michel's mystery finally resolved
- Hacks – Sky Atlantic, 9pm & 9:40pm – S5 eps 1 & 2; final season; Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels back; Jean Smart is magnificent
- Prince Night – BBC Four, from 9:05pm – archive performances, 1985 Purple Rain tour concert (remastered), plus documentary
See what's on right now for live updates.
TV Guide: Early Evening (7pm – 8pm)
Greatest Gardens – BBC Two, 7pm
New series, episode 2 of 6. Diarmuid Gavin, Carol Klein, and guest judge Patrick Grant take a look at what makes a great garden. The right combination of presenters, and a strong episode in a series that is settling in nicely.
Unreported World – Channel 4, 7:30pm
Series 45 gets under way with Krishnan Guru-Murthy travelling to Japan to report on a problem that sounds almost satirical until you look at the numbers: Japanese prisons have effectively become retirement communities, filled with elderly people who shoplifted to get a roof over their heads. It is an indictment of a social care system rather than a crime wave, and Guru-Murthy is exactly the right reporter for it.
It'll Be Alright on the Night – ITV1, 7:30pm
The returning blooper format is back with Tom Allen as host, which is an upgrade on almost any previous hosting arrangement. Fiona Bruce, Dermot O'Leary, Alex Jones, and Bradley Walsh feature in the clips. Good-natured Friday viewing if you want something light before the heavier stuff.
Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey ⭐ – BBC One, 7:30pm
This is the one. Series 4 of the portrait commission series has been strong, but episode 4 is something else. Brothers Jordan and Cian are living with the knowledge that early-onset dementia will almost certainly reach them in their forties, just as it took their mother. They've responded by raising money, raising awareness, and commissioning a portrait with artist Unza Saleem.
Saleem wants the work to be a celebration rather than a memorial. She wants something that lives on after the disease takes hold -- something that captures who they are now, while they're still fully themselves. It's a harder brief than it sounds.
What makes this episode particularly affecting is the reveal. For the first time in the programme's run, Bill Bailey has to do it without the artist present. The way the family responds to what they see is the kind of television that justifies the whole format. Don't miss this one. Not available in Scotland or Wales. Available on BBC iPlayer.
TV Tonight: Prime Time (8pm onwards)
Beyond Paradise – BBC One, 8pm
Series 4, episode 4. A seaweed farm in Shipton Abbott has been hit by deliberate sabotage, and a local fisherman's claim that he spotted a mermaid in the waters has made the investigation considerably more complicated. Humphrey's attention falls on a pair of veteran thespians who both happen to be named Susan -- which is the sort of plot detail only Beyond Paradise would think to include.
The show continues to occupy a comfortable space between cosy mystery and warm character comedy. It doesn't try to be something it isn't, and the Devon setting looks tremendous as always. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Gardeners' World – BBC Two, 8pm
A special episode devoted entirely to the Queen Elizabeth II memorial garden at Regent's Park, created to open on what would have been her 100th birthday. Monty Don leads the coverage, with Adam Frost, Frances Tophill, and Carol Klein all along for a programme that manages to feel both like a tribute and a proper horticultural celebration. Worth an hour of anyone's Friday evening. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Missed Call – Channel 5, 9pm
Five nights. Five episodes. One missing daughter and a French village full of people who prefer not to answer questions directly. Tonight it all ends. A body has been found, which was not the news Sarah (Joanna Scanlan) wanted, and she is still counting at least three credible suspects when the final episode begins.
Joanna Scanlan has carried this thing on her back throughout. The series has sometimes moved slowly, but the payoff is reportedly surprising -- and in a mystery drama, surprising is exactly what you want from a finale. If you've been following along all week, tonight is the night. If you haven't, catch up on My5. Available on My5.
Have I Got News for You – BBC One, 9pm
Series 71, episode 3. Gabby Logan hosts, with Ian Hislop and Paul Merton in their usual positions and Miles Jupp and Michelle Wolf as the guests. The format is old enough to vote and somehow still finds ways to surprise. Available on BBC iPlayer.
The Young Offenders – BBC One, 9:30pm
Series 5 has settled very comfortably into its BBC One home. This week Conor and Jock crash a wedding -- Linda Walsh, the love of Conor's life, is marrying someone else, and they've decided that the appropriate response is to gate-crash the reception and object at the altar. Does any person here present know of any lawful impediment? Yes, actually -- two of them, standing at the back in slightly wrong outfits. The chaos that follows is exactly what you're watching for. Available on BBC iPlayer.
TV Guide UK: Late Night
Hacks – Sky Atlantic, 9pm & 9:40pm
The fifth and final season of the multi-Emmy-winning comedy arrives tonight with two episodes back to back. Jean Smart's Deborah Vance has been wrongly reported dead in a Singapore casino. She has returned to Las Vegas with her writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) and a renewed determination to make sure her legacy lands on her own terms. The pair's relationship -- fond underneath all the savage insults and generational friction -- remains one of the best things about it. Five seasons in and the show has lost none of its sharpness. Available on NOW TV and Sky streaming.
Gogglebox – Channel 4, 9pm
The week's television, as experienced by the nation's best sofa critics. Friday night wouldn't be complete without it. See the full Channel 4 schedule for more. Available on Channel 4 streaming.
The Claudia Winkleman Show – BBC One, 10:40pm
Last in the series. Dan Levy, Phil Dunster, Cush Jumbo, and Josh Widdicombe see out the run with Claudia Winkleman. A first series that turned out to have its own distinctive rhythm. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Prince Night – BBC Four, from 9:05pm
BBC Four's tribute evening to Prince is a music lover's Friday. The run begins at 9:05pm with Prince and His Songs at the BBC -- archive performances that remind you exactly what was being lost each time he turned down a television booking. Then at 10:05pm, Prince and The Revolution: Live presents the 1985 Purple Rain tour concert from the Syracuse Carrier Dome, fully remixed and remastered, and it is spectacular. Closes at 11:25pm with A Purple Reign, a documentary on his transformation of black music. Three hours well spent. Available on BBC iPlayer.
TV Guide: Sport on Tonight
Blackburn Rovers v Coventry City – Sky Sports Main Event/Football, k/o 8pm
Coverage from 7:30pm on Sky Sports. Coventry lead the Championship by some distance, while Blackburn are doing the other thing entirely -- scrapping to stay up. The gap in ambition makes for a surprisingly interesting match. Coventry have the momentum; Blackburn have nothing left to lose.
Bristol Bears v Gloucester – TNT Sports 1, k/o 7:45pm
Gallagher Premiership Rugby, coverage from 7pm. A West Country derby with proper stakes at this stage of the season.
PGA Tour: RBC Heritage – Sky Sports Golf, all day
Round 2 from Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island.
Tonight's TV Listings: Full Schedule
Here are the full tv listings for Friday 17th April 2026 across all major Freeview, Sky, and streaming channels.
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 7pm | BBC Two | Greatest Gardens (NEW S1 ep 2/6) |
| 7pm | TNT Sports 1 | Bristol Bears v Gloucester – Gallagher Premiership Rugby (coverage; k/o 7:45pm) |
| 7:30pm | BBC One | Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey (S4 ep 4/6) |
| 7:30pm | BBC Two | Beechgrove Garden |
| 7:30pm | Channel 4 | Unreported World (NEW S45 ep 1) |
| 7:30pm | ITV1 | It'll Be Alright on the Night (NEW) |
| 7:30pm | Sky Sports Main Event | Blackburn Rovers v Coventry City (coverage; k/o 8pm) |
| 8pm | BBC One | Beyond Paradise (S4 ep 4/6) |
| 8pm | BBC Two | Gardeners' World (S2025 ep 5) |
| 8pm | Channel 4 | Cadbury vs McVitie's Battle of the Brands (LAST IN SERIES) |
| 8pm | ITV1 | Emmerdale |
| 8:30pm | ITV1 | Coronation Street |
| 9pm | BBC One | Have I Got News for You (S71 ep 3/10) |
| 9pm | BBC Four | Prince Night: Prince and His Songs at the BBC |
| 9pm | Channel 4 | Gogglebox (NEW S27 ep 11) |
| 9pm | Channel 5 | Missed Call (SERIES FINALE ep 5/5) |
| 9pm | ITV1 | I'm a Celebrity South Africa (S2 ep 9) |
| 9pm | Sky Atlantic | Hacks (NEW S5 ep 1) |
| 9:30pm | BBC One | The Young Offenders (S5 ep 3/6) |
| 9:40pm | Sky Atlantic | Hacks (S5 ep 2) |
| 10pm | BBC Two | Live at the Apollo (S20 ep 4/6) |
| 10pm | Channel 4 | First Dates (NEW S25 ep 2) |
| 10:05pm | BBC Four | Prince and The Revolution: Live (1985, remastered) |
| 10:05pm | ITV1 | The Assembly (NEW S1 ep 3) |
| 10:40pm | BBC One | The Claudia Winkleman Show (S1 ep 5 – LAST IN SERIES) |
| 11:25pm | BBC Four | A Purple Reign (documentary) |
Freeview TV Guide: What's On Streaming
Can't watch live? Here's where everything is on catch-up. The Freeview TV guide for tonight's platforms:
BBC iPlayer: Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey, Beyond Paradise, Have I Got News for You, The Young Offenders, Gardeners' World, The Claudia Winkleman Show, Live at the Apollo, Prince Night (all three programmes), Beechgrove Garden, Greatest Gardens
My5: Missed Call series finale
Channel 4 streaming: Gogglebox, Cadbury vs McVitie's: Battle of the Brands, First Dates, Unreported World
ITVX: Emmerdale, Coronation Street, It'll Be Alright on the Night, I'm a Celebrity... South Africa, The Assembly
NOW TV / Sky: Hacks series 5 (episodes 1 and 2; subscription required)
TV Tonight: Frequently Asked Questions
Is EastEnders on TV tonight, Friday 17th April 2026?
No. EastEnders does not air on Fridays -- there is no Friday episode and BBC Three does not run an omnibus either. The only EastEnders content available tonight is Classic EastEnders archive episodes (from 2009) on U&Drama at lunchtime. Catch up on any weekday episodes via BBC iPlayer.
What time is Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey on tonight?
Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey is on BBC One at 7:30pm tonight, Friday 17th April 2026. Series 4, episode 4 of 6. The episode follows brothers Jordan and Cian, who face an early-onset dementia diagnosis. Not available in Scotland or Wales. Available on BBC iPlayer.
What time is the Missed Call finale on tonight?
The Missed Call series finale -- episode 5 of 5 -- is on Channel 5 at 9pm tonight. A body has been found and the mystery that has run across the week reaches its conclusion. Available to stream on My5.
What time is Hacks on tonight?
Hacks series 5 launches on Sky Atlantic tonight with two back-to-back episodes -- episode 1 at 9pm and episode 2 at 9:40pm. The fifth and final season of the Emmy-winning comedy is available on NOW TV and the Sky streaming app.
What's on BBC Four tonight?
BBC Four is running Prince Night from 9:05pm. The evening includes Prince and His Songs at the BBC (9:05pm), Prince and The Revolution: Live -- the full 1985 Purple Rain tour concert, remastered (10:05pm) -- and the documentary A Purple Reign at 11:25pm.
What's the best thing to watch on TV tonight?
Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey on BBC One at 7:30pm is the standout of the evening -- a portrait episode with real emotional weight that handles its subject with care and ends with a reveal that is quietly devastating. Beyond Paradise follows at 8pm for something lighter, and the Missed Call series finale on Channel 5 at 9pm is the culmination of five nights of build-up. For music, Prince Night on BBC Four from 9:05pm is exceptional.
TV Guide UK: Final Verdict
BBC One has laid out a proper Friday run tonight -- from Extraordinary Portraits at 7:30pm all the way through to Claudia Winkleman after midnight. It's a schedule that shows real confidence in what the channel does best: emotionally intelligent factual entertainment, warm drama, and comedy that doesn't underestimate its audience.
The Missed Call finale on Channel 5 is the one that resolves a week-long commitment, and Prince Night on BBC Four is the sort of scheduling decision that reminds you why BBC Four still matters. Hacks on Sky Atlantic is for those with a NOW subscription and the good sense to use it.
Tonight's tv guide rewards planning -- pick your BBC One run, queue Hacks, and if the football finishes early enough, let Prince close the evening out. Browse the full channels list, check what's on right now, or see the tonight highlights for a live overview.