What's on TV tonight Friday 29 May 2026? Sky Atlantic owns the night. Hacks brings the curtain down at 10.05pm, with Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder finishing one of the smarter comedy-dramas of the past five years. An hour earlier, Ponies arrives on the same channel: Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson in Moscow, 1977, doing something the Cold War spy genre has not tried in this shape before.
BBC Three closes Smoggie Queens Series 2 with a double bill from 10pm, Phil Dunning and Mark Benton giving the comedy of Teesside drag a warm finish, with Monica Dolan walking in as the wild card. ITV1 has Olly Murs's Soccer Aid endurance film at 9pm: 400km of running, rowing and cycling from Manchester to East London that turned out to be considerably harder than the planning suggested.
Half Man -- Richard Gadd's BBC/HBO six-parter -- has its series finale available on BBC iPlayer from 6am this morning, if you haven't already watched it. The linear BBC One broadcast follows on Tuesday 2 June at 10.40pm.
Browse what's on right now for live updates, see tonight's full highlights, or go straight to the channels list -- including pages for BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, ITV1, Channel 4, Sky Atlantic, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket, TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 3, and TNT Sports 4. For yesterday's listings see our Thursday 28 May 2026 TV guide.
What's on TV tonight: quick picks
- Hacks (Season 5, SERIES FINALE) -- Sky Atlantic, 10.05pm -- Jean Smart as Deborah Vance; Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels; final episode of Season 5 and the whole series; after mistaken death reports, Deborah and Ava return to Las Vegas to secure her comedy legacy; US finale aired Max 28 May; Emmy-winning from S1; Now streaming
- Ponies -- Sky Atlantic, 9pm -- Susanna Fogel + David Iserson; Emilia Clarke as Bea; Haley Lu Richardson as Twila; Moscow 1977; NOT trainee spies -- secretaries at the American Embassy whose husbands die, then recruited as operatives ("Persons of No Interest" = PONIES); Bea over-educated, Russian-speaking, child of Soviet immigrants; Twila small-town, fearless, abrasive; debut burglary; charming an asset; RT 96%; Peacock US / Sky Atlantic UK from 22 May; Now streaming
- Hidden Treasures of the National Trust (S4) -- BBC Two, 9pm -- Series 4, started 15 May 2026; Ty Mawr Wybrnant near Betws-y-Coed -- birthplace of William Morgan, first complete Welsh Bible 1588; fragile volume + building needing repair; Fflur Owen: "ancient place... shares its history if you are quiet enough"; then Inner Farne off Northumberland -- St Cuthbert 7th century; stained-glass chapel window; puffin habitat; iPlayer
- Smoggie Queens (S2, Ep 5 + Ep 6, SERIES FINALE) -- BBC Three, 10pm + 10.30pm -- Phil Dunning as Dickie; Mark Benton as Mam; Ep 5 "A Smoggie Pageant" -- Mr Teesside Beauty Pageant, £20,000 prize, suspected fixing; Ep 6 "A Smoggie Show" (FINALE) -- Cliff Richard impersonator drops out, Dickie's drag booking, talent agents; Monica Dolan as Paula (Mam's ex-wife); iPlayer
- Olly Murs Steps into the Unknown for Soccer Aid -- ITV1, 9pm -- 11 May 2026; 400km endurance challenge; Old Trafford to London Stadium; each day's trial revealed that morning; no advance prep; ran, rowed and cycled; knee injury; raised £832,257; Soccer Aid match Sunday 31 May London Stadium ITV1; ITVX
- Coronation Street -- ITV1, 8.30pm -- Theo Silverton murder flashbacks; Todd Grimshaw publicly accused by Danielle (Theo's ex-wife) of orchestrating the death for life insurance; key witness changes story; buried secret surfaces; killer reveal expected summer 2026; ITVX
- MasterChef (S22, semi-final concludes) -- BBC One, 8pm -- Anna Haugh + Grace Dent; guest Philip Khoury (formerly Head Pastry Chef Harrods; founder Khourys confectionery); remaining contestants head to Finals Week; iPlayer
- Have I Got News for You -- BBC One, 9pm -- Katherine Ryan in the chair; Ian Hislop + Paul Merton; guests Jo Coburn (BBC political journalist) + John Tothill (comedian); iPlayer
- Gardeners' World -- BBC Two, 8pm -- Monty Don on tomato timing; Carol Klein opens a seed; Rekha Mistry small-space patio; earlier 7.30pm (not Wales): Beechgrove Garden; iPlayer
- Jazz Night: Miles Davis -- Birth of the Cool -- BBC Four, 9.05pm -- Davis centenary year (born 26 May 1926); followed 11pm Alan Yentob Remembers... Ella Fitzgerald (1974 Ronnie Scott's special; posthumous repeat); 11.45pm Cleo Laine at the BBC; iPlayer
- Hunting Britain's Fugitives -- Channel 4, 8pm -- Dispatches; Matt Shea; criminals evading justice at home and abroad; C4 streaming
- Bradley and Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad (S7) -- ITV1, 7.30pm -- driving toward Cairns via Australian Outback; cattle muster; pub quiz; Bradley clueless until The Chase; Barney and the Naked Olympics categories; ITVX (not STV)
- Under the Vines -- BBC One, 2pm + 2.45pm -- Rebecca Gibney as Daisy; Charles Edwards as Louis; New Zealand vineyard; Louis's ex-wife; new suitor for Daisy; iPlayer
- French Open Day 6 -- TNT Sports 1 + TNT Sports 4, from 9.30am -- Roland Garros; third-round singles, both draws; clay Grand Slam
- Giro d'Italia Stage 19 -- TNT Sports 3, from 11am -- Feltre to Alleghe (Piani di Pezzè), 151km; ~5,000m climbing; Passo Duran, Forcella Staulanza, Passo Giau (Cima Coppi -- highest point of the 2026 Giro), Passo Falzarego; Dolomites queen stage
- Cricket: Worcestershire Rapids v Warwickshire Bears -- Sky Sports Main Event 5.25pm, Sky Sports Cricket 7pm -- Vitality Blast Central Group; New Road, Worcester
See what's on right now for live updates.
Tonight's TV schedule: full listings
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 9.30am | TNT Sports 1 + TNT Sports 4 | French Open Day 6 LIVE -- Roland Garros; third-round singles; tournament 24 May--7 Jun |
| 11.00am | TNT Sports 3 | Giro d'Italia Stage 19 LIVE -- Feltre to Alleghe, 151km; Passo Giau Cima Coppi; Dolomites |
| 2.00pm | BBC One | Under the Vines -- Rebecca Gibney as Daisy; Charles Edwards as Louis; New Zealand vineyard |
| 2.45pm | BBC One | Under the Vines -- Louis's ex-wife; new suitor for Daisy; "will they / won't they" |
| 5.25pm | Sky Sports Main Event | Vitality Blast T20: Worcestershire v Warwickshire LIVE -- New Road, Worcester |
| 7.00pm | Sky Sports Cricket | Vitality Blast T20: Worcestershire v Warwickshire LIVE -- coverage continues |
| 7.00pm | BBC Two | Beechgrove Garden (not Wales) |
| 7.30pm | ITV1 | Bradley and Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad S7 -- Cairns; cattle muster; Naked Olympics |
| 8.00pm | BBC One | MasterChef S22 semi-final concludes -- Anna Haugh + Grace Dent; guest Philip Khoury; Finals Week |
| 8.00pm | BBC Two | Gardeners' World -- Monty Don; Carol Klein; Rekha Mistry |
| 8.00pm | Channel 4 | Hunting Britain's Fugitives -- Dispatches; Matt Shea; fugitives at home and abroad |
| 8.30pm | ITV1 | Coronation Street -- Theo Silverton murder flashbacks; Todd Grimshaw accused; witness lies |
| 9.00pm | Sky Atlantic | Ponies -- Emilia Clarke; Haley Lu Richardson; Moscow 1977; CIA; RT 96% |
| 9.00pm | BBC Two | Hidden Treasures of the National Trust S4 -- Ty Mawr Wybrnant; William Morgan; Inner Farne; St Cuthbert |
| 9.00pm | ITV1 | Olly Murs Steps into the Unknown for Soccer Aid -- 400km; Old Trafford to London Stadium; £832,257 |
| 9.00pm | BBC One | Have I Got News for You -- Katherine Ryan hosts; Ian Hislop + Paul Merton; Jo Coburn; John Tothill |
| 9.05pm | BBC Four | Jazz Night: Miles Davis -- Birth of the Cool -- Davis centenary (born 26 May 1926) |
| 10.00pm | BBC Three | Smoggie Queens S2 Ep 5 "A Smoggie Pageant" -- Mr Teesside pageant; £20,000 prize |
| 10.05pm | Sky Atlantic | Hacks SERIES FINALE -- Jean Smart; Hannah Einbinder; Season 5 final episode |
| 10.30pm | BBC Three | Smoggie Queens S2 Ep 6 "A Smoggie Show" SERIES FINALE -- Monica Dolan as Paula |
| 11.00pm | BBC Four | Alan Yentob Remembers... Ella Fitzgerald -- 1974 Ronnie Scott's; posthumous repeat |
| 11.45pm | BBC Four | Cleo Laine at the BBC |
Hacks -- SERIES FINALE -- Sky Atlantic, 10.05pm
Hacks, Season 5, final episode. Sky Atlantic at 10.05pm. SERIES FINALE. Jean Smart as Deborah Vance. Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels. Available on Now.
The critical line you will see repeated about Hacks is that it flew under the radar for years before garnering acclaim. That framing overstates it. Hacks won Emmy Awards from its first season, in 2021 -- the critical love was present from launch. What grew over time was the audience. The show that critics were praising in Season 1 found progressively more viewers through Seasons 2, 3, 4, and 5. The accurate version of the story is a small-screen success that expanded its reach rather than one that was overlooked and then discovered.
That distinction matters because Hacks deserves better than the standard "hidden gem discovered late" framing that television writers reach for when they want to credit a show without quite accounting for why they weren't writing about it earlier. Jean Smart has been receiving Emmy nominations and wins throughout the run. Hannah Einbinder's work alongside her has been recognised at the same level. A show that was genuinely flying under the radar would not be doing that.
Season 5 opens with an act of convenient journalism: mistaken reports of Deborah Vance's death have begun circulating. The show uses this as a springboard rather than a narrative crisis -- Deborah's response to being pronounced dead is not grief or panic but a sharpened sense of what she wants her legacy to actually say. She and Ava return to Las Vegas, which is the show's spiritual home as much as its geographic one, with a clearer purpose than either of them has had since the pilot.
What the finale needs to do
The challenge for any series finale, particularly one with enough lead time for the creative team to plan rather than scramble, is to close on a note that accounts for where the characters started as well as where they are now. Hacks has been a show about the relationship between a veteran comedian who compromised her art for decades to survive a business that wasn't built for women, and a younger writer whose instinct is to burn everything down rather than compromise. Deborah and Ava have been each other's corrective throughout. The finale's job is to say what each of them has become because of that.
Jean Smart has played Deborah Vance funny and frightening in the same gesture, which is not a combination many actors can keep on the road. Einbinder has held her end of a relationship that is, on paper, unbalanced (the young person giving notes to the legend) and made it feel like the more interesting character is sometimes hers. The final episode aired in the US on Max on 28 May, one day before this UK broadcast. Those who have already watched it are not saying much, which is usually a reasonable indicator.
The US finale aired on Max on Thursday 28 May 2026. The UK broadcast follows on Sky Atlantic at 10.05pm. Full series available on Now.
Ponies -- Sky Atlantic, 9pm
Ponies. Sky Atlantic at 9pm. Created by Susanna Fogel and David Iserson. Emilia Clarke as Bea. Haley Lu Richardson as Twila. Available on Now.
The spy drama has been done so many times, in so many registers, that arriving at a fresh angle takes some doing. Ponies finds it. The conceit is in the acronym: "Persons of No Interest." PONIES.
The corrective to the Radio Times framing worth stating up front: Bea and Twila are not trainee spies assembled from scratch. They are secretaries at the American Embassy in Moscow — the kind of women the Soviet system filed under wives and functionaries, present but marginal — whose operative husbands die under mysterious circumstances. Their subsequent recruitment by the CIA is the premise of the series, not its backstory. They begin from a position of having already been there, already knowing the city, already having cover, and of being underestimated by everyone who didn't take the original women seriously enough to monitor them.
Bea (Emilia Clarke) is over-educated, the child of Soviet immigrants, fluent in Russian, and precisely the wrong person for an environment where appearing to belong matters more than actually belonging. Her intellectual resources are real; her instinct for improvisation is not, yet. Twila (Haley Lu Richardson) is the inverse: small-town, abrasive, physically fearless, and constitutionally incapable of charming anyone through patience. Her instinct is excellent; her cover is terrible. The mission, in every episode, is for each of them to acquire a version of what the other one has.
The Moscow 1977 setting
1977 places the action at a specific moment in the Cold War. The Brezhnev era: stable but stagnant, the Soviet system past its reformist energy and settling into a rigidity that would take another decade to crack. The city the show builds is not Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy's London or The Americans' Washington suburbs -- it is the other side of the curtain, the streets these women already live on, which gives the geography a different kind of weight. An operative in an enemy city is surveilling unfamiliar territory; Bea and Twila are surveilling the world they go to sleep in.
Tonight's episode has Bea committing her debut burglary -- a practical, granular scene that the show uses to establish how not-ready she is and how she gets there anyway -- and Twila charming an asset, which is equally revealing in the other direction. Rotten Tomatoes at 96% is not a score that arrives by accident.
On Sky Atlantic at 9pm. Full series available on Now.
Hidden Treasures of the National Trust -- BBC Two, 9pm
Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, Series 4. BBC Two at 9pm. Two locations tonight: Ty Mawr Wybrnant, Betws-y-Coed; and Inner Farne, Northumberland. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Series 4 of Hidden Treasures began on 15 May 2026, and tonight pairs two locations that wouldn't obviously sit beside each other on a map. One in the hills of North Wales, one on an island off the Northumberland coast. Both carry the weight of something old and fragile that needs keeping.
Ty Mawr Wybrnant sits near Betws-y-Coed in the Conwy Valley. It is the birthplace of William Morgan, who in 1588 completed the first translation of the entire Bible into Welsh. The significance of that date is not purely religious. The Welsh language had been under legislative pressure since the Acts of Union in the 1530s and 1540s, and Morgan's translation had the practical effect of ensuring the language had a complete, standardised written form at the moment it most needed one. Without it, the question of what Welsh was, in a formal sense, becomes much harder to answer. The volume itself is fragile, and so is the building around it; both are receiving careful attention.
National Trust programming officer Fflur Owen, speaking about Ty Mawr: "It's an ancient place. It shares its history if you are quiet enough and can listen deep enough." It's the kind of observation that might sound like PR if the building didn't have a 1588 Bible translation attached to it.
Inner Farne
Inner Farne is the larger of the Farne Islands, a cluster of rocky outcrops off the Northumberland coast near Bamburgh. In the 7th century, St Cuthbert chose it for the life he actually wanted -- one of solitude and prayer, away from the responsibilities of the bishopric at Lindisfarne that he had held and largely found too much. He lived on the island, kept a small garden, and died there in 687.
The island's chapel has a stained-glass window that needs removing and cleaning -- a task that sounds routine until you consider what the window has accumulated in terms of coastal salt, weather, and centuries. The island is also significant for its puffin population, which nests there in numbers large enough to make conservation a genuine ongoing concern. Puffins are not under immediate threat on Inner Farne, but the management of nesting habitat is the kind of quiet work that does not make headlines until the point where it stops happening.
On BBC Two at 9pm. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Smoggie Queens -- SERIES FINALE -- BBC Three, 10pm and 10.30pm
Smoggie Queens, Series 2, Episodes 5 and 6. BBC Three at 10pm and 10.30pm. SERIES FINALE double bill. Created by and starring Phil Dunning as Dickie. Mark Benton as Mam. Monica Dolan guests as Paula. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Smoggie Queens has done something that Middlesbrough comedy doesn't do often: it has made the town feel like a character with its own weather and its own pride, without making it the punchline. The affection in the writing for Teesside drag culture, and for Dickie's particular version of it (sincere and chaotic in roughly equal measure), has been the series' consistent emotional core.
Series 2 closes with two episodes that are, in structural terms, a pageant and a booking.
Episode 5, "A Smoggie Pageant," takes Dickie back to Middlesbrough for the Mr Teesside Beauty Pageant, which offers a £20,000 prize and the distinct impression that someone is attempting to fix the result. The show uses the pageant format -- already a heightened, theatrical space -- to raise the comic stakes without tipping into farce. The £20,000 prize is enough money to change things for the characters, which means the outcome of the competition actually matters.
The finale
Episode 6, "A Smoggie Show," is the series closer. Dickie is booked for a drag gig after a Cliff Richard impersonator cancels at short notice -- a detail that is funnier the more you think about it, because it implies that whoever made that booking was prepared to accept either. Dickie sees the opportunity clearly enough: he invites talent agents to the performance, banking on the exposure to give him the break he has been working toward.
The complicating element is Monica Dolan as Paula, Mam's ex-wife, who arrives into the episode carrying what the series describes as a ghost from Mam's past. Dolan is a BAFTA-pedigree actor -- her work in The Thief, His Wife and the Widow and W1A and numerous other credits has established her as one of the more precise comic-dramatic performers working in British television. Mark Benton as Mam is another. Placing them opposite each other in the episode's most charged scenes gives the finale a weight that the comedy of the pageant episode doesn't aim for.
The resulting combination -- Phil Dunning's heartfelt chaotic Dickie, Benton's Mam, Dolan's Paula -- makes for an ending that is genuinely sweet without being falsely smooth about it.
On BBC Three at 10pm (Episode 5) and 10.30pm (Episode 6). Both episodes available on BBC iPlayer.
Olly Murs Steps into the Unknown for Soccer Aid -- ITV1, 9pm
Olly Murs Steps into the Unknown for Soccer Aid. ITV1 at 9pm. Available on ITVX. Soccer Aid match: Sunday 31 May, London Stadium, ITV1.
Soccer Aid for UNICEF is 20 years old in 2026. To mark the anniversary, Olly Murs began a 400km endurance challenge on 11 May, starting at Old Trafford in Manchester and ending at London Stadium in East London -- the venue where this year's Soccer Aid match takes place on Sunday 31 May.
The format of the challenge was designed to make it genuinely difficult rather than dramatically difficult: each morning, Murs was told what that day's trial would be. No advance notice, no opportunity to train specifically for a climb or an open-water stretch or a particular run. He arrived at each day's stage with whatever general fitness he had, which is both a reasonable challenge and a structure that generates good television in the specific sense of producing reactions that couldn't have been rehearsed.
The knee injury was not planned. At some point during the challenge, Murs's knee became a problem of the kind that would end most recreational athletes' participation. He continued. The challenge raised £832,257 for UNICEF -- a figure that reflects the reach of Soccer Aid's audience and the visible difficulty of what Murs was doing. The television programme is the account of how he got from Old Trafford to London Stadium, day by day, body permitting.
The Soccer Aid match itself is on Sunday 31 May at London Stadium on ITV1. Two days from now.
On ITV1 at 9pm. Available on ITVX.
Coronation Street -- ITV1, 8.30pm
Coronation Street. ITV1 at 8.30pm. Available on ITVX.
The Theo Silverton storyline has been building toward a formal accusation for several weeks, and tonight it arrives in public rather than in whispered Coronation Street corridors. Todd Grimshaw is accused by Danielle -- Theo's ex-wife -- of having planned Theo's death with the specific purpose of collecting on Theo's life insurance. The accusation is made publicly, which in a soap means it is made in front of the kind of audience that will remember it in every subsequent scene.
On the character of Theo and his relationship with Todd: the Radio Times framing of Theo as "his abuser" is editorial characterisation. The safer description of what the programme has established is that Todd had a fraught and complicated history with Theo, the precise nature of which the murder storyline is now unpacking. What is presented as the murder investigation's core tension is the question of who actually wanted Theo Silverton dead and why.
A key witness changes their account of the night and lies about where they were. A buried secret moves closer to the surface. The show has been holding the killer reveal for later in the summer, which means tonight is accumulation rather than resolution: enough to change the shape of what people think they know, not enough to close it.
On ITV1 at 8.30pm. Available on ITVX.
MasterChef -- Semi-Final Concludes -- BBC One, 8pm
MasterChef, Series 22. BBC One at 8pm. Judges: Anna Haugh and Grace Dent. Guest: Philip Khoury. Available on BBC iPlayer.
The semi-final of Series 22 concludes tonight, sending the remaining contestants into Finals Week. Anna Haugh and Grace Dent have been the judging partnership since the departure of Gregg Wallace and John Torode in 2025, and the series has settled into its rhythm under them.
Philip Khoury's appearance as tonight's guest is worth a note. Khoury founded Khourys confectionery after his time as Head Pastry Chef at Harrods, and his specialism in pastry and sugar work means that tonight's challenge is likely to test that part of contestants' range specifically. Finals Week is the point at which the competition demands consistency across the full range rather than a single strong showing, and the semi-final is where the field of who is capable of that becomes clear.
On BBC One at 8pm. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Have I Got News for You -- BBC One, 9pm
Have I Got News for You. BBC One at 9pm. Host: Katherine Ryan. Team captains: Ian Hislop and Paul Merton. Guests: Jo Coburn and John Tothill. Available on BBC iPlayer.
The rotating guest-host format has survived for more than three decades because the structure carries the weight of whatever the week's news has provided, and the week's news has been providing material for thirty-plus series. Hislop's job -- as the man who edits Private Eye and who is professionally obliged to find the news actively funny as a condition of employment -- and Merton's job -- as the person who approaches the same material from a position of apparent bewilderment -- have remained stable enough that the show can absorb a different host each episode without losing its shape.
Katherine Ryan in the chair is a comfortable fit. Ryan is the kind of comedian who is direct enough to control a panel and irreverent enough not to let formality take over when the show is running on instinct. Jo Coburn brings the political-journalist perspective -- BBC News and politics coverage for two decades -- and John Tothill brings the stand-up comedian's angle. That combination of political insider and comedian is the format's preferred pairing for guests, and tonight has it.
On BBC One at 9pm. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Also worth watching tonight
Under the Vines -- BBC One, 2pm and 2.45pm
Daytime double-bill from the New Zealand-set series. Rebecca Gibney plays Daisy (Australian) and Charles Edwards plays Louis (British), the pair having jointly inherited a struggling vineyard and now managing both the property and a "will they / won't they" situation that the arrival of Louis's ex-wife complicates. A new suitor for Daisy provides a further complicating element in the second episode. The show is warm without being sentimental about it. On BBC One at 2pm and 2.45pm. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Bradley and Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad -- ITV1, 7.30pm
Series 7 of the father-son travel show has Bradley and Barney driving toward Cairns via the Australian Outback. Barney arranges a cattle muster and a pub quiz. Bradley is notably, comfortably clueless until someone in the pub quiz asks who hosts The Chase -- at which point he has the only genuinely useful piece of knowledge of the evening. Barney lists the categories for the Naked Olympics, including the nude three-legged race, which gets the biggest laugh. They do not attempt it themselves, which is the right decision for everyone involved. Not on STV. On ITV1 at 7.30pm. Available on ITVX.
Gardeners' World -- BBC Two, 8pm
Monty Don addresses the question of tomato planting timing, which is the kind of gardening subject that generates genuine disagreement and genuine consequences if you get it wrong. Carol Klein films from her Devon garden and examines what is actually inside a seed, which is the kind of detail the programme does well -- granular enough to be genuinely informative rather than illustrative. Rekha Mistry turns her attention to small-space patio growing, which is where a growing proportion of the programme's audience is working. Beechgrove Garden at 7.30pm on BBC Two (not Wales). On BBC Two at 8pm. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Jazz Night: Miles Davis -- Birth of the Cool -- BBC Four, 9.05pm
The timing is not accidental. Miles Davis was born on 26 May 1926, and BBC Four's Miles Davis programming this week sits squarely in the 100th-anniversary frame -- the birthday fell three days ago, and tonight's documentary is the centrepiece of what becomes an extended music evening. Davis is one of the handful of jazz musicians whose influence runs well beyond the genre: Birth of the Cool, Kind of Blue, Bitches Brew, and Sketches of Spain each belong to different eras and different stylistic territories, and the documentary covers the work that gave the centenary programme its title.
The evening continues at 11pm with Alan Yentob Remembers... Ella Fitzgerald, in which Yentob recounts his experience producing the 1974 Ronnie Scott's TV special. Yentob died in 2025; this is a posthumous repeat, which gives the programme a different kind of texture than it would have had when first broadcast. The night closes at 11.45pm with Cleo Laine at the BBC. On BBC Four at 9.05pm. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Hunting Britain's Fugitives -- Channel 4, 8pm
A Dispatches investigation following Matt Shea as he tracks criminals who are evading justice by moving between the UK and abroad, or by remaining in the UK under the notice of authorities. The Dispatches strand has covered fugitive stories before; this one is a single-film investigation rather than a series. On Channel 4 at 8pm.
Live sport today
French Open Day 6 -- TNT Sports 1 and 4, from 9.30am
Day 6 at Roland Garros takes the tournament into the third round of singles across both draws. The clay at Roland Garros tends to separate players who are nominally equal on faster surfaces -- baseline endurance and topspin margin are worth more here than on grass or hard courts, which is why the draw can look entirely different at this stage than it did in the first week. Live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports 4 from 9.30am BST.
Giro d'Italia Stage 19 -- TNT Sports 3, from 11am
Stage 19 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia runs from Feltre to Alleghe (Piani di Pezzè), covering 151 kilometres with approximately 5,000 metres of climbing. The stage is the Dolomites queen stage -- the one the race has been building toward since the route was first published. Four climbs give it its character, and the fourth is its summit.
Passo Duran opens the account, a long climb that accumulates fatigue without being definitive. Forcella Staulanza follows, then Passo Giau. Passo Giau is the Cima Coppi for the 2026 race -- the highest point the Giro visits this year -- and at that altitude the field that arrives will be considerably smaller than the field that left Feltre. What the leaders do on the Giau often defines the entire final week of a Giro.
Passo Falzarego closes the climbing before the descent into Alleghe and the finish at Piani di Pezzè. Descending ability and team positioning on the Falzarego will matter if the gaps on the Giau are small enough that anyone is still in contact.
Stage 19 of a Giro d'Italia in the Dolomites is one of the half-dozen days in a cycling year that justifies following the race. Live on TNT Sports 3 from 11am BST.
Men's T20 Cricket: Worcestershire Rapids v Warwickshire Bears -- Sky Sports, 5.25pm
Vitality Blast, Central Group. Worcestershire Rapids host Warwickshire Bears at New Road in Worcester -- one of the more pleasant grounds on the county circuit, with the cathedral in the backdrop providing the kind of setting that makes televised T20 cricket easier to sell to a non-specialist audience. Central Group positions make the result meaningful in terms of qualification. Live on Sky Sports Main Event from 5.25pm BST; coverage moves to Sky Sports Cricket at 7pm.
Frequently asked questions
What's on TV tonight Friday 29 May 2026?
Friday 29 May 2026 is headlined by two Sky Atlantic events and two series finales. Hacks reaches its last-ever episode on Sky Atlantic at 10.05pm -- Jean Smart as Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels close out Season 5 and the whole series; available on Now. Ponies is on Sky Atlantic at 9pm -- Emilia Clarke as Bea and Haley Lu Richardson as Twila, CIA operatives in Moscow 1977, created by Susanna Fogel and David Iserson, Rotten Tomatoes 96%; available on Now. BBC Three has the Smoggie Queens Series 2 finale double bill at 10pm and 10.30pm -- Phil Dunning as Dickie, Mark Benton as Mam, Monica Dolan as Mam's ex-wife Paula. ITV1 has Olly Murs Steps into the Unknown for Soccer Aid at 9pm and Coronation Street at 8.30pm. BBC One has MasterChef semi-final concludes at 8pm with guest Philip Khoury, and Have I Got News for You at 9pm with Katherine Ryan hosting. BBC Two has Hidden Treasures of the National Trust Series 4 at 9pm and Gardeners' World at 8pm. BBC Four has Jazz Night: Miles Davis -- Birth of the Cool at 9.05pm -- Davis centenary year. French Open Day 6 is on TNT Sports 1 and 4 from 9.30am. Giro d'Italia Stage 19 -- Passo Giau as Cima Coppi -- is on TNT Sports 3 from 11am. Worcestershire v Warwickshire Vitality Blast T20 is on Sky Sports Main Event from 5.25pm.
What time is the Hacks finale and when did it end?
The Hacks finale airs at 10.05pm BST on Sky Atlantic on Friday 29 May 2026 and runs for 60 minutes, ending at 11.05pm BST. It is the last episode of Season 5 and the final episode of the entire series. Jean Smart stars as Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels. Season 5 picks up after mistaken reports of Deborah's death, with Deborah and Ava returning to Las Vegas to secure her comedy legacy on their own terms. The US finale aired on HBO Max on Thursday 28 May 2026, one day before the UK broadcast. The full series is available on Now.
What is Ponies on Sky Atlantic?
Ponies is a US drama series on Sky Atlantic, airing in the UK from 22 May 2026 and on Peacock in the US. Created by Susanna Fogel and David Iserson, it stars Emilia Clarke as Bea and Haley Lu Richardson as Twila. Set in Moscow in 1977, Bea and Twila are secretaries at the American Embassy -- not trainee spies from scratch -- whose operative husbands die under mysterious circumstances. They are subsequently recruited as CIA operatives themselves; "Persons of No Interest" gives the show its acronym, PONIES. Bea is over-educated, the child of Soviet immigrants, and speaks Russian. Twila is small-town, abrasive, and fearless. Their mission requires each to acquire the other's qualities. Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%. Available on Now.
What is Smoggie Queens about and who is in it?
Smoggie Queens is a BBC Three comedy series created by and starring Phil Dunning as Dickie, a drag performer from Middlesbrough. Mark Benton plays Mam, Dickie's mother. Series 2 closes on Friday 29 May 2026 with a double bill at 10pm and 10.30pm on BBC Three. Episode 5, "A Smoggie Pageant," returns to Middlesbrough for the Mr Teesside Beauty Pageant, which carries a £20,000 prize that someone may be attempting to fix. Episode 6, "A Smoggie Show" (the series finale), sees Dickie booked for a drag gig after a Cliff Richard impersonator drops out; he invites talent agents hoping for a career breakthrough, while Mam faces a ghost from her past in the form of Monica Dolan as Paula, Mam's ex-wife. Both series are available on BBC iPlayer.
Where does Hidden Treasures of the National Trust film tonight?
Hidden Treasures of the National Trust Series 4 films at two locations tonight on BBC Two at 9pm on Friday 29 May 2026. The first is Ty Mawr Wybrnant, the stone cottage near Betws-y-Coed in the Conwy Valley, North Wales -- birthplace of William Morgan, who produced the first complete Welsh translation of the Bible in 1588. National Trust programming officer Fflur Owen speaks on camera about the building's conservation. The second location is Inner Farne, the largest of the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast near Bamburgh, where the 7th-century monk St Cuthbert lived a hermit's life until his death in 687. Tonight's segment covers the removal and cleaning of a chapel stained-glass window and puffin habitat conservation. Available on BBC iPlayer.
What is Olly Murs's Soccer Aid challenge?
Olly Murs Steps into the Unknown for Soccer Aid is on ITV1 at 9pm on Friday 29 May 2026. Starting on 11 May 2026, Murs undertook a 400km endurance challenge for Soccer Aid for UNICEF's 20th anniversary. The route ran from Old Trafford in Manchester to London Stadium in East London -- the venue of this year's Soccer Aid match. The twist was that each day's trial was revealed only that morning, giving Murs no advance preparation time for climbs, open-water stretches, or other physical tests. He suffered a knee injury during the challenge. The challenge raised £832,257. The Soccer Aid match itself takes place on Sunday 31 May 2026 at London Stadium on ITV1. Available on ITVX.
Who hosts Have I Got News for You tonight?
Katherine Ryan hosts Have I Got News for You on BBC One at 9pm on Friday 29 May 2026. Permanent team captains Ian Hislop (editor of Private Eye) and Paul Merton return. Guests are Jo Coburn (BBC News political journalist) and John Tothill (stand-up comedian). HIGNFY uses a rotating guest-host format introduced after Angus Deayton's departure in 2002. Available on BBC iPlayer.
What is the Giro d'Italia route today?
Giro d'Italia 2026 Stage 19 runs from Feltre to Alleghe (Piani di Pezzè) on Friday 29 May 2026, covering 151 kilometres with approximately 5,000 metres of climbing. It is the Dolomites queen stage of the 109th Giro. The route tackles four key climbs in order: Passo Duran, Forcella Staulanza, Passo Giau, and Passo Falzarego. Passo Giau is designated the Cima Coppi -- the highest point of the entire 2026 Giro d'Italia at 2,236 metres above sea level. Live on TNT Sports 3 from 11am BST.
When is Soccer Aid 2026 and where can I watch it?
Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2026 takes place on Sunday 31 May 2026 at London Stadium in Stratford, East London (the West Ham United home ground). It is the 20th anniversary edition of the charity match, which has raised more than £100 million for UNICEF since its 2006 launch. The match is broadcast live on ITV1 and ITVX, with build-up coverage from late afternoon and kick-off at 7.30pm BST. The Friday 29 May documentary Olly Murs Steps into the Unknown for Soccer Aid on ITV1 at 9pm sits in the build-up programming.
What happens in Coronation Street tonight Friday 29 May 2026?
In Coronation Street on ITV1 at 8.30pm on Friday 29 May 2026, the chaotic night of Theo Silverton's murder is revisited through flashbacks. Todd Grimshaw is publicly accused by Theo's ex-wife Danielle of having orchestrated Theo's death in order to cash in on his life insurance. A key witness changes their story and lies about their whereabouts on the night of the murder. A buried secret resurfaces. A full killer reveal is expected later in the summer. Available on ITVX.
Who is Philip Khoury and why is he on MasterChef tonight?
Philip Khoury is the founder of Khourys confectionery and the former Head Pastry Chef at Harrods. He appears as the guest judge on MasterChef Series 22 on BBC One at 8pm on Friday 29 May 2026, as the semi-final reaches its conclusion and the remaining contestants advance to Finals Week. Judges Anna Haugh and Grace Dent preside alongside him. Available on BBC iPlayer.
What is the Miles Davis centenary connection for BBC Four tonight?
Miles Davis was born on 26 May 1926, making 2026 his centenary year. BBC Four airs Jazz Night: Miles Davis -- Birth of the Cool at 9.05pm on Friday 29 May 2026, three days after the precise anniversary date. The evening continues at 11pm with Alan Yentob Remembers... Ella Fitzgerald -- Yentob recounts producing the 1974 Ronnie Scott's TV special; this is a posthumous repeat, as Yentob died in 2025. The night closes at 11.45pm with Cleo Laine at the BBC. All available on BBC iPlayer.
Tonight's final word
Friday 29 May has its weight distributed across two channels and three finales. Sky Atlantic at 9pm and 10.05pm accounts for the evening's most anticipated television: Ponies settling into what its 96% Rotten Tomatoes score suggested it was going to be, and Hacks closing down a five-year run with the kind of finale that Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder have earned the right to give it.
BBC Three's Smoggie Queens ending at 10pm and 10.30pm is a smaller-scale affair but not a lesser one. Phil Dunning has written a comedy that found its audience without making a noise about finding it, and Monica Dolan arriving for the finale -- as the ex-wife who constitutes Mam's unfinished business -- is the kind of casting choice that elevates the final episode above what it needed to be.
The Giro d'Italia Stage 19 from 11am is, by the standard of mountain cycling, the kind of stage that produces the decisive moves of a three-week race. Passo Giau as the Cima Coppi means the highest-altitude stage of the 2026 Giro happens today, in the Dolomites, on roads that were not designed with cycling in mind and are worse for it in the best possible way. Watch it on TNT Sports 3 from 11am.
Half Man's series finale has been on BBC iPlayer since 6am. The Giro descends into Alleghe. Soccer Aid is Sunday. Marilyn Monroe's centenary is four days away on Monday 1 June.
Check what's on right now, browse tonight's highlights, or find any channel through the full channels list.