Monday 20th April is a stronger night than most, so what's on TV tonight worth your time? BBC One launches what looks like its best new drama of the spring, BBC Two wraps up not one but two major quiz series on the same evening, and Channel 4 gives over most of its night to one of the most significant anniversaries in nuclear history. This tv guide covers every highlight from 7pm to midnight. Browse the full tv listings below, check the tonight highlights for live updates, see what's on right now, or head to BBC One's full schedule for the complete picture. The Freeview TV guide has plenty to work with tonight.
What's On TV Tonight: Quick Picks
- Mint ⭐ – BBC One, 9pm – NEW SERIES double bill; crime family drama; Emma Laird, Laura Fraser, Lindsay Duncan; three generations of women in central Scotland; the must-watch launch of the spring
- Mastermind – BBC Two, 7:30pm – GRAND FINAL; Clive Myrie; six specialists; Dame Julie Andrews to Jim Lovell
- University Challenge – BBC Two, 8:30pm – GRAND FINAL; Amol Rajan; S55 grand final
- Suez – Channel 4, 9pm – NEW; hour-by-hour account of the 1956 crisis; feels uncomfortably relevant
- Crystal Palace v West Ham – Sky Sports, 8pm – Monday Night Football; West Ham fighting for survival
See what's on right now for live updates.
TV Guide: Early Evening (7pm – 9pm)
EastEnders – BBC One, 7:30pm
Priya is doing her best to help Ravi, Nugget finally pushes back on something that has clearly been building for a while, and Lauren is looking into a new business direction. Standard Monday EastEnders -- the show keeps the plates spinning ahead of whatever is coming later in the week. Catch up on BBC iPlayer.
How to Clean Up for Cash – ITV1, 7:30pm
Episode 2 of the new series. Josie and the team are secretly helping Ashley go through the lifetime of auction lot purchases his mum Mandy has accumulated. The valuation element gives the show a practical hook -- there is always the possibility that something extraordinary is buried in the pile. A comfortable early evening watch.
Mastermind – BBC Two, 7:30pm
The grand final, and it is a good one. Clive Myrie hosts the 31st and last episode of series 22 as six contestants take their turn in the black chair. The specialist subjects tonight are a properly varied selection: Dame Julie Andrews, the films of Danny Boyle, Beatrix Potter, Robert Burns, the story of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the astronaut Jim Lovell. Quiz night on BBC Two starts here -- don't miss the general knowledge rounds, which is where these finals are usually won or lost.
Emmerdale – ITV1, 8pm
Charity goes into labour, which is the kind of storyline that tends to ripple across several episodes before resolving in entirely unexpected ways. Jacob has a secret meeting. The village's capacity for simultaneous crises remains impressive.
University Challenge – BBC Two, 8:30pm
The series 55 grand final. Amol Rajan hosts two teams competing to be crowned this year's champions. After Mastermind's final at 7:30pm, BBC Two is effectively running a two-hour quiz evening, which is exactly what a rainy April Monday was made for. The finals always bring out the most impressive performers of the series -- expect questions that make you feel both impressed and quietly humbled.
Coronation Street – ITV1, 8:30pm
Debbie gets the news that Carl is in hospital. Jodie sees something she probably wasn't supposed to see. Theo gives Summer a clearer picture of who he actually is, and it's not a flattering portrait.
TV Tonight: Prime Time (9pm onwards)
Mint ⭐ – BBC One, 9pm
This is the one. BBC One launches Charlotte Regan's new drama with a back-to-back double bill -- episodes 1 and 2 tonight -- which signals some confidence from the corporation in what they've got. Regan is the writer-director behind Scrapper, the film that announced her as a distinctive voice in British cinema, and Mint is her move into television drama.
The premise is essentially a Scottish crime family seen through three generations of women. Shannon (Emma Laird) is the central figure -- Juliet to the play's Romeo and Juliet structure, caught between the wildly different ways her mother and grandmother have navigated life inside a criminal world. Her mother Cat (Laura Fraser) is a romantic idealist. Her grandmother Ollie (Lindsay Duncan) has no such illusions, and is considerably more pragmatic about what the family business actually involves.
What lifts it above the crowd of crime dramas is Regan's perspective. She is not interested in the usual mechanics of the genre -- the police procedural, the gang warfare escalation, the alpha male at the top of the hierarchy. She is interested in what it looks like from inside the family, particularly from the women who hold it together. Duncan, Fraser, and Laird are all excellent. The tone is darker than Scrapper but carries the same quality of watching people who happen to be working class and living difficult lives without the camera treating those facts as the entire point. One of the better BBC One drama launches in some time.
Suez: 24 Hours That Broke the British Empire – Channel 4, 9pm
Part one of two. The 1956 Suez Crisis framed as a real-time account -- events followed hour by hour through a single dramatic day. It opens with Anthony Eden being woken in the middle of the night to receive a stark communication from the Soviet Union, and the pace rarely lets up from there.
The documentary's argument, implicit rather than stated, is that the parallels between Suez and more recent Western military overreach in the Middle East are hard to miss. A powerful nation launches a military operation convinced of its rightness, emerges weakened and humiliated, and the global balance shifts. The film has the confidence not to labour the point. Part two is tomorrow night.
Egypt with Dan Snow – Channel 5, 9pm
Dan Snow begins a three-part travelogue in Luxor, which means early morning alarms to reach temples and tombs before the coach parties arrive, a Nile trip, a camel ride in the desert, and a hotel that sounds more eccentric with every description. Snow is an enthusiastic host rather than a probing one -- this is a window onto Egypt rather than an investigation of it -- but the locations are magnificent enough that enthusiasm is probably sufficient. More on Tuesday.
Great British Menu: The Finals – BBC Two, 9pm
Eight weeks of regional heats have come down to this. The winning chefs are back in the kitchen competing for the right to have their course served at the banquet celebrating British filmmaking. Guest judge tonight is director Marli Siu. The finals run every night this week, with Friday's banquet at Liverpool's St George's Hall as the culmination.
TV Guide UK: Late Night
Chernobyl%3A%20Days%20That%20Shocked%20the%20World" class="show-link">Chernobyl: Days That Shocked the World – Channel 4, 10pm
The second major documentary of the evening on Channel 4, and the one tied to the approaching anniversary. The 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster falls on 26 April 2026 -- just six days from tonight -- and Channel 4 has scheduled this two-parter to mark it. Survivors from Pripyat, the town built around the nuclear plant, give their testimony about the hours and days following the explosion. Children there had been taught that atomic energy was the safest technology in existence. The night of 26 April 1986 ended that particular lesson. Two episodes back to back from 10pm to midnight.
Have I Got News for You – BBC One, 10:40pm
Gabby Logan hosts this week's episode with Miles Jupp and Michelle Wolf on the panels. Wolf's American perspective tends to produce noticeably different takes on British political news, which is either refreshing or disorienting depending on how you feel about the week's events.
Euphoria – Sky Atlantic, 10:15pm
Series 3 continues with episode 2. Sydney Sweeney's Cassie takes centre stage, with the episode framing itself around questions of redemption and moral responsibility. The show remains committed to its visual intensity.
Sport
Crystal Palace v West Ham – Sky Sports Main Event/PL, 8pm
Monday Night Football brings us a match with real stakes for West Ham. They're in a relegation battle, and a trip to Crystal Palace is exactly the kind of fixture that defines whether a team escapes or doesn't. Kick-off is 8pm.
World Snooker Championship Day 3 – BBC Four, 7pm–10pm
The Crucible returns for another evening session. BBC Four carries live coverage from 7pm to 10pm. TNT Sports 1 and 3 also have sessions throughout the day. The tournament continues to build towards the final weekend.
Boston Marathon – TNT Sports 2, 2pm
30,000 runners on the streets of Boston. The race itself is the spectacle -- the individual stories tend to be the best part of the coverage.
Tonight's TV Listings: Full Schedule
Here are the full tv listings for Monday 20th April 2026 across all major Freeview, Sky, and streaming channels.
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 2pm | TNT Sports 2 | Boston Marathon |
| 3pm | Sky Sports Main Event | IPL Cricket: Gujarat Titans v Mumbai Indians |
| 5pm | CBeebies | Balamory |
| 6pm | CBBC | The Lady Grace Mysteries (NEW SERIES) |
| 6:30pm | Sky Sports Main Event/PL | Crystal Palace v West Ham (pre-match) |
| 7pm | BBC Four | World Snooker Championship Day 3 (LIVE) |
| 7:30pm | BBC One | EastEnders |
| 7:30pm | BBC Two | Mastermind (GRAND FINAL, S22 Ep 31) |
| 7:30pm | ITV1 | How to Clean Up for Cash (Ep 2) |
| 8pm | ITV1 | Emmerdale |
| 8pm | Sky Sports Main Event/PL | Crystal Palace v West Ham (k/o 8pm) |
| 8:30pm | BBC Two | University Challenge (GRAND FINAL, S55 Ep 37) |
| 8:30pm | ITV1 | Coronation Street |
| 8:30pm | BBC One | What Happened at Chernobyl |
| 9pm | BBC One | Mint (NEW SERIES, Eps 1 & 2) |
| 9pm | BBC Two | Great British Menu: The Finals |
| 9pm | Channel 4 | Suez: 24 Hours That Broke the British Empire (NEW, Part 1) |
| 9pm | Channel 5 | Egypt with Dan Snow (NEW SERIES, Ep 1) |
| 9pm | ITV1 | I'm a Celebrity... South Africa (S2 Ep 11) |
| 9pm | Sky Atlantic | Chernobyl (2019 drama – Jared Harris, Emily Watson) |
| 9pm | National Geographic | Chernobyl: Inside The Meltdown (Eps 3 & 4) |
| 10pm | BBC Two | Charmain and the Prophet (Ep 2) |
| 10pm | Channel 4 | Chernobyl: Days That Shocked the World (NEW, Parts 1 & 2) |
| 10pm | Sky One | Rooster (S1 Ep 7) |
| 10:15pm | Sky Atlantic | Euphoria (S3 Ep 2) |
| 10:40pm | BBC One | Have I Got News for You |
| 11pm | ITV1 | The Murder Line (Ep 4) |
Freeview TV Guide: What's On Streaming
Can't watch live? Here's where to find everything on catch-up and streaming tonight:
BBC iPlayer: Mint (both episodes), EastEnders, Have I Got News for You, Mastermind grand final, University Challenge grand final, Great British Menu: The Finals, World Snooker Championship, Charmain and the Prophet
ITVX: I'm a Celebrity South Africa, How to Clean Up for Cash, Emmerdale, Coronation Street, The Murder Line
Channel 4 streaming: Suez: 24 Hours That Broke the British Empire, Chernobyl: Days That Shocked the World
My5: Egypt with Dan Snow (all episodes available the following day)
NOW TV / Sky: Euphoria, Chernobyl (2019 drama), Crystal Palace v West Ham (subscription required)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EastEnders on TV tonight, Monday 20th April 2026?
Yes. EastEnders is on BBC One tonight at 7:30pm. Priya tries to help Ravi, Nugget stands up for himself, and Lauren looks into a new business venture. All episodes are available on BBC iPlayer.
What time is Mint on BBC One tonight?
Mint starts on BBC One at 9pm tonight with a double bill -- episodes 1 and 2 back to back. It's a new crime family drama from Charlotte Regan, the writer-director of Scrapper, starring Emma Laird, Laura Fraser, and Lindsay Duncan across three generations of women. Both episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer immediately after broadcast.
What time are the Mastermind and University Challenge finals on tonight?
The Mastermind grand final is on BBC Two at 7:30pm tonight, hosted by Clive Myrie. The University Challenge grand final follows directly at 8:30pm, hosted by Amol Rajan. It's a rare occasion where both quiz finals land on the same night on the same channel.
What time is Suez on Channel 4 tonight?
Suez: 24 Hours That Broke the British Empire is on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight, Monday 20th April 2026. Part one of two. Part two is tomorrow night. It's available on Channel 4 streaming.
Why is Chernobyl on four channels tonight?
The 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster falls on 26 April 2026, and multiple broadcasters have timed their programming to mark it. Tonight you'll find Chernobyl content on BBC One (What Happened at Chernobyl, 8:30pm), Channel 4 (Chernobyl: Days That Shocked the World, 10pm), Sky Atlantic (the acclaimed 2019 drama series, 9pm), and National Geographic (Chernobyl: Inside The Meltdown, 9pm). Four channels, one catastrophe, one approaching anniversary.
What's the best thing to watch on TV tonight?
Mint on BBC One at 9pm is the clear pick -- it's the kind of drama launch that doesn't come around too often, from a filmmaker with a clearly distinctive voice. If you'd rather start earlier, the Mastermind and University Challenge back-to-back grand finals on BBC Two from 7:30pm make for an excellent quiz double-header. Channel 4's Suez documentary at 9pm is worth your time if the listings throw up a scheduling conflict.
TV Guide UK: Final Verdict
Monday nights often struggle to compete with the weight of programming earlier in the week, but 20th April is an exception. The Mastermind and University Challenge grand finals running back to back on BBC Two from 7:30pm is one of those scheduling decisions that rewards viewers who pay attention. BBC One's Mint at 9pm is the kind of drama launch worth committing to from the first episode. And four channels covering Chernobyl simultaneously -- in the week of the 40th anniversary -- is the sort of thing that only television can pull off.
Use the full channels list, check what's on right now, or see the tonight highlights for a live overview. This tv guide for Monday 20th April has strong viewing from 7:30pm right through to midnight.