What's on TV tonight, Saturday 9th May 2026? The schedule serves up a proper send-off for one of Britain's greatest screen careers, the conclusion of the best foreign-language drama BBC Four has aired this spring, a packed afternoon of football and rugby, and a new series that transplants a Dashiell Hammett detective to 1960s rural France. It is a Saturday that rewards having a plan. Browse the full Freeview TV guide for live channel updates, or check what's on right now.
What's On TV Tonight: Quick Picks
- The Miracle Club ⭐ -- BBC Two, 7.20pm -- Maggie Smith's final film role; 2023 Irish comedy drama; Kathy Bates, Laura Linney, Agnes O'Casey; preceded by Maggie Smith at the BBC at 6.20pm (not NI; 12.05am Wales)
- The Count of Monte Cristo ⭐ -- BBC Four, 9pm + 9.50pm -- LAST IN SERIES; final double bill eps 3 & 4; Pierre Niney; vengeance reaches its reckoning
- Monsieur Spade -- U&Drama, 9pm -- NEW SERIES Ep 1; Clive Owen as retired Sam Spade in 1963 Bozouls, France; daughter of The Maltese Falcon's Brigid O'Shaughnessy arrives
- Britain's Got Talent -- ITV1, 7pm -- S19 Ep 11; third live semi-final; Ant and Dec; two hours live
- Liverpool v Chelsea -- TNT Sports 1, coverage 11am (k/o 12.30pm) -- Premier League title run-in; Anfield
- Rugby League Challenge Cup SF -- BBC One, 2pm (k/o 2.30pm) -- St Helens v Wigan Warriors; Halliwell Jones Stadium; free to watch
See what's on right now for live updates.
TV Guide: Afternoon (1pm -- 5pm)
Dermot's Taste of Ireland -- ITV1, 12 noon
Series 1, Episode 2. Dermot O'Leary heads to Ballycastle, a former Viking settlement on the North Antrim coast, to discover Irish blueberry baking and a family farm that is making a case for rose veal. There is also wildlife-watching near Rathlin Island, where puffins arrive in spring. Gentle lunch-hour television that earns its slot. Available on ITVX.
Women's Six Nations: Italy v England -- BBC Two, 1.30pm
Live from the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma. The penultimate round of the Women's Six Nations, with England travelling to Italy for a fixture that has become genuinely competitive in recent seasons. Coverage from 1.30pm; kick-off approximately 2pm. On BBC Two and available on BBC iPlayer.
Rugby League Challenge Cup Semi-Final: St Helens v Wigan Warriors -- BBC One, 2pm ⭐
There is no fixture in Rugby League quite like this one. St Helens and Wigan Warriors have been contesting derbies for well over a century, and when they meet in a Challenge Cup semi-final the occasion arrives with its own weight. Saints host Wigan at the Halliwell Jones Stadium; twenty-one Cup wins sit in Wigan's cabinet, which gives you the size of what they are defending. Coverage from 2pm on BBC One nationwide, kick-off 2.30pm. Free to watch, available on BBC iPlayer. The BBC Red Button has extended coverage from 7pm.
Women's Six Nations: Scotland v France -- BBC Two, 4pm
Live from the Hive Stadium. Scotland against France in the Women's Six Nations, coverage from 4pm with kick-off at 4.15pm. Follows Italy v England on BBC Two. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Regional note: The third Women's Six Nations match tonight -- Ireland v Wales -- is on BBC One Wales from 6pm (kick-off 6.30pm) and BBC Two NI from 6.20pm. It is a live broadcast from the Affidea Stadium in Belfast, presented by Nicola McCarthy. Viewers outside Wales and Northern Ireland will not see it on the main BBC schedules.
Liverpool v Chelsea -- TNT Sports 1, coverage 11am (k/o 12.30pm) ⭐
Premier League matchday 36. Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield in exactly the fixture the title run-in was built for. Liverpool and Arsenal are in the mix together in the final weeks of the 2025-26 season, so this result carries implications beyond three points. Coverage from 11am on TNT Sports 1, kick-off 12.30pm. Post-match analysis from around 2.45pm on TNT Sports 2. A TNT Sports or discovery+ subscription is required.
ITV Racing: Lingfield, Ascot, Haydock -- ITV1, 12.45pm
Oli Bell presents ITV Racing live from Lingfield, Ascot, and Haydock, with analysis from Jason Weaver and Leonna Mayor. A busy afternoon of flat racing covering three meetings. Coverage runs from 12.45pm to 3.30pm on ITV1, available on ITVX.
World Seniors Snooker Championship Semi-Finals -- Channel 5, 12.30pm
The World Seniors Championship reaches the last four at the Crucible. Ronnie O'Sullivan headlines the field. Live coverage from 12.30pm to 5pm on Channel 5. The evening session continues on 5 Action from 7pm.
TV Guide: Early Evening (5pm -- 8pm)
Man City v Brentford -- Sky Sports Main Event, 5pm (k/o 5.30pm)
Manchester City host Brentford at the Etihad in the Premier League's Saturday Night Football slot. With Arsenal also in contention, City's result here matters. Coverage from 5pm on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League; kick-off 5.30pm. Match of the Day on BBC One from 10.20pm carries highlights. Sky Sports or NOW subscription required for the live match.
Celebrity Bridge of Lies -- BBC One, 5.40pm
Series 3, episode 4 of 10. Ross Kemp's high-stakes quiz brings in Charlie Brooks, Dr Amir Khan, Sara Damergi, and Tim Vine. Charlie Brooks -- best known for EastEnders -- crosses the bridge first; Tim Vine apparently has thoughts about football and running up the wing. A reliable early-evening watch before the heavier programming arrives. See the full BBC One schedule for tonight. BBC Two Wales airs this at 6.50pm.
Celebrity Catchphrase -- ITV1, 6pm
Series 10, episode 9. Stephen Mulhern hosts Frankie Bridge, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, and Harry Pinero for tonight's instalment. Say what you see, win money for charity. Note that Harry Pinero also appears in Blankety Blank tonight -- a busy evening for him. Available on ITVX.
Maggie Smith at the BBC -- BBC Two, 6.20pm
Celia Imrie narrates an hour-long celebration of Dame Maggie Smith's life, work, and television appearances. This is the lead-in to The Miracle Club at 7.20pm and turns the BBC Two evening into a proper tribute to one of the finest screen actors Britain has produced. Not available in this slot in Northern Ireland; Wales airs the documentary at 12.05am on 10 May.
Blankety Blank -- BBC One, 6.25pm
Series 4, episode 5 of 10. Bradley Walsh hosts a panel tonight that includes Julian Clary, Sophie Willan, Harry Pinero, Liza Tarbuck, Judi Love, and Tom Allen -- a strong set of blanks-fillers, notably heavier on comedy writers than the format sometimes assembles. Available on BBC iPlayer.
The Main Event: The Miracle Club ⭐ -- BBC Two, 7.20pm (Wales: 8.10pm; NI: 8.30pm)
Dame Maggie Smith died in September 2024. She was 89 years old and had been acting for nearly seven decades -- theatre, film, television, from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie to Downton Abbey, from California Suite to the Harry Potter films. The Miracle Club, a 2023 Irish comedy drama, was the last film she made. BBC Two is airing it tonight preceded by an hour-long tribute programme, and that combination makes Saturday 9 May an evening worth keeping clear.
The film is set in Dublin in 1967. Three housewives -- Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates), and Dolly (Agnes O'Casey) -- win a parish trip to Lourdes. Chrissie (Laura Linney), who left Dublin and the neighbourhood years ago under circumstances nobody has forgiven, returns and joins them. What follows is a comedy drama about old wounds, small grudges held for decades, the quiet faith of ordinary people, and what it means to travel somewhere with the hope of something changing. The chuckles are plentiful, as the Radio Times noted -- this is not a solemn film and was never intended to be.
Smith plays Lily with the dry precision and the economy of movement that she never lost. Kathy Bates gives Eileen a warmth that steadies the whole thing. Agnes O'Casey, as Dolly, whose mute son is the reason for her particular hope in Lourdes, earns her place alongside three more established names. And Linney, as ever, does nothing wrong.
Orson Welles ended his career as the voice of a Transformer. Maggie Smith ended hers here, in a small Irish comedy drama that understood exactly what to ask of her. That is the better outcome.
Maggie Smith at the BBC is on BBC Two at 6.20pm (not available in this slot in NI). The Miracle Club follows at 7.20pm on BBC Two (8.10pm Wales; 8.30pm NI). Both available on BBC iPlayer.
TV Guide: Prime Time (7pm -- 10pm)
Britain's Got Talent -- ITV1, 7pm ⭐
Series 19, episode 11. The third live semi-final brings another round of acts who came through the auditions into the live format -- which is a different proposition entirely from those earlier recordings. There is a live audience, a live vote, and the acts carry the weight of both. Ant and Dec host. Two hours of prime-time entertainment that earns its place in the Saturday schedule and always has. See the full ITV1 schedule for tonight.
Michael McIntyre's Big Show -- BBC One, 7pm
Series 6, episode 3 of 6. Michael McIntyre hosts from the Theatre Royal Drury Lane with Joe Lycett -- reliably good value in any format -- and James Arthur as musical guest. The Saturday machine is running, the Midnight Gameshow is presumably alarming someone, and Send to All is undoubtedly extracting something inadvisable from a celebrity's phone. One point worth flagging: there is no new Doctor Who episode on BBC One tonight. The 7pm slot is McIntyre's Big Show; BBC Three is airing archive Matt Smith-era Series 7 episodes, which are Saturday repeats, not a new series.
Steam Train Diaries -- Channel 4, 7pm
Episode 1 of 4. Paul 'Piglet' Middleton travels through the North York Moors National Park on heritage steam engines, starting with the Grosmont to Goathland run. A pleasant new addition to Channel 4's factual schedule for those who find steam railways a satisfying way to spend a Saturday evening. Available on Channel 4 streaming.
World's Most Secret Hotels -- Channel 4, 8pm
Series 2, episode 4. Tonight's locations: a mountain retreat carved into Mount Pilatus in Switzerland; a Brutalist classic in Mexico that has somehow been repurposed as luxury accommodation; a working lighthouse hotel on La Palma; off-grid pods in the English countryside designed for a digital detox; and a coaching inn in Rye, East Sussex, that is understood to have ghosts and hidden tunnels. You cannot afford any of them. That is not the point. Available on Channel 4 streaming.
Angela Rippon's River Cruises -- Channel 5, 8pm
New series, episode 1 of 4. Angela Rippon -- who, following her Strictly appearance, has become the presenter adventure television seems to have realised it has been waiting for -- travels the Danube, taking in Budapest and Vienna. In Vienna she learns the Viennese waltz and attends the Spanish Riding School. Later episodes in the four-part series move further afield: Cambodia and Vietnam. A solid new travel series with the right presenter at the right time. Available on My5.
The Weakest Link -- BBC One, 8pm
Series 3, episode 11 of 14. Tonight's celebrity contestants include Barry McGuigan, Karen Hauer, Joe Thomas, Elaine C Smith, Tomasz Schafernaker, Vikkstar, Katie Thistleton, and Shivi Ramoutar. The format holds.
Casualty -- BBC One, 8.45pm
Series 47, episode 3 of 12. The Wyvern Hill Estate storyline, which the series has been building toward, sharpens tonight. The estate is ground zero for a pattern of unexplained illness -- premature births, respiratory cases, heart conditions -- that is overwhelming the ED. An explosion in the neighbourhood brings the armed forces in. Colonel Jack Bard, played by Mark Womack, arrives with an authority that makes paramedic Teddy (Milo Clarke) nervous. Meanwhile, Matty risks his career for Stevie, which is the domestic complication running alongside the larger crisis. Toxic town territory, handled with the procedural confidence of a show that has been doing this for nearly four decades. Available on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
BBC Two from 8.45pm: Simply Red Night
BBC Two follows The Miracle Club with a Simply Red tribute double bill that runs to midnight.
Simply Red at the BBC (8.45pm) collects the best of the band's BBC archive performances across four decades -- Stars, Something Got Me Started, Holding Back the Years, and the covers that have always sat alongside the originals in their catalogue. Mick Hucknall and an ever-changing band lineup; a run of commercial peak-era performances that holds up better than most of that era does.
40 Years of Simply Red: Holding Back the Years follows at 10.15pm. This is the concert film from the Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile, recorded on the 40th anniversary tour -- the full live experience from a band that has always known what it is. Not in Wales at these times; Welsh viewers get the Simply Red programming from 10.35pm after a Gardeners' World repeat.
Available on BBC iPlayer.
The Late Night Prestige Slot: A Double Bill at 9pm
Saturday 9 May offers two notable 9pm options on separate channels.
The Count of Monte Cristo -- BBC Four, 9pm + 9.50pm ⭐
Last in series. The four-part French-language adaptation of Alexandre Dumas reaches its conclusion tonight. Episode 3 (9pm): Embedded in Parisian high society, the Count has been methodically dismantling the lives of those who betrayed him -- but the collateral damage is spreading to people who did not deserve to be caught in it. Episode 4 (9.50pm): Edmond must choose between the revenge he has spent years building toward and the mercy that would cost him everything he has become.
Pierre Niney has been exceptional throughout. He plays Edmond's transformation with a controlled intensity that makes the character frightening rather than sympathetic, which is precisely the right call -- a Dumas hero who has made himself into a weapon requires that kind of reading. The series has been BBC Four's best drama offering of the spring, and the finale delivers on what the first two episodes established. Both episodes available on BBC iPlayer; the full series is already up there if you need to catch up before tonight.
Monsieur Spade -- U&Drama, 9pm ⭐
New series, episode 1. The premise: Sam Spade -- Dashiell Hammett's fictional private detective, best known from The Maltese Falcon -- has retired to the real French village of Bozouls, near Rodez in Aveyron. It is 1963. He arrived years earlier, fell for a vineyard owner, married her, and stayed on as a widower when she died. His golden years are being lived out in the kind of deliberate obscurity that suits a man of his profession.
Then Teresa arrives. She is the daughter of Brigid O'Shaughnessy -- the woman from The Maltese Falcon, the one who used Spade and whom he handed over to the police at the end of the novel. Her father must be found; her grandmother, the kind of woman who pulls a shotgun without particular ceremony, is involved. Bozouls goes noir.
Clive Owen brings the right balance of weariness and dry wit. The Bogart comparisons are there in the performance without being worn like a costume -- Owen is playing Spade as someone who has had those comparisons made about him and is tired of them, which is the correct interpretation. The 1963 setting and the French location give the series a visual texture that distinguishes it from standard British crime drama. Worth ninety minutes of a Saturday night. On U&Drama (Freeview channel 21, Sky 149); catch-up via UKTV Play.
Charles: The Women Who Made the King -- Channel 5, 9pm
New 90-minute documentary examining four women in Charles III's life and how each one shaped the man and the monarch. The Queen Mother is credited with the gardens and the arts; Elizabeth II with the sense of duty that runs through everything he does publicly; Diana with making him a hands-on father in a way the institution had not previously required; and Camilla with giving him something that was not available to him as Prince of Wales -- a private life that actually functions. The documentary runs until 10.30pm. Available on My5.
The Equalizer -- Channel 4, 9pm
Antoine Fuqua's 2014 thriller. Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, an ex-soldier with a very particular set of skills who comes out of retirement when a young woman he has befriended is assaulted. The premise is familiar and Washington's execution of it is not. One hundred and thirty-two minutes; runs to 11.40pm. Available on Channel 4 streaming.
Not Going Out -- BBC One, 9.30pm
Series 13, episode 6 of 6. The series finale. Lee deploys his collected free discount vouchers to spend the night in a mid-range hotel, which is exactly the kind of premise that Not Going Out has always done well -- small ambitions, large complications. Contains adult humour. A reliable send-off for the run. Available on BBC iPlayer.
TV Guide UK: Late Night
Saturday Night Live UK -- Sky One, 10pm
Series 1, episode 7. The British take on live sketch comedy and satire continues into the back half of its first run. Host and musical guest have not been confirmed in advance listings -- check your Sky guide or Sky Go on the night. Seventy-five minutes. See the full Sky One schedule for tonight.
Match of the Day -- BBC One, 10.20pm
Gabby Logan presents highlights from five Premier League games: Manchester City v Brentford and Liverpool v Chelsea are the headline acts in a title race that is producing decisions that define seasons. Also covered: Brighton v Wolves, Fulham v Bournemouth, and Sunderland v Man United. The closing weeks of the 2025-26 season mean every highlights package carries relegation and European implications alongside the title story. Available on BBC iPlayer.
The Dark Knight Rises -- ITV1, 9.20pm (post-BGT)
Christopher Nolan's 2012 Batman conclusion. Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne; Tom Hardy as Bane; a Gotham that has run out of the will to defend itself. Runs until 12.25am. The standard ITV1 post-BGT film choice: long, loud, and exactly right for the post-semi-final audience.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle -- Film4, 9pm
Taron Egerton returns for the 2017 sequel, with Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, and Jeff Bridges joining the cast. More of the same, at higher volume, which is what the first film's audience ordered. Pre-film: The Martian (2015, Matt Damon) runs on Film4 from 6.15pm.
TV Guide: Sport on Saturday 9 May 2026
Liverpool v Chelsea -- TNT Sports 1, k/o 12.30pm
Premier League matchday 36. Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield with the title race entering its final phase. Coverage from 11am on TNT Sports 1; kick-off 12.30pm. A TNT Sports or discovery+ subscription is required.
EFL Championship Play-Off SF: Middlesbrough v Southampton -- Sky Sports Main Event/Football, 12pm
The Championship play-off semi-final first leg. Live on Sky Sports from noon. The second leg is next week; the final is at Wembley on 23 May.
Rugby League Challenge Cup SF: St Helens v Wigan -- BBC One, k/o 2.30pm
Free to air on BBC One. Coverage from 2pm, kick-off 2.30pm. BBC Red Button has extended coverage from 7pm.
Women's Six Nations Triple-Header -- BBC Two (1.30pm and 4pm) + BBC One Wales/BBC Two NI (6pm/6.20pm)
Three matches on one afternoon. Italy v England from Parma (BBC Two, 1.30pm, k/o 2pm); Scotland v France from the Hive Stadium (BBC Two, 4pm, k/o 4.15pm); Ireland v Wales from Belfast (BBC One Wales from 6pm; BBC Two NI from 6.20pm, k/o 6.30pm). All available on BBC iPlayer.
Man City v Brentford -- Sky Sports Main Event, k/o 5.30pm
Premier League Saturday Night Football. Coverage from 5pm on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League; kick-off 5.30pm. MOTD highlights from 10.20pm on BBC One.
Match of the Day -- BBC One, 10.20pm
Five Premier League games: Man City v Brentford, Liverpool v Chelsea, Brighton v Wolves, Fulham v Bournemouth, Sunderland v Man United. Gabby Logan presents.
MotoGP: French Grand Prix Sprint -- TNT Sports 2, 1.45pm
The Le Mans Sprint race live on TNT Sports 2, following Moto2/Moto3 qualifying from 11.45am. Sprint highlights available at 9.45pm on TNT Sports 2.
Gallagher Premiership Rugby -- TNT Sports 1 (3pm and 5.15pm) + ITV4 (2.30pm)
Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints (TNT Sports 1, 3pm; ITV4, 2.30pm) and Bristol Bears v Saracens (TNT Sports 1, 5.15pm). Two rounds of top-flight club rugby on a busy sports Saturday.
LIV Golf: Virginia (Trump National, Round 3) -- TNT Sports 3, 5.30pm
Round three of the LIV Golf event from Trump National Golf Club near Washington D.C. Live from 5.30pm on TNT Sports 3. Runs until 11.30pm.
World Seniors Snooker Championship -- Channel 5, 12.30pm
Semi-final day at the Crucible, Sheffield. Ronnie O'Sullivan headlines. Live on Channel 5 from 12.30pm to 5pm; evening session on 5 Action from 7pm.
Tonight's TV Listings: Full Saturday Schedule
Full tv listings for Saturday 9th May 2026 across major Freeview, Sky, and cable channels.
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 10am | BBC One | Saturday Kitchen Live (Matt Tebbutt; Tim Minchin) |
| 11am | TNT Sports 1 | Live PL: Liverpool v Chelsea -- coverage begins (k/o 12:30pm) |
| 11.45am | TNT Sports 2 | MotoGP France: Moto2/3 Qualifying (Le Mans) |
| 12 noon | BBC One | Football Focus |
| 12 noon | ITV1 | Dermot's Taste of Ireland S1 Ep2 NEW (Ballycastle; Rathlin Island) |
| 12.30pm | Channel 5 | World Seniors Snooker Championship Semi-Finals (Crucible; Ronnie O'Sullivan) |
| 12.45pm | ITV1 | ITV Racing: Lingfield, Ascot, Haydock (Oli Bell) |
| 1.30pm | BBC Two | Women's Six Nations: Italy v England (Live, Parma; k/o 2pm) |
| 1.45pm | TNT Sports 2 | MotoGP France Sprint (Le Mans -- live) |
| 2pm | BBC One | Rugby League Challenge Cup SF: St Helens v Wigan Warriors (k/o 2.30pm) |
| 2.30pm | ITV4 | Gallagher PREM: Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints |
| 3pm | TNT Sports 1 | Gallagher PREM: Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints (live) |
| 4pm | BBC Two | Women's Six Nations: Scotland v France (Live, Hive Stadium; k/o 4.15pm) |
| 5pm | Sky Sports Main Event/PL | Live SNF: Man City v Brentford -- coverage begins (k/o 5.30pm) |
| 5.15pm | TNT Sports 1 | Gallagher PREM: Bristol Bears v Saracens (live) |
| 5.30pm | TNT Sports 3 | LIV Golf Virginia -- Round 3 (Trump National, Washington D.C.) |
| 5.40pm | BBC One | Celebrity Bridge of Lies Ep4/10 (Charlie Brooks, Dr Amir Khan, Sara Damergi, Tim Vine) |
| 6pm | BBC One Wales | Women's Six Nations: Ireland v Wales (Live, Belfast; k/o 6.30pm) |
| 6pm | ITV1 | Celebrity Catchphrase NEW (Frankie Bridge, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, Harry Pinero) |
| 6.20pm | BBC Two | Maggie Smith at the BBC (narrated by Celia Imrie) |
| 6.20pm | BBC Two NI | Women's Six Nations: Ireland v Wales (Live, Belfast) |
| 6.25pm | BBC One | Blankety Blank Ep5/10 (Bradley Walsh; Julian Clary, Liza Tarbuck, Tom Allen, Judi Love) |
| 7pm | BBC One | Michael McIntyre's Big Show Ep3/6 (Joe Lycett, James Arthur) |
| 7pm | ITV1 | Britain's Got Talent S19 Ep11 (third live semi-final; Ant and Dec; 2 hours) |
| 7pm | Channel 4 | Steam Train Diaries Ep1/4 NEW (North York Moors; Grosmont to Goathland) |
| 7pm | BBC Three | Doctor Who S7 Ep2 (ARCHIVE REPEAT -- Clara; Daleks; Matt Smith era) |
| 7.20pm | BBC Two | The Miracle Club (2023 -- Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates, Laura Linney) ⭐ |
| 7.45pm | BBC Three | Doctor Who S7 Ep3 (ARCHIVE REPEAT -- Robin Hood; Sherwood) |
| 8pm | BBC One | The Weakest Link Ep11/14 (Barry McGuigan, Karen Hauer, Elaine C Smith) |
| 8pm | Channel 4 | World's Most Secret Hotels S2 Ep4 NEW (Mt Pilatus; Rye ghostly inn; Brutalist Mexico; La Palma lighthouse) |
| 8pm | Channel 5 | Angela Rippon's River Cruises NEW S1 Ep1/4 (Danube; Budapest; Vienna; Spanish Riding School) |
| 8.10pm | BBC Two Wales | The Miracle Club (2023) |
| 8.30pm | BBC Two NI | The Miracle Club (2023) |
| 8.45pm | BBC One | Casualty S47 Ep3 (Wyvern Hill; Colonel Jack Bard; Matty and Stevie) |
| 8.45pm | BBC Two | Simply Red at the BBC (archive performances) |
| 9pm | BBC Four | The Count of Monte Cristo Ep3/4 (LAST IN SERIES) ⭐ |
| 9pm | Channel 4 | The Equalizer (2014, Denzel Washington; 132 mins) |
| 9pm | Channel 5 | "Charles: The Women Who Made the King" NEW (90 mins; Queen Mother, Elizabeth II, Diana, Camilla) |
| 9pm | U&Drama | Monsieur Spade S1 Ep1 NEW (Clive Owen; 1963 Bozouls, France) |
| 9pm | ITV1 | ITV News |
| 9pm | Film4 | Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017, Taron Egerton) |
| 9.20pm | ITV1 | The Dark Knight Rises (2012, Christian Bale; 3 hrs with ads) |
| 9.30pm | BBC One | Not Going Out S13 Ep6/6 (SERIES FINALE -- hotel/vouchers) |
| 9.50pm | BBC Four | The Count of Monte Cristo Ep4/4 ⭐ |
| 10pm | BBC Two | 40 Years of Simply Red: Holding Back the Years (concert film, Movistar Arena Chile) |
| 10pm | Sky One | Saturday Night Live UK S1 Ep7 NEW |
| 10.20pm | BBC One | Match of the Day (Gabby Logan; Man City v Brentford + Liverpool v Chelsea + 3 more) |
| 10pm | Sky Atlantic | Hacks S5 Ep6 |
| 10.40pm | Sky Atlantic | Hacks S5 Ep7 |
Freeview TV Guide: What's On Streaming
Can't watch live tonight? Here's where everything lands on catch-up on Saturday 9 May 2026:
BBC iPlayer: The Miracle Club, Maggie Smith at the BBC, Casualty, The Count of Monte Cristo (all four episodes), Match of the Day, Michael McIntyre's Big Show, Blankety Blank, Celebrity Bridge of Lies, The Weakest Link, Not Going Out, Simply Red at the BBC, Women's Six Nations (all three matches), Rugby League Challenge Cup SF, Saturday Kitchen Live
ITVX: Britain's Got Talent semi-final, Celebrity Catchphrase, Dermot's Taste of Ireland, ITV Racing, The Dark Knight Rises
Channel 4 streaming: World's Most Secret Hotels S2, Steam Train Diaries, The Equalizer (2014)
My5: Angela Rippon's River Cruises Series 1, Charles The Women Who Made the King, World Seniors Snooker Championship
UKTV Play: Monsieur Spade S1 Ep1 (U&Drama)
Sky Go / NOW TV: Hacks S5, The Miniature Wife, Saturday Night Live UK, House of the Dragon marathon, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (Sky Cinema); Sky Sports or NOW for Man City v Brentford and Championship play-offs
TNT Sports / discovery+: Liverpool v Chelsea, Gallagher Premiership rugby, MotoGP France Sprint, LIV Golf Virginia
What's On TV Tonight: Frequently Asked Questions
Is EastEnders on Saturday tonight, 9th May 2026?
No. EastEnders does not air on Saturdays. Since the 2026 schedule revision, EastEnders runs Monday to Thursday only -- there is no Saturday episode and no Saturday omnibus on BBC One or BBC Three. Catch up on any weekday episodes via BBC iPlayer.
What time is The Miracle Club on BBC Two tonight?
The Miracle Club is on BBC Two at 7.20pm tonight, Saturday 9th May 2026. Regional variations: 8.10pm on BBC Two Wales; 8.30pm on BBC Two NI. It is preceded on the main BBC Two feed (not NI) by Maggie Smith at the BBC at 6.20pm. Both are available on BBC iPlayer.
Is Doctor Who on BBC One tonight, Saturday 9 May 2026?
No. There is no new Doctor Who episode on BBC One tonight. The 7pm slot on BBC One is Michael McIntyre's Big Show (Series 6, Ep 3/6, with Joe Lycett and James Arthur). BBC Three is airing archive Matt Smith-era Series 7 episodes as part of an ongoing Saturday repeat run -- these are not new episodes.
What time is The Count of Monte Cristo on BBC Four tonight?
The Count of Monte Cristo series finale is a double bill on BBC Four tonight: episode 3 at 9pm, episode 4 at 9.50pm. These are the final two episodes of the four-part French-language adaptation starring Pierre Niney as Edmond Dantes. The full series is on BBC iPlayer.
What time is Casualty on tonight?
Casualty -- Series 47, episode 3 of 12 -- is on BBC One at 8.45pm tonight, Saturday 9th May 2026. The episode continues the Wyvern Hill Estate toxic town storyline. Available on BBC iPlayer.
What channel is Liverpool v Chelsea on tonight?
Liverpool v Chelsea is live on TNT Sports 1. Coverage from 11am; kick-off at Anfield is 12.30pm. Premier League matchday 36. A TNT Sports or discovery+ subscription is required; highlights air on Match of the Day on BBC One from 10.20pm.
What time is Man City v Brentford on today?
Manchester City v Brentford is live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. Coverage from 5pm; kick-off is 5.30pm. Match of the Day on BBC One from 10.20pm carries highlights for non-subscribers.
What time is the Rugby League Challenge Cup semi-final on BBC One today?
St Helens v Wigan Warriors is live on BBC One from 2pm, kick-off 2.30pm at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Free to watch; available on BBC iPlayer.
What's the best thing to watch on TV tonight, Saturday 9 May 2026?
The Miracle Club on BBC Two at 7.20pm -- Maggie Smith's final film, paired with a one-hour BBC tribute before it -- is the most emotionally significant watch of the night. For prestige drama, The Count of Monte Cristo's final double bill on BBC Four from 9pm is essential if you have been following the series. For something new, Monsieur Spade on U&Drama at 9pm -- Clive Owen as a retired Sam Spade in 1963 rural France -- is the most intriguing series launch of the night. Britain's Got Talent's third live semi-final on ITV1 at 7pm is the Saturday mainstream pick.
TV Guide UK: Final Verdict
The emotional spine of this Saturday is on BBC Two. A tribute programme at 6.20pm, a final film at 7.20pm, and then Simply Red for the rest of the evening until midnight -- BBC Two has built something unusually coherent out of its Saturday schedule, and the reason for it is a loss. Maggie Smith made The Miracle Club two years before she died. BBC Two has put it in exactly the right context tonight.
For those splitting their attention between drama and sport, the arithmetic is straightforward: Liverpool v Chelsea on TNT Sports in the afternoon, the Challenge Cup semi-final on BBC One free at 2pm, then Man City v Brentford on Sky at 5.30pm, then The Count of Monte Cristo on BBC Four at nine o'clock, with Match of the Day at 10.20pm to close the football out. That is a long Saturday done properly.
Browse the full channels list, check what's on right now, or see tonight's highlights for a live overview. The BBC Two schedule tonight is worth reading in full.