Wednesday's TV guide has shaped up nicely, with a 9pm slot that forces you into some genuinely difficult choices. Channel 4 wraps up its water pollution drama Dirty Business, ITV1 launches a brand new thriller, and BBC Two brings out Ian McKellen for a Lowry documentary that's unlike anything you've seen before. Check the TV listings below for the full picture, or browse the Freeview TV guide for every channel -- there's a lot to get through tonight, and that's before the Champions League kicks off.
What's On TV Tonight: Quick Picks
- Dirty Business -- Channel 4, 9pm -- David Thewlis in the water pollution drama finale
- The Stolen Girl -- ITV1, 9pm -- New thriller about a missing child after a sleepover
- LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes -- BBC Two, 9pm -- Ian McKellen lip-syncs Lowry's lost interviews
- The Repair Shop -- BBC One, 8pm -- New series begins with a Chinese lion dance costume
- National Theatre Live: Dr Strangelove -- Sky Arts, 9pm -- Steve Coogan plays four roles
- Champions League -- TNT Sports/BBC One, from 7.30pm -- Real Madrid v Benfica headlines
Is EastEnders on tonight?
Yes. EastEnders is on BBC One at 7.30pm tonight. It's a regular half-hour episode this Wednesday. Ravi is having a bad day and things spiral when he loses his temper, Johnny finds himself caught in an awkward situation he can't easily walk away from, and Denzel decides to take matters into his own hands with a plan of his own making. Standard Walford fare -- nobody's having a good time, and somebody's bound to make things worse.
TV Guide: Early Evening (7pm -- 8pm)
EastEnders -- BBC One, 7.30pm
Back to the regular Wednesday slot. Ravi's having one of those days where everything piles up and he can't keep a lid on it, which in EastEnders terms usually means someone's about to get an earful at minimum. Meanwhile, Johnny is trying to navigate a tricky situation -- the details are being kept vague, which normally means it's connected to something bigger down the line. And Denzel, who's clearly had enough of waiting for things to sort themselves out, puts a plan into action. It's one of those table-setting episodes that moves the pieces into position for whatever's coming next.
Celebrity Lingo -- ITV1, 7.30pm
Adil Ray hosts this celebrity edition of the word game, and the line-up is a fun one. Countdown's Rachel Riley teams up with radio host Richie Anderson to take on screen veterans Lesley Joseph and Claire Sweeney. It's the kind of light pre-soap filler that ITV does well -- undemanding, mildly competitive, and over before you've finished your tea.
TV Tonight: Prime Time (8pm onwards)
The Repair Shop -- BBC One, 8pm
A new series, and it kicks off with a properly varied collection of items. The centrepiece is a ceremonial Chinese lion dance costume that needs bringing back to life -- the kind of restoration that requires both technical skill and cultural sensitivity, which is where this show always excels. There's also a set of traditional beer pumps with years of pub history behind them and two delicate ceramic maquettes that need careful handling. It's comfort telly of the highest order, and Jay Blades's team remain some of the most watchable craftspeople on British television. If you've never given The Repair Shop a go, this is as good a place to start as any.
Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time -- Channel 5, 8pm
Episode two of this excellent new series about Barts Hospital, and Alice Roberts is digging into the centuries of medical innovation that have taken place on that one patch of London. Tonight's episode spans from a brutal 17th-century bladder stone operation -- which will have you crossing your legs -- to a million-pound surgical robot that represents the cutting edge of modern medicine. The contrast between the two is the whole point, and Roberts draws it out with her usual blend of academic rigour and genuine enthusiasm. Well worth sticking with.
Dirty Business -- Channel 4, 9pm ⭐
This is the pick of the evening. The final episode of Channel 4's three-part drama about water company pollution, and David Thewlis has been outstanding throughout. Based on real events, the series has traced how water companies knowingly pumped sewage into rivers and waterways, and this concluding chapter brings the criminal convictions and regulatory failures into sharp focus. Thewlis brings a quiet intensity to the lead role -- he's never been the kind of actor who needs to shout to make you pay attention -- and the drama manages to be both genuinely angry about its subject and compelling as a piece of television. If you've watched the first two episodes, you'll want to see how it lands. If you haven't, it's available on Channel 4 streaming to catch up.
The Stolen Girl -- ITV1, 9pm
A brand new drama for ITV, adapted from Alex Dahl's bestselling thriller of the same name. The premise is every parent's worst fear distilled into a single phone call: a woman discovers that her daughter has disappeared after a sleepover. That's about as much as you need to know going in -- the less you know about where the story goes, the better. First episodes of missing-child dramas live or die on whether they can make you feel the panic, and early signs suggest this one manages it. Could be ITV's next big midweek talking point.
LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes -- BBC Two, 9pm
This is a genuinely unusual documentary, and it's all the better for it. In the final years of his life, Lowry -- the matchstick men painter, the industrial landscapes, the lonely figures in flat caps -- sat down for a series of interviews that have never been broadcast until now. The twist is that Ian McKellen lip-syncs Lowry's words, inhabiting the artist's voice and mannerisms with the kind of precision that only McKellen can manage. The result is somewhere between a documentary and a performance piece, giving you access to a man who was famously private and deliberately elusive about his own motivations. If you've ever stood in front of a Lowry painting and wondered what was going on in his head, this is your answer.
Under Salt Marsh -- Sky Atlantic, 9pm
Episode five of this Welsh-set thriller, and things are getting properly claustrophobic. A storm surge cuts the coastal town of Morfa Halen off from the rest of the world -- roads flooded, phone lines down, nobody getting in or out -- and of course another body turns up because that's exactly what you need when you're already trapped. Bull is finally getting closer to the truth, but being stuck in a place where the killer is also stuck isn't exactly reassuring. The show has built its tension steadily across the series, and this feels like the episode where things start to unravel. Available on NOW.
National Theatre Live: Dr Strangelove -- Sky Arts, 9pm
Steve Coogan plays four roles in the National Theatre's stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick's Cold War satire, and the casting is inspired. Coogan's gift for disappearing into characters -- from Alan Partridge to Philomena's Martin Sixsmith -- makes him ideally suited to a show that requires him to bounce between an RAF Group Captain, a US President, a wheelchair-bound ex-Nazi scientist, and a gung-ho General, sometimes within the same scene. The play finds new relevance in 2026 that Kubrick probably wouldn't have wanted it to. Nearly two hours on Sky Arts.
TV Guide UK: Late Night
The Curfew -- Channel 5, 10pm
The series finale, and what a ride it's been. The police are racing to save hostages during a stand-off that's been building for weeks, and the truth about Helen's murder is finally dragged into the light -- though it turns out to be more complicated than anyone suspected. Sarah Parish has been the standout of the whole series, and this final episode gives her plenty to work with. If you've been following from episode one, this is a satisfying conclusion. The full boxset is already available on Channel 5 streaming if you want to binge the lot.
We Might Regret This -- BBC Two, 10pm
A new six-part series that opens with a woman whose engagement should be a source of joy but instead seems to highlight everything that's going wrong. Freya's career is stalling, her life feels like it's slipping out of her grip, and the absence of someone called Jo weighs heavier than it should. She makes a sudden, impulsive decision. Contains very strong language, which at 10pm on BBC Two is practically a badge of honour.
MOTD: UEFA Champions League Highlights -- BBC One, 10.40pm
If you can't stay up for the live matches on TNT Sports, the highlights package covers the second-leg play-off ties, headlined by Real Madrid against Jose Mourinho's Benfica and holders PSG versus Monaco. Free-to-air Champions League football on a Wednesday night -- always welcome.
Sport
Champions League: A massive night of European football. The headline tie is Real Madrid v Benfica on TNT Sports 1 from 7.30pm (KO 8pm), with Jose Mourinho returning to the Bernabeu needing to overturn a deficit. PSG v Monaco is on TNT Sports 2 from 7.45pm (KO 8pm), and Juventus v Galatasaray is on TNT Sports 3 from 8pm (KO 8pm), with Juve three goals down from the first leg. BBC One has the Champions League highlights at 10.40pm.
Championship Football: Stoke City v Oxford United live on Sky Sports Main Event from 7.30pm. Also Sheffield United v Coventry and Millwall v Birmingham among the midweek fixtures, with EFL highlights on ITV4 at 11.55pm.
Snooker: Welsh Open: Day three from Venue Cymru in Llandudno on TNT Sports 4 (7pm-11pm) and BBC Red Button (7pm-10pm), with BBC Two Wales carrying coverage from 7pm.
Premier League Darts: Night three from Glasgow on Sky Sports Mix from 6.30pm, featuring Luke Humphries v Josh Rock and Gerwyn Price v Jonny Clayton.
Cricket: T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka v New Zealand Super Eights clash, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 1pm.
Tonight's TV Listings: Full Schedule
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00pm | BBC Two | Great British Menu |
| 7:00pm | Channel 5 | Celebrity Puzzling (new) |
| 7:30pm | BBC One | EastEnders |
| 7:30pm | ITV1 | Celebrity Lingo (new) |
| 7:30pm | Sky Sports Main Event | Live EFL: Stoke City v Oxford United |
| 7:30pm | TNT Sports 1 | Live UCL: Real Madrid v Benfica |
| 7:45pm | TNT Sports 2 | Live UCL: PSG v Monaco |
| 8:00pm | BBC One | The Repair Shop (new series) |
| 8:00pm | BBC Two | Your Home Made Perfect |
| 8:00pm | BBC Three | Dragons' Den |
| 8:00pm | Channel 4 | Kirstie and Phil's Love It or List It |
| 8:00pm | Channel 5 | Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time |
| 8:00pm | E4 | The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer |
| 8:00pm | ITV1 | Emmerdale |
| 8:00pm | Sky Arts | Landscape Artist of the Year (semi-final) |
| 8:00pm | U&Drama | The Marlow Murder Club (series 2) |
| 8:00pm | U&Yesterday | Bangers and Cash: Restoring Classics |
| 8:00pm | TNT Sports 3 | Live UCL: Juventus v Galatasaray |
| 8:30pm | ITV1 | Coronation Street |
| 9:00pm | Channel 4 | Dirty Business (finale) |
| 9:00pm | ITV1 | The Stolen Girl (new drama) |
| 9:00pm | BBC One | MasterChef: The Professionals |
| 9:00pm | BBC Two | LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes |
| 9:00pm | BBC Three | The Apprentice |
| 9:00pm | Sky Atlantic | Under Salt Marsh (ep 5) |
| 9:00pm | Sky Arts | National Theatre Live: Dr Strangelove |
| 9:00pm | Sky Max | The Beekeeper (2024) |
| 9:00pm | Sky Witness | Matlock (S2 ep 8) |
| 9:00pm | More4 | Our Yorkshire Pub Rescue with Jon Richardson |
| 9:00pm | Film4 | Ambulance (2022) |
| 9:00pm | ITV4 | Diamonds Are Forever (1971) |
| 9:00pm | U&Dave | QI XL |
| 10:00pm | Channel 5 | The Curfew (series finale) |
| 10:00pm | BBC Two | We Might Regret This (new) |
| 10:05pm | Channel 4 | First Dates |
| 10:40pm | BBC One | MOTD: Champions League Highlights |
Freeview TV Guide: What's On Streaming
Can't watch live? Use our now and next guide to see what's showing right now, or browse the full channels list for every available station.
BBC iPlayer: EastEnders, The Repair Shop, MasterChef The Professionals, LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes, Champions League highlights, Dragons' Den, The Apprentice ITVX: The Stolen Girl, Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Celebrity Lingo Channel 4 streaming: Dirty Business, Kirstie and Phil's Love It or List It, First Dates Channel 5 streaming: Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time, The Curfew (full series boxset) NOW: Under Salt Marsh, National Theatre Live: Dr Strangelove, Matlock, Landscape Artist of the Year
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is Dirty Business on Channel 4 tonight?
Dirty Business is on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight (Wednesday 25th February 2026). This is the final episode of the three-part drama starring David Thewlis about water company pollution and criminal convictions.
What's the best thing to watch on TV tonight?
Our top pick is Dirty Business on Channel 4 at 9pm -- the gripping finale of the water pollution drama starring David Thewlis. LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes on BBC Two at 9pm and The Stolen Girl on ITV1 at 9pm are also excellent choices.
Is EastEnders on tonight?
Yes, EastEnders is on BBC One at 7.30pm tonight (Wednesday 25th February 2026). Ravi loses control after a difficult day, Johnny wrestles with a situation, and Denzel puts a plan into action.
What's on BBC One tonight?
BBC One's highlights tonight include EastEnders at 7.30pm, The Repair Shop (new series) at 8pm, MasterChef The Professionals at 9pm, and Champions League highlights at 10.40pm.
What time is The Stolen Girl on ITV1 tonight?
The Stolen Girl is on ITV1 at 9pm tonight (Wednesday 25th February 2026). This is the first episode of a new thriller drama based on Alex Dahl's bestselling novel about a mother whose daughter vanishes after a sleepover.
What Champions League football is on TV tonight?
Champions League play-off second legs are live on TNT Sports from 7.30pm, with Real Madrid v Benfica the headline match on TNT Sports 1. BBC One has Champions League highlights at 10.40pm.
TV Guide UK: Final Verdict
Dirty Business on Channel 4 at 9pm is our pick of the night -- David Thewlis has been quietly brilliant across the whole series, and this finale brings the real-world water pollution scandal to a conclusion that's both dramatically satisfying and properly infuriating. It's the kind of drama that makes you want to check your water bill.
The 9pm slot is a genuine battlefield tonight. The Stolen Girl on ITV1 launches a new thriller that trades on every parent's worst nightmare, LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes on BBC Two offers something genuinely original with Ian McKellen channelling the painter's own words, and Under Salt Marsh on Sky Atlantic reaches a pivotal fifth episode. Earlier in the evening, The Repair Shop on BBC One at 8pm opens a new series with its usual warmth, and Alice Roberts continues to make Channel 5's Barts Hospital series one of the best things on midweek telly. Sport fans have a cracking night of Champions League football across TNT Sports, with Real Madrid v Benfica the standout, plus Welsh Open snooker and Premier League Darts from Glasgow. For a quick look at what else is on TV tonight across all channels, check our tonight's highlights page.