The Okavango delta delivers high stakes wildlife drama, while Channel 4 searches for answers to Britain’s sleepless nights.
Friday night television swings between raw nature and domestic self improvement, with a dose of murder mystery and light entertainment in between.
Big Cats 24/7, 9pm, BBC Two
BBC Two returns to the Okavango delta to follow the Xudum lion pride, now recorded as the largest in the world. The scale alone gives the series weight, but the tension lies elsewhere. The pride’s males have disappeared, leaving the females to defend territory against intruders.
The film-makers stay close without intruding, capturing both the fragility and ferocity of survival. Leopard Lediba must step up within her group, while cheetah Pobe faces the relentless challenge of keeping her cubs alive. Nature documentaries often oscillate between serenity and brutality. This series leans into the uncertainty.
There is a patience to it that feels earned. No heavy narration, no forced melodrama, just the precarious rhythm of life in a delta where dominance shifts quickly.
How to Sleep Better, 8pm, Channel 4
Earlier in the evening, Denise Van Outen fronts a one off programme exploring why so many of us struggle with sleep. Food, hormones, snoring, stress and the expanding market of sleep gadgets all come under scrutiny.
The format is familiar, celebrity presenter meets experts, tries interventions, reports back. Yet the subject matter remains timely. Sleep disruption increasingly sits at the intersection of lifestyle, technology and health. Whether the programme offers genuine insight or reassurance may depend on how sceptical viewers feel about the wellness industry.
Death in Paradise, 9pm, BBC One
An actor collapses during a beachside production of The Tempest. Poison appears to be involved, yet others have drunk from the same bottle. The formula remains reliable, tropical scenery masking tightly plotted puzzles.
Under Salt Marsh, 9pm, Sky Atlantic
As a storm intensifies over Morfa Halen, the series reaches its climax. The threat of water washing away evidence lends urgency to the investigation.
The Graham Norton Show, 10.40pm, BBC One
A compilation of viral moments rounds off the evening, revisiting interviews that have already travelled far beyond the studio.
Film highlights
Scrapper, 11pm on BBC Two, remains one of the more tender recent British films. Its portrayal of a grieving 12 year old living alone in east London is sharp but affectionate.
Elsewhere, Paul McCartney: Man on the Run on Prime Video revisits the former Beatle’s early solo years, while Jurassic World: Rebirth arrives on Sky Cinema with a familiar mix of spectacle and nostalgia.
Watching from abroad
Programmes such as Big Cats 24/7 on BBC Two or Death in Paradise on BBC One are licensed for UK broadcast. Viewers travelling outside the country often find access to BBC iPlayer and other platforms restricted by region.
A secure UK VPN routes internet traffic through a domestic server, allowing access to services when abroad. For frequent travellers or expatriates, maintaining continuity across devices can be practical. LibertyShield provides UK based servers and offers a 48 hour free trial for those who wish to test performance before committing.
Access to live broadcasts and on demand content increasingly depends as much on digital geography as scheduling.