There is an unusual emotional range on offer tonight, from a quietly moving portrait of life at the sharp end of loss to political speculation, medical urgency and a sitcom edging towards its finale. It is television that asks for a bit more attention than usual, but rewards it.
The Fabulous Funeral Parlour
10pm, Channel 4
This gentle and surprisingly life affirming film centres on Hayley, a funeral director in Liverpool who brings warmth, glamour and care to a profession still too often shrouded in awkward silence. She treats death with honesty rather than solemnity, supported by a team that includes Tom the embalmer, whose calm pride in his work is quietly affecting.
The most striking story belongs to Marion, a woman in her forties who has chosen to plan her own funeral after being given weeks to live. The details, a vape, a packet of Hubba Bubba in the coffin, are personal rather than performative, and speak to the control she wants to retain. It is a film that never tips into sentimentality, instead offering dignity, humour and humanity in equal measure.
Can You Keep a Secret?
9pm, BBC One
Dawn French’s insurance scam sitcom reaches its penultimate episode, and the plates are beginning to wobble. Debbie becomes convinced she has identified the blackmailer, while a more practical problem emerges when William’s medication runs low.
The solution involves a deeply questionable GP appointment and a lie that feels destined to unravel. The series has always balanced farce with discomfort, and this episode leans harder into both, setting up what should be a reckoning in the finale.
Reform: Ready to Rule?
9pm, BBC Two
Laura Kuenssberg turns her attention to Reform UK, tracing its journey from the political fringes to a party now polling consistently well. The programme steps back from daily noise to examine how this shift has happened, who has driven it, and what it could mean for the broader political landscape.
Interviews with party members sit alongside analysis of voter frustration and realignment, offering a sober look at a movement that continues to reshape debate, whether opponents like it or not.
Michael Jackson: The Trial
9pm, Channel 4
Another chapter in the long running examination of Michael Jackson’s life and legacy, this series focuses on previously unreleased footage and audio connected to the Gavin Arvizo case and Jackson’s relationship with journalist Martin Bashir.
The tone is sombre and unflinching, exploring power, influence and the media machinery that surrounded the singer at the height of his fame. It is difficult viewing, but deliberately so.
Surgeons: A Matter of Life or Death
9pm, Channel 5
This episode returns to University Hospitals Birmingham, where the stakes are brutally clear. Seventeen year old Leo needs an urgent liver transplant due to a congenital condition, while Daniel, 47, faces a complex operation involving kidney removal and heart bypass surgery.
The series continues to handle its subject matter with restraint, allowing the procedures and the people involved to speak for themselves without unnecessary dramatics.
Black Ops
9.30pm, BBC One
Series two of the comic thriller pushes closer to chaos. With Dom and Kay now fired from MI5, the odds of stopping Steve’s plan before Notting Hill carnival look increasingly slim.
The episode sharpens both the jokes and the tension, trusting the audience to keep up as the consequences of earlier decisions begin to bite.
Watching UK TV wherever you are
Most of tonight’s programmes are available live and on demand via BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and other broadcaster platforms. Access can be limited when watching abroad, but a VPN can help maintain secure access to the services you already use. LibertyShield supports multiple devices and offers a short free trial, which can be useful for midweek viewing away from home.