Full Talking Pictures TV listings for Thursday 29 October 2026, with times in London local time.

Modesty Blaise is the reason to be up at 9.20

See also: What's on tonight across all channels | Wednesday's TV guide

Talking Pictures saves its best slot for Modesty Blaise, a 1966 spy film directed by Joseph Losey and starring Monica Vitti, Terence Stamp and Dirk Bogarde, with Harry Andrews and Michael Craig in support. It starts at 9.20pm and runs 140 minutes, and the only thing BBC One offers at that time is Not Going Out. That is as clear a run at an audience as the channel gets.

The film is the right kind of anchor for this channel: a big-name, slightly odd piece of 1960s cinema that mainstream television has little room for. The evening also warms up well. Saber of London is on at 8pm, and The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club follows at 8.30pm, a variety show with 48 episodes to date. Together they make a proper old-television block before the film.

Earlier in the day, An Inspector Calls at 2.35pm is the other one to note. It is a 1954 film directed by Guy Hamilton, with Alastair Sim in the cast alongside Brian Worth and Eileen Moore, and it is a very good use of an afternoon.

After the film, Maybe I’ll Come Home in the Spring, a 1971 television film with Sally Field, closes the night at 11.40pm.

Verdict: An Inspector Calls in the afternoon, Modesty Blaise at night.


Also on TV tonight at 9pm

  • BBC One: The Celebrity Traitors (from 8pm)
  • BBC Two: Live: UEFA Women’s Champions League Football (from 7.30pm)
  • ITV1: Long Lost Family
  • Channel 4: Titanic: Building the World’s… (from 8pm)
  • Channel 5: The Yorkshire Vet (from 8pm)
  • BBC Four: The Guns of Navarone (from 8pm)
  • ITV2: Big Brother
  • ITV3: Vera (from 8pm)
  • ITV4: Benidorm
  • E4: Gogglebox

Every channel tonight, side by side · Films on TV tonight · Tomorrow’s TV


Frequently asked questions

What’s on Talking Pictures TV tonight?

On Thursday 29 October 2026, Talking Pictures TV shows Saber of London at 8pm, The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club at 8.30pm and Modesty Blaise at 9.20pm.

Is there a film on Talking Pictures TV tonight?

Yes: Modesty Blaise (1966) at 9.20pm and Maybe I’ll Come Home in the Spring at 11.40pm.

What’s on Talking Pictures TV late tonight?

After 11pm, Talking Pictures TV has Maybe I’ll Come Home in the Spring at 11.40pm.

What time does Talking Pictures TV’s evening start?

The evening schedule starts with Julius Hagen Season at 6.15pm.