Everything worth watching on Monday 2 November 2026, across 30 channels.

Monday has one hour that matters, and it is nine o’clock

See also: Tuesday's TV guide

Everything before nine is soaps, quizzes and strands, and everything after it is news. The evening is decided at 9pm, when four first-rate choices start at once, and the one most viewers will miss is on 5Action: Michael Palin in the Philippines begins its run there with episode 1. That is the pick. A first episode on a channel people rarely check is the sort of thing a listings page exists to surface.

What you give up is real. BBC One has episode 4 of This City Is Ours, which will be the obvious choice for anyone already following it. BBC Two has episode 2 of Escaping Idi Amin, a documentary slot that is the stronger rival if you want something heavier than a travelogue. Gogglebox is on 4seven at the same time, and ITV2 has Big Brother. If you have been following This City Is Ours, stay with it. If you haven’t, there is no reason to start at episode 4.

The film question

Film4 has Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) at 9pm, with James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow and Brian Cox, and it runs 125 minutes. That makes it the biggest single commitment of the night, and the only one that asks you to give up the nine o’clock hour and most of the ten o’clock one too. Worth it if you want a proper film rather than a series instalment.

The other two films are on the smaller channels. GREAT! Action has French Connection II (1975) with Gene Hackman and Fernando Rey, and Legend has Into the Sun (2005) with Steven Seagal, Matthew Davis, Takao Ohsawa and William Atherton. Hackman’s film is the better bet of the two by a distance.

Eight o’clock, and the stretch before it

Eight is thinner than it looks. BBC One has Panorama with “Iran: The People’s Story”, ITV1 has Emmerdale and then Coronation Street at 8.30, and ITV3 gives Midsomer Murders two hours from eight, “The Black Book”, series 12 episode 2. BBC Two has Only Connect followed by University Challenge at 8.30, which is a tidy double for anyone who likes to shout at the television.

Earlier, E4 starts The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from the very first episode at 7.30 and runs three in a row, at 7.30, 8 and 8.30. Anyone who wants to go back to the beginning has the whole opening of the series laid out in one sitting. GREAT! TV, meanwhile, is running MAS*H back to back from seven until after half past ten, which is less a schedule than a standing offer.

If you read nothing else

Watch Michael Palin in the Philippines on 5Action at 9pm. If you would rather have a film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes on Film4 starts at the same time, and Escaping Idi Amin on BBC Two is the serious alternative.


What’s on tonight — Monday 2 November 2026

Time Channel Programme
19:00 4seven George Clarke’s Building Home: Matlock Bath, Derbyshire
19:00 5Action Motorway Cops: Catching Britain’s Speeders: Episode 6
19:00 5Star GPs: Behind Closed Doors: Episode 23
19:00 5USA NCIS: Newborn King
19:00 BBC One The One Show
19:00 BBC Two Global Eye
19:00 Blaze American Pickers: Mike’s Holy Grail
19:00 Channel 5 Police Interceptors: Episode 2
19:00 E4 Hollyoaks: Episode 130
19:00 GREAT! Action Burn Notice: A Dark Road
19:00 GREAT! Movies Castle: Castle, P.I.
19:00 GREAT! TV MAS*H: Tuttle
19:00 ITV2 Deal or No Deal: Celebrity Special: Zoe Ball
19:00 ITV4 IRT Deadliest Roads: Oxygen Required
19:00 Legend Babylon 5: Movements of Fire and Shadow
19:00 Really The Yorkshire Auction House: Battle Stations
19:00 Sky Arts Alfred Hitchcock Hour: What Really Happened
19:00 Talking Pictures TV The Footage Detectives: Episode 248
19:00 BBC Four Alaska: Earth’s Frozen Kingdom
19:00 Channel 4 Channel 4 News
19:00 Dave QI XL
19:00 Quest Antiques Road Trip
19:00 Yesterday The Tropic of Capricorn with Simon Reeve
19:20 Drama Last Of The Summer Wine
19:20 That’s TV Some Mothers Do Ave Em
19:30 BBC One EastEnders: Episode 174
19:30 BBC Two Mastermind: Episode 15
19:30 E4 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: The Fresh Prince Project
19:30 GREAT! TV MAS*H: The Ringbanger
19:30 ITV1 Cooking With the Stars
19:50 GREAT! Romance Good News from GREAT!
19:55 More4 The Secret Life of the Zoo: Penguin House Hunters
19:55 That’s TV Minder
20:00 4seven Grand Designs: Bedfordshire 2025
20:00 5Action Police Interceptors: Episode 1
20:00 5Star Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts: Episode 1
20:00 5USA NCIS: Housekeeping
20:00 BBC One Panorama: Iran: The People’s Story
20:00 BBC Two Only Connect: Frenemies v Merseyside Eyes
20:00 Blaze Dickinson’s Real Deal: Wood Green 2
20:00 Channel 5 Traffic Cops: Elite Squad One: Episode 5
20:00 E4 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Bang the Drum Ashley
20:00 GREAT! Action Burn Notice: Friendly Fire
20:00 GREAT! Movies Unforgettable: The Return of Eddie
20:00 GREAT! Romance Rekindling Christmas: Episode 1
20:00 GREAT! TV MAS*H: Sometimes You Hear the Bullet
20:00 ITV2 The 1% Club: Episode 1
20:00 ITV3 Midsomer Murders: The Black Book
20:00 ITV4 The Motorbike Show: Episode 2
20:00 Legend Walker, Texas Ranger: 99th Ranger
20:00 Really Antiques Road Trip: Charles Hanson and Christina Trevanion, Day 1
20:00 Sky Arts André Rieu: Welcome to My World: Dressed to Impress
20:00 Talking Pictures TV Maigret: Maigret and the Elusive Witness
20:00 BBC Four The Story of Scottish Art
20:00 Channel 4 New: Jamie’s 20 Minute Meals
20:00 Dave Jack Dee’s Help Me Tiny Big Brain
20:00 Drama The Brokenwood Mysteries
20:00 ITV1 Emmerdale
20:00 Quest Richard Hammond’s Workshop
20:00 Yesterday Simon Reeve’s South America
20:30 BBC Two University Challenge: Episode 17
20:30 E4 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Clubba Hubba
20:30 GREAT! TV MAS*H: Dear Dad … Again
20:30 ITV1 Coronation Street
20:40 Dave QI
20:55 GREAT! Romance Good News from GREAT!
21:00 4seven Gogglebox: Episode 6
21:00 5Action Michael Palin in the Philippines: Episode 1
21:00 5Star Ambulance: Code Red: Episode 11
21:00 5USA Wild Cards: Clouds in My Eyes
21:00 BBC One This City Is Ours: Episode 4
21:00 BBC Two Escaping Idi Amin: Episode 2
21:00 Blaze The Curse of Oak Island: A Bead on the Target
21:00 Channel 5 Murder: Suspect No 1: Roadside Murder Confession
21:00 E4 Made in Chelsea: Episode 8
21:00 Film4 Rise of the Planet of the Apes
21:00 GREAT! Action French Connection II
21:00 GREAT! Movies In Plain Sight: The Rolling Stones
21:00 GREAT! Romance Rekindling Christmas: Episode 2
21:00 GREAT! TV MAS*H: The Longjohn Flap
21:00 ITV2 Big Brother: Episode 44
21:00 ITV4 Under Siege 2: Dark Territory: Episode 1
21:00 Legend Into the Sun
21:00 More4 Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids: Episode 5
21:00 Really The Yorkshire Auction House: Caravan Or Paris?
21:00 Sky Arts André Rieu: Welcome to My World: Andre Rieu: Maastricht By Moonlight
21:00 BBC Four Classic Mastermind
21:00 Channel 4 New: Pierre
21:00 ITV1 Adultery
21:00 Quest New: Sam Lovegrove: Race Mechanic
21:00 That’s TV Benidorm
21:00 Yesterday Canal Boat Diaries
21:20 Dave Have I Got A Bit More News For You?
21:30 GREAT! TV MAS*H: The Army-Navy Game
21:30 BBC Four Call My Bluff
21:30 That’s TV Benidorm
21:55 Talking Pictures TV Mother Love
21:55 That’s TV Goodnight Sweetheart
22:00 4seven Bradley Walsh’s Million Pound Shot: Episode 1
22:00 5Action Highway Thru Hell: Downhill Slide
22:00 5Star A&E After Dark: Episode 6
22:00 5USA Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Entitled
22:00 BBC One BBC News at Ten
22:00 BBC Two Live at the Apollo: Episode 7
22:00 Blaze History’s Greatest Mysteries: The Mystery of Machu Picchu
22:00 Channel 5 Twisted Sisters: Madness & Manslaughter: Episode 1
22:00 E4 Gogglebox: Episode 8
22:00 GREAT! Movies Reef Break: The Hohenzollern Collection
22:00 GREAT! Romance Christmas Overtime: Episode 1
22:00 GREAT! TV MAS*H: Sticky Wicket
22:00 ITV2 Big Brother: The Group Chat: Episode 36
22:00 ITV3 Downton Abbey: Episode 7
22:00 ITV4 FYI Daily
22:00 More4 24 Hours in A&E: Episode 11
22:00 Really The Yorkshire Auction House: A Gold Medal and a Hand Grenade
22:00 Sky Arts All Rise: Edinburgh International Festival: Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise
22:00 BBC Four John Berger: The Art of Looking
22:00 Channel 4 New: Trauma: My Broken Brain
22:00 Drama New Tricks
22:00 ITV1 ITV News at Ten
22:00 Quest New: MotoGP Highlight Shows
22:00 Yesterday Bangers & Cash
22:05 ITV4 Under Siege 2: Dark Territory: Episode 2
22:20 Dave Would I Lie To You?
22:30 BBC One BBC London
22:30 BBC Two Newsnight
22:30 GREAT! TV MAS*H: Major Fred C Dobbs
22:30 ITV1 ITV News London
22:35 That’s TV Rising Damp
22:40 BBC One Have I Got News for You: Episode 5
22:45 ITV1 Unbelievable Moments: Caught on Camera
22:55 GREAT! Romance Good News from GREAT!
22:55 BBC Four Metalworks!
22:58 BBC Two BBC Weather