Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Phil Harrison, Ali Catterall, Graeme Virtue, Jack Seale and Stuart Heritage

TV tonight: John Wilson hacks into the ‘restroom matrix’

Quietly extraordinary … How to With John Wilson
Quietly extraordinary … How to With John Wilson. Photograph: BBC/Warner Media

How to With John Wilson

11.05pm, BBC Two

How does an investigation into the shortage of public restrooms in New York turn into an impromptu trip to Burning Man festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada? If you’ve watched either of the previous seasons of this quietly extraordinary show, you will know that this turn of events is unlikely, but not impossible. As always, the endlessly inquisitive Wilson’s digressions are more important than his starting point in this how-to on “hacking into the restroom matrix”. Phil Harrison

Celebrity Mastermind

7.30pm, BBC One

In the chair this week: the comedian Catherine Bohart, on Vita Sackville-West; the TV presenter Karim Zeroual, on Jim Carrey movies; the actor and singer Tricia Penrose, on Madonna in the 80s; and the broadcaster Gavin Ramjaun – whose mission, should he choose to accept it, is a certain action franchise starring Tom Cruise. Ali Catterall

Here We Go

8.30pm, BBC One

While you would never accuse it of shattering the sitcom paradigm, this domestic comedy is a pleasure, barrelling along with all the cheerful momentum of functional family life. As the series concludes, Cherry and Robin’s wedding prep is disrupted by a clash with Paul’s police-training graduation. PH

RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus the World

9pm, BBC Three

With her extended West End run in Cabaret, Rebecca Lucy Taylor – AKA Self Esteem – is a dab hand at belting it out in a decadent style. So she is the perfect coach and guest judge for this week’s “Rusical” challenge in which the remaining queens must ditch the usual lip‑syncing and perform their lyrics live. Graeme Virtue

Fantasy Football League

9.45pm, Sky Max

With the football season heading into squeaky-bum time, Elis James and Matt Lucas flop down on their sofa to recap the week’s funny football news, recreate a classic goal in Phoenix from the Flames and chat to celebrity football fans – this time including the racing driver and motorsport analyst Billy Monger. Jack Seale

The Graham Norton Show

10.40pm, BBC One

The first of two highlights shows from the recent series of Norton’s rightfully enduring chatshow. Among the guests featured are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Judi Dench, Timothée Chalamet and the BBC’s newest Time Lord, Ncuti Gatwa. PH

Film choice

Damsel (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 2024), Netflix
Damsel is the sort of film that arrives with a readymade audience. A dark fantasy about a noblewoman who marries a prince and quickly finds herself tossed into a dragon’s cave – and starring Millie Bobby Brown to boot – should be a cruise missile to the heart of anyone who has ever caught themselves writing Labyrinth fan fiction on Tumblr. There are frocks and crowns and sinister gold masks, but there are also plenty of scenes where the girl from Stranger Things goes bananas at a dragon with a massive sword. Regardless of how good it is, I guarantee that this is going to be absolutely huge. Stuart Heritage

War (Philip G Atwell, 2007), 11.55pm, Sky Cinema Statham
On Friday, Sky launches a new channel called Sky Cinema Statham, dedicated to – you guessed it – the work of gruff action star Jason Statham. The opening night is full of wonders. There’s Mean Machine. There’s Guy Ritchie’s Revolver. There’s Fast & Furious 8. But let’s concentrate on War, a full-bore action flick that pits Statham against Jet Li. Is it the best film ever made? No. Is it the most fun you’ll have watching a film at midnight on a Friday? Yes! Please watch this to make sure Sky Cinema Statham never goes away. SH

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.