TV Tonight: Trainspotter's Space Dream & Hiddleston's Spy Thriller

TV Tonight: Trainspotter's Cosmic Quest and Spy Drama Climax

This evening's television schedule offers a captivating blend of heartfelt documentary, gripping drama, and competitive creativity, providing viewers with diverse entertainment options across major channels.

Mission to Space With Francis Bourgeois

6.50pm, Channel 4

Can a passionate trainspotter transform into a potential astronaut? Mission to Space With Francis Bourgeois follows the internet's beloved railway enthusiast as he pursues his lifelong ambition of reaching for the stars. With invaluable guidance from British astronaut Tim Peake, Bourgeois journeys to the NASA Space Center in Houston, Texas, determined to turn his childhood fantasy of orbital travel into reality.

This surprisingly poignant two-part documentary captures Bourgeois's genuine emotional journey, including moments as visceral as using a sick bag during simulator training. The programme beautifully illustrates how ordinary dreams can lead to extraordinary adventures, supported by expert mentorship from one of Britain's most accomplished space explorers.

The Great Pottery Throw Down

7.50pm, Channel 4

The ceramic competition enters its specialised Raku week, honouring the traditional Japanese pottery technique historically used for crafting tea ceremony vessels. Hosted by Siobhán McSweeney, contestants face the dual challenge of creating intricate animal parent and child structures before tackling a spontaneous sculpting spot test set by a guest master judge. The pressure mounts as artists work with this delicate, medieval-inspired method.

Call the Midwife

8pm, BBC One

In this episode, midwife Joyce (Renee Bailey) is temporarily assigned to St Cuthbert's antenatal clinic, where she encounters a single mother with a rare blood type complicated by placenta praevia. Meanwhile, Rosalind (Natalie Quarry) becomes intrigued after discovering a patient's cousin scavenging from a bin. The Turner children and Poplar community draw inspiration from Blue Peter to create and bury a communal time capsule, adding a nostalgic layer to the narrative.

The Night Manager

9pm, BBC One

The penultimate episode of this acclaimed spy thriller builds tension through pivotal face-to-face confrontations. Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston), the maverick operative, strategically manipulates the emotions of individuals connected to arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie). Laurie delivers a compelling performance as he transitions into a menacing, growling antagonist. The episode promises significant dramatic moments as the complex plot approaches its conclusion.

After the Flood

9pm, ITV1

Another corpse discovered on Benson land raises questions about potential links between victims, particularly given their unusual post-mortem injuries. DC Jo Marshall (Sophie Rundell) and newly transferred DS Sam Bradley (Jill Halfpenny) investigate the case while contending with rapidly spreading rumours about Marshall's personal life. The mystery deepens against a backdrop of escalating community tension.

Four Kings

10.05pm, Channel 4

This documentary series chronicling the careers of British boxing legends Frank Bruno, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank Sr, and Lennox Lewis reaches the early 1990s. The episode examines how American promoter Don King ushered in a period of lucrative opportunities tempered by significant personal and professional challenges for the fighters. The subjects offer reflective, often emotional insights gained from their turbulent experiences in the sport.

Film Choice: The Blob

2.25am, Talking Pictures TV

This classic 1958 B-movie presents a unique extraterrestrial threat: a carnivorous, amoeba-like alien that crash-lands on Earth and consumes everything in its path as it expands into a massive slime entity. Notable for featuring Steve McQueen in his first leading role, the film has earned praise from astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who regards the Blob as his favourite Hollywood-conceived alien from a scientific perspective.