Here’s our TV tonight picks for Wednesday, July 23 (for more information about what’s on TV, see our TV Guide)…
Washington Black, Disney Plus
In this globe-trotting historical fantasy adventure about a gifted young boy who was born on a Barbados sugar plantation, we first meet George Washington “Wash” Black in 1837, living peacefully and incognito in Nova Scotia.
However, the arrival of bounty hunters brandishing a wanted poster with an image of his younger self brings him face to face with his brutal childhood. A vibrant and elegantly cast retelling of Esi Edugyan’s novel, starring Ernest Kingsley Junior, Sterling K Brown, Tom Ellis, Iola Evans, Eddie Karanja and Billy Boyd — a long way from loveable Pippin in The Lord of the Rings and revelatory as a cold-blooded hired killer driven by racial hatred.
Bookish, U&Alibi, 8 pm
Showbiz comes to Archangel Lane when romantic drama Lovelorn in London — starring golden couple Sandra Dare (Renegade Nell’s Joely Richardson) and Stewart Howard (The Queen’s Gambit’s Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) — is filmed outside the bookshop.
When a supporting artist dies from eating a poisoned chocolate, Book (Mark Gatiss) deduces that one of the stars was the intended target, so Jack (Connor Finch) gets a job as Stewart’s assistant to keep a watchful eye over them. But Jack has a mystery of his own to solve when he finds a familiar-looking photo in Trottie’s bedroom — are the Books somehow connected to his past?
Critical: Between Life and Death, Netflix
This series from the makers of 24 Hours in A&E follows the dedicated work of NHS staff in four hospitals that make up London’s Major Trauma System, which cares for patients who have suffered life-threatening injuries.
First are four members of the public who were admitted to King’s College Hospital and St George’s Hospital after a catastrophic mechanical failure on a fairground. With contributions from medical practitioners, patients and their loved ones, it’s testament to the remarkable work of the NHS and their care and expertise.
The Dog House New Zealand, More4, 6.55 pm
Cameras follow staff at Country Retreat Animal Sanctuary, Auckland, as they try to match pooches with people in this Kiwi spin-off of the “dog dating” show. Will cheeky pup Sue be too much for a young family, and can rescue Skye get over her trust issues? More adorable dogs than you can shake a stick at. Continues until Friday.