Here’s our TV tonight picks for Wednesday, July 9 (for more information about what’s on TV, see our TV Guide)…
Building the Band, Netflix
Singer AJ McLean of Backstreet Boys hosts this talent show featuring singers hoping to form a world-famous band. But – a bit like dating show Love Is Blind – there’s a twist, as they can’t meet in person or even see one another until after the group is formed!
Secluded in individual booths, the singers will pick who to team up with based on musical ability and sound alone. When the groups finally meet, what will that mean in terms of style and choreography?
Singer and stage star Nicole Scherzinger is a judge and mentor, with guest judges Kelly Rowland and Liam Payne (filming took place a few months before his tragic death last year and Liam’s family have given their support to the show). NC
Ballard, Prime Video
Fans of Prime Video’s detective drama Bosch, based on Michael Connelly’s novels, can now see this spin-off starring Maggie Q as Detective Renée Ballard. All 10 episodes are available to watch from today.
Darby and Joan, U & Drama, 8 pm
Jack Darby (Bryan Brown) and Joan Kirkhope (Greta Scacchi) are headed to the surfing town of Rocky Point as this gentle Australian crime drama continues its second series. Retired detective Jack is still trying to clear his name from a past case, but, meanwhile, he and Joan come across a local nurse, Gillian, who has been in a car crash – and when they find out that she was run off the road, it’s like catnip to the cosy crimebusters.
But will their investigations prove Gillian to be a whistle-blower or an ‘angel of death’? Or possibly even both? Luckily, there’s still time for Jack to hire a surfboard and show off the beautiful Queensland coastline and a clear blue sea that shimmers in the sunshine. JP
The Trouble with Mr Doodle, Channel 4, 10 pm
This feature-length documentary looks at the artist Sam Cox, who loved to draw throughout childhood and became Mr Doodle as an adult while exploring ways to make money from his art. He even bought a house and painted it white so he could doodle on it. But has there been a price to pay for the intensity of his craft? JP
Poldark, BBC4, 10 pm (BBCiPlayer)
This adaptation of Winston Graham’s novels, starring Aidan Turner, ran from 2015 to 2019 and was a big hit for BBC One. Set in 18th-century Cornwall, it’s a sweeping saga of land rights, smuggling, passion and pilchards, with the thrilling on-screen message “Poldark will return” at the end of every series. Viewers who were bereft when it didn’t return after Season 5 may want to revisit it tonight. There’s an introduction from writer Debbie Horsfield, who has another period adaptation in the works — a “reimagining” of The Forsyte Saga, which will air on 5.
1923, Netflix
Yellowstone was the biggest show in the US and, after initially airing on 5 in the UK, has been a huge Netflix hit. Now here’s a chance to see the prequel starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as Jacob and Cara, ancestors of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton.