Inside the Lives of Remarkable Cancer Surgeons and Tonight’s Top TV Picks

Tonight’s TV highlights include a bowel cancer surgeon’s candid series, artists painting Henry II’s fortress, and Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt on Film4.

The Surgeon

9pm, Channel 5

This new series offers an unfiltered look at the demanding lives of surgeons, beginning with bowel cancer specialist Daren Francis. His first patient is Doris, a retired nurse who dedicated 50 years to the NHS and has been suffering from severe abdominal pain for two weeks. The series captures a challenging and delicate operation, while also providing insight into Francis’s personal reflections as he invites cameras into his home and discusses the emotional difficulty of delivering a cancer diagnosis.

Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It

8pm,

Kirstie Allsopp returns to Cullercoats in Tyne and Wear to reconnect with Mark and Suze. When first featured in 2020, the couple faced a decision: renovate their Victorian townhouse or move on. The episode explores whether they have found their permanent residence.

Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time

8pm, Channel 5

Presenter Alice Roberts takes a break from her usual historical explorations to profile St Barts hospital in London. She visits the hospital’s archive to examine one of its most valuable artefacts, a scroll dating back to 1137, offering a unique perspective on the institution’s rich history.

Landscape Artist of the Year 2026

8pm, Sky Arts

In the final preliminary heat, eight artists have four hours to capture Dover Castle, Henry II’s medieval fortress, described as the “12th-century version of bling.” The artists employ diverse techniques, including neon-bright mixed media, pyrography, and watercolour, showcasing a wide range of styles.

Matlock

Matty (Kathy Bates) and Olympia (Skye P Marshall) continue their strategic efforts to gain control of the New York law firm where they work. Concurrently, Olympia takes on a case that brings to light a deeply personal issue related to her relationship with her mother.

Unspun World With John Simpson

11pm, BBC Two

John Simpson, one of the remaining pillars of high-quality journalism, continues his valued work in this ongoing series. As world affairs editor, Simpson recently noted that he had never experienced a more troubling year than 2025. Considering his recent reports on Iran and Greenland, it appears that 2026 has not brought much reassurance so far.

Film choice

Shadow of a Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock, 1943), 11am, Film4

This film is regarded as a connoisseur’s favourite among Hitchcock’s works, with the director himself naming it as his personal favourite on multiple occasions. The story follows Charlotte “Charlie” Newton (Teresa Wright), a teenage girl living a safe but uneventful life in Santa Rosa, California, until her charismatic uncle (Joseph Cotten) arrives. Uncle Charlie initially appears to be a charming and generous guest, taking a special interest in his niece, but his unsettling comments about “rich widows” hint at darker motives.