What’s worth watching on TV tonight? Wednesday 7 October

Wondering what’s worth watching on TV tonight? Wednesday’s line-up has plenty to choose from, with explosive soap drama, a grisly new crime thriller, emotional family history and a trip to Las Vegas among the highlights.

From EastEnders and Emmerdale to The Repair Shop, Who Do You Think You Are? and Richard Armitage’s new drama Winter, here’s what deserves a place on your watchlist tonight.

7.30pm – EastEnders, BBC One and iPlayer

There’s trouble brewing in Walford as Ian Beale returns, but his time away hasn’t left him entirely unchanged.

Ian is clearly shaken by his time in prison, while Nicola takes Ryder under her wing and shows him the ropes behind the bar.

Elsewhere, Penny steps in when Suki questions her and Vinny’s parenting skills.

For long-time EastEnders viewers, Ian’s return is likely to be one of the evening’s biggest draws, particularly as the character attempts to settle back into life in Albert Square.

8pm – Emmerdale, ITV1 and ITVX

Over in the Dales, Charity is shocked by the prospect of going home, while Gabby collapses.

Meanwhile, Sadie is on a mission, setting the stage for another dramatic evening in the village.

If you’re after a traditional soap fix, Emmerdale offers plenty of unanswered questions heading into the later episodes.

8pm – The Repair Shop: Beyond the Barn, BBC One and iPlayer

For something considerably more heartwarming, The Repair Shop: Beyond the Barn brings together several fascinating restoration stories.

David Burville and Mark Stuckey team up to restore a model fairground made by its owners’ grandfather.

Lucia Scalisi works on a portrait of a woman’s great-great-grandfather, who was involved in an infamous Victorian banking fraud.

Steve Fletcher tackles a mantel clock brought in by a man from Glasgow, while Dominic Chinea takes on a particularly personal restoration: a battle-scarred wheelchair used by an Army veteran to play rugby in the Invictus Games.

It’s the kind of programme that provides a welcome change of pace from the evening’s darker dramas.

8.30pm – Coronation Street, ITV1 and ITVX

There’s more turmoil on the cobbles as Shona discovers Harper’s recorded cries on Lily’s phone and accuses her of trying to undermine her sanity.

Christina disappears with Rachel’s ashes before George comforts her.

Meanwhile, Sam steals Idris’s credit card from Speed Daal, while Summer reacts angrily when her friends criticise the imprisoned Marco.

With several storylines colliding, Coronation Street looks set to provide another busy half-hour before the night’s biggest dramas begin.

9pm – Winter, ITV1 and ITVX

One of tonight’s most intriguing choices is Winter, a new crime drama starring Richard Armitage and Annabel Scholey.

Dr Ethan Winter is still haunted by a tragedy that shattered his life 10 years ago. Now he’s called to a gruesome crime scene at a Bristol demolition site.

The victim appears to be a construction worker in his fifties who has suffered catastrophic head injuries.

But there’s an especially disturbing detail: his face has been peeled away.

Winter’s forensic instincts soon raise another question. The victim never worked at the demolition site, leading to the discovery that his body was dumped there after his death.

If you’re looking for something darker and more gripping tonight, Winter could be the standout choice.

9pm – Cause of Death, Channel 5

Channel 5 offers a very different kind of mystery with Cause of Death.

Danny is found dead on the living-room floor by his sister. There is no sign of a break-in, no obvious evidence of assault and nothing to suggest self-harm.

Experts begin a medical investigation, examining evidence inside Danny’s body in an attempt to uncover the hidden cause that could have stopped his heart without warning.

It’s a medical mystery where the key to understanding what happened lies beneath the surface.

9pm – Secrets and Spies: A Nuclear Game, BBC Two and iPlayer

History and espionage take centre stage in this documentary examining the tensions between East and West and the spying game and arms race that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.

The programme features archive interviews with KGB spy Oleg Gordievsky, who became a double agent and began working for the British.

It also examines unpublished letters from Michael Bettaney and features interviews with former aides to Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.

For viewers interested in Cold War history, intelligence and political intrigue, this is one of the night’s strongest factual choices.

9pm – Who Do You Think You Are? Joe Lycett, BBC One and iPlayer

Joe Lycett turns detective as the Celebrity Traitors star investigates his family history.

His journey begins with his Edwardian great-grandfather, a member of the fraternal RAOB organisation in Nottingham.

But the research takes a darker turn when Lycett discovers his two-times great-grandfather Robert Wilkinson, who was a boy chimney sweep in the 1850s.

Wilkinson eventually joined the Royal Marines and travelled the world, although his story ultimately had a tragic ending.

For fans of celebrity genealogy, this promises to be an especially revealing episode.

9pm – Big Brother, ITV2 and ITVX

If reality TV is more your thing, Big Brother continues as tensions rise inside the house.

ITV is promising more conflict from what it describes as the most explosive house ever, making this the choice for viewers who want their evening entertainment with plenty of arguments and unpredictable moments.

10pm – Martin Compston: Living Las Vegas, Channel 4

The evening finishes with Line of Duty star Martin Compston exploring the entertainment scene in the city he now proudly calls home.

Martin Compston: Living Las Vegas looks at how Las Vegas has evolved, with sport, theatre and cuisine becoming the new pillars of the city’s entertainment business.

Compston also shares stories of Vegas’s golden era with Wayne Newton while exploring the character and culture behind one of the world’s most famous entertainment destinations.

It’s a later, lighter option for anyone wanting something different from the night’s soaps and crime dramas.

So, what’s worth watching on TV tonight?

There’s no shortage of choice, but Richard Armitage’s Winter is arguably the night’s most intriguing new drama, particularly for viewers looking for a dark crime mystery.

For something warmer, The Repair Shop: Beyond the Barn offers emotional restoration stories, while Who Do You Think You Are? Joe Lycett should appeal to anyone who enjoys a celebrity family-history mystery.

And, of course, soap fans have a packed evening, with EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street all delivering their latest twists.

Our pick: Winter at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX for drama, or The Repair Shop: Beyond the Barn at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer if you want something more uplifting.

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