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'Strictly' live shows and 'Midnight Mass': The best TV to watch this weekend, 24 - 26 September

Katie Archer
·Contributor
·5 min read
Programme Name: Strictly Come Dancing 2021 - TX: 18/09/2021 - Episode: Strictly Come Dancing - Launch Show (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: The Strictly Come Dancing Celebrities - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
Which one will be the winner? (BBC/Guy Levy)

Strictly Come Dancing's 2021 competition gets going in earnest this weekend as the live shows kick off on BBC One on Saturday.

Horror fans are in for a terrifying treat on Friday as Mike Flanagan's latest series, Midnight Mass, begins streaming on Netflix and promises to be a must-binge.

Read more: The best TV to watch this autumn

Submarine drama Vigil reaches its tense finale on Sunday with series star Suranne Jones promising viewers a big twist still to come in the BBC One show.

Elsewhere, weekend highlights include the return of Graham Norton, coverage of a global music event, Daniel Craig sharing his favourite anecdotes as he bows out as Bond, and a devastating look at the dangers of mountaineering that ended in tragedy for one family.

The best TV to watch this weekend, 24 - 26 September, 2021

Friday

Midnight Mass - Netflix

Hamish Linklater stars in horror 'Midnight Mass'. (Netflix)
Hamish Linklater stars in horror 'Midnight Mass'. (Netflix)

Halloween comes early to Netflix this weekend, with a brand new horror series from The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor creator Mike Flanagan.

A disgraced former resident of the remote, run-down Crockett Island returns home at the same time as a mysterious young priest arrives in town to guide the ultra-religious community.

Read more: Midnight Mass preview - the scariest thing on Netflix

But as the troubled islanders put their faith in the newcomer and his miracles, a dark presence begins stalking them.

Pure terror and a stylish series with a stand-out performance from Hamish Linklater make this a binge-watch worthy of your entire weekend.

The Graham Norton Show - BBC One - 10.35pm

Programme Name: The Graham Norton Show - TX: n/a - Episode: The Graham Norton Show 2020 - Generics (No. Generics) - Picture Shows: Graham Norton - (C) So Television - Photographer: Christopher Baines
Graham Norton returns with Daniel Craig on the sofa. (So Television/Christopher Baines)

King of celebrity chat Graham Norton returns with a new series where famous faces spill all and share hilarious anecdotes.

On tonight's bill is Daniel Craig who'll be talking about his final outing as 007 in the long-awaited Bond film No Time To Die.

Goliath - Amazon Prime Video

Billy Bob Thornton stars in the fourth and final season of 'Goliath'. (Amazon)
Billy Bob Thornton stars in the fourth and final season of 'Goliath'. (Amazon)

Over on Amazon, Billy Bob Thornton's fourth and final series of Goliath begins streaming.

He plays lawyer Billy McBride in the legal thriller which during its final storylines will see him take on America's opioid crisis.

Saturday

Strictly Come Dancing - BBC One - 7pm

Programme Name: Strictly Come Dancing 2021 - TX: 18/09/2021 - Episode: Strictly Come Dancing - Launch Show (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke - (C) BBC - Photographer: Guy Levy
The judges are ready for the 2021 series. (BBC/Guy Levy)

Sparkle is back on the menu for Saturday nights as Strictly's live shows get underway.

This is the first time we've seen the brand new couples perform, so we'll be eagerly watching to see who looks like they could be in with a chance of lifting this year's Glitterball Trophy.

Read more: Strictly reveals week one song and dance list in full

Highlights to look out for this weekend include Anton Du Beke's debut as a series judge, and John Whaite and Johannes Radebe performing as the show's first all-male couple to compete.

No one will be voted out this weekend, but the scores will be added to those from next week's live show ahead of the first elimination.

Global Citizen Live: Music Festival for the Planet - BBC One - 5.30pm

Elton John is on the bill for 'Global Citizen Live'. (Getty)
Elton John is on the bill for 'Global Citizen Live'. (Getty)

BBC's coverage of one-off 24-hour music event Global Citizen Live switches between BBC One and BBC Two throughout the night.

Performances from London, New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and Seoul, amongst other global locations, make up a Live Aid-inspired concert with the aim to "defend the planet, defeat poverty".

Star acts on the bill include Elton John, Kylie Minogue, BTS, Lizzo, Stormzy and Rag'n'Bone Man.

Sunday

Vigil - BBC One - 9pm

WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 14:00:01 on 02/05/2021 - Programme Name: Vigil - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 6) - Picture Shows: ***EMBARGOED AND NOT FOR USE BEFORE 14:00hrs SUNDAY 2nd MAY 2021*** Amy Silva (SURANNE JONES) - (C) World Productions - Photographer: screengrab
Will Suranne Jones ever get off the submarine? (World Productions)

We finally reach the tense climax of Suranne Jones submarine drama Vigil after having ended on an extreme cliffhanger last week with her character DCI Amy Silva trapped in a flooding torpedo tube.

Even if Amy gets out, she still has to round up the boat's saboteurs, make it back up to the surface without being attacked by the Russians, and work out the extent of Ben Oakley and MSP Patrick Cruden's involvement - before, hopefully, reconciling with Kirsten.

Read more: The 6 burning questions we need answered in the Vigil finale

It's a lot to pack into an hour, but Jones has promised a big twist to come in the series finale...

The Last Mountain - BBC Two - 9pm

Programme Name: The Last Mountain - TX: n/a - Episode: The Last Mountain (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: Tom Ballard - (C) Ballard Images - Photographer: Unknown
Tom Ballard's final expedition is documented. (Ballard Images)

Real-life adventure can be every bit as perilous as TV drama, as this documentary about the tragedy that hit a family of mountaineers shows.

In 1995, Alison Hargreaves, a supremely skilled mountaineer, died on K2 leaving behind a husband and two young children - this film follows what happened to her children as they became adults.

Tom Ballard inherited his mother's love of mountaineering and his expedition to Nanga Parbat in Pakistan is featured, but it had a devastating end when he also died on his trek in 2019.

His sister Kate makes a pilgrimage to the mountain in tribute to her brother, and their mother who died just 100 miles from the site.

Being James Bond - ITV - 10.20pm

From MGM Studios BEING JAMES BOND on ITV Sunday 26th September 2021 Pictured: Daniel Craig (James Bond) and Rob Inch (Assistant Stunt Coordinator) on the set of Quantum of Solace film In this special 45-minute retrospective, Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15-year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, in the lead up to his final performance as James Bond. (C) MGM Studios For further information please contact Iwona Karbowska 0207 157 3043 iwona.karbowska@itv.com This photograph is © MGM Studios and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme BEING JAMES BOND or ITV. Once made available by the ITV Picture Desk, this photograph can be reproduced once only up until the Transmission date and no reproduction fee will be charged. Any subsequent usage may incur a fee. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on the website www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures
Daniel Craig has filmed his final Bond adventure. (MGM Studios/ITV)

Daniel Craig has been James Bond for the last 15 years, but his starring role in the forthcoming No Time To Die will be his last.

Here, he looks back over his time in the shoes of legendary spy 007 and shares some of his favourite memories before he passes the baton to the next Bond.

Watch: Who's judging this year's Strictly?