UK TV tonight: Michael Gove takes on PM role in Russia crisis drama

Tonight's UK television schedule spans several distinct genres, tied together by topical social themes.

Political drama on Russia

Sky One airs a docudrama titled "The Wargame", which uses real political figures to imagine a British response to escalating Russian aggression. The cast includes Michael Gove, finally getting the chance to play a prime minister, alongside Harriet Harman and Nicola Sturgeon, who take seats around the cabinet table. Reviewers note the cast commits convincingly to the concept, including an unnamed US president character with Russian sympathies.

Health trends and history

BBC One launches a new series hosted by Stacey Dooley, "Clickbait Clinic", opening with a look at leg-lengthening surgery, a viral social media trend known as "heightmaxxing" that involves breaking both legs and inserting screws. Meanwhile, BBC Two begins a two-part documentary, "Finding Britain's Slave Traders", presented by David Olusoga, which examines a register of British slave traders and traces links between this dark history and modern institutions, including the royal family.

Crime and reexamination

Channel 4's "999: What Happened Next" follows the aftermath of emergency calls, including the case of a woman stabbed in her own home while preparing for a Christmas night out, and a gang that carried out burglaries in a wealthy area. BBC Two continues its comedy "Colin from Accounts", following Gordon and Ashley as they navigate awkward encounters after splitting from their partners, including a sex party. Channel 5 airs "Lucy Letby: Scapegoat?", a documentary revisiting the case of the neonatal nurse convicted in 2023, amid ongoing challenges to the clinical and statistical evidence used at trial.