The Paper
9pm, Sky Max
The joke is on journalism in this mockumentary by the writers of the US version of The Office, with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as executive producers. Cameras follow life at the Toledo Truth Teller, a historic midwestern newspaper that now only prides itself on articles about how much Ben Affleck tips. But Domhnall Gleeson’s Ned Sampson comes in as editor to shake things up. Look out for The White Lotus star Sabrina Impacciatore, whose comedy chops once again steal the show. Hollie Richardson
Here We Go
8pm, BBC One
The Jessops are en route to a family christening, despite Paul’s gastric disaster (caused by an emergency baptism in the local faeces-infested river) and Rachel’s cricked knees. Amid the chaos, Granny Sue claims she gave George Harrison his first cigarette back in 1961 – could she have inadvertently “killed” him? Meanwhile, Amy prepares for the Bedford battle of the bands. Ali Catterall
8pm, Channel 4
Channel 4’s new autumn Friday night lineup begins with Jo Brand and Tom Allen’s warmly entertaining spin-off from the main Bake Off series. GBBO superfan Jonathan Ross is in the studio this week, but as always the guest of honour is the baker who has just been eliminated. Where did it all go wrong? Jack Seale
Classic Thriller Soundtracks at the Proms
8pm, BBC Four
Bernard Herrmann is the composer to praise (or blame) for the terrifying strings of Psycho. He also worked on more Hitchcock classics including Vertigo and North By Northwest, plus Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Movie buffs can enjoy this celebration of his music and more at this special Prom. HR
Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping
10pm, Channel 4
David Mitchell and Robert Webb reunite for a new sketch show, with a fresh team including Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Stevie Martin. This isn’t the comedy duo at their finest – a meta joke about the endless Prince Andrew interview dramas is tiring in itself – but it’s a light end-of-week watch for fans. HR
Peacemaker
10pm, Sky Max
Trigger-happy antihero Peacemaker (John Cena) continues his Sliding Doors experience by hanging out in the alternate reality where it seems as if his life turned out a whole lot better. But back home, the shady Argus agency is recruiting old enemies and new allies to commandeer his dimension-hopping alien tech. Graeme Virtue
Film choice
The Brutalist (Brady Corbet, 2024), 9pm, Sky Cinema Premiere
The ongoing trauma of the Holocaust casts a shadow over this epic and intensely felt postwar drama from Brady Corbet. It’s also a tale of art v commerce, as Adrien Brody’s Jewish-Hungarian concentration camp survivor László comes to the US and resumes his career as an architect famed for his brutalist style, supported by his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones). His new employer, industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (a superbly self-regarding Guy Pearce), envisions a grandiose community centre on the top of a hill. It is their relationship that forms the dark heart of the film, as László’s obsession with creative purity clashes with Harrison’s ego, envy and financial might. Simon Wardell
Highest 2 Lowest (Spike Lee, 2025), Apple TV+
In his vibrant adaptation of Ed McBain’s thriller King’s Ransom (by way of Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low), Spike Lee gets to indulge in his love of New York. Basketball, baseball, hip-hop, Puerto Rican music, the subway – the rich pageant of city life suffuses the action as record company legend David King (Denzel Washington) faces a moral dilemma. The son of his longtime chauffeur Paul (Jeffrey Wright) is accidentally kidnapped instead of his own. So should he still pay the $17.5m ransom, even though it will mean losing control of his label? SW
Live sport
Women’s Super League Football, Chelsea v Man City, 6.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event Millie Bright leads the champions at home as the season starts.