What to watch on BBC iPlayer this week — 13 September 2026

UKMac Watchlist — 13 September 2026

BBC iPlayer is one of those services where there is almost too much to choose from. You open it for one programme, spot three others, and somehow end up watching an old episode of something you’ve already seen.

So, following our Netflix Watchlist, here are ten things we think are worth a look on BBC iPlayer this week. This is a selection rather than a popularity chart: some are brand new, some are currently airing and a couple are simply good choices when you don’t fancy committing to another enormous box set.

1. Vigil: Series 3

The obvious pick this week. Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie are back as Amy Silva and Kirsten Longacre, with the third series taking the investigation to Svalbard. Better still, episodes five and six arrived on iPlayer today, 13 September, meaning the complete six-part series is now ready to binge.

Watch it if: you want a proper Sunday-night thriller without waiting another week for the ending.

2. Ludwig: Series 2

David Mitchell’s puzzle-loving accidental detective is back, and the second series has now reached its finale on iPlayer. The appeal is still the same unusual mix of murder mystery, comedy and logic puzzles, with Mitchell making the whole thing feel very different from the standard TV detective drama.

Watch it if: you like your crime dramas clever, funny and slightly odd.

3. RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: Series 8

Series eight is under way, with a fresh group of queens competing for the UK crown. The new run is still early enough that you can catch up without turning it into a weekend-long project.

Watch it if: you want something colourful, competitive and considerably less gloomy than this week’s crime dramas.

4. Celebrity MasterChef: Series 21

The celebrity kitchen is back in full swing. The latest batch of episodes has already reached the point where the remaining cooks are being pushed beyond the safer early-round challenges, with more episodes due this coming week.

Watch it if: you want easy evening television with just enough jeopardy to keep you watching.

5. Casualty: Series 49

One of the BBC’s longest-running dramas has started its 49th series, with the opening episodes available on iPlayer. Casualty is hardly the fashionable streaming recommendation, but that is partly the point: sometimes you want a dependable British drama rather than another algorithmically engineered eight-hour thriller.

Watch it if: Holby’s emergency department remains one of your television comfort zones.

6. Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps

The latest Pilgrimage takes its celebrity travellers through the Alps towards Einsiedeln Abbey. Episode three is on BBC Two tonight and available through iPlayer, making this a good change of pace from the louder reality shows.

Watch it if: you prefer travel, conversation and scenery to eliminations and scoreboards.

7. Rob and Rylan’s Passage to India

Rob Rinder and Rylan continue their travels in India, with the third episode taking in everything from temples to mud wrestling. Their unlikely double act remains the main attraction: part travelogue, part friendship show and much more entertaining than that description makes it sound.

Watch it if: you fancy travel television with personality rather than a straight documentary.

8. Only Connect: Series 22

Victoria Coren Mitchell’s famously unforgiving quiz is back for series 22. A new episode lands on Monday 14 September, so now is a good time to catch up — or spend half an hour being delighted when you manage to answer one question before either team.

Watch it if: you think most television quizzes are far too easy.

9. Paula

If you missed it first time around, the 2017 psychological thriller Paula has returned to iPlayer. Denise Gough plays a teacher whose encounter with a troubled man, played by Tom Hughes, develops into something much darker. It is an older pick, but a useful reminder that iPlayer’s archive can be as interesting as its new releases.

Watch it if: you want a complete psychological drama rather than something still airing week by week.

10. Would I Lie to You?

Sometimes the best recommendation is simply something you can put on for half an hour. Recent episodes of Would I Lie to You? are on iPlayer, including the familiar combination of Rob Brydon, David Mitchell and Lee Mack trying to work out which ridiculous stories are actually true.

Watch it if: you want something funny without having to remember six episodes of plot.

UKMac pick of the week

Vigil: Series 3. The final two episodes arriving today makes it the easiest recommendation. You can now watch the whole story at your own pace rather than being left hanging between weekly releases.

Coming this week

The big one to keep an eye on is Strictly Come Dancing, which begins its 2026 run on Saturday 19 September on BBC One and iPlayer. And looking slightly further ahead, The Split Up, the Manchester-set spin-off from The Split, arrives on 20 September with its six-part box set heading to iPlayer.

Watching iPlayer on Apple gear?

BBC iPlayer fits neatly into the sort of setup many UKMac readers already have. Apple TV is the obvious choice for the living room, while an iPad or MacBook is handy when the main television has been claimed by somebody else. And for late-night viewing, a pair of AirPods saves everyone else from hearing the Vigil theme at full volume.

BBC iPlayer is a UK service and you need a valid TV Licence to use it. Availability can also change, so this Watchlist is dated deliberately: these are our picks as of 13 September 2026, rather than a supposedly timeless list that will be out of date in six months.