What to watch this Bank Holiday weekend

From Britain's Got Talent revealing this year's finalists to a new series of detective drama Strike, the broadcasters are wheeling out fresh and exciting shows to keep you entertained as we start preparing for September despite mentally feeling like we're still in the midst of March.

It wouldn't feel like a Bank Holiday if a range of crowd-pleasing flicks weren't populating the primetime TV schedule. Relatively recent releases like Tom Hanks' Sully, Ben Affleck's The Accountant and Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again are airing throughout the weekend, while classics such as Space Jam, Happy Feet and The Hangover will be available to revisit.

Here's a list of our top picks for the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Saturday 29th August

Saturday is filled with excellent entertainment series, with The Voice Kids crowning the winner of its fourth season, while Britain's top journalists take to the Pointless podium in Richard Osman and Alexander Armstrong's Celebrity special.

If you fancy a trip down memory lane, Gold is airing a special on sketch series The Fast Show, 26 years after it first aired on BBC Two. Here are the top picks for Saturday.

• Jimmy's Big Bee Rescue – Channel 4, 8pm
• The Voice Kids – ITV, 7.20pm
• Pointless Celebrities – BBC One, 7.40pm
• QI XL – BBC Two, 9pm
• Edward and Sophie: The Reluctant Royals – Channel 5, 9pm
• Total Wipeout: Freddie & Paddy Takeover – BBC One, 7pm
• The Fast Show: Just a Load of Blooming Catchphrases – Gold, 9pm

We've also selected a few of the best films playing on Saturday – from Bond classic GoldenEye, to raunchy teen comedy Superbad. If you're not quite ready to visit the cinema to watch Tenet, Christopher Nolan's Inception is on ITV2. Here are our top picks.

• Sully – BBC One, 8.30pm
• GoldenEye – ITV, 9.05pm
• Logan – Channel 4, 9pm
• Cinderella – BBC One, 4.30pm
• Godzilla – Sky One, 9pm
• Inception – ITV 2, 8pm
• Superbad – Dave, 9pm

Sunday 30th August

Best TV and films on Bank Holiday Sunday:

Sunday is equally as big for Bank Holiday viewing, with Britain's Got Talent airing a special episode, revealing which acts have made it to the (postponed) finals, and the fourth series of Strike – BBC One's detective drama adapted from JK Rowling's novels – debuting at 9pm. Here are the top picks for Sunday.

• Britain's Got Talent: The Finalists Revealed – ITV, 6.30pm
• Strike: Lethal White – BBC One, 9pm
• Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing – BBC Two, 8pm
• Britain's Favourite Detective – ITV, 8pm
• Harry Hill's World of TV – BBC Two, 8.30pm
• Liverpool FC: The 30 Year Wait – BBC Two, 9pm
• BBC Proms 2020: Sir Simon Rattle and the LSO – BBC Four, 8pm
• Best of Top Gear – BBC Two, 6pm
• I'll Be Gone in the Dark – Sky Crime, 9pm

You're in for a treat when it comes to movies on Sunday, with Ben Affleck's The Accountant airing on BBC One, while Film4 is holding a marathon of The Hobbit if you fancy a trip to Middle-earth.

• The Accountant – BBC One, 10.30pm
• Fast & Furious 7 – ITV, 10.15pm
• Hampstead – Channel 4, 10pm
• The Hangover – ITV2, 9pm
• The Legend of Tarzan – ITV2, 6.50
• The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey – Film4, 5.30pm
• The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug – Film 4, 9pm

Monday 31st August

Best TV and films on Bank Holiday Monday:

Rounding out the Bank Holiday weekend, BBC One is showing the second episode of Strike's fourth series, but if you fancy revisiting a few classics, Planet Earth and Agatha Christie's Poirot are also on the box. Here are our top picks for Monday.

• Planet Earth – BBC One, 8pm
• Strike: Lethal White – BBC One, 9pm
• The Diagnosis Detectives – BBC Two, 9pm
• Dirty Secrets of Britain's Takeaways – Channel 4, 7.30pm
• Jamie: Keep Cooking Family Favourites – Channel 4, 8.30pm
• Agatha Christie's Poirot – ITV 3, 7pm
• Couples Come Dine with Me – Channel 4, 5pm
• Emmerdale – ITV, 7pm
• Coronation Street – ITV, 7.30pm

Bank Holiday Monday does not disappoint when it comes to films – from the sequels to Paddington and Mamma Mia, to superhero flicks Green Lantern and Fantastic Four. Here are our top picks for films on Monday.

• Paddington 2 – 6.25pm, BBC One
• Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb – Film4, 4.55pm
• Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – ITV, 8pm
• Forrest Gump – Sky One, 9pm
• Green Lantern – ITV 2, 6.40pm
• Fantastic Four – Film4, 6.50pm
• The Martian – Film 4, 9pm
• Space Jam – ITV2, 2.45pm
• Happy Feet – ITV2, 4.30pm
• The Karate Kid Part II – Dave, 1.50pm

If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV guide.