A legendary mystery thriller is among the movies on TV tonight

Stephen Porzio

You can start another year of movie watching off by checking out this Oscar Best Picture winner.

Your New Year’s Day viewing options include the very scary horror movie and the hidden comedy gem series added to Netflix today, as well as the following films on TV tonight:

The Inbetweeners 2 – E4 – 9pm
The inbetweeners meet up again for a holiday in Australia.

Dream Horse – Film4 – 9pm
This crowd-pleasing sports comedy-drama stars Damian Lewis and Toni Collette and follows the true story of Dream Alliance, a horse that raced in the Welsh Grand National.

Little Nicky – Comedy Central – 9pm
Adam Sandler is Satan’s son in this fantasy comedy.

Parallel – Sky Sci-Fi – 9pm
This Canadian sci-fi thriller has an 82% Rotten Tomatoes score.

The Fourth Protocol – Legend – 9pm
An ’80s Cold War spy movie starring Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan.

The Commuter – Sky Showcase – 9.30pm
Liam Neeson headlines this thriller as a man who is unwittingly recruited into a murder conspiracy after meeting a mysterious woman (Vera Farmiga) while on his daily train commute.

Without Remorse – RTÉ One – 9.30pm
An average action thriller starring Michael B. Jordan based on a Tom Clancy novel.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy – RTÉ2 – 9.35pm
“60% of the time, it works every time.”

Bonnie and Clyde – BBC Two – 10pm
Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty are the titular outlaws in this ’60s crime thriller, which was controversial upon release.

Hercules – Virgin Media One – 10pm
Backed by a great cast of British thespians, Dwayne Johnson stars in this entertaining action-adventure fantasy.

Central Intelligence – ITV4 – 10.30pm
A buddy action comedy movie with Dwayne Johnson again in a lead role, this time opposite Kevin Hart.

In the heat of the night

The poster for In the Heat of the Night, our TV movie pick for this evening

Let Us Prey – Legend Xtra – 10.55pm
This creepy and violent Irish horror is set in a remote police station and follows a mysterious stranger (Liam Cunningham) who begins to take over the minds and souls of everyone inside.

Ghostbusters – BBC One – 10.55pm
Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy lead the cast of this 2016 reboot of the classic supernatural comedy.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? – TG4 – 11pm
In the first of George Clooney’s collaborations with the Coen Brothers, he plays one of three escaped convicts in the Deep South during the 1930s who search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.

This much-loved crime comedy-drama boasts a great folk music soundtrack.

Knives Out – Film4 – 11.15pm
In this hit murder mystery, a gentleman sleuth by the name of Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) investigates the death of the patriarch (Christopher Plummer) of a wealthy and dysfunctional family.

In the Heat of the Night – BBC Two – 11.50pm
Last but not least is our pick for tonight – this ’60s crime thriller mystery from director Norman Jewison (And Justice For All, Moonstruck, Rollerball).

It revolves around a black Philadelphia police detective named Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) who is mistakenly suspected of a local murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town. After being cleared of the killing, Tibbs is reluctantly asked by the town’s police chief (Rod Steiger) to investigate the case.

Winning five Oscars upon release – including Best Picture, Best Actor for Steiger and Best Adapted Screenplay – In the Heat of the Night’s blend of murder mystery and social commentary was highly influential, with its powerful story still resonating decades later.

In the Heat of the Night is also available to rent on Apple TV and Google Play. You can check out its trailer right here: