Here are the 8 best movies on TV this Thursday

The weekend is nearly upon us.

Weekends, of course, aren’t very much different from weekdays for a lot of people in these strange times, but one tiny crumb of comfort is the quality of movies on offer on the box tends to be better the closer you get to Saturday and Sunday. Tonight’s selection isn’t star-studded or anything of the sort, but there are a couple of options that should easily while away an evening. Here goes… Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang – ITV2 – 6.55pm A pleasant watch for kids and big adult kids alike. X-Men: The Last Stand – Film 4 – 6.55pm The third and final instalment in the X-Men series, it doesn’t quite go out with a bang but not with a whimper either. Watchable. Thunderball – ITV4 – 8pm Sean Connery’s fourth and second last outing as 007, it is generally regarded as one of the better Bond films. The Longest Yard – Comedy Central – 9pm The 2005 remake of the 1974 original starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds and Nelly. Yes, Nelly. As ridiculous as such an eclectic cast would suggest it is. Pitch Perfect – ITV2 – 9pm Brilliant individual performances from a brilliant cast, great musical numbers and a lot of fun. Worth a watch if you haven’t seen it and a rewatch if you have. Atomic Blonde – Film 4 – 9pm More-than-decent spy thriller with Charlize Theron and James McAvoy featuring in a more-than-decent cast. Empire of the Sharks – SyFy – 10pm The words ‘empire’ and ‘sharks’ in the title create a certain level of hype about this that, to be honest, is not in any way deserved. Police Academy – ITV4 – 10.40pm The original? Yes. The best? No.