Valentine's TV 2024
Ah, we feel it in our fingers, and we feel it in our toes. Love is all around us, and so the feeling grows… But with the most romantic day of the year falling in the middle of the week, you might be thinking of having a cosy night in front of the box, rather than going out on a date with your better half. So, whether you’re a singleton, or if you’re all loved up with that special person in your life, why not check out our flirty dozen?
ALICE & JACK
Created by Mad Men’s Victor Levin, this new six-part drama series promises to be a love story for the ages. Quite literally, in fact, as the story spans 17 years. When financial advisor Alice (Andrea Riseborough) first meets warm-hearted Jack (Domhnall Gleeson), they seem to be bound by a very powerful connection – one that seems unbreakable. But will emotional complexities threaten their future happiness?
Begins on Wednesday 14 February on Channel 4
FIRST DATES: BE MY VALENTINE
Maître d’ Fred Siriex is back, as his First Dates restaurant hosts a Valentine’s special! It’s been 10 years since the show began, and since then, thousands of lonely hearts have passed through the restaurant’s doors, hoping to find their perfect partner. In this one-off, TikTok star Holly bonds with landscaper Sam over a shared passion for tequila, while 90-year-old army veteran Ronald thinks that he’s struck gold with 91-year-old Iris. But will any of them find everlasting love?
Tuesday 13 February on Channel 4
CORONATION STREET
The residents of Weatherfield have very mixed fortunes when it comes to matters of the heart, but this Valentine’s Day, Billy is absolutely determined to make it a special one for Paul, with a motorbike and sidecar ride! However, with Billy still wincing in pain from his back, he loads up on painkillers. Meanwhile, Bobby sees a way to Lauren’s heart, but when a delivery man presents her with a huge bouquet from another admirer, will Bobby have to see off the competition?
Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14 and Friday 16 February on ITV1
LOVE IS BLIND
Series six of the reality show launches on Valentine’s Day itself, with a new group of singletons from Charlotte, North Carolina, embarking on a journey for romance. As ever, the twist is that couples will have to plan their weddings before they actually meet in person – which might seem rather risky, but can sometimes result in a happy-ever-after. But will any of the new match-ups prove that true love really is blind?
Watch from Wednesday 14 February on Netflix
LADY CHATTERLEY
First broadcast on the BBC in 1993, this four-part adaptation of DH Lawrence’s classic romance novel was originally seen by more than 12 million viewers. Joely Richardson is phenomenal as Lady Chatterley herself, who begins an affair with groundskeeper Mellors (Sean Bean), after her husband is rendered incapable of sexual activity, following his terrible experiences in the First World War. It’s a steamy watch, even if this version tones down some of the novel’s more explicit moments.
All four episodes on Wednesday 14 February on BBC4
PRIDE AND PREJUDUCE
The 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1813 novel has, for many, become the definitive version, cementing the BBC’s reputation for producing outstanding period costume drama. Lead actors Jennifer Ehle (who plays Elizabeth Bennett) and Colin Firth (as Fitzwilliam Darcy) were catapulted to stardom following their roles in the drama, and you can see why. If the scene where Firth appears in a soaking wet shirt doesn’t get you all hot and bothered, then you might need to check if you still have a pulse.
Watch now on BBC iPlayer
HEARTSTOPPER
Alice Oseman’s coming-of-age comedy drama has quickly established itself as one of the most heart-warming shows on TV. The main storyline revolves around teenager Charlie Spring (played by Joe Locke), who falls in love with classmate Nick Nelson (Kit Connor). Heartstopper almost instantly became one of Netflix’s most popular shows, winning in five categories at the inaugural Children’s And Family Emmy Awards. It’s not surprising to see why the series has received such acclaim, given its life-affirming portrayal of LGBT characters, demonstrating that love is love, in all its many forms. A third series is on the way.
Watch the first two seasons now on Netflix
GAVIN & STACEY
There surely can’t be anyone left in the country who hasn’t watched this delightful sitcom, which originally ran from 2007 to 2010, with a one-off reunion in 2019. But even if you’ve seen every single episode a dozen times, it’s still as fresh as ever. Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page) might be the show’s title characters, but in many ways the stars of the show are Nessa (Ruth Jones) and Smithy (James Corden). The ups and downs of their love-hate relationship makes for perfect Valentine’s Day viewing.
Watch all 21 episodes on BBC iPlayer
THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER
The 2021 romantic movie receives its terrestrial premiere on BBC1 this Valentine’s Day. Felicity Jones plays Ellie Haworth, an ambitious journalist who discovers a trove of secret love letters from 1965, and becomes determined to solve the mystery of the forbidden affair at their centre. However, as Ellie embarks on her mission, a love story of her own starts to unfold, as she seeks the help of archivist Rory McCallan (Nabhaan Rizwan). Also, look out for an appearance from new Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa as Nick, one of Ellie’s co-workers.
Wednesday 14 February on BBC1
NOTTING HILL
How could we not choose something featuring heartthrob Hugh Grant in his prime? Thankfully, ITV has us covered, with a screening of this 1999 movie, which came just a few years after Hugh’s breakthrough in Four Weddings And A Funeral (which was also written by rom-com legend Richard Curtis). In Notting Hill, Hugh plays a recently divorced bookshop owner, who finds love with a famous American actor (played by famous American actor Julia Roberts). Can the couple make a relationship work, given the very different worlds they inhabit?
Wednesday 14 February on ITV1
PLAYERS
Valentine’s Day marks the premiere of this romantic comedy on Netflix. Sports journalist Mack (played by Gina Rodriguez) is a ‘no-strings’ girl, who amuses herself by devising elaborate chat-up scenarios for herself and her best pal Adam (Damon Wayans Jr). However, when Mack begins to fall for British singleton Nick (played by Miranda’s Tom Ellis), she starts to think that her playgirl days might be a thing of the past…
Watch from Wednesday 14 February on Netflix
INSIDE NO.9
Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s award-winning anthology series has brought us many weird and wonderful episodes over the years, but series eight’s Love Is A Stranger is definitely one of the more ‘romantic’ stories that the pair have produced. Of course, we use that term advisedly, as things are never quite as they seem with Inside No.9! Guest star Claire Rushbrook plays Vicky, who decides to try online dating – will she finally meet her perfect match, or will she fall foul of the Lonely Hearts Killer?
Wednesday 14 February on BBC2