Browse the full 5Action TV guide for Tuesday, 20 October 2026. 27 programmes listed , including 6 tonight. UK listings updated daily — scroll down to tonight's highlights or use the day tabs above to browse the weekly schedule.
Early Morning
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00:00 1h
Warship: Life in the Royal Navy
S1 · E1Julia Bradbury and JJ Chalmers present a look at the Royal NavyJulia Bradbury and former Royal Marine JJ Chalmers are given access to the Royal Navy. Julia climbs aboard the biggest and most powerful ship in the fleet - the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, giving her a taste of what life is like on board for its 1400 crew members. JJ heads back to his old stomping ground, the Marine Commando Training Centre in Devon, to follow a group of new recruits being pushed to the limit -
01:00 1h
Ice Road Truckers
S10 · E6 · Bridge to NowhereDarrell Ward faces a trail nicknamed 'the obstacle course'Darrell Ward faces a trail nicknamed 'the obstacle course', while Todd Dewey struggles to clear a melting ice bridge. Polar veteran Alex is pushed to the limit when hauling an oversized fuel tank, and Art stumbles onto an ice crossing in the dead of night, Narrated by Thom Beers -
02:00 1h
Trucking Hell
S3 · E20A delivery driver wedges his lorry on a muddy vergeBuzz is sent to rescue a double decker articulated lorry marooned at the junction of a busy roundabout. Lee faces high-speed traffic as he battles to recover a truck from a narrow lay-by and Stig is amazed by the poor skills of a delivery driver when a lorry gets wedged on a muddy verge -
03:00 50m
Trucking Hell
S4 · E1Steve rescues a burning transporterSteve rescues a burning transporter loaded with electric cars that could explode any minute, while a truck causes a traffic jam after trying to reverse -
03:50 10m
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04:00 2h
Morning
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06:00 1h
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07:00 1h
Cruise TV with LoveitBookit
Teleshopping for all things cruise-relatedTeleshopping for all things cruise-related, including the hottest destinations, ground-breaking ships and the latest deals -
08:00 1h
Cruise TV with LoveitBookit
Teleshopping for all things cruise-relatedTeleshopping for all things cruise-related, including the hottest destinations, ground-breaking ships and the latest deals -
09:00 5m
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09:05 1h
Trucking Hell
S7 · E14A 14-ton road sweeper needs recovering on a farmyardA £300,000 supercar has crashed in a Surrey wood. Daniel and Sean have to whip out a chainsaw to cut their own exit route. A 14-ton road sweeper needs recovering on a farmyard -
10:05 1h
Police Interceptors
S8 · E7Officers stop an uninsured driver who is known to have a violent pastOfficers are forced to exercise caution when they stop an uninsured driver who is known to have a violent past, while Jon Peacock and police dog Brad are on the hunt for suspected burglars. Sarah Capes gets a whiff of something illegal, Mike Templeman pulls over a white van with rather too many faults and one unlucky driver discovers that there is no fooling Dan Brigginshaw -
11:05 1h
Police Interceptors
S8 · E4A foul-mouthed pensioner pushes Barry's patience to the limitA foul-mouthed pensioner pushes Barry's patience to the limit, Sarah gives a bad-boy biker an early birthday present and Jim's Audi S3 is outclassed by a car 30 years its senior. Plus, Mike is left open-mouthed when he encounters a drink-driver who is three times over the limit
Daytime
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12:05 1h
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13:05 5m
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13:10 45m
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13:55 1h
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14:55 5m
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15:00 1h
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16:00 1h
Traffic Cops
S8 · E9An officer is surrounded by an angry mobOn the outskirts of Chesterfield, Jim responds to an urgent call for back-up from his colleague Tom, who is surrounded by an angry mob following a report of a teenager driving dangerously. The aggressive young man, emboldened by an equally hostile crowd of friends, has no insurance and when police decide to seize and tow his car away, he takes out his frustrations on his own vehicle -
17:00 1h
Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders
S8 · E3PCs Billy Stead and Nathan Saltmer are on the tail of a possible cloned BMWOn the outskirts of Scunthorpe, PCs Billy Stead and Nathan Saltmer are on the tail of a possible cloned BMW, but the driver attempts a getaway, running out of road and hitting a dead end. Determined not to give himself up, he makes a run for it across a field. What has he got to hide? On the M62, Billy is partnered with Sgt Lucy Hunnybun in pursuit of a vehicle suspected to be involved in multiple car thefts the previous night
Tonight's Highlights
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18:00 1h
Police Interceptors
S4 · E8An officer is nearly run over by a desperate driverAn officer is nearly run over by a desperate driver, and another's patience is tested by a drunken motorist. Plus, a law enforcer goes in search of a suspicious character, and a group of youths tries to deceive the interception unit -
19:00 1h
Police Interceptors
S4 · E9A sniffer dog makes a discoveryA helicopter is used in the pursuit of an armed robber, ending in a serious accident. A sniffer dog makes a discovery, a fraudster is taken into custody and a gang of lorry thieves is pursued in a major manhunt. Plus, new recruits at South Yorkshire's Road Crime Unit are put to the test by a pair of suspected burglars -
20:00 1h
Police Interceptors
S25 · E13The firearms team investigates the burglary of an allegedly empty houseDog handler Lucy and the firearms team investigate the burglary of an allegedly empty house by a machete-wielding masked gang, and discover the property is hiding a colossal three-storey cannabis farm. In Upton, while patrolling in an unmarked car, a speeding driver nearly crashes into Rachael and Chris, leading to a pursuit -
21:00 1h
Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders
S8 · E8A car ploughs into a chemical tanker on the M62On the M62, police race to clear a crash scene after a car ploughs into a chemical tanker, sparking fears of an explosion. Elsewhere, a suspiciously honest provisional driver raises eyebrows, while in Beverley, cops track down a delivery driver they've dealt with before for driving while uninsured -
22:00 1h
Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law
S2 · E10Investigators track a man they believe has avoided nearly £2,500 in faresAt Hayes, investigators trail a man they believe has racked up nearly £2,500 in unpaid fares by fraudulently making contactless payments with a rogue bank card to cheat the system. The investigators track him to his home station where they identify him on CCTV, eventually catch him in the act, and interview him. At Waterloo, Jack and Sam tackle passengers using railcards they are not entitled to, while in Southampton, Spencer stops a woman pushing through the barriers and finds she is lying about her age and using a child discount card -
23:00 1h
The X-Files
S8 · E2 · WithoutPart two of two. An alien bounty hunter infiltrates the FBIPart two of two. Scully, Skinner and Doggett realise that what they thought was Mulder is an alien bounty hunter who has assumed his form, and that he is coming for telepath Gibson Praise as part of a mission to remove all evidence of alien activity on Earth. The agents try to protect their boy, but the shape-changing alien has already infiltrated the FBI task force