TV tonight: what really happened to John Cantlie in Syria?

Hostage, 9pm on BBC Two, is a three-part documentary that builds on the Last Man Standing podcast to investigate John Cantlie, the British photojournalist who was kidnapped by a group of British Islamic State extremists in Syria. Fellow hostages, politicians including David Cameron, and imprisoned jihadis relate the story.

At 8pm on Channel 5, Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time explores the modern wards and private archives of St Bartholomew’s in London, tracing how Barts withstood many crises and how Henry VIII defunded it before signing a charter to protect it, with the programme showing that very document.

Also at 8pm, Landscape Artist of the Year 2026 on Sky Arts reaches its final as painters Kim, Libby and Tom tackle the futuristic Falkirk Wheel; the winner receives a £10,000 commission to paint Croagh Patrick for the National Gallery of Ireland, documented in a film after the show.

United Kingdom, London

john cantlie, hostage, bbc two, last man, islamic state, st bartholomew's, alice roberts, channel 5, falkirk wheel, croagh patrick