Two established British dramas return to the schedules on Sunday night, creating an unusually direct clash between the BBC and ITV.
Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie are back as detectives Amy Silva and Kirsten Longacre in the third series of Vigil, while Vicky McClure reprises her role as bomb disposal expert Lana Washington in the fourth series of Trigger Point.
Both programmes begin at 9pm on Sunday, August 30, with the competition continuing into Monday evening. Viewers face a choice between a tightly plotted international mystery and a faster-paced thriller built around the threat of terrorism.
What to expect from Vigil
The BBC drama moves away from the naval setting of its first series and the Middle East backdrop of its second. This time, Silva and Longacre travel to Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic, to investigate the killing of a member of a covert British special forces operation.
The case quickly develops into a wider geopolitical crisis. Russia, China and the UK are among the powers with strategic and economic interests in the region, as melting ice opens up possible new trade routes and access to natural resources.
The murder threatens to draw the countries into a diplomatic confrontation, leaving Silva and Longacre to work in an environment where even routine police inquiries carry international consequences.
The new series also places greater emphasis on the detectives’ personal lives. Amy and Kirsten are now a couple, meaning the investigation will test both their professional judgement and their relationship.
The returning cast includes Dominic Mafham as MI5 official Ian Downing. New arrivals include Jeppe Beck Laursen as Svalbard police chief Henrick Becken, Naomi Yang as microbiologist Shen Jia, Tornike Gogrichiani as a Russian colonel and Eric Godon as Mayor Korotayev.
The six-part series will be released in two-episode batches on BBC iPlayer each week. Those choosing traditional television can follow the episodes on BBC One on Sunday and Monday nights.
That makes Vigil the more straightforward choice for viewers who enjoy slow-building investigations, shifting loyalties and a story that expands beyond the original crime.
What is happening in Trigger Point?
Trigger Point returns with Lana Washington working alongside fellow explosives officers Danny, played by Eric Shango, and Hass, played by Nabil Elouahabi.
They are supported by DS Helen Morgan, played by Natalie Simpson, DCI Batra, played by Maanuv Thiara, and Commander Nia Quentin, portrayed by Julie Graham. Kerry Godliman also returns as civilian bomb specialist Sonya Reeves.
Details of the new storyline have been closely guarded, but ITV has confirmed that the team will face its most serious threat yet as a series of bombings puts London at risk. The central question is whether Lana and her colleagues can identify those responsible before a much larger attack takes place.
The six-episode series is produced by Jed Mercurio’s HTM Television in association with All3Media International. Chris Brandon, whose credits include Bloodlands, is the lead writer, while Jennie Darnell and Nirpal Bhogal direct.
The show remains one of ITV’s strongest drama performers. The first three series have generated 91 million streams across ITV and ITVX and reached more than 20 million viewers. ITV said the third series was the network’s fifth most-watched drama of 2025, averaging seven million viewers, with its opening episode attracting 7.4 million.
Unlike Vigil, however, Trigger Point is more dependent on the events of earlier series. New viewers may find references to Lana’s past and her professional relationships difficult to follow without first watching the previous three seasons, all of which are available on ITVX.
Which should you watch?
The decision largely depends on what kind of thriller you want.
Vigil offers a remote, politically charged setting, a murder investigation and a continuing focus on Amy and Kirsten’s complicated partnership. Its appeal lies in atmosphere, suspicion and gradually revealed information.
Trigger Point is the more immediate option, with Lana responding to bomb threats and a rapidly escalating danger in London. It places greater emphasis on action, operational detail and the pressure of preventing an attack.
For viewers already invested in one of the two dramas, the choice is likely to be simple. Those starting from scratch may find Vigil easier to enter, since each series centres on a new investigation. Trigger Point, meanwhile, is better approached as an ongoing story.
Both dramas are scheduled for 9pm on Sunday, August 30, on BBC One and ITV respectively, with the opening episodes also available through BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
