Today on TV: The best series and films – How to make the most of the ultimate guide

When dusk falls and the couch is calling, the same question pops up every night: what's actually on today on tv? I know the feeling all too well. You flick through 100 channels, miss the start of that crime drama and end up watching a doco about breeding koi carp. That's exactly why I'm walking you through it today – with what's probably the unbeatable today on tv guide I've put together for you. Forget the boring fine-print TV schedule. Here's the insider overview, including my personal review of the evening's highlights.

The real highlights tonight

I've had a squiz at the lineup – from the big public broadcasters down to the smaller commercial channels. Anyone who knows me knows I'm brutally honest. This today on tv review is short and sharp: the action lineup is a bit average tonight, but there are genuine gems on the smaller channels. My clear pick for 8:15pm: the New Zealand premiere of the Icelandic thriller "The Last Signal" on the second public broadcaster channel. I saw this film at a festival a few months ago – quiet, icy, brilliantly acted. No Hollywood explosions, just gripping, intelligent drama that'll give you goosebumps.

Meanwhile, one of the big commercial channels is showing the third instalment of "The Hunger Games". It's watchable if you like your popcorn with sauce. But honestly? The adaptation feels too skewed toward a young audience. So if you're after a clever crime thriller or a thoughtful documentary, better to flick over to the culture and info channels. At 9:45pm there's a fantastic doco about Vienna's secret gardens – a real treat for anyone wanting to rediscover their own city.

How to use the today on tv guide properly – without losing your mind

The biggest buzzkill for a night in is often the remote control struggle. So let me show you how to use today on tv the easy way. No more laboriously flipping through the newspaper or clicking through those messy EPGs on your box.

• App over booklet: Download the free "TV Today" app (available on iOS and Android). It shows you at a glance what's today on tv on your favourite channels – sorted by genre, not by time.
• Beat the filter trap: Most guides are rubbish because they only show the big channels. My trick: set the filter to "All channels" then sort by "Rating". That's how you find hidden treasures from 8pm onwards.
• Set reminders: Just tap the little bell icon – and you'll get a nudge on your phone ten minutes before the show starts. No more "Oh, I missed the first fifteen minutes".

Sounds basic, but I bet half of you don't use this feature. Yet it's the difference between an average night in and an unforgettable one.

My honest review: what's actually worth watching?

I'm not here to write an ad brochure. So here's the unvarnished truth: almost all the big commercial channels are running repeats tonight. One is showing the 300th episode of a quiz show. Fine to have on if you like the host, but it's hardly new. Another is bringing back an old sitcom from the 90s. As a kid of that era I get nostalgic tingles, but for a Saturday night it's pretty thin.

The rescue comes, as so often, from the public broadcasters. One channel is showing the British series "The Responder" with Martin Freeman at 10pm. It's dark, real, and nothing like the typical London cop comedy. I binged the first season in one go – absolutely recommend it. And on a local commercial channel at 8:15pm there's the documentary "Mountain Talks" about the last alpine farmers in the Salzkammergut. That's local storytelling as it should be: respectful, beautiful, and not preachy.

For those staying up later: from 11pm one of the public channels gets seriously wild with "Preacher" – a series so out there you have to see it. But fair warning, not for the faint-hearted.

How to get the best out of your TV guide – insider tips

After more than 20 years in front of the screen, I'm going to share my personal secret recipe for how to use today on tv like a pro. It's not just about what's on, but how you watch it.

First: make yourself a short list of three shows you absolutely want to see tonight. Everything else is just noise. Second: use your recorder's recording function like a Swiss army knife. Got a crime drama on the public channel and a doco on the culture channel both at 8:15pm? Record one, watch the other live. Third: talk about it! I have a WhatsApp group with three mates, and we post our "today on tv" finds around 7:50pm. That's how I often discover stuff I'd never have clicked on otherwise.

And most importantly: the best guide is useless if you never dare to channel-hop. The real gems often only appear after the third flick. So: grab the remote, overcome that inner procrastinator, and get into it. Tonight there's no excuse to say "There's never anything good on." Because now you know what's really today on tv.