Festive Insider
The Toy Shop
Dec 22, RTÉ One
Featuring 16 independent toy shops across the country, a sweet and heartwarming documentary from the maker of The Irish Wedding and The Irish Pub, The Toy Shop meets the people and places that spark the imagination of their youngest customers and the memories of their eldest.
The Heart of Saturday Night
New Years Eve, RTÉ One
They were a hit earlier this year and now artists and presenters, Loah and Una Healy, return to the iconic Round Room of Dublin’s Mansion House to create a very special Christmas edition of the show, with a mix of great Irish talent.
Big Night In
Dec 27, RTÉ One
Dermot Whelan and Doireann
Garrihy press the launch button on one hour of family entertainment. With celebrity pranks, studio games, audience surprises and a Christmas stocking full of other treats, this is one for all the family.
Fanning at Whelans
Dec 18, Virgin Media Two
Dave Fanning is synonymous with Irish music and now he returns to our screens to showcase the best of Irish music, in a new series. Each episode features four or ve live performances of well-known and up-and-coming bands and artists, including Inhaler, Kodaline, Paddy Casey, Lyra and Mick Flannery.
The Grand Tour Presents: Carnage à Trois
Dec 17, Amazon Prime Video
Part two of the double-bill lockdown special. On an epic road trip starting in the Welsh hills, the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond dish up a hair-raising mountain climb, bomb defusals, propeller powered cars, helicopter stunts and the most thrilling race of their lives before reaching the English Channel for a jaw-dropping medieval climax.
With Love
Dec 17, Amazon Prime Video
This new ve-episode romantic comedy follows the Diaz siblings – Lily and Jorge – who are on a mission to nd love and purpose. Each of the ve episodes, set during a di erent holiday throughout the year, follows the family over the course of 12 months as they experience the highs and lows of life during some of the most eventful days of the year.
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
Christmas Day, BBC One
Six new Strictly stars – including
Mel Giedroyc, Jay Blades and Fred Sirieix – take to the oor in a bid to be crowned Christmas Champion of 2021. Hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, the Christmas special begins with a sensational group routine featuring the celebrities and their professional partners, alongside the Strictly pros. There’s plenty of music, too, with special performances from Jamie Cullum & Gary Barlow, and Sheridan Smith.
And Just Like That…
December 23 & 30,
Sky Comedy & NOW TV
More frothy talk of sex and more fabulous designer labels in this new chapter of the Sex and the City series as we follow Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte (but not Samantha)
as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.
Gomorrah
from Dec 18, Sky Atlantic & NOW TV The stage is set for the grand nale of one of Italy’s most celebrated dramas. The clash between the Levantes and Patrizia has left Naples in a pile of rubble, forcing Genny to give up his dream of normality and to return to action. But with the police hot on his heels, he is forced into hiding.
Emily in Paris
from Dec 22, Net ix
The Darren Star series that had Parisians up in arms is back for another bite of le baguette. It says here that Emily (Lily Collins) is getting better at navigating the city but is still struggling with the idiosyncrasies of French life (you can say that again!). After stumbling into a love triangle with her neighbour, Emily is determined to focus on her work.
Hansel & Gretel: After Ever After
Dec 23, Sky Max & NOW TV
Did the wicked witch really get roasted in her oven (set at 180°C and 20 minutes per pound)? Determined to set things right, Hansel and Gretel return to the house in the woods for a nal showdown in David Walliams’ irreverent take on the Grimm fairytale. The cast includes Walliams, Sheridan Smith and Mark Addy.