Festive Insider
Janice Butler and Donal O’donoghue preview the TV highlights of this festive season, including a new series of The Tourist set in Ireland, an Agatha Christie whodunnit and a double dose of Mrs Brown up to her usual antics*
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, from December 20, Disney+
Disney decided to redo Percy Jackson and the Olympians as a TV series after a pair of mediocre lms released by Fox in the early 2010s. Led by a cast of relative newcomers, the show signals a ray of hope for those who grew up reading the Percy Jackson novels and hoped to see them properly adapted someday.
Celine Byrne’s Christmas Selection Box, December 23, RTÉ One
The Irish opera star introduces a selection of her favourite performances from RTÉ’S past Christmas music and carols shows, including performances by Andrea Corr, Tolü Makay, The Voice Squad, Lisa O’neill, Emma Langford and Erica-cody. The show also features arrangements of traditional carols, performed by the Choir of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra with Eurovision winners Johnny Logan and Eimear Quinn.
The Unofficial Science of Die Hard (December 23) & The Unofficial Science of Indiana Jones (New Years’s Day), Sky Max/now TV
Chris Ramsey and Paul Chowdhry, alongside engineer Zoe Laughlin, scienti cally assess stunts from muchloved Christmas action lm Die Hard, as well as the evergreen Indiana Jones. From rooftop escapes to walking over shattered glass, the duo put the stunts to the test and discover how to tackle them in real life.
A Ghost Story for Christmas: Lot No. 249, Christmas Eve, BBC Two
It’s 1881. Old College, Oxford plays host to three very di erent young academics: Abercrombie Smith, a model of Victorian manhood; Monkhouse Lee, a delicate and unworldly student from Siam; and the strange and exotic Edward Bellingham. Kit Harrington and Freddie Fox star in Mark Gatiss’ adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s scary short story.
The Heist Before Christmas, Christmas Eve, Sky Max/ Now TV
Twelve-year-old Mikey Collins is a Belfast kid who is dirt-poor and hates Christmas. One cold December evening, he nds two guys dressed like Santa lying unconscious in the woods. One (James Nesbitt) has just robbed a bank and is on the run. The other (Timothy Spall) claims to have fallen out of his sleigh.
Mog’s Christmas, Christmas Eve, Channel 4
Mr and Mrs Thomas and their children Debbie and Nicky are busy preparing for Christmas. With two aunts and a jolly uncle staying in the house, Mog, the beloved family cat, is feeling a bit ignored. Animated adaptation of Judith Kerr’s much-loved children’s book, with the voices of Claire Foy, Benedict Cumberbatch and Miriam Margolyes (see interview pages 26 and 27).
Tom Munnelly – Fear na namhrán, Christmas Eve, TG4
This documentary looks at the life and work of song collector, Tom Munnelly, who had the foresight to gather together over 20,000 works from the aural and oral tradition. Songs he collected have been sung by Sinéad O’connor, Planxty, Christy Moore and Lankum. It explores how a young man from Clogher Road, in Crumlin, who left school at the age of 16, went on to gather a selection of songs and lore that laid the most valuable foundation for the singing tradition in the country.
The Great Christmas Bake Off, Christmas Eve, Channel 4
Under the watchful eyes of judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, and with the shoulders of hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond to cry on, a new clatter of celebrities vie to follow last year’s winner of this seasonal special, TV presenter Miquita Oliver.
Jonathan Ross Christmas Special, Christmas Eve, UTV & December 27, Virgin Media Two
Jonathan Ross introduces a festive edition of the chat show where he’ll be joined by Kevin Bridges, Romesh Ranganathan, mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins and legendary actor, Willem Dafoe.
Tabby Mctat, Christmas Day, BBC One
This wonderful adaptation of a children’s classic book by Julia Donaldson (writer) and Axel Sche er (illustrator) – a series of animations that started in 2009 with The Gru alo – is the charming tale of a cat (that’s Tabby as voiced by Sọpẹ Dìrísú) who gets separated from his master, Fred (Rob Brydon). Narrated by Jodie Whittaker (see feature page 24).