TV FILMS of the week
1 MARY POPPINS RETURNS Christmas Day, BBC1, 3.10pm
It has been a year since Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) lost his wife Kate, and with it the light in his heart to guide their children Annabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh) and Georgie (Joel Dawson). Thankfully, a kite snags magical nanny Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt), who rekindles sparks of joy in her former wards. She is aided by luminous Cockney lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda). A spoonful of nostalgia – make that several heaped spoonfuls – helps the joy-infused medicine of Mary Poppins Returns go down in the most delightful way.
2 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Boxing Day, BBC1, 2.20pm
Bookworm Belle (Emma Watson, left) rebuffs the advances of Gaston (Luke Evans). When her father becomes the prisoner of an accursed Beast (Dan Stevens), Belle swaps places but there is soon a growing bond with her captor. This is a ravishing live-action remake of the 1991 Disney animation, and Bill Condon’s picture comes delightfully close to scaling the heights of its predecessor.
3 PADDINGTON 2 Monday, BBC1, 5.55pm
During a visit to antiques dealer Mr Gruber (Jim Broadbent), Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) unearths a valuable pop-up book of London. Fading actor Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant) steals the rare edition and Paddington is unfairly sentenced to 10 years for the crime. This is an unabashedly sweet, wholesome and crowdpleasing sequel.
4 MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS Tuesday, Channel 4, 9pm
Kenneth Branagh’s handsome reimagining of the murder mystery boasts an all-star cast. Poirot (Branagh, left) finds himself on the Orient Express in a cabin next to gangster Samuel Ratchett (Johnny Depp), who offers to pay the Belgian to ensure his safety. The detective declines, but then a murderer strikes. Also stars Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dame Judi Dench and Olivia Colman.
5 A STAR IS BORN Wednesday, BBC1, 9pm
Hard-drinking country singer Jackson (Bradley Cooper) is stunned when he hears waitress Ally (Lady Gaga, left with Cooper) sing. Jackson invites her to join him at his next gig where their on-stage performance goes viral and attracts the attention of manager Rez (Rafi Gavron). As Rez propels Ally towards superstardom, Jackson’s influence wains. Gaga is luminous, but Cooper truly dazzles.
6 JUDY Thursday, BBC2, 9pm
Crippled by debt, Judy Garland (an Oscar-winning Renée Zellweger, left) reluctantly agrees to a fiveweek run of shows at a nightclub in London run by Bernard Delfont (Sir Michael Gambon). Delfont assigns assistant Rosalyn Wilder (Jessie Buckley) the task of shepherding Garland to the stage each night. Unfortunately, flighty fiance Mickey Deans (Finn Wittrock) continually distracts Judy.
7 COCO New Year’s Eve, BBC1, 2.40pm
There’s plenty of snap, crackle and pop in Pixar’s animated family adventure. When 12-year-old Miguel ignores his family’s wishes, he’s accidentally transported to the land of the dead, a mesmerising neon wonderland. He must find a way back to the land of the living before sunrise or be stuck there for ever. Miguel is helped on his journey by his pet dog Dante and Hector, a skeletal guitar player.