THIS WEEK’S BEST FILMS

While most of us love eating Christmas food, some feel daunted by the idea of preparing it – after all, not everybody is a confident cook. Thankfully the ever-reliable Mary Berry is on hand to help three such members of the public get to grips with festive feasts by showing them how to make delicious yet fuss-free dishes that really epitomise the season. Lending them a hand are three celebrity sous chefs – The Repair Shop’s foreman Jay Blades, TV presenter Angela Scanlon and comedian Tom Allen.

The Magical World of Julia Donaldson (BBC2, 7.30pm)

Zog, The Highway Rat, Stick Man and, of course, The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson has created some of Britain’s best-loved and bestselling children’s books. Now, using interviews, home movies and animated drawings from her long-term illustrator Axel Scheffler, this

SATURDAY

Forrest Gump (1994) (C4, 9.20pm)

Forrest (Tom Hanks) is a simpleminded but kindly soul, who somehow manages to be present at just about every major historical American event from the 1950s onwards, including the Vietnam War, and witnesses the rise to prominence of both Elvis and JFK at close-quarters. He tells passers-by at a bus stop all about his amazing life, but despite everything he’s achieved, did he ever manage to win his one true love, Jenny (Robin Wright in the film’s most thankless role)? Although it won several Oscars, including Best Actor for Tom Hanks, Best Director for Robert Zemeckis and Best Film, some people may find it a little too sugary for their tastes.

SUNDAY

Catch Me If You Can (2002) (BBC2, 5.50pm)

This funny and stylish romp is based on the true story of Frank Abagnale, who as a teenager managed to swindle the US government out of thousands of dollars by affecting a series of outlandish disguises: as an airline pilot, doctor, international playboy, even the assistant attorney general. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Abagnale, driven by fantasies of luring his family back together with his ill-gotten gains, and Tom Hanks is the dogged FBI agent on his trail. With plenty of fun along the way, the two leads also develop a poignant relationship. Director Steven Spielberg keeps a brisk tempo, underscored by

John Williams’s funky, jazzy score, propelling the plot inexorably towards its fascinating conclusion.

MONDAY

The Revenant (2015) (BBC2, 10.35pm)

Explorer Hugh Glass (an Oscarwinning Leonardo DiCaprio) guides

documentary is bringing Julia’s own story to life. The film uncovers the surprising inspirations behind her most famous characters and explores how her books have appealed to children and adults alike by covering serious themes in a subtle way.

Ghosts (BBC1, 8.30pm)

If you wanted proof that this delightfully silly sitcom from the team behind Horrible Histories is a hit, here it is – it’s been given a Christmas special. Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) are planning to welcome his family to Button House for the first time, but given their ghostly housemates, it seems unlikely it will be a relaxing experience. Alison a team of 19th-century fur trappers and hunters under the command of Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson). When Glass is injured in a mauling from a grizzly bear, Henry leaves behind two men, Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and Bridger (Will Poulter), to tend to Glass and his son, Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), while the rest of the trappers head for safety. Fitzgerald kills Hawk and drags Glass’ near lifeless body into a freshly dug grave, leaving the injured man for dead in the snow-laden wilderness. Glass regains consciousness and vows to hunt down the men who killed his boy.

TUESDAY

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) (BBC1, 7.55pm)

Jon Watts’ slick reboot of the Marvel Comics superhero – the third iteration in 15 years – spins an impressive web of rites-ofpassage drama, buddy comedy and bombastic spectacle. Set several months after Tom Holland made his debut as the webslinger in Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker has managed to conceal his crime-fighting alter ego from Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) with the help of his mentor, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr). When salvage company owner Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) takes flight as a larcenous winged menace called Vulture, Peter foolishly tries to prove himself to the Avengers by tackling the airborne madman alone.

WEDNESDAY

Phantom Thread (2017) (BBC2, 10pm)

Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel DayLewis) is the creative dynamo of a luxury fashion house in 1950s

just wants everyone, living and dead, to have a nice time, but it turns out that it’s hard to feel festive when you’re deceased. However, a new arrival in the house forces Julian (Simon Farnaby) to confront his own ghosts of Christmas past, and leads to a revelation that could help everyone rediscover the real meaning of the season.

Motherland Christmas Special (BBC2, 9pm)

The sitcom that explores the cut-throat world of school-gate politics is coming back for a third series, but until then we’ve got a Christmas special to tide us over. Alpha mum Amanda (Lucy Punch) is throwing her Annual Season