Daily Mail - Daily Mail Weekend Magazine
Christmas TV Guide
MIKE MULVIHILL counts down the Top 20 TV treats you can’t afford to miss over the festive fortnight
1 STRICTLY COME DANCING: THE FINAL
SATURDAY 19, 6PM, BBC1 After nine weeks of show-stopping performances, the remaining four couples take to the dance floor for the final time before the winner is awarded the glitterball trophy and given a socially distanced hug. And with Covid-19 having put a stop to the celebrity Christmas Day special, Tess Daly and
Claudia Winkleman will be counting down the show’s 25 most memorable dances instead (4.45pm), as voted for by the public.
2 ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL TUESDAY 22, 9PM, CH5
The first Christmas special for this heartwarming rural series, which already feels like an old friend. It’s Christmas Eve in the village of Darrowby and, with her wedding to Hugh set for the next morning, Helen (Rachel Shenton) distracts herself by going with James (Nicholas Ralph) on a call-out. But when fog prevents them driving back, the couple find themselves stuck together. Will their true feelings come to the surface?
3 MOTHERLAND CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
WEDNESDAY 23, 9PM, BBC2 It’s the mother of all Christmas specials as Julia, Kevin and Liz cause chaos when they head to Amanda’s annual festive soiree (dress code: tinsel and tiaras). Surely, they’re not going to spill anything on those pristine white carpets, are they?
4 CAROLS FROM KING’S
CHRISTMAS EVE, 5.30PM, BBC2 A lone choirboy sings the opening verse of Once In Royal David’s City for this wonderful annual broadcast from the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge. This year, there will be no congregation, but the voices of the choristers will travel round the world. You can also hear the service on Radio 4 at 3pm.
5 THE GREAT CHRISTMAS BAKE OFF 2020
CHRISTMAS EVE, 7.40PM, CH4
Matt Lucas, Tom Allen, Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith (above) welcome back to the tent contestants from Bake Offs past.
Lovely James from 2017, 2018’s feisty Ruby and the sweet Jamie and Rosie from last year might not have been triumphant in their series, but one of them will be crowned Christmas star baker.
6 CINDERELLA: A COMIC RELIEF PANTOMIME FOR CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS EVE, 8.15PM, BBC2
A new version of the classic fairytale, featuring a star-studded cast and drawings by Quentin Blake, which will be auctioned in aid of Comic Relief after the show. Olivia Colman makes her panto debut as the Fairy Godmother, and she will be joined by Tom Hollander as Baron Hardup, Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Devilia, and The Queen’s Gambit’s Anya Taylor-joy as Cinderella.
7 ROALD & BEATRIX: THE TAIL OF THE CURIOUS MOUSE
CHRISTMAS EVE, 8.15PM, SKY ONE
This charming festive story is based on the true encounter between a young Roald Dahl (Harry Tayler) and Beatrix Potter (Dawn French, above). With Roald grieving a loss and Beatrix suffering writer’s block, the pair turn to each other for help.
8 ZOG AND THE FLYING DOCTORS
CHRISTMAS DAY, 2.35PM, BBC1
This year’s Julia Donaldson offering is an enchanting sequel to Zog, narrated by Lenny Henry from under his duvet during the Covid crisis. Zog and Gadabout try to rescue Princess Pearl, who is experiencing her own form of lockdown.
9 QUENTIN BLAKE’S CLOWN 7.40PM, CH4
CHRISTMAS DAY,
Quentin Blake again, this time a lovely adaptation of his book about the adventures of a little toy clown (pictured top) who goes on a journey to find a loving new home.
10 CALL THE MIDWIFE
CHRISTMAS DAY, 7.40PM, BBC1
The circus comes to Poplar in this heart-warming 90-minute special, putting a magical spell on its residents. Elsewhere, Shelagh is reacquainted with an old friend, and Trixie (Helen George, right) receives an unusual gift from her aunt. Perfect with a nice cup of cocoa.
THE REPAIR SHOP AT CHRISTMAS
BOXING DAY, 6.45PM,
BBC1
The talented craftspeople rescue faded Christmas treasures, including a rocking horse that will help a little girl to remember the elder sister she never met, a carousel that a New York socialite gave to her Scottish assistant, and a toy truck made by a team of Second World War engineers.
THE MASKED SINGER
BOXING DAY, 7PM, ITV The wonderfully silly singing contest returns for a second series. Comedian
Mo Gilligan is the new face who will be joining Davina Mccall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross on the guessing panel. The competitors are celebrities in elaborate costumes – can you identify the singer behind the mask before they take off their disguise?
THE GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE: CELEBRITY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
BOXING DAY, 7.45PM, BBC1
The surprisingly addictive competition returns with a two-part special. On Boxing Day, the creations of Dr Ranj Singh, Strictly’s Shirley Ballas, singer and actress Denise Van Outen and comedian Sara Pascoe include outfits for dogs.
On New Year’s Eve, the celebrity sewers are Birds Of A Feather star Lesley Joseph, drag artist The Vivienne, presenter Sabrina Grant and the comedy actress Sally Phillips.
Adaptation of Rumer Godden’s 1939 novel about religion and repressed desire, which was famously filmed in 1947 by Powell and Pressburger. This three-part drama stars Gemma Arterton as Sister Clodagh (left), one of the nuns sent to the Himalayas to start a school at a remote palace, while Alessandro Nivola is the local ruler’s agent, Mr Dean, who causes something of a stir.
15 MEERKAT: A DYNASTIES SPECIAL MONDAY 28, 7.30PM, BBC1
David Attenborough narrates the story of ‘meerkat queen’ Maghogho, as she struggles to raise her super cute pups (below, right) in the Makgadikgadi salt pans, an area of Botswana known – not very promisingly – as ‘the great nothing’.
16 NOT GOING OUT WEDNESDAY 30, 9PM, BBC1
It’s New Year’s Eve, and Lee and Lucy (Lee Mack and Sally Bretton) have been joined by their nearest and dearest to see out 2020. Is this a good time for everyone to reveal how they really feel about each other? This episode features one of the last screen appearances by Bobby
Ball, as Lee’s dad,
Frank, before his death last month. A tribute to his life follows on ITV at 10.15pm.
17 THE BIG NEW YEAR’S IN
NEW YEAR’S EVE, 9PM, BBC1 With big parties and fireworks cancelled this year, the BBC has turned to comedian Paddy Mcguinness to brighten up your New Year’s Eve celebrations. He’ll be introducing games and surprises with a host of famous faces, plus a very funny quiz that you can play along with at home. Later on, superstar singer Alicia Keys is treating us to a special performance of her best hits – filmed in Los Angeles – either side of the midnight chimes ringing in 2021, while Jools Holland will be throwing his annual Hootenanny on BBC2 at 11.15pm.
18 DOCTOR WHO
NEW YEAR’S DAY, 6.45PM, BBC1 Hold on to your seats as Captain Jack Harkness blasts back on to our screens in this thrilling adventure, which is also the last episode to feature Graham and Ryan before Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole time-travel off to pastures new. With the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker, above) out of action, imprisoned on an alien planet, it’s left to her companions and old friend Jack (John Barrowman) to save the day – from the dreaded Daleks!
19 THE SERPENT
NEW YEAR’S DAY, Ambitious new eight-part true-crime drama that revels in its 1970s setting. It’s the gripping story of serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who posed as a gem dealer to lure travellers to their deaths in Thailand and India. Tahar Rahim is Sobhraj, with Jenna Coleman as his lover and accomplice, Marie-andree Leclerc, and Billy Howle as Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg, who picks up the pair’s trail after he investigates the disappearance of a young Dutch couple. Continues every Sunday at 9pm.
20 DANCING ON THIN ICE WITH TORVILL & DEAN
NEW YEAR’S DAY, 9PM, ITV Olympic greats Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have spent their lives whizzing around ice rinks, but they have never skated in the great outdoors before – so now, they’re travelling to Alaska to fulfil a lifelong dream. But there’s also a more serious message in this one-off documentary as the pair see for themselves the effects that global warming is having on this icy landscape.