Satellite choice
SANTA STORY Fred Claus, 9.40am, 8pm, Sky Christmas
AT THE North Pole, Mrs Claus (Miranda Richardson) tries to keep the peace between her saintly husband, Nick (Paul Giamatti, pictured with Richardson), and his nasty brother, Fred (Vince Vaughn).
CARTOON FUN Dennis & Gnasher, 6pm, CBBC
IT’S great to think that Dennis the Menace first entertained children in the Beano in 1951, and now, 67 years on — and essentially unchanged — he has his own festive TV special. Here, a giant ‘Beanostalk’ sweeps Gnasher into a faraway land, and Dennis must climb up and find him.
TOTS’ TALE CBeebies Bedtime Stories, 6.50pm, CBeebies
THE nightly run of new tales continues with Olympic cycling champion-turned-racing driver Chris Hoy. Chris, who is also a dad of two and has written kids’ books of his own, will be reading that lesson in the merits of sharing, The Squirrels Who Squabbled.
FOOTBALL Leicester City v Manchester City, 7.30pm, Sky Football & Main Event
THIS League Cup quarter-final is a repeat of a tie at the same stage of last year’s competition. Jamie Vardy hit an extra-time penalty, then missed in a penalty shoot-out, as City knocked the Foxes out — so he’ll be desperate to win this time.
CLASSIC FILM Night Mail, 7.35pm, Talking Pictures
TO THE music of Benjamin Britten and words by W.H. Auden, the mail train speeds from London to Glasgow. A trailblazer of the British Documentary Film Movement.
FAMOUS FACES Celebrity Portrait Artist Of The Year, 8pm, Sky Arts
A DISPROPORTIONATE number of comedians are among those putting brush to canvas in this lively one-off special. Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves), Phill Jupitus, Joe Lycett and Josie Long join the actress Maureen Lipman and the meteorologist Tomasz Schafernaker (pictured) to paint portraits.
SEASONAL SONG The Truth About Christmas Carols, 8pm, BBC4
THE composer Howard Goodall presents a surprising delve into the history of carols, which isn’t as cosy as cheery modern tradition suggests. In medieval times, they were banned by the church, being closely associated with dancing — an undesirably pagan activity.
COMIC BOOK ACTION Supergirl, 8pm, Sky One
AFTER part two in Arrow on Monday, this is the dramatic finale to the blockbuster Elseworlds crossover event for the DC superhero shows. So far, we’ve seen Arrow and Flash swapping lives — and, amusingly, costumes — as they, Supergirl, Superman and Batwoman take on Dr John Deegan in Gotham City.
COMEDY GREAT The Undiscovered Peter Sellers, 10pm, Sky Arts
PLENTY of TV profiles claim to have ‘unprecedented access’ and ‘rare footage’, but end up feeling all too ordinary. Not so for this — the first of a new, nightly series from Victor Lewis-Smith — which cleverly combines old film and audio, and hears from Sellers’s first wife and daughter.
THE BOSS Springsteen On Broadway, Netflix
A RECORDING of Bruce Springsteen’s acclaimed oneman show — a mix of music and stories — that finished its run in New York on Saturday.