With daring dramas
in this episode, he faces his biggest challenge yet as dozens of dogs all arrive at the same time and he must find homes for them. This includes a West Highland terrier called Sylvester who is very withdrawn and needs to be brought out of his shell. Well, Paul’s your man. A must watch.
What happened when, in 1926, crime writer Agatha Christie disappeared mysteriously like a character in her own stories? We know she ended up in Harrogate, a perfectly acceptable destination at any time of year, but Channel 5 has another theory. At the very least, they have a version.
Agatha And The Truth of Murder,
(Channel 5, December 23, 9pm) is a one-off drama that supposes she helped to solve the real murder of “Florence Nightingale”, the goddaughter and namesake of the famous nurse. This was after an appeal to the mystery writer by the victim’s partner Mable Rogers.
But it’s hardly plain sailing for the writer.
She receives the approach soon after hearing her husband is in love with his secretary and wants a divorce. There’s a great cast, including Blackadder’s Captain Darling himself Tim McInnerny. He does not play it for laughs in a quality production which also includes Samantha Spiro, Blake Harrison and Dean Andrews.
Last but by no means least, the BBC is making us wait for Doctor Who this year, which won’t make an appearance until the New Year. New showrunner Chris Chibnall, who has had huge success with his wonderful new Time Lord Jodie Whittaker, will only say that we will get a “thrilling adventure for all the family from an alien threat”.
Thank goodness it’s not taken literally. So expect an edge-of-the-seat instalment from the new creative genius in (BBC1, January 1, 7pm) which, along with Whittaker, stars Tosin Cole as Ryan, Bradley Walsh as Graham and Mandip Gill as Yaz. One disappointing aspect to a “New Year special” rather than a Christmas episode, is that we lose the opportunity of a turn as Father Christmas from Walsh, the popular presenter of The Chase. Put that on next year’s Christmas list. Happy viewing!
Doctor Who