Wednesday 24 Sep 2014
Transmission details in the Network TV Programme Information 14-day version are not updated after publication. For updates, please see individual day pages.
Mother-of-two Alison Wade is in the dock and facing serious charges. She's in a state of shock and disbelief, in the final gritty drama by Jimmy McGovern.
Alison works at a special needs care centre. She's married to David and they adore their two young children, Hannah and Tom. But their relationship is under strain. David's been made redundant and is now looking after the children full time.
Alison has a growing relationship with Ben, a work colleague. When she is due to go away on a weekend course Alison has a drink with Ben instead, misses her train and spends the time with him. Once home it becomes obvious she has not been away on the course.
David and Alison struggle on but doubts about her faithfulness are always there. Bitterness and recriminations grow. They reach a head when Alison returns home one night after blatantly going for a drink with Ben; David commits a heinous crime against his wife.
She tells him to leave and he returns to his father, Gordon's, house. But the Wades' feud has only just begun. David's bereft when separated from daily contact with his children. Gordon, a police sergeant, hates seeing his son's heartbreak, and before long the two have conspired against Alison – but can she fight back and who will get custody of the children?
Now the jury has heard incriminating evidence against her but will it stand up?
Alison Wade is played by Naomie Harris, David Wade by Warren Clark, Hannah Wade by Janay Bell, Tom Wade by Lucas Sproul, Ben by Andrew Knott and Sergeant Gordon Wade by Tony Pitts.
CD
Live from Birmingham, Sue Barker, Gary Lineker and Jake Humphrey present the biggest ever Sports Personality Of The Year, celebrating the best moments from a thrilling year of sport.
This star-studded event features some of the biggest names in sport and the evening climaxes with the presentation of the most prestigious award in British sport when the Sports Personality Of The Year is crowned – an award chosen by the viewers live on the night from a shortlist of 10 contenders. Last year's crown was won by footballer Ryan Giggs.
It's been a busy year of sport with many memorable highs and lows, including the Winter Olympics, the football World Cup, Ryder Cup golf, the Commonwealth Games and one of the most exciting Formula 1 seasons ever.
The year has also seen some stunning individual performances from UK sportsmen and women. Amy Williams became the first British individual gold medallist at a Winter Olympics for 30 years, and 16-year-old Tom Daley won double gold at the Commonwealth Games. Jockey AP McCoy finally got his hands on a Grand National win and Graeme McDowell became the first European to win the US Open golf title for 40 years. Team Europe triumphed in golf's Ryder Cup showdown and England's cricketers have had a storming year, with The Ashes still to play for. It has also been a great 12 months for British athletes, with glory for stars such as Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah, plus many memorable moments from the Tour de France, gymnastics, darts and boxing.
As well as the main award of Sports Personality Of The Year, others include a very special Lifetime Achievement Award which will honour one of the world's true sporting legends. And further awards will be made to the Team Of The Year, Coach Of The Year, Overseas Sports Personality, Young Sports Personality Of The Year, Sport's Unsung Hero and the Helen Rollason Award for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity.
LW
Jordan returns to challenge Ruth's authority, Adam and Kirsty get closer and Warren's true colours are revealed, as the medical drama continues.
Jordan returns to the Emergency Department and is appalled at how Ruth has been handling the staff. Clashing with her over several of her new policies, he realises that he is needed there to keep Ruth in line. Is he prepared to put his surgical ambitions on the back burner for the good of the ED?
Lenny is feeling the pressure to find a donor match for his sister, Helen, and Yuki agrees to help illicitly screen patients as they come into the ED. Realising one patient is a partial match, Lenny's unprofessional behaviour causes great consternation when it leads to a young girl being left alone with a known sex offender. Is it time for Lenny to come clean and stop giving Helen false hope?
When Ruth finds out about Yuki and Lenny's illicit activities she is furious and demands answers. Lenny is surprised to find that Yuki has accepted full responsibility – but all becomes clear when Yuki drops a bombshell.
After coming in drunk the night before, Warren is brought into the ED, accompanied by Nita, who tells Kirsty he was smashing up her things. Adam comforts Kirsty and they share a tender moment. But when Kirsty learns that Warren might have muscular dystrophy, a debilitating disease that will leave him increasingly disabled, she is torn between her feelings and her duty. But Warren's violent true colours are finally revealed when he finds a text that Kirsty has sent to Adam...
Jordan is played by Michael French, Ruth by Georgia Taylor, Adam by Tristan Gemmill, Kirsty by Lucy Gaskell, Warren by Stephen Lord, Lenny by Steven Miller, Helen by Nicola Jo Cully, Yuki by Will Sharpe and Nita by Holly Earl.
BW2
There's a toast to good health all round as the Emergency Department staff, led by Mads and Noel, pull together to throw a Christmas party for some neglected old folk, as the medical drama continues. Meanwhile, Ruth prepares for her first Christmas with husband Edward and a guilty Kirsty struggles to work alongside Adam.
It's Christmas Eve in Holby City hospital and Ruth is determined to have a good Christmas, despite the precarious state of her marriage. When she finds a present – a badge that reads "No. 1 Doctor" – she assumes it's for her, but then Edward's ex, James, shows up at the ED wearing the badge. Realising that Edward has been lying all along, Ruth issues him an ultimatum. Will the two doctors spend their first Christmas in harmony or will this be one year Ruth doesn't forget in a hurry?
Ruth and James treat young mother Sara, whose sister, Deena, comes into the hospital along with her partner, David. The estranged sisters barely have time to make up before Ruth and James clash, causing a fatal mix-up with Sara's drugs.
Meanwhile, Kirsty is struggling to work alongside Adam after she told him last week that nothing more could happen between them. Adam spends all day trying to help her out but she refuses his assistance at every turn. Is Kirsty able to put her personal feelings to one side for the sake of their professional relationship?
Mads is missing home. She's also trying to understand why everyone seems to be miserable or drunk at Christmas. When she meets a patient, Lily, in the Clinical Decision Unit – whom everyone else thinks has been dumped in the hospital for Christmas – Mads holds out hope. With Jordan studying all day, Mads is left in charge and she and Noel throw a Christmas party for all the patients in ED. Will Lily's family turn up and prove to Mads that not everyone is horrible at Christmas time?
Mads is played by Hasina Haque, Noel by Tony Marshall, Ruth by Georgia Taylor, Edward by Steven Billington, Kirsty by Lucy Gaskell, Adam by Tristan Gemmill, James by Travis Oliver, Sara by Hollie-Jaye Bowes, Deena by Lucy-Jo Hudson, David by James Midgley and Jordan by Michael French.
BW2
Matt Lucas and David Walliams return to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One in a brand-new comedy series. After watching this mock documentary, viewers' opinions of airports and the people who work there will never be the same again...
The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s cameras have been given unprecedented access to one of Britain's busiest airport terminals. For months, the producers have followed anyone and everyone to produce this portrait of life at the cutting edge of aviation. From check-in staff to cabin crew, from pilots to paparazzi, and from low-cost airline owners to their passengers, all human life is here – and all played by Lucas and Walliams.
This week, 80-year-old Hetty Wolf takes her first-ever flight with Great British Air; husband and wife pilots Simon and Jackie sort out their marriage at 35,000 feet above Sweden; and Omar Baba, owner of low-cost carrier FlyLo, is forced to do something about the lack of life-jackets on his planes. Meanwhile, Omar's most junior employee, Taaj, is on buggy duty, and Chief Immigration Officer Ian Foot has found a suspicious passport.
Written by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, Come Fly With Me is directed by Paul King (The Mighty Boosh) and produced by Adam Tandy (The Thick Of It). Lindsay Duncan is the narrator.
Come Fly With Me is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
A feature interview with Matt and David will be available soon in Programme Information.
JD/PA
Amy and Rory are trapped on a crashing space liner, and the only way The Doctor can rescue them is to save the soul of a lonely old miser, in a festive edition of the time-travelling adventure, written by Steven Moffat. But is Kazran Sardick, the richest man in Sardicktown, beyond redemption? And what is lurking in the fogs of Christmas Eve?
Amy Pond is played by Karen Gillan, Rory Williams by Arthur Darvill, The Doctor by Matt Smith and Kazran Sardick by Michael Gambon.
Doctor Who is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
PPR
Despite Pat's pleas, Janine finally admits the unpalatable truth about Ryan's condition, in the week's first visit to Albert Square.
Denise is devastated when Lucas's sister, Gloria, arrives with some upsetting news.
Elsewhere, Ian accidentally reveals a dangerous secret to Peter.
And Connor faces Phil's fury when his actions risk drawing unwelcome attention.
Pat is played by Pam St Clement, Janine by Charlie Brooks, Ryan by Neil McDermott, Denise by Diane Parish, Ian by Adam Woodyatt, Connor by Arinze Kene and Phil by Steve McFadden.
AB3
Bianca resorts to desperate measures to ensure her children get the Christmas they deserve, as the action continues in Walford.
Meanwhile, Max and Vanessa struggle to play happy families with Tanya and Greg.
Elsewhere, Ryan's declaration of love leaves one of the women in his life broken-hearted – but will it be Janine or Stacey?
Bianca is played by Patsy Palmer, Max by Jake Wood, Vanessa by Zoe Lucker, Tanya by Jo Joyner, Greg by Stephan Booth, Ryan by Neil McDermott, Janine by Charlie Brooks and Stacey by Lacey Turner.
AB3
Ryan's shock announcement causes mayhem in the Vic as the Butchers square up to the Slaters, in the latest drama from the London Borough of Walford.
Elsewhere, Glenda is horrified when Peter issues her with a savage warning.
And Lauren takes drastic action to punish Stacey, much to Janine's delight.
Ryan is played by Neil McDermott, Glenda by Glynis Barber, Peter by Thomas Law, Lauren by Jacqueline Jossa, Stacey by Lacey Turner and Janine by Charlie Brooks.
AB3
Phil's plan to expose Glenda has unexpected consequences, while Peter has a shocking parting shot for Ian before leaving for good, in the latest slice of life in Albert Square.
Meanwhile, Bianca's decision to take responsibility for her actions leads to further trouble.
Elsewhere, Kim saves the day at the carol concert – much to Dot's displeasure.
And Janine's last desperate stand to expose Stacey doesn't quite go according to plan...
Phil is played by Steve McFadden, Glenda by Glynis Barber, Peter by Thomas Law, Ian by Adam Woodyatt, Bianca by Patsy Palmer, Kim by Tameka Empson, Dot by June Brown, Janine by Charlie Brooks and Stacey by Lacey Turner.
AB3
Janine's evil brooding over the discovery of Ryan's relationship with Stacey finally culminates in a spectacular announcement, in the latest visit to Walford. It means that Stacey is forced to make a life-changing decision.
Janine is played by Charlie Brooks, Ryan by Neil McDermott and Stacey by Lacey Turner.
EastEnders is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
JM3
Everyone is trying to get over the events of Christmas Day, in the latest visit to Albert Square.
Meanwhile, Carol is forced to make a tough decision.
Carol is played by Lindsey Coulson.
EastEnders is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
JM3
Connor gets into trouble with Phil, as the drama continues in the London Borough of Walford.
Elsewhere, Pat receives a worrying phone call; and Kat has a false alarm.
Connor is played by Arinze Kene, Phil by Steve McFadden, Pat by Pat St Clement and Kat by Jessie Wallace.
EastEnders is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
JM3
Dot latches onto Edward for company, in the latest visit to Walford. Elsewhere, Ryan helps a disorientated Jean.
Dot is played by June Brown, Ryan by Neil McDermott and Edward by Frank Barrie.
EastEnders is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
JM3
Syed accuses Christian of being shallow, in the latest developments in Albert Square.
Meanwhile, Ronnie and Kat get a surprise.
Syed is played by Marc Elliot, Christian by John Partridge, Ronnie by Samantha Womack and Kat by Jessie Wallace.
EastEnders is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
JM3
Christian makes a mistake, in the latest visit to Walford.
Elsewhere, Ronnie and Kat have a day they will never forget.
Christian is played by John Partridge, Ronnie by Samantha Womack and Kat by Jessie Wallace.
EastEnders is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
AB3
In the last episode of the Advent series Fern Britton talks to evergreen singer Sir Cliff Richard about how his faith has shaped his life. He has sold more than 200 million records worldwide and, although he has just turned 70, he says retirement is still not in his vocabulary.
With more than 50 years in an industry noted for its excesses, Sir Cliff is a committed Christian who enjoys merely a glass of wine – from his own vineyard, of course.
JP2
Chrissie is feeling every inch the single working mum when she arrives late for work after being up all night with Daniel, as the medical drama continues. The idea that the panel may find her to blame for a mistake on the ward following a patient complaint pushes Chrissie over the edge and she has a meltdown on the ward. When Sacha is a willing shoulder to cry on, Chrissie starts to realise how amazing he is and wonders if her perfect man is staring her in the face.
Excited to be asked to cover Registrar responsibilities, Penny lets the power go to her head. Not only does she patronise Ollie, but she also spends too little time caring for her patient and realises she has handled things badly. Penny is knocked off her high horse when her debrief with Michael feels worryingly like a date.
Joseph rallies to help Faye deal with a sick baby Harry, trying to mask his concern about Faye's state of mind. When Faye announces she doesn't want to return to Highfields, Joseph knows he has to step in and arranges for Faye and Harry to spend Christmas with him, even though this scuppers his romantic plans with Jac. Joseph feels relieved that he has done the right thing, but all is not what it seems when Faye makes a mysterious phone call. What is she planning?
Chrissie Williams is played by Tina Hobley, Sacha Levy by Bob Barrett, Penny Valentine by Emma Catherwood, Oliver Valentine by James Anderson, Michael Spence by Hari Dhillon, Joseph Byrne by Luke Roberts, Faye Byrne by Patsy Kensit and Jac Naylor by Rosie Marcel.
Holby City is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
RC
It's Christmas Day and both Connie and Faye face difficult decisions, as the medical drama continues.
When Connie's dad, William, is rushed in for emergency surgery, and a one-in-a-million heart-and-lung transplant is thrown into jeopardy for a Matrix-obsessed patient, Connie – who has made herself unpopular with the cuts she has instigated – must consider just what she wants to do with her life.
Meanwhile, in London, Faye plots to flee England with baby Harry, but Jac intercedes, bringing Faye back for a showdown with Joseph and the most difficult decision of her life...
Connie Beauchamp is played by Amanda Mealing, Faye Byrne by Patsy Kensit, William Chase by Ken Bones, Jac Naylor by Rosie Marcel and Joseph Byrne by Luke Roberts.
Holby City is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
RC
Alan Yentob meets a man who is widely considered one of the most important songwriters in the history of popular music – The Kinks' Ray Davies.
One of the great musical innovators in the history of pop, singer-songwriter Davies shot to prominence in the Sixties as the front man and main creative force in The Kinks. The writer of a series of inspired hits (including such classics as You Really Got Me, Tired Of Waiting For You, Dedicated Follower Of Fashion, Sunny Afternoon and Waterloo Sunset), Davies established himself as one of the great laureates of British pop. The wit and subtlety of his lyrics express an essentially British suburban sensibility – yet the music of The Kinks appealed to pop fans all over the world, including the United States, where the band became one of the most important contributors of British music to the US in the early Sixties.
Describing a remarkable career that catapulted Davies from a modest boyhood home in London's Muswell Hill to some of the greatest rock stadiums in the world, this film assesses the work of a uniquely talented musician and lyricist whose work has influenced successive generations of rock bands, including outfits as diverse as The Who, The Ramones, The Clash, The Pretenders, Blur and the Kaiser Chiefs. As The Who's Pete Townshend put it: "Davies ... invented a new kind of poetry and a new kind of language for pop writing that influenced me from the very, very, very beginning."
Imagine is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
CM6
Master impressionists Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson bring a whole host of celebrities with a festive twist, in the last show of the series.
Katherine Jenkins and friends sing the Christmas No. 1s, with Liza Minnelli and Amy Winehouse popping up for special appearances.
Elsewhere, Lady Gaga is forced to leave a party early when she realises her outfit isn't unique; and Julie Walters and Richard Wilson appear in a Dickens drama.
Ian Hislop meets Santa and old favourite Ross Kemp investigates a gang who run a seasonal extortion racket.
Over at the Microsoft Office they are also getting into the Christmas spirit. Meanwhile, Simon helps Cheryl with her texting etiquette – just how many kisses is it polite to sign off with? And Tim Burton and his life partner prepare for Christmas Day.
NE/MF2
Warren Clarke, Caroline Quentin and Daniel Roche star as Richmal Crompton's much-loved mischievous hero, Just William, returns to television screens with a new adaptation by Simon Nye. Taking Crompton's timeless short stories and setting them in the Fifties, Simon has written scripts faithful to her precise portrait of British family life.
Fresh from his success in Outnumbered, a much-shorn Daniel Roche steps up to play the title role.
The stellar cast includes Warren Clarke and Caroline Quentin as new neighbours the Botts, with Daniel Ryan and Bafta winner Rebecca Front playing William's parents. Narrating the series is the voice behind the classic recordings of the Just William stories, Martin Jarvis.
When the Bott family move into Croombe Hall, William and his gang, The Outlaws, are horrified to find themselves banned from playing in the woods. But the worst is yet to come, in the form of the frilly yet formidable Violet Elizabeth Bott. As his brother Robert, inspired by Marlon Brando's Wild One, tries and fails miserably to romance the local ladies, William and pals Ginger, Douglas and Henry find Violet Elizabeth hard to shake off – until a game of Red Indians, a thrilling chase and a very muddy bog give the boys the chance to get even with the idiotic Mr Bott.
William is played by Daniel Roche, Violet Elizabeth Bott by Isabella Blake-Thomas, Robert by Harry Melling, Ginger by Jordan Grehs, Douglas by Edward Piercy, Henry by Robert Foster and Mr Bott by Warren Clarke.
VT
Exotic Uncle Neville has come to stay, and William is not the only member of the Brown family to be impressed by his exciting tales of the African savannah, as Simon Nye's adaptation of Richmal Crompton's classic stories continues.
To prove to his mother that English animals can be just as interesting as African ones, William and The Outlaws decide to give a lecture of their own. But with only a dead dormouse and a caterpillar on the bill, things aren't looking too thrilling.
While sister Ethel languishes in quarantine, her hapless suitors provide the perfect opportunity for a spot of parrot kidnapping – and William's talk suddenly becomes a lot more interesting...
Uncle Neville is played by by Bertie Carvel, William by Daniel Roche, Mrs Brown by Rebecca Front, Ginger by Jordan Grehs, Douglas by Edward Piercy, Henry by Robert Foster and Ethel by Lily James.
VT
The summer holidays are nearly upon them but William and The Outlaws are feeling gloomy, as Richmal Crompton's classic stories, adapted by Simon Nye, continue.
A bad school report will mean lessons all summer for William – and, worse still, the Botts have sacked their favourite gardener (and William's partner in crime) Bob. A cunning plan is needed, and portly Mr Bott's unsightly efforts to fight the flab give The Outlaws exactly that – with a little bit of blackmail that might just get Bob his job back.
And a chance encounter with his formidable Aunt Augusta allows William to get rid of his dreaded school report in a most ingenious way.
William is played by Daniel Roche, Ginger by Jordan Grehs, Douglas by Edward Piercy, Henry by Robert Foster, Bob by Roy Hudd, Mr Bott by Warren Clarke and Aunt Augusta by Judy Parfitt.
VT
Tomboy Dorinda has moved into the village and, for once in his life, William seems to approve of this rat-catching, frog-stuffing girl, as Simon Nye's adaptation of Richmal Crompton's classic stories concludes. The impending school Shakespeare competition seems the perfect opportunity to impress her – but when snotty Dalrymple gets the part of Hamlet, William and his faithful Outlaws are spurred into action. It's down to William to forcibly take the stage – with inevitably disastrous consequences!
Dorinda is played by Lottie Bell, William by Daniel Roche, Dalrymple by Max Hiller, Ginger by Jordan Grehs, Douglas by Edward Piercy, Henry by Robert Foster, the school Headmaster by Denis Lawson and Mr Welbecker – the pompous Shakespeare expert – by John Sessions.
VT
Tony Jordan's magical four-part adaptation of The Nativity begins, continuing in the lead-up to Christmas.
In Nazareth Mary counts her blessings when her parents, Joachim and Anna, arrange her betrothal to a local carpenter, Joseph. He has a good heart and she grows to love him as he struggles to build them a home under her mother's watchful eye.
In Bethlehem, Thomas the shepherd struggles to pay his taxes while his wife, Leah, is ill, weakened by the birth of her baby.
Meanwhile in the East, the three Magi, Balthasar, Melchior and Gaspar, gather to discuss signs in the heavens. As the prophecy has foretold, the planets are aligning to form a star heralding a great event.
Mary is played by Tatiana Masalany, Joachim by Neil Dudgeon, Anna by Claudie Blakely, Joseph by Andrew Buchan, Thomas by Al Weaver, Leah by Ruth Negga, Balthasar by Peter Capaldi, Melchior by Jack Shepherd and Gaspar by Obi Abili.
The Nativity is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
RN
Mary is visited by the Angel Gabriel and learns she will bear the son of God, as the seasonal drama continues. Deeply troubled, and unable to tell Joseph of her dream, she travels to see her cousin Elizabeth who is also pregnant.
Thomas the shepherd begs for more time to pay his taxes, but the soldiers refuse to listen to his pleas. A devastated Thomas watches as precious sheep from his flock are taken as payment.
Frustrated by the Magi council's reluctance to investigate the celestial conjunction, Balthasar, Melchior and Gaspar resolve to set out on their own. They head west towards Judaea.
Mary is played by Tatiana Masalany, Angel Gabriel by John Lynch, Joseph by Andrew Buchan, Elizabeth by Frances Barber, Thomas by Al Weaver, Balthasar by Peter Capaldi, Melchior by Jack Shepherd and Gaspar by Obi Abili.
The Nativity is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
RN
Joseph still cannot accept Mary's explanation for her pregnancy, as the Christmas story continues. Her neighbours turn against her and she's in danger of being stoned. Her father, Joachim, begs Joseph to take her to safety in Bethlehem – since he has to travel there for the census.
The arrival of the Magi on Herod's borders makes him deeply suspicious. He sends Nicolaus to discover the reason for their mission. The Magi are wary of revealing the truth to the emissary of a king with Herod's reputation.
Thomas the shepherd seeks answers for his plight. He hears of the coming of the Messiah, but takes no comfort in the words.
Joseph is played by Andrew Buchan, Mary by Tatiana Masalany, Joachim by Neil Dudgeon, Herod by Vince Regan, Nicolaus by Art Malik and Thomas by Al Weaver.
The Nativity is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
RN
In the final part of The Nativity, Joseph and Mary arrive in Bethlehem but discover they're not welcome – Joseph's family know of Mary's apparent betrayal.
Rachel, Joseph's cousin, will not let Mary in the house and when Joseph refuses to leave her they are left to wander the streets of Bethlehem. When Mary goes into labour, Joseph has to find somewhere to give birth – he finds a stable behind an inn...
Thomas the shepherd is driven to violence in his frustration and desire for vengeance. That night, as he tends his flock with the other shepherds they are visited by the Angel Gabriel and are told the Messiah has been born. In haste they make their way to the stable.
As the stars align, Balthasar, Melchior and Gaspar hurry in disguise to Bethlehem, desperate to be present at Jesus's birth and witness what will become of one of history's most-celebrated events.
Joseph is played by Andrew Buchan, Mary by Tatiana Masalany, Rachel by Helen Schlesinger, Thomas by Al Weaver, Angel Gabriel by John Lynch, Balthasar by Peter Capaldi, Melchior by Jack Shepherd and Gaspar by Obi Abili.
The Nativity is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
RN
Nigel Slater shows how, with a little forward-planning, all the stress can be taken out of everyday suppers, in the concluding episode of his series featuring healthy, inspiring but simple dishes.
Cooking after a busy day at work is often the last thing people want to do, but Nigel inspires with a range of dishes that can be easily adapted throughout the week, including a tasty vegetable-patch stew and even home-made ice cream.
Nigel also visits James and Melissa, whose London barge is an oasis of fruit and veg. Nigel creates a delicious salad from the fruits of their labours.
The series is part of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Dig-In campaign – more details can be found at bbc.co.uk/digin.
Toast, a film based on Nigel Slater's bestselling autobiography, can be seen on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One and ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD this Christmas.
Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
SB
Celebrate Christmas with the Trotters as South London's most famous family return for a seasonal helping of Rock & Chips in this hour-long comedy drama special from the pen of John Sullivan.
Starring Nicholas Lyndhurst as Freddie, Kellie Bright as Joan and James Buckley as Del, Rock & Chips picks up the Trotter story after the birth of baby Rodney in 1960 and follows the fortunes of the family as Del progresses to manhood. Phil Daniels returns as Grandad, Shaun Dingwall is back as work-shy Reg Trotter, Robert Daws reprises his role as Joan Trotter's sleazy manager and there are some new faces including Paula Wilcox as Reg's mother, Violet, Mel Smith as Freddie's nemesis, DI Thomas, and Kacey Ainsworth as Del's prospective mother-in-law.
"I'm delighted that Del's winkle-pickers and bomber jacket are back for a Christmas special on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One," says John Sullivan. "The first Rock & Chips was a great popular success for the channel and there are plenty more twists and turns in the Trotter family history for us to explore before we're finished."
It's Christmas 1960 and the Trotters are settling into their new flat in Sir Walter Raleigh House, Peckham. Rodney is a babe in arms, Reg is still drawing the dole and hard-working Joan is struggling to keep the family afloat after losing her jobs at the town hall and the cinema. A 16-year-old Del has left school and is exploring employment opportunities around the docks – including a nice line in selling 45s straight off the back of a boat from America – and Freddie Robdal has been temporarily detained in Wormwood Scrubs at Her Majesty's pleasure.
Joan's fortunes start to look up when she gets her old job back as the ice-cream girl at the local cinema. Freddie is released on bail but will a chance meeting with Joan rekindle dangerous old passions? And will Freddie be able to stay out of prison long enough to get to know baby Rodney?
Meanwhile Del, who has been advised that slipping an engagement ring on a girl's finger can open up a whole new world of lustful opportunity, has managed to get himself engaged to half of Peckham. But will any of his engagements lead to a trip up the aisle?
FW
It's Christmas Day at the Royles and Barbara is up to her eyes in it as Jim is out of action due to an unfortunate incident in the precinct. Dave and Denise are obviously feeling the effect of the coalition the most and worry that Anthony's lavish gifts will eclipse their present of a fridge magnet.
Joe reminisces about a tipsy evening of naked wrestling in front of the fire with Bobby Carter while Cheryl recounts her romantic encounter in the local supermarket car park.
Ricky Tomlinson is Jim Royle, Sue Johnston is Barbara Royle, Caroline Aherne is Denise Best, Craig Cash is Dave Best and Ralf Little is Anthony Royle. This Christmas special also includes appearances from Joanne Froggratt as Saskia, Peter Martin as Joe Carroll and Jessica Hynes as Cheryl Carroll.
The Royle Family – Joe's Crackers is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
CP
It's finally here – the Strictly Come Dancing grand final. Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly present the ultimate dance showdown live from Television Centre. The last few surviving celebrities and their professionals take the floor by storm, hoping that it is enough to get their hands on the legendary Strictly Come Dancing 2010 glitterball trophy.
The terrific twosomes will be pulling out all the stops, performing a plethora of dazzling dances – including their showstopping Show Dance, where, lifts- and tricks-wise, anything goes. Who has saved their best dance for last and who will outshine the rest? With all the surprises and excitement so far in the competition it could be any of the fantastic contestants' night.
In this fantastic finale the couples, as always, want to impress the judges but, for this week only, it is down to the all-important votes from the viewers at home, and nothing else.
Who has waltzed and sashayed their way into the public's hearts enough to be crowned Strictly Come Dancing Champion for 2010? Find out in the Results show, which can be seen on the same night as the final, to find out.
Strictly Come Dancing is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
CK
Bruce Forsyth, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman gather for the razzle-dazzle excitement that is the Strictly Come Dancing Grand Final Results show, live from Television Centre.
The celebrities and their professional partners have danced their hearts out to get to the finale of the competition. Tonight, they have done everything they can to win over the people at home. All they can do is await their fate, hoping that through all the glitz and glamour they have shone just that little bit brighter than the rest.
Which of the remaining few intrepid dancing couples have wowed the public with their magic moves? Who has been a virtuoso vision of dance delight and deserves to hold aloft the renowned Strictly Come Dancing glitterball trophy?
Finally viewers can find out who has kept dancing all the way to becoming the Strictly Come Dancing 2010 Champion.
Strictly Come Dancing is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
CK
Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly present the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special. This one-off show is a Christmas cracker exploding onto TV screens with five new celebrities – Fern Britton, June Brown, Ronni Ancona, John Barrowman and Vince Cable MP – guaranteed to bring cha-cha-cheer this festive season.
The fantastic five perform different dances to impress the Strictly judges and studio audience and sashay home with the coveted Strictly Come Dancing Christmas trophy.
Without a doubt, the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special is a veritable selection box of tasty dancing treats.
Strictly Come Dancing is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
CK
Helena Bonham Carter plays the stepmother of renowned food writer and chef Nigel Slater in Toast, a film based on his bestselling autobiography of the same name, with Freddie Highmore as a 15-year-old Slater. The film is a major highlight of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One Christmas schedule and is also shown in HD.
Toast is the ultimate nostalgia trip through everything edible in Sixties Britain. Based on the heart-wrenching, bittersweet story of Nigel Slater's childhood, Toast is a delicious love letter to the tastes and smells that a young boy associates with his journey into adulthood.
Highmore is best known for his role in Tim Burton's Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and Bonham Carter has most recently starred in the visionary director's big-screen adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland, Tom Hooper's The King's Speech and ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Four's Enid.
Toast is written by Billy Elliot and War Horse scribe Lee Hall and is directed by SJ Clarkson, best known for Life On Mars, as director and co-creator of Mistresses and more recently as director of Heroes.
Toast is a Ruby Film & Television production. The film is funded by the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳, Screen WM and Lip Sync Productions.
The concluding episode of Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers can be seen on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One and ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD this Christmas.
Toast is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
CM4
Top Of The Pops returns once again this Christmas, sprinkling the best music over the merry season with a special one-hour show. Hosted by Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates and filmed at ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Television Centre, this yuletide treat, which has been a festive fixture on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One's Christmas Day for decades, features exclusive performances from some of the year's biggest stars and will reveal the all-important Christmas No. 1.
TM
The wreath above the mantelpiece is furred with dust. The chandelier is festooned with cobwebs. Then a key turns in the lock – and a handsome millionaire walks in, with the woman he loves in his arms...
This Christmas, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One invites viewers old and new across the threshold of one of television's most famous addresses – 165 Eaton Place. Set in 1936, this lavish three-part serial sees diplomat Sir Hallam Holland move into the iconic townhouse along with his wife, Lady Agnes. With the help of former parlourmaid Rose Buck, they launch a new whole new era for the sumptuous home at the heart of Upstairs Downstairs.
As Lady Agnes remarks: "This house is going to see such life!"
But storm clouds are gathering in Europe, and servants are no longer biddable and cheap. The Hollands' first year at Eaton Place does not unfold as either Lady Agnes or Rose anticipates.
The drama that results sets exquisite domestic detail against a sweeping historical backdrop. There may be two families living in 165 – one upstairs and one down – but their fates are intimately linked. Touching, funny, romantic and savage, the revived Upstairs Downstairs is set to enrapture a whole new audience.
It is January 1936 and King George V is dying. Sir Hallam and Lady Agnes Holland return from a diplomatic posting to Washington. They have immense plans for their future at 165 Eaton Place, which they have recently inherited from Sir Hallam's father.
The house has been empty since the Bellamy family sold it in 1931, and is in need of complete renovation. Keen to organise her servants, Lady Agnes turns to Buck's of Belgravia, an agency run by Miss Rose Buck, who was formerly in service at 165.
Rose has some reservations about the commission but the lure of Eaton Place proves irresistible. She agrees to spearhead Lady Agnes's quest for the perfect staff.
The builders set to work, and the house begins its journey back to opulence. But Lady Agnes and Sir Hallam are stunned when his mother, the widowed Maud, Lady Holland, arrives from India and reveals she's moving in. She has her Sikh secretary, Mr Amanjit, in tow, and intends to write her memoirs in the morning room. This was not in any part of their plan.
Rose – hindered more than helped by Lady Agnes – strives to find servants worthy of the house she loved so much. After some persuasion, a cook, snobbish Mrs Thackeray, agrees to come aboard. Housemaid Ivy – just 15 years old – is recruited from Dr Barnardo's, and a teenaged footman, Johnny, arrives from a mining village in the north. But Rose deems the chauffeur, Harry Spargo, rather common, and searches in vain for the perfect butler. The ghost of Mr Hudson casts a long and cherished shadow.
The family upstairs is completed by the arrival of Lady Persie, Lady Agnes's wayward younger sister. Lady Agnes plans a smart party to mark the launch of the Hollands in London. Guests will include Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and Sir Hallam's closest friend, the Duke of Kent.
But as the party approaches, tensions rise. Maud constantly interferes with Lady Agnes's plans, resulting in the addition of the King and his mistress, Mrs Simpson, to the guest list. With the clock ticking, a panicking Rose is forced to engage a rather unusual butler, Mr Pritchard.
But the party, and its aftermath, sends shockwaves through 165 Eaton Place. Before the night is out, Rose is forced to take control. It becomes clear to both families – upstairs and downstairs – that 165 needs her to stay.
Sir Hallam Holland is played by Ed Stoppard, Lady Agnes by Keeley Hawes, Rose Buck by Jean Marsh, Maud by Eileen Atkins, Mr Amanjit by Art Malik, Mrs Thackeray by Anne Reid, Ivy by Ellie Kendrick, Johnny by Nico Mirallegro, Harry Spargo by Neil Jackson, Lady Persie by Claire Foy and Mr Pritchard by Adrian Scarborough.
Upstairs Downstairs is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
AF2
It's June 1936 and Rose is now officially installed as housekeeper, wrangling her team of eccentrics and juveniles. Lady Agnes, meanwhile, has manoeuvred her household to the heart of London society and adores the fact that Lady Persie is a debutante. Lady Persie is bored to tears – and Maud is restless, too.
The London season is at its height and life at 165 is filled with diamonds, dancing, mink capes and champagne. But world events rumble like thunder in the distance – Sir Hallam's work is affected by Mussolini's annexation of Abyssinia and a new parlourmaid, Rachel Perlmutter, arrives as a refugee from Germany. Rachel does not take easily to domestic work, while the other servants are disconcerted by her elegance, poise and dietary habits.
However, there are celebrations upstairs and down when Lady Agnes discovers – after seven long and fruitless years of marriage – that she's expecting a child. Though she and Sir Hallam are overjoyed by the news, Lady Agnes is haunted by thoughts that things may not go well. She becomes preoccupied by her pregnancy and her husband and sister are left to their own devices.
Maud seizes the chance to draw closer to her son. Sir Hallam welcomes this when he is shaken out of his political complacency by an encounter with deposed Emperor Haile Selassie. Despite Lady Agnes's indifference, he begins to view the rise of the European right wing in a different light.
Maud also takes Lady Persie under her wing, encouraging her to think more deeply and read more widely. But she lights a fire in a dangerous place, and Lady Persie soon falls under the spell of Oswald Mosley and his British Union of Fascists. Unbeknown to the rest of the household, she forms an alliance that will drag her into moral and physical peril.
Meanwhile, as the summer progresses, Rachel bonds with fellow outsider Mr Amanjit and a tender friendship forms. She trusts him with her deepest secret – the existence of her little daughter, Lotte – and they become romantically involved.
But events are hurtling towards the powder-keg of the Cable Street riots – an explosive confrontation that ends in tragedy and has far-reaching results for all at Eaton Place.
Rose is played by Jean Marsh, Lady Agnes by Keeley Hawes, Lady Persie by Claire Foy, Maud by Eileen Atkins, Sir Hallam by Ed Stoppard and Mr Amanjit by Art Malik.
Upstairs Downstairs is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
AF2
It is now November 1936 and several weeks have passed since the Cable Street riots and the ensuing tragedy. Sir Hallam feels responsible for Lotte's plight and the staff are consumed by worry for her future. Maud believes the child has psychiatric problems.
Meanwhile, Lady Persie's life becomes increasingly covert and complex. In the thrall of an illicit sexual affair, she is also obsessed with right-wing politics and pursues her interests regardless of the danger to the people she loves.
Lady Agnes, due to give birth in December, has no knowledge of her sister's activities. She is both elated and anxious at the prospect of motherhood and throws herself into the preparations – decorating the nursery, seeking out a nanny and arranging to be photographed by Cecil Beaton.
Mrs Thackeray is enthralled by the thought that London's top photographer is actually in the house. Breaking bounds, she steals upstairs and sneaks a secret meeting with him. He even takes her photograph – but when Rose finds out, battle lines are drawn, and Mr Pritchard is caught between the warring women.
Tensions also deepen upstairs, as Sir Hallam is drawn into the burgeoning Abdication Crisis. His closest friend, the Duke of Kent, is desperate to stop his brother from abandoning the throne and begs Sir Hallam for help. Anthony Eden also exerts pressure – and so it comes to pass that a very special dinner is arranged at Eaton Place. The house finds itself at the eye of the storm that engulfs the Monarchy.
But it is the fate of one small child that has 165 divided. Lotte's mental condition deteriorates and Maud takes charge. To the servants' dismay, Lady Agnes permits Maud to whisk the child away to a psychiatric clinic. No cure is guaranteed and they fear they will never see Lotte again.
Sir Hallam returns from the Foreign Office late at night and is furious to find that Lotte has gone. Furious with Lady Agnes, he enlists the help of Harry Spargo and Mr Amanjit, setting out to locate the child and establish her fate. But, in doing so, he discovers more than he ever expected, and his life is thrown into utter disarray.
Sir Hallam is played by Ed Stoppard, Maud by Eileen Atkins, Lady Persie by Claire Foy, Lady Agnes by Keeley Hawes, Mrs Thackeray by Anne Reid, Rose by Jean Marsh, Mr Pritchard by Adrian Scarborough, Harry Spargo by Neil Jackson and Mr Amanjit by Art Malik.
Upstairs Downstairs is simulcast in HD on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
AF2
Performed by the Birmingham Royal Ballet in its 20th anniversary year, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two broadcasts a new production of Cinderella – a dazzling visual experience choreographed by David Bintley.
The production brings together award-winning director and choreographer Bintley and internationally recognised artist and designer John MacFarlane, in their first-ever collaboration. Cinderella also sees Bintley collaborating with lighting designer David Finn for the first time.
Filmed by Ross MacGibbon – a former dancer with the Royal Ballet, now an award-winning film- maker, and set to Prokofiev's beautiful score, this much-awaited new production of the classic fairytale promises to be a magical treat for all the family.
Cinderella is simulcast on the award-winning ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ HD channel – the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s High Definition channel, available through Freesat channel 109, Freeview channel 54, Sky channel 169 and Virgin Media channel 187.
RK2
It's March on the Edwardian farm and the team – archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn and domestic historian Ruth Goodman – greet the long-awaited arrival of spring. It's time to bring in the daffodil harvest, deliver lambs and break in a new pony.
The Tamar Valley was once the largest producer of early daffodils in Britain. The result of the region's mild climate combined with the arrival of a railway meant the flowers could be delivered to towns and cities across the country within hours of being picked.
After picking and packing, the daffodils are raced off to the train station, giving the team a chance to experience the period steam engines on the South Devon line. Ruth takes the opportunity to help operate the signal box and discover the ingenious ways that were used to ensure Edwardian trains ran safely and to strict time.
Meanwhile, Alex and Peter go up to Dartmoor for the annual pony trek – a time when wild ponies on the moor were rounded up. They also select a new pony for the farm, Laddie, but he needs training before he's fit for work. Mike Branch, a specialist trainer from Tennessee, arrives, following in the footsteps of American farmer John Solomon Rarey, who, in the 19th century, found fame and fortune in Britain with his revolutionary method of taming wild horses. Instead of "breaking" the horse physically, he used the technique now known as "horse whispering" – an astonishingly fast and effective means of making a wild horse fit for work, as Mike demonstrates.
But Laddie isn't the only new arrival – there's new life on the farm as the ewes begin giving birth to their lambs.
After a delightful start to the new season, the team are in high spirits for the celebration of Easter, which means feasting, a special church service and a surprise for Ruth – her daughter Eve arrives to spend Mothering Sunday on the farm.
Throughout November and December, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two showcases a range of new history programming, including Ancient Worlds; At Home With The Georgians; Ian Hislop's Age Of The Do-Gooders; Pompeii; and JFK. ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ History programmes are known for their thought-provoking themes, meticulous research and expert contributors.
CD4
It's April on the Edwardian farm and the team, archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn and domestic historian Ruth Goodman, see in the start of the fishing season.
Farming in Devon was about far more than just livestock and crops. Farmers had to diversify, and this allows the team to explore the wider working countryside and embark on a host of new and challenging activities.
Edwardian Devonians lived with one foot on the land and one in the sea, but fishing was a hazardous enterprise that claimed many lives. Alex and Peter set sail in an Edwardian trawler; they master the singing of sea shanties as well as steering a wind-powered vessel and casting a net the old-fashioned way – but will they catch any fish?
Women were considered bad luck at sea, so Ruth stays ashore, foraging on the beach and preparing potted shrimp. She also builds a smoke-house and smokes some mackerel.
Back on dry land, Alex and Peter drive their herd of cattle along a dangerous route by foot to find new pasture and prepare for the birth of the herd's first calf, while Ruth explores one of the growing fashions of the Edwardian era by holding a séance.
CD4
It's May on the Edwardian farm and tourism comes to the Tamar Valley. With Empire day approaching – a day when people celebrated their pride in being part of the British Empire – the team, Alex Langlands, Peter Ginn and Ruth Goodman, welcome a very special boat to Morwellham Quay.
The paddle steamer, Monarch, arrives at the farm, with summer tourists ready to part with their money. It's one of only three in the country that's still operational and it's the first time such a vessel has arrived at Morwellham in 80 years.
In Edwardian Britain, thousands of tourists began travelling to the Tamar Valley by paddle steamer every summer. The combination of reduced working hours and greater mobility encouraged a new form of tourism – day-tripping.
Local farmers cashed in on the visitors, so Ruth, Alex and Peter pull out all the stops to put on a party for the tourists: they've got to milk a cow who has never been milked before; take lessons in traditional clotted cream-making from the instructors at a "travelling dairy school"; and learn how to make the highly popular "cut round"; a Devonshire version of a scone.
To maximise profits the farming team must also come up with more things to sell: drawings of the Tamar Valley, bouquets of flowers and ice cream – not easy to make when you don't have a freezer. That's on top of harvesting their strawberries and getting them to the paddle steamer. Will they make it in time?
CD4
It's the season to be jolly but is it really possible to enjoy Christmas when you're strapped for cash? Giles Coren and Sue Perkins set out to prove that, by using a few old-fashioned Seventies handicrafts and an awful lot of enthusiasm, you can still put the merry into Christmas.
They begin by creating some very rudimentary home-made decorations, before calling in Seventies Blue Peter presenter Peter Purves who tries to show them how to assemble the famous Blue Peter advent crown. They take delivery of two turkeys, one of which Giles is determined will end up on the table come Christmas day. They haven't got any cash but Sue joins a local knitting circle and knits Giles a very festive Seventies-inspired Christmas jumper. Celebrity cook Sophie Grigson pops over to help them with a spot of Christmas baking and Giles and Sue invite all the neighbours to join them to sing carols.
Meanwhile, away from the frugality of Tom and Barbara Good's make-do Christmas, neighbours Margo and Jerry enjoy some intoxicating cocktails and plan their Christmas with military precision.
Giles and Sue wake up on Christmas Day to find it has snowed and, after a spot of snowballing, they're delighted when cook Mary Berry turns up to prepare a scrumptious Christmas lunch.
Giles And Sue Live The Good Life is simulcast on the award-winning ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ HD channel – the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s High Definition channel, available through Freesat channel 109, Freeview channel 54, Sky channel 169 and Virgin Media channel 187.
PA/JD
Seeing off 2010 and welcoming in 2011 in style Jools Holland presents his 18th Annual Hootenanny. The knees-up, recorded at London's Television Centre, features the stars that have made their mark on the musical landscape in 2010, along with the occasional surprise collaboration.
Joining Jools and his Rhythm And Blues Orchestra, with their massed horns, strings and backing vocalists, are a variety of big names old and new, performing an array of classics to get viewers into the swing of things.
As well as a feast of musical entertainment, stars from the worlds of TV, film, stage, comedy, art and beyond drop in to the studio, sharing thoughts of the old year and their hopes for the new. And the New Year is brought in, as ever, by The Pipes and Drums of the First Battalion of The Scots Guards.
Jools' Annual Hootenanny is simulcast on the award-winning ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ HD channel – the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s High Definition channel available through Freesat channel 109, Freeview channel 54, Sky channel 169 and Virgin Media channel 187.
IW
This is the extraordinary story of a musical that was initially panned by critics when it premièred at London's Barbican Centre in 1985; a show adapted by two unknown composers from a weighty French novel with an unpronounceable title, but which grew against all the odds to take over the world.
In this insightful documentary, Matt Lucas, one of the UK's best-loved comedians and a life-long music theatre devotee, ventures behind the scenes of the world's longest-running musical – Les Misérables. Invited to fulfil his dream and perform in Les Mis at the O2 Arena in its 25th anniversary year, he takes on the comic role of Thénadier alongside a cast of 400 stalwarts from previous Les Mis productions.
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ cameras follow Matt in rehearsals as he prepares for the performance of a lifetime – in front of 18,000 people in the Arena and millions more watching on live cinema relay around the world. This is an intimate and exclusive portrait of Matt Lucas, both as himself and as he goes about creating his own version of the legendary Thénadier.
Contributors include Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Sir Trevor Nunn, Michael Ball and Frances Ruffelle.
RK2
Miranda tries to have the perfect Christmas in the final episode of the comedy series but, with a mum and dad like hers, it's not easy.
What with her mother's organisational chart, her father's obsession with the weather and a nightmare "best Christmas jumper party", Miranda decides she simply can't take any more and she and Stevie hide, spending Christmas in Miranda's flat with Gary, Clive and Tilly instead.
But this being Miranda, things still don't run smoothly. The presents she ordered online don't arrive, she has an infuriating encounter at the post office, a run in with some carol singers, argues with her friends and is forced back to her parents. Can Miranda salvage the situation and have a merry Christmas after all?
Miranda is played by Miranda Hart, her mother by Patricia Hodge, her father by Tom Conti, Stevie by Sarah Hadland, Gary by Tom Ellis, Clive by James Holmes and Tilly by Sally Phillips.
Miranda – The Perfect Christmas is simulcast on the award-winning ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ HD channel – the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s High Definition channel, available through Freesat channel 109, Freeview channel 54, Sky channel 169 and Virgin Media channel 187.
JD/PA
Jonathan Kent's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni was one of the highlights of the 2010 Glyndebourne festival season. It stars Gerald Findley, one of the world's leading baritones, in the title role as Mozart's charismatic but amoral seducer.
This production takes its inspiration from Fellini and the Italian cinema of the late Fifties and early Sixties, creating a world where old certainties are questioned and new personal freedoms cause excitement, but also danger and risk.
Paul Brown's stylish period costumes and spectacular set provide the background to a fast-paced and thrilling drama which propels Don Giovanni from adventure to adventure and, ultimately, to his doom. The opera is conducted by Glyndebourne's music director, Vladimir Jurowski.
Mozart's Don Giovanni From Glyndebourne is simulcast on the award-winning ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ HD channel – the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s High Definition channel, available through Freesat channel 109, Freeview channel 54, Sky channel 169 and Virgin Media channel 187.
RK2
Following the huge success of his recent first series, Rob Brydon returns for a Christmas Special in which he entertains special guests Jack Dee, Jo Brand and Alice Cooper in front of a live studio audience.
As always, Rob shares his experiences as a dad, husband and famous face. It's sure to be a hilarious night with more glimpses of Rob's unique take on the world. The Christmas Special includes a great night of live music from opera star Bryn Terfel, The London Welsh Male Voice Choir and one of New York's hottest jazz groups, The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, performing as house band for this exciting evening.
ETS
Written by Sarah Counsell and Simon James Green, this feature-length teen musical includes eight originated R&B pop tracks.
He's just a kid from the wrong side of town with no money and some big dreams. She's a boarding school girl with the world at her feet and a head full of ambition. When their worlds collide at swanky ad agency Passion, the fireworks are inevitable.
As the battle to successfully pitch for a big fashion contract heats up, Matt and Daisy are thrown together to work on the project, much to the annoyance of Daisy's boyfriend and co-worker Tarrant.
Daisy wonders if she can trust Matt when she discovers all her hard work has been sabotaged and the evidence suggests he's nothing but bad news. And what chance does Matt have with someone like Daisy when he's struggling just to keep him and his little sister together after their parents abandoned them, let alone trying to impress a girl and win his agency a new client?
This bitingly original urban musical stars Jacke Roche as Matt, Daisy Head as Daisy and Paterson Joseph as Tyler Angel.
ER
Ruth Jones, comedy actress and star of multi-award-winning comedy hit Gavin And Stacey, makes her UK debut hosting her own show with special guests Ricky Gervais, Miranda Hart and Will Young.
Ruth Jones' Christmas Cracker is the first of four scrumptious specials spread across the year. It is 40 minutes packed full of special guests, interview, musical performances, sketches and a generous serving of festive fun.
CP
Following his hugely successful Rodgers and Hammerstein concert at this year's ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Proms, John Wilson returns to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two with this glamorous Christmas special – an exclusive celebration of festive musical treats from the "golden age of swing", performed by the John Wilson Orchestra with Seth MacFarlane, Anna-Jane Casey and special guest Curtis Stigers.
Presented by Sir Michael Parkinson, the programme includes interviews with John Wilson, as well as Christmas classics including Winter Wonderland, Baby It's Cold Outside, Let It Snow and White Christmas.
RK2
Set between the winter of 1984 and the summer of 1985, When Harvey Met Bob focuses on the extraordinary relationship between Bob Geldof and Harvey Goldsmith as they create the historic Live Aid concert to "feed the world".
In October 1984, Geldof's career as a rock star is at a low point. Returning home one evening, Bob and his partner Paula Yates watch Michael Buerk's legendary ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ broadcast from the feeding camps in Eritrea Province. Deeply affected, Bob persuades a host of rock stars to give their name and talent free to the Band Aid record, Do They Know It's Christmas?, which, back then, becomes the UK's biggest selling single of all time.
Persuaded to go to Ethiopia to see the famine for himself, Bob realises that he needs to raise much more money to fulfil his promise that "every penny" of the £6m from the record will go to Africa. At this moment he conceives the idea of a televised global music event – two continents, one concert – to feed the world.
Enter Harvey Goldsmith, the famous and highly respected concert promoter. The sparks fly as two powerful and totally different personalities are forced to collaborate for 10 crazy, impossible weeks, trying to pull off something that no one has even attempted before. Under normal circumstances they'd have walked away – but Bob and Harvey are held together by stubbornness, by sheer dogged determination and by a shared belief that no one in the late-20th century should be allowed to die unnecessarily.
The story of those weeks is sometimes hilarious, sometimes deeply moving, as Harvey and Bob go from mad-cap idea and a list of unconfirmed acts, to that Saturday in July 1985, when one-and-a-half billion people watched the biggest televised international charity event in history.
Bob Geldof is played by Domhnall Gleeson and Harvey Goldsmith by Ian Hart.
When Harvey Met Bob is simulcast on the award-winning ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ HD channel – the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s High Definition channel, available through Freesat channel 109, Freeview channel 54, Sky channel 169 and Virgin Media channel 187.
PPR
John Hurt, one of Britain's most esteemed and prolific actors, stars as James Parkin in Whistle And I'll Come To You, the haunting story of a man's encounter with an apparition on a desolate British beach.
Updated for 2010 by screenwriter and novelist Neil Cross (Luther), Whistle And I'll Come To You is a thoroughly modern adaptation of MR James's atmospheric Edwardian ghost story. It focuses on one man, James Parkin, and his separation from his wife Alice, whom he has just left in the care of a nursing home.
John Hurt says: "Oh Whistle And I'll Come To You, My Lad is MR James's most evocative, and possibly best-known ghost story, and I'm thrilled to be involved in this contemporary reworking of it. I've not done a ghost story before, and I'm always looking for new challenges and different stories to tell."
Pensive and in emotional turmoil, Parkin travels to their favourite old rambling destination in an off-season British seaside town. There he encounters an apparition on a desolate beach which begins to haunt him, with terrifying consequences.
Providing a cinematic, unsettling and spooky addition to the Christmas schedules, Whistle And I'll Come To You delves into themes of ageing, hubris and the supernatural, adding a terrifying psychological twist in the tale to this family hearthside favourite.
Neil Cross says: "For reasons I don't quite understand, I always enjoyed tales that terrified me. I grew up loving ghost stories, classic and modern. But I never got to tell a ghost story ... until this opportunity."
John Hurt plays James Parkin, Gemma Jones plays his wife, Lesley Sharp plays Hetty the nurse and Sophie Thompson plays Carol, the hotel receptionist.
Whistle And I'll Come To You is simulcast on the award-winning ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ HD channel – the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s High Definition channel, available through Freesat channel 109, Freeview channel 54, Sky channel 169 and Virgin Media channel 187.
GJ
The Royal Institution Christmas Lecture marks its triumphant return to the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳, with an inspiring lecture from one of Britain's most interesting scientists, Dr Mark Miodownik.
In this three-part public lecture series, the engineer and materials scientist asks: Does size matter?
In three absorbing, inspiring and entertaining lectures, Mark explains how hamsters can survive falling from an aircraft without a parachute; why planet Earth is so puny; and the extraordinary hidden powers of human hair. He then goes on to reveal Why Elephants Can't Dance, Why Chocolate Melts And Jet Planes Don't and Why Mountains Are So Small.
Mark joins a distinguished line of past lecturers, including Sir David Attenborough and Baroness Susan Greenfield, who have inspired generations of children and adults across the country through spirited annual talks that tackle some of the most interesting questions in science.
VAA
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Four's acclaimed series returns with two special Christmas programmes that look beyond the familiar carols and festive songs to reveal two millennia of music and texts from across Europe.
Both programmes feature an astonishing range of seasonal music from composers as diverse as JS Bach, William Byrd, Felix Mendelssohn, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Handel, Mozart and Gustav Holst.
In Sacred Music – A Christmas History, Simon Russell Beale travels through Italy, Britain, Germany and Austria as he explores how the sound of Christmas has evolved in response to changing ideas about the Nativity.
The documentary is complemented by a special performance programme, introduced by Simon from St Augustine's church in Kilburn, London, allowing viewers to hear longer versions of some of the choral music featured in the documentary.
Sacred Music – A Choral Christmas features Bach's harmonisation of the medieval carol In Dulci Jubilo and the Christmas text, O Magnum Mysterium, set as a motet by Tomás Luis de Victoria.
RK2
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Four presents a Christmas concert with a difference in Soul Noel, featuring classic festive carols with a gospel and soul twist.
Viewers can warm a winter’s night with gospel, soul, reggae, ska and soca versions of classics such as We Wish You A Merry Christmas, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Jingle Bells and many more.
Filmed at the Porchester Hall in West London, the concert features UK soul diva Beverley Knight; multi-talented jazz blues soul singer Carleen Anderson; and Lagos-born jazz soul singer Ola Onabule in a unique celebration of Christmas. The legendary original Southern blues-singing Golden Gate Quartet, formed back in 1934, also perform. The Gates were a truly radical jubilee quartet, bringing the swing and groove of jazz into gospel music.
There is also a guest appearence from young soul sensation Bryn Christopher, who released an acclaimed debut album, My World, in 2008.
Added to the mix, led by MD Ken Burton, is the London Community Gospel Choir and a range of other top vocalists who have sung with the world's biggest stars and who are all backed by a sizzling soul band.
Massed voices raise the roof with soulful melodies and soaring harmonies in what promises to be a great evening for all the family to stir the Christmas spirit.
More lead voices will be announced closer to transmission.
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Aled Jones introduces a special Boxing Day Big Sing from London's Royal Albert Hall as 5,000 voices come together for a festive sing-along of favourite carols and Christmas music, including Joy To The World, Calypso Carol, Good King Wenceslas and John Rutter's Star Carol.
A 40-piece orchestra and organist Daniel Moult, conducted by Paul Leddington Wright, are joined by the Saint Michael's Singers, the Exmoor Singers of London and the Brighton Festival Chorus to lead the congregational singing.
The "people's tenor", Russell Watson, sings O Holy Night and explains how he celebrates Christmas; Howard Goodall's Enchanted Voices perform Gaudete, a sacred Christmas carol composed in the 16th century; and best-selling international soprano Hayley Westenra reminisces about celebrating Christmas in her native New Zealand before singing traditional carol Silent Night.
Aled sings a thought-provoking song based on the Christmas story called Mary, Did You Know?. He also discovers the surprising origins of The 12 Days Of Christmas from composer and National Singing Ambassador Howard Goodall before the stars join forces to lead a packed Royal Albert Hall in a rousing rendition of this ever-popular festive song.
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This year, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One's Christmas Day Service comes live from Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire, with the story of the Nativity reflected within the Anglican Eucharist.
This traditional family service is led by the vicar, the Reverend Canon Paul Williams, with the Reverend Catherine Williams giving the address.
The Abbey, which is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, lies between the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills and at the confluence of the rivers Avon and Severn. The site has been a place of worship since the 8th century.
Attending this world-famous location is the Abbey congregation, along with others from Tewksbury churches and the surrounding area, and children from the Sunday school. They are joined by the Abbey Choir to sing traditional carols which include O Come All Ye Faithfull, Of The Father's Love Begotten, Unto Us Is Born A Son, Away In A Manger and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.
The Music is supervised by Carlton Etherington, Tewkesbury Abbey's director of music.
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On Christmas Day, there is a quiet moment of reflection, as actor Paterson Joseph reads from St John's Gospel, and the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields sings O Holy Night.
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³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One welcomes Christmas with a live broadcast of the service of Midnight Mass from Liverpool's Roman Catholic Cathedral – the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool.
A congregation of 2,000 celebrates the joy of the Nativity in the gigantic circular nave of one of Britain's most exciting modern buildings, designed to allow everyone to be as close as possible to the altar.
The cathedral choir, currently in its 50th birthday year, leads the singing of traditional carols including O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night and O Little Town Of Bethlehem. The musical setting for the mass is Charles-Marie Widor's exciting Messe pour Deux Choeurs et Deux Orgues.
The Celebrant is the Archbishop of Liverpool, the Most Reverend Patrick Kelly, who also gives the homily. The director of music is Timothy Noon and the organist is Richard Lea.
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For many, the exquisite voices of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, singing in the breathtakingly beautiful college chapel with its soaring fan vaulting, heralds the true beginning of Christmas.
The service opens with a single choir boy starting Once In Royal David's City. He is then joined by the world-famous choir to sing Christmas music and carols old and new.
As darkness falls, the blue tones of sparkling medieval stained glass give way to the warmth of candlelight which create a unique atmosphere in which the Christmas story is told in the much-loved words of the King James Bible and reflected on in other readings by members of the College.
Stephen Cleobury conducts King's College Choir in a sequence of carols that includes O Come All Ye Faithful, The Sussex Carol, I Saw Three Ships, The First Nowell, Away In A Manger, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Lux Aurumque by modern American composer Eric Whitacre.
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Carols from Winchester Cathedral offers something for everyone to enjoy on Christmas Day afternoon.
It is an opportunity to relax while enjoying some of the best-loved Christmas carols and classical Christmas music, beautifully sung by the highly renowned Choir of Winchester Cathedral, with special performances from mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins and bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu.
Conducted by Director of Music, Andrew Lumsden, the Cathedral Choir, currently in exquisite voice, and including boy and girl choristers, sing from the candlelit choir stalls and also in front of the high altar, with its impressive intricate reredos.
Carols include: O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, John Rutter's Nativity Carol and Joy To The World, plus classical Christmas favourites including, For Unto Us A Child Is Born from Handel's Messiah and Morten Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium. The choir will be accompanied by an orchestral ensemble and the famous cathedral organ, with organist Simon Bell.
The music will be interspersed with verses from the Bible and Christmas poetry telling the story of the birth of Jesus.
Winchester Cathedral is known for its glorious architecture, including the medieval Lady Chapel and the ancient crypt, with its contemporary statue by Antony Gormley. Both feature as just two of the stunning backdrops to the carols and readings, giving viewers a further insight into Winchester's unique history.
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Painted more than five centuries ago, Filippo Lippi's Nativity is like no other – the birth of Christ in a dark, wooded wilderness.
Its beauty inspired Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli. But it also conceals a deeply personal story. It was painted for Cosimo de' Medici, a wealthy banker who feared that his money was dragging him straight to Hell, by an artist whose adoration of women was deeply flawed.
The artist's life was equally surprising. The most celebrated painter of his day, Lippi was also a Carmelite friar. But he was no stranger to the temptations of the flesh, to which he frequently yielded. Shortly before painting his Adoration, he caused uproar by seducing a 20-year-old nun and getting her pregnant. His paintings rejoice not just in divine beauty but also in that of women.
In later times, the Adoration's history was interwoven with that of rulers and dictators. It became a bargaining chip after Napoleon's allies seized 20 merchant ships. And, in the 20th century, it was hidden by the Nazis in a potassium mine, where American troops stumbled upon it. The painting even inspired mutiny among US officers when the American authorities tried to appropriate it for the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
Now safely back in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, the painting's reputation today stands higher than at any time since its own. Its combination of divine mystery and very human beauty seems to transcend time and creed.
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Clare Balding presents highlights from last night's Puissance at the London International Horse Show.
The Puissance – best described as equestrian high jumping – is always one of the star attractions at Olympia. Last year's competition was an evenly contested affair which ended in a five-way split after the wall was raised to 2.15m.
Live coverage of this event can be seen on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Red button on Friday 17 December from 9pm.
Commentary comes from Michael Tucker and Andy Austin.
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Gabby Logan presents highlights of today's Premier League matches, including Liverpool's home game against Fulham, which sees Reds' boss Roy Hodgson face the side he left in the summer. The Cottagers have not won any of their 29 previous visits to Liverpool, but under Hodgson they did claim draws in their two most recent trips to Anfield.
Stoke have also found the going tough at Arsenal, not having won there since 1981. West Brom and Newcastle have already pulled off shock wins at Arsenal this season which will give the Potters hope.
Elsewhere, struggling West Ham travel north to play Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, Wigan Athletic meet Aston Villa, Sunderland take on Bolton Wanderers and Birmingham City host Newcastle.
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Clare Balding introduces live coverage from the penultimate day of the London International Horse Show, where the feature event is World Cup show jumping.
The biggest names in the sport will be out in force at Olympia, the seventh of 13 legs leading up to next year's global final in Leipzig, Germany.
Last year's event was won by Dutchman Eric van der Vleuten.
Michael Tucker and Andy Austin provide the commentary.
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Colin Murray introduces highlights of today's three Premier League games, including the clash between title rivals Chelsea and Manchester United.
The Blues won both of last season's meetings, victories that ultimately proved decisive as they finished just one point ahead of the Red Devils in May. Stamford Bridge has not been a happy hunting ground for United in recent years – their last win at Chelsea was in 2002.
Newly promoted Blackpool have already claimed several notable scalps this season, including a famous win at Liverpool, so Tottenham will need to be on their guard when they visit Bloomfield Road. Spurs need to find consistency if they are to qualify for the Champions League for a second successive season.
West Brom have also made their mark since winning promotion from the Championship, beating Arsenal and holding Manchester United, but survival remains the priority for the Baggies. The same is true of Mick McCarthy's Wolves, who make the short trip to the Hawthorns looking for a morale-boosting win in their battle to avoid the drop.
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Gary Lineker introduces highlights from a packed day of Premier League action where gifts of goals, festive cheer and the odd stuffing were sure to be on the menu.
Manchester United hosted Sunderland, a side that stunned champions Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, while Manchester City travelled to St James' Park hoping to complete a league double over Newcastle. Blackpool welcomed Liverpool to Bloomfield Road for the first time in 40 years.
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Clare Balding presents coverage from Chepstow of the most famous horse race in Wales, The Welsh Grand National, which is due off at 2.10pm.
A large field is guaranteed for this £100,000 prize, which was won last year by 20-1 shot Dream Alliance.
There are four races in total today at 1pm, 1.35pm, 2.10pm and 2.45pm. Race commentary is provided by Jim McGrath with Richard Dunwoody, Mick Fitzgerald, Rishi Persad, John Parrott and Gary Wiltshire.
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Gary Lineker presents highlights from two days of Premier League action.
Chelsea welcomed Bolton to Stamford Bridge, having taken maximum points from the Trotters in each of the last two seasons.
Meanwhile, Manchester United travelled to play Birmingham City at St Andrew's, a venue where they could only draw last season.
Chris Hughton took his Newcastle side to Tottenham, the club where he spent 13 years as a player, while Wigan entertained Arsenal, looking for a repeat of last season's victory when they beat the Gunners 3-2 in a dramatic finish to secure a first league win over the north London club.
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Transmission details will be posted after final schedules for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Weeks 51 and 52 are confirmed.
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