Walk the Line
Sunday-Friday, Virgin One/ITV, 8pm
Walk the Line is the ultimate game of winner-stays-on, where on Friday night one act will win half a million pounds. In this first episode, five acts will perform to win the audience vote. The winner of tonight's show will be crowned a champion, but they will then be faced with a tough decision. They can cash out of the competition for £10,000 or Walk the Line and compete again against four new challengers in tomorrow night's show. Hosted by Maya Jama, with judges Gary Barlow, Craig David, Dawn French and Alesha Dixon.
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Final
Sunday, Virgin One/ITV, 9pm
When the latest series began three weeks ago, some viewers took to social media to ask if the reality show's bosses had been influenced by Netflix's international hit Squid Game – the first episode saw the celebs being split into pairs, there was a high walk and even a literal green and red light. Luckily though, here the famous faces aren't competing for their lives, just the viewers' votes, and those who have made it through to the final didn't have to do so by, ahem, "eliminating" the competition. Still, like Squid Game there can ultimately only be one winner, and tonight Ant and Dec will reveal who the public have chosen to succeed last year's victor Giovanna Fletcher as King or Queen of the Castle. (Followed by I'm a Celebrity: Legends of the Castle on Wednesday at 9pm.)
Jamie: Together at Christmas
Monday, Channel 4, 8pm
For many of us, Christmas isn't all about opening presents; it's about spending time with the people we love – and Jamie Oliver feels there's no better way of doing that than over food. After last season's pandemic restrictions, the chef thinks it's time to push the boat out. He reveals how to do just that by creating food for the perfect festive party, before offering tips and tricks on preparing a stunning sit-down Christmas meal. The first episode in a series includes recipes for bramble cocktails, tear-and-share garlic bread, beef Bourguignon and a winter bombe ice-cream dessert.
David Baddiel: Social Media, Anger and Us
Monday, BBC Two, 9pm
Is social media impacting on the way we behave both on and offline? That's the question the writer-comedian attempts to answer in this documentary. Baddiel is a self-confessed Twitter addict, and is in no doubt about the positive aspects to such platforms: revolutionising communication, highlighting important issues and propelling social change. But there's also a darker side, one where keyboard warriors provoke outrage and angry exchanges frequently take place, something that can then spill over into everyday life. Baddiel explores why this happens and puts his own social media behaviour under the microscope, analysing the responses he receives before giving it up for a fortnight to find out whether clearing his mind is also good for his soul.
Voices of Ireland
Tuesday, Sky Arts and NowTV
Ireland has gotten a right bashing from our nearest neighbours of late – we’re blamed for holding up the whole Brexit show with our bloody backstops and protocols, so we need something to restore our standing with the plain people of Britain. And what better way to get back in their good books than to recruit Liberties lass Imelda May to host a two-part music and literary series highlighting all the things the world loves about us: our poets, novelist, musicians and playwrights. May will travel around the island of Ireland and trace the footsteps of Joyce, Yeats, Kavanagh, Heaney and Beckett in the company of such living luminaries as Stephen Rea, Colm Tóibín, Emmet Kirwan, Moya Brennan, Sharon Shannon, Loah and Pillow Queens, and highlight the positive impact Irish culture has had on the world. Hopefully, by the end of this cultural tour, the Brexiteers won’t be calling for our heads on a (English-made) plate.
Christmas Magic at Kew Gardens
Tuesday, Channel 5, 9pm
Lying deep within southwest London are the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, a huge 320-acre site offering peace, solitude and solace to thousands of visitors every year. In December the trees have shed their leaves and many plants are slowing down as temperatures take a tumble and sunlight becomes a rarity. Nevertheless, there's still plenty going on as staff prepare for the festive season. Among the tasks awaiting them are dressing the nation's tallest living Christmas tree, pruning in the famous Temperate House and propagating holly. This one-of documentary allows viewers to witness such events while also learning why frankincense is important to horticulturists – before Kew's magical winter lights are switched on.
How to Build: Mercedes-Benz
Tuesday, More4, 9pm
Factory 56, a brand-new facility in Germany, opens its doors to share how one of the world's most luxurious saloons is built: the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, one of the bestselling cars in its class year after year. Here we meet the passionate engineers, designers and technicians who put them together. From the press shop and the chassis build to the painting facilities and the main assembly floor, we follow an ultimate configuration S-Class – retailing in the region of €135,000 – on its journey through Factory 56.
Kirstie and Phil's Love It or List It
Wednesday, Channel 4, 8pm
Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer are in Poole, Dorset, where Sue and Roy are at an impasse over whether to love or list their extraordinary four-bed chalet bungalow (complete with a pool). Supply teacher Sue is ready to downsize but knows they can't sell the house in its current state. She's waited 35 years for their home renovation to be finished by builder-husband Roy, and the end still isn't in sight. Sue wants to move to somewhere already finished where they can enjoy retirement, but Roy loves the space their house offers. Kirstie may be facing her biggest challenge yet: trying to get a builder to finish jobs in his own house. Meanwhile, Phil has three incredible homes up his sleeve, all complete with plenty of space for Roy's sheds and the rest.
Páirteach i nDúnmharú – An Auxiliary to Murder
Wednesday, TG4, 9.30pm
A chance encounter in a Welsh seaside town sets in motion a bizarre sequence of events that ended in murder on the other side of the world. The police treated it as a crime of passion – a lover spurned, a jealous rival, a remorseful killer – but the trial of Hori Morse for the killing of Hilda Hunter revealed a story about the last decadent vestiges of a British empire that was coming apart at the seams and a murderer forged in the Irish struggle for independence.
The Lie: Murder in Suburbia
Wednesday, Channel 5, 9pm
Two-part documentary on the murder of Rachel O'Reilly by her husband, Joe. As per Channel 5: "On October 4th, 2004, young mother-of-two Rachel O'Reilly appeared to go missing in North Dublin. Later that day, she was found brutally murdered, in what initially looked like a burglary gone horribly wrong. Her husband, Joe, led the hunt for the killer – giving frequent interviews to the media. But before long, suspicion began to fall on him. This two-part programme follows the dramatic twists and turns of the investigation into Rachel's murder, and the devastating impact it had on her family. It also features testimony from those who were closest to the case, including the senior investigating officer and Rachel's brother, Paul Callaly. In this opening edition, we hear the story of how Rachel's mother found her daughter's body. And as the investigation progressed, everything pointed to Joe being the killer, but there was no concrete evidence against him."
Misha and the Wolves
Thursday,TG4, 9.30pm
This powerful documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, receives its first broadcast in Ireland and Britain on TG4. In the early 1990s, Misha Defonseca broke a 50-year silence and began to tell friends in the Jewish community of Massachusetts of her terrible experiences as a young girl during the Holocaust. Stripped of her identity, and hidden in the house of a Catholic family, she decided to run away, walking east across Europe, eating earthworms and insects, befriending wolves, evading the Nazis and living by her wits in search her deported parents.
On hearing this incredible account, a local publisher, Jane Daniel, persuaded Defonseca to write her story as a memoir. Daniel published Misha: A Memoire of the Holocaust Years in 1997 through her “one woman operation”. The press picked up the story, Disney bought the film rights and translation rights were sold around the world. By the time the book was finished, Oprah’s Book Club had come calling, and its involvement guaranteed an international bestseller.
Then something strange happened. Defonseca grew uncooperative and refused to go on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Thus began a three-year feud between author and publisher that ended in court, with Daniel accused of stealing the copyright and withholding royalties. The jury, faced with a Holocaust survivor who had been wronged, found Daniel guilty on all counts. She was ordered to pay damages of $22 million.
In an effort to rebuild her reputation, Jane Daniel went back to her attorney’s research. At the bottom of a file of accounts she found a bank slip, written in Misha Defonseca’s hand, giving her mother’s maiden name and her own place and date of birth. This was information Defonseca always claimed not to know, saying her identity had been lost during the war. If Misha had lied about this, what else in her story might be untrue?
Steps of Freedom: The Story of Irish Dance
Thursday, RTÉ One, 10.15pm
How did little ol’ Irish dancing end up conquering this great big world? This cinematic documentary traces the footsteps of Irish dancing from local hallas in the heart of the country to becoming a global entertainment phenomenon, and though the blurb doesn’t explicitly mention the R word, the programme sets out to show that there’s more to Irish dancing than Riverdance. We learn that Irish dancing evolved over 2,000 years, bringing in elements from other cultures along the way, and that it is taught in more than 60 countries. We also get a sense of the sheer speed, grace and athleticism of Irish dancing via specially choreographed performances by a line-up of dancers that includes Jean Butler, Donnie Golden, Edwina Guckian, Jonathan Kelleher, Stephanie Keane, Morgan Bullock and Siobhan Manson. The programme also features music from Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Cormac Begley, Steve Cooney and Rhiannon Giddens.
The Works Presents
Thursday, RTÉ One, 11.15pm
From Clonakilty in west Cork, author Louise O’Neill is best known for her YA novels Only Ever Yours and Asking for It – books that have begun many a conversation around issues such as body image, shaming and consent. Their success has brought more than just prizes and sales; they turned O’Neill herself into something of a spokeswoman on the various issues involved: her then publisher called her a “feminist powerhouse and an outspoken voice for change”. Almost Love, her first novel for adults, was published 2018. A new novel, Idol, is due out next May.
Mary Berry – Love to Cook
Thursday, BBC Two, 8pm
Christmas is almost upon us, which means a lot of people are watching their budgets. So it's fitting that Mary Berry is ending the series by looking at recipes that don't skimp on flavour but won't break the bank. They include a crab courgetti spaghetti which substitutes tinned shellfish for fresh, and a sausage spinach filo swirl with an inventive way to stretch six bangers to feed the family. Mary also meets up with School Chef of the Year Holly Charnock, who has conjured up award-winning recipes on a budget of just £1.30 a head.
I Literally Just Told You
Thursday, Channel 4, 10pm
Many quiz show contestants find themselves dredging up answers from deep in their memory banks, perhaps something that they learned at school or read years ago. This new game show, devised by Richard Bacon and hosted by Jimmy Carr, is designed to find out how well the players remember things they've been told in the last hour. The questions are being written as the show is filmed by a team that includes The Sky at Night's Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, and can reference anything that happens, from a celebrity cameo to a seemingly off-the-cuff joke. The four players will bank cash during general knowledge rounds, before using their powers of recall in the memory rounds. Only two will be left standing for the final showdown, when they will get to choose questions for each other on what's just happened.
It'll Be Alright on the Night
Friday, ITV, 9.45pm
"King of the cock-ups" David Walliams is back with a new selection of TV disasters featuring famous faces. Globetrotting AbFab actress Joanna Lumley nearly falls off a ship, the Good Morning Britain studio is invaded by ants, and American singer Katy Perry's performance is interrupted by a fire alarm. Plus,: TV nightmares for the cast and crew of Love Island, Coronation Street, Catchphrase and I'm a Celebrity. Catastrophe strikes...but will the show still go on?
ON DEMAND
Selling Tampa
From Wednesday, Netflix
With the massive success of Selling Sunset, you just knew the programme makers would be casting their eye on other upmarket US areas on which to build another real estate reality show. The city of Tampa, on Florida’s Suncoast, is the location for their latest hot TV property. Meet the women of Allure Real Estate, an all-black, all-female agency run by military veteran Sharelle Rosado. They are on a search-and-destroy mission: seek out the finest, most luxurious homes to sell to their clients, and totally destroy the opposition in the process. There’ll be some magnificent properties to ooh and ahh about, but more importantly, the ladies of Allure will provide personal and professional sparks to rival their west coast counterparts. Will we see a breakout star to outshine Christine Quinn or a villain to make Chrishell Stause seem like Mother Teresa? And when will someone commission Selling SoCoDu? I’m waiting by the phone.
The Hand of God
From Wednesday, Netflix
Reviewing Paolo Sorrentino’s Italian film recently, IT critic Donald Clarke wrote: “Touching, beautiful extravagant drama hung around the director’s adolescence in Naples during the period that Diego Maradona came to play for SSC Napoli. This episodic film swings from triumph to slog throughout. The performances of Teresa Saponangelo and Toni Servillo as mum and dad are, however, never less than enchanting. Mrs Scotti’s practical jokes have that quality of borderline implausibility that confirms they can be drawn only from real life. Servillo gets to show us his warmest side. It is at its best a portrait of a city – Naples has never been so adored.”
The title, of course, refers to Maradona’s famously controversial “goal” for Argentina against Bobby Robson’s Three Lions in the quarter-final of the 1986 World Cup. In 2020, shortly before his death, Maradona’s lawyer announced he was investigating the possibility of taking legal action over the film’s title and the production’s unauthorised use of the ex-player’s image.
Foodtastic
From Wednesday, Disney+
The most recent series of both The Great British Bake Off and MasterChef: The Professionals came to an end during the past few weeks. So, to fill that culinary competition-sized hole in your televisual life, Disney+ is launching a new contest it hopes will be to everybody's taste. Foodtastic follows the efforts of contestants as they create incredible sculptures out of food, with each one inspired by a film or TV series created by the legendary studio. Every episode carries a different theme, including Ant-Man and the Wasp, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, Star Wars and The Avengers. And if you think it sounds like a lot of food will be wasted, every concoction will be donated to a food bank to help those in need.
The Grand Tour Presents Carnage a Trois
From Friday, Amazon Prime
Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have certainly fallen on their feet after quitting Top Gear (well, Clarkson was fired). Their Grand Tour series for Amazon Prime has been a nice moneyspinner, and they're about to unveil their second lockdown special, a big-budget spin through exotic locations and featuring lots of burning rubber and bashing bodywork. As the clever and hilarious title suggests, the trio are heading to France on a mission to drive their nearest neighbours up the wall. "We like their food, we like their wine, but French cars can be a bit weird," observes Clarkson. Still, they have to admit that those odd-shaped Peugeots, Renaults and Citroens have that certain "je ne sais car". They test drive some classic French cars, take part in some Motorsport (the French invented it, apparently) and come dangerously close to setting Anglo-French relations back a few hundred years.
The Witcher
From Friday, Netflix
Henry Cavill returns as monster-hunter extraordinaire Geralt of Rivia in the second series of the swords-and-sorcery epic. And this time Geralt has a new target in his sights: no less than taking down the mighty Game of Thrones. The witcher is based on the book series by Polish fantasy author Andrzej Sapkowski, so there’s no shortage of source material to build a GoT-slash-LotR-style TV universe. Judging from the trailer, we’re in for a wild ride through the fantasy land known as The Continent, where war rages between north and south and mighty forces gather to battle for supremacy. Cavill is joined again by Anya Chalotra as part-elf sorceress Yennefer and Freya Allen as Princess Cirilla, who possesses magical powers that could prove far more dangerous than any sword-wielding enemy. Convinced Yennefer has been killed in the Battle of Sodden, Geralt finds the perfect hiding place for Princess Ciri: his childhood home of Kaer Morhen. But Geralt’s mentor, Vesemir, reckons he’s made a big mistake taking on the job of protecting the princess. Probably less to do with the poor salary than the danger of unspeakable powers being unleashed.
With Love
From Friday, Amazon Prime
This five-part romantic comedy series follows the fortunes of siblings Lily and Jorge Diaz, who are keen to find their purpose in life while also looking for love. The tale takes place over the course of a year and takes in various national holidays en route as they experience various highs and lows. Ugly Betty fans may recognise Mark Indelicato as Jorge, a sophisticated, life and soul of the party type who loves his sister and their Mexican-American family. Jorge may have found the love of his life too – but what will his relatives think of his choice of mate?
Swan Song
From Friday, Apple TV+
Writer-director Benjamin Cleary’s tear-jerking drama will tug at your heartstrings and leave you pondering over what you would do in the central character’s position. Cameron Turner is a happily married husband and father who seems to have it all, but his life threatens to come crashing down around him when he’s receives the devastating news that he’s suffering from cancer. Then Cameron’s doctor comes up with a solution that will mean his family never need know he’s dead: by being replaced by a clone. He wrestles with the idea of changing fate, but learns a lot about life and love along the way. Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris (who both appeared in Moonlight) star alongside Glenn Close and Awkwafina.
Contributing: PA
