A Question of Sport
Friday, BBC1, 8pm
It's a sobering thought for sports fans that this enduring quiz celebrates its 50th anniversary in January. You can expect plenty of celebrations closer the time, but for now Sue Barker presenters another helping of teasers. Taking part are golfer Matt Wallace, Great Britain sprinter Imani-Lara Lansiquot, European gold medal-winning gymnast Ellie Downie, and England cricketer Sam Billings. Team captains Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell naturally hope their sides have bragging rights just before the closing titles roll.
Celebrity Crystal Maze
Friday, Channel 4, 8pm
For the first of a new run, host Richard Ayoade welcomes reality stars Gemma Collins and James "Arg" Argent, presenter Carol Vorderman, comedian Ellie Taylor, and TV presenter Rick Edwards. They face a host of skill, physical, mental and mystery challenges in order to win coveted crystals to exchange for time in the Crystal Dome. The teams explore Aztec, Industrial, Futuristic and for the first time, new region the Eastern Zone.
Still Game
Friday, BBC1, 9pm
Series nine of the popular sitcom is also the last as Jack, Victor and the rest of the Craiglang gang return for one final time. Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill’s saga continues to celebrate growing old disgracefully, as once more the pensioners rail against everything modern life has to throw at them. In episode one, Isa is mugged and Winston comes to her rescue. Unaware that his selfless deed is being filmed, he is soon transformed into an internet sensation. Although the viral star downplays the attention, Methadone Mick emphasises the advantages of internet fame, and Winston soon embraces his new-found celebrity status.
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Final
Saturday, BBC4, 7.30pm
Petroc Trelawny and Josie d'Arby don their poshest attire for one of the biggest events in the 2019 music calendar. Together with soprano Danielle de Niese, they present coverage as the five remaining contenders perform at St David's Hall, Cardiff. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales under conductors Ariane Matiakh and Ewa Strusinska will be note-perfect on the night, while Catriona Morison, who walked off with the title two years ago, lends her opinion, along with Jonathan Lemalu and vocal coach Mary King.
Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami
Saturday, BBC2, 11.30pm
Sophie Fiennes’ documentary profile follows Grace Jones in the recording studio, backstage and at home in Jamaica, interspersed with concert performances. Reviewing the film in 2017, Tara Brady wrote that “Bloodlight and Bami eschews archive footage and biographical chronicle in favour of the contemporary Jones, a grandmother who can hula-hoop through rousing performances of her best-loved hits . . . the live performances, particularly last year’s [2016] concert at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre, are absolutely spectacular.”
Piers Morgan's Life Stories
Saturday, UTV, 9.35pm
Alan Sugar and Piers Morgan host have had a love/hate relationship for some time now, as followers of their Twitter accounts will testify. In this week's offering, the Amstrad boss looks back at his life and career. He also reveals how he lost £90 million last year, and reacts to criticism from Morgan's best mate, President Trump. Sugar will also reflect on his teenage years; the death threats he received during his time as Tottenham Hotspur chairman; and the nervous breakdown he suffered while fighting a libel case.
Glastonbury Greatest Headliners
Saturday, BBC2, 10pm
One of the world's greatest and longest running music festivals is back at the end of the week in what promises to be the best to date. The Beeb has perused the vaults for some favourite performances. Edith Bowman narrates the finest acts to have headlined on the Pyramid Stage, starting with Arctic Monkeys and Adele. There are also fresh interviews with the likes of Damon Albarn, Liam Gallagher, Skin, The Chemical Brothers, Jarvis Cocker, and those brains behind the magic, The Eavis family.
Beecham House
Sunday, UTV, 9pm
Delhi Downton Abbey? Poldark in the Punjab? Beecham House concerns the comings and going of a wealthy family in late 18th-century India, led by handsome, charming ex-soldier John Beecham. He has bought this magnificent mansion with the riches he amassed working for the East India Company, but his conscience is bothering him, and he's keen to leave behind the exploitative practices that made him rich and conduct his business in a more ethical way. Good luck with that. Tom Bateman plays the dashing Beecham, and it's clear from the first strip-down-to-the-waist scene that he's out to replace Poldark's Aidan Turner asNo 1 period drama hunk. The six-part series (episode two airs on Monday at 9pm) is created by director Gurinder Chadra (Bend It Like Beckham, Viceroy's House) and features sumptuous costumes and settings that will make Downton look dowdy.
The Lawyer: Walter Presents
Sunday, Channel 4, 11pm
This slow-burning Swedish/Danish crime drama (original title: Advokaten) focuses on Frank Nordling (Alexander Karim), a young defence lawyer, who teams up with his long lost sister Sara (Malin Buska), now a police officer, to go after the notorious gangster who murdered their parents two decades before. So Frank join the law firm which provides its services to Waldman and sets about quietly sabotaging him from the inside
Reel Stories: Noel Gallagher
Sunday, BBC2, 11.15pm
Since he first emerged as a star in the 1990s, Noel Gallagher has been one of the media’s most intriguing characters. But what is he really like? Looking back with pride, curiosity and bewilderment, he relives moments of his life on TV, picked by Dermot O’Leary. Noel also talks about the early days of Oasis; their first TV appearances; his love of Top of the Pops; the break-up of Oasis; his solo career; and how Don’t Look Back in Anger came to define his home town’s response to the Manchester Arena bombing.
Contributing: PA
