This yearβs Christmas line-up on the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is an extravaganza of must watch shows! Join us as we welcome a brand new Doctor and wave goodbye to our beloved sitcom Ghosts. Alongside a spectacular range of entertainment, drama, comedy and factual programming across the festive fortnight. Itβs essential viewing for everyone as we bring friends and families together across the UK.
The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ presents a marvellous mix of content that is sure to get everyone in the Christmas mood and bring festive spirit to the UK across TV Channels and iPlayer.
With a host of family favourites, Christmas specials, blockbuster movies, thrilling dramas and laugh out loud comedy alongside the very best arts, documentary, music and religious programming this spectacular 2023 line-up can be enjoyed live or on-demand on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer and across the portfolio of TV channels alongside a vast range of box sets, so viewers can choose when and where they want to watch.
Charlotte Moore, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔβs Chief Content Officer says: βThis yearβs Christmas line-up on the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is an extravaganza of must watch shows! Join us as we welcome a brand new Doctor and wave goodbye to our beloved sitcom Ghosts. Alongside a spectacular range of entertainment, drama, comedy and factual programming across the festive fortnight. Itβs essential viewing for everyone as we bring friends and families together across the UK.β
At the heart of this yearβs Christmas schedule are some of the most hotly anticipated programmes of the year. On Christmas Day Ncuti Gatwa will take control of the TARDIS as the Fifteenth Doctor in his first epic adventure following Doctor Whoβs 60th anniversary celebrations, and the finale of smash hit comedy Ghosts will see the restless spirits and Button House residents give the show the send-off it deserves. Thereβs a star-studded animation of Tabby McTat based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Schefflerβs successful book about the warm and wonderful friendship between a musical cat and a talented busker.
In EastEnders all will be revealed as viewers discover which unlucky Walford male meets his demise. Festive thrills are set to continue with plenty of action in store for viewers. Hit drama The Tourist returns starring Jamie Dornan and Danielle Macdonald set against the striking backdrop of Ireland, and Agatha Christieβs classic mystery Murder is Easy is the perfect whodunnit for the Christmas season. Poignant, funny and life affirming drama Men Up tells the story of five ordinary Welsh men who embark on an extraordinary journey when they take part in the trial of a new drug that will later become Viagra.
The Call the Midwife Christmas special takes viewers back to 1968 when Apollo 8 was poised to circle the moon and new drama series Beyond Paradise makes a Christmas special debut, alongside a feature length Death in Paradise. Kit Harington and Freddie Fox star in Mark Gatissβ adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyleβs Ghost Story for Christmas: Lot No.249.
Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster follows Sir David Attenborough as he investigates the discovery of a lifetime and in Charles III: The Coronation Year viewers will get a unique insight into the life of King Charles III and Queen Camilla taking them behind the scenes of the first year of his reign.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to the Ballroom for a Christmas special bringing festive fun, frolics and fab-u-lous dancing for all the family to enjoy as Dan Snow, Sally Nugent, Jamie Borthwick, Tillie Amartey, Danny Cipriani and Keisha Buchanan take to the floor alongside a musical performance from Sam Ryder, whilst there are also festive specials from a raft of entertainment favourites including The Graham Norton Show, The Hit List, The Weakest Link, Blankety Blank and Would I Lie To You. There is a tinsel-covered edition of Michael McIntyreβs Christmas Wheel featuring Rylan Clark, Peter Crouch, and Nicole Scherzinger as the celebrity contestants hoping to answer their way to a festive fortune for their chosen charities. Bob, Paul and Ted travel to Scotland to fish for salmon and to taste the traditional Hogmanay celebrations on offer in Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing and the barn open its famous doors for some magical festive fixes in The Repair Shop with Jay Blades.
For the first time in MasterChef history, after years of tasting and critiquing contestantsβ dishes, the tables will be turned on five of the countryβs top food critics in MasterChef: Battle of the Critics 2023. Who will receive positive reviews and who will crumble at being critiqued? Then itβs time to deck the halls, stuff the turkey and break out the Christmas fizz, as MasterChef judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode welcome back four of the most memorable celebrities from past series in Celebrity MasterChef: Christmas Cook-Off 2023.
Nigella Lawsonβs love of Amsterdamβs food and culture at Christmas will be showcased in Nigellaβs Amsterdam Christmas and Dame Merry Berry heads to her motherβs homeland of Scotland for a magical Christmas Special in Mary Berryβs Highland Christmas plus The Hairy Bikers are back on their bikes after nearly a two year break in The Hairy Bikers: Coming ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ For Christmas.
After all these shows that promise a full belly, there will be plenty of belly laughs too with a cluster of comedy to enjoy over the festive period. Mrs Brownβs Boys is back with two episodes as Mammy tries to enjoy a nice, peaceful Christmas before the whole gang start the New Year by attempting a tough new health and fitness regime. Catch big-name cameos as Spandau Balletβs Gary and Martin Kemp return with more television Gold with a follow up to their to the hit 2020 mockumentary in The Kemps: All Gold and even more laughs are in store with brand new festive editions of Not Going Out, QI, Here We Go and Live at the Apollo. Bad Education returns for an extra special musical-themed Christmas spectacular, starring Layton Williams, Charlie Wernham, Mathew Horne and Vicki Pepperdine alongside the cast of Class K as theyβve never been seen before.
More musical moments coming up include Britainβs most gifted classical musical family, Nottinghamβs Kanneh-Masons, visiting Salzburg to walk in the footsteps of Austriaβs most famous musical family, the Von Trapps - the inspiration behind Hollywoodβs The Sound Of Music in The Hills Are Alive With The Kanneh-Masons and elsewhere Top Of The Pops returns for a review of 2023 hosted by Clara Amfo plus there is music from the critically acclaimed RAYE at the Albert Hall.
Rick Astley Rocks New Yearβs Eve with Rick and his all-star guests partying right into 2024 whilst Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra take centre stage once again for Joolsβ Annual Hootenanny. New Yearβs Day will see Petroc Trelawny present the New Yearβs Day Concert Live from Vienna 2024. Inspired by the TV series and specially filmed on the Birmingham Hippodrome stage, Rambertβs exhilarating performance of their hit stage show Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby debuts whilst Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Gregory Porter returns to Cheltenham for a spellbinding sold-out show at this yearβs world-famous Jazz Festival in Gregory Porter: Live from Cheltenham 2023.
There will be a wonderful selection of religious programming, including live worship, traditional carols and musical celebration including Midnight Mass from Portsmouth Cathedral, Christmas Morning from Manchester Cathedral, the second series of My Life at Christmas, Carols From King's and The Archbishop of Canterburyβs New Year Message.
Imagineβ¦ French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter explores a brand of comedy based on satire, silliness and above all friendship - of the UKβs most successful double act of the last 40 years, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Dawn will also return (almost) live from Londonβs iconic Palladium theatre, as she reveals (almost) all the most excruciating gaffes and howlers sheβs made across her forty-year career as a comedian and actress in Dawn French is a huge TW*T. Elsewhere, the unique life and talent of Caroline Aherne is celebrated in a new Arena film Caroline Aherne: Comedy Queen plus in a film narrated by Alan Cumming with Rupert Everett as the voice of Noel Coward, Mad About The Boy: The Noel Coward Story chronicles the life of the most celebrated actor, playwright and songwriter of his generation. Antiques Roadshow presents a festive end-of-year special as the team gets into the Christmas spirit at a glorious country house and Esme Young and Patrick Grant put four celebritiesβ sewing skills to the test in The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special with brand new host Kiell Smith-Bynoe joined by Toyah Willcox, Kerry Godliman, Jessica Knappett and Hammed Animashaun.
There will be network premieres of films including Toy Story 4, The Addams Family 2, The Witches, House of Gucci and the live action version of The Lion King and if all that was not enough, there will be hundreds of box sets and classic Christmas specials to stream on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer from much-loved shows like Ghosts, Gavin and Stacey, Line of Duty, Shetland, Man Like Mobeen, Call the Midwife, This Country, Not Going Out and The Royle Family.
CM2
What's on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ TV and iPlayer this Christmas?
Festive Family Time
Tabby McTat
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
From BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated producers Magic Light Pictures, Tabby McTat is a Christmas animated adventure about the warm and wonderful friendship between a musical cat and a talented busker called Fred.
Fred and Tabby McTat enjoy a contented life singing on the streets of London to delighted audiences. However one day when chasing a thief, Fred falls and breaks his leg and is whisked away in an ambulance. What will become of the buskerβs cat left alone on the city streets?
Adapted from the hugely successful picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the film stars Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey) as Fred, αΉ’α»pαΊΉΜ DΓ¬rΓsΓΊ (Gangs of London) as Tabby, Cariad Lloyd (Peep Show) as Prunella, Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It) as Pat, Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) as the Narrator, and Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes) as Sock.
Tabby McTat is a Magic Light Pictures (1 x 30) production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. Executive producers are Barney Goodland and Michael Rose for Magic Light Pictures and Nawfal Faizullah for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.
tamara@faberbishopp.co.uk / steph@faberbishopp.co.uk
The Famous Five
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One, CΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The much-anticipated first episode of The Famous Five airs this Christmas on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and iPlayer.
Nicolas Winding Refn (byNWR) and Matthew Read (Moonage Pictures) bring these classic adventures to life with a new, fresh, modern reimagining of Enid Blytonβs iconic stories. The Famous Five follows daring young explorers as they encounter treacherous, action-packed adventures, remarkable mysteries and astounding secrets.
In the first episode, βThe Curse of Kirrin Islandβ, a body washes up on the beach, apparently the victim of a local curse. Cousins George, Julian, Dick, Anne and Timmy the dog set out to discover the source of the problem β Kirrin Island, an uninhabited island that belongs to the family.
Two more episodes of The Famous Five will follow in 2024.
The Famous Five is a Moonage Pictures and byNWR production (3 x 90β) for CΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer made in co-production with German ZDF and Mediapro for Spain and Latin America. ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios, who have a minority investment in Moonage Pictures, are distributing the series internationally and have presold to TF1 in France. It was commissioned by Sarah Muller, Senior Head of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Childrenβs Commissioning 7+. The Executive Producers are Nicolas Winding Refn (byNWR) and Matthew Read (Moonage Pictures). The Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Amy Buscombe.
HH
Matthew Bourneβs Sleeping Beauty
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Enter a wondrous world of magical fairies and vampires, where the timeless tale of good versus evil is turned upside down, creating a supernatural love story that even the passage of time itself cannot hinder. Will Princess Aurora ever find her true love again?
Since its premier in 2012, Matthew Bourneβs Sleeping Beauty has been enchanting audiences throughout the UK and across the globe.
With Tchaikovskyβs unforgettable score played live by the New Adventures orchestra, Bourneβs masterful storytelling and sumptuous sets and costumes, get ready to be transported in time from the halcyon days of the late Edwardian era through to the modern day in this dazzling gothic romance.
Matthew Bourneβs Sleeping Beauty is an Illuminations/New Adventures production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer (1 x 105 mins). The Executive Producer for Illuminations is John Wyver and the Commissioning Editor for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arts is Stephen James-Yeoman.
CB
Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
150 million years ago, dinosaurs ruled the land, but the oceans were dominated by a mysterious sea monster. Meet the pliosaur, the Tyrannosaurus rex of the seas! Now, a giant skull has been found in the cliffs of Dorset...
Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster follows Sir David Attenborough as he investigates the discovery of a lifetime. Heβs joining two of the UKβs most intrepid fossil hunters on their perilous expedition to excavate the skull from its resting place 12 metres up in the cliff face. Davidβs been an avid fossil collector since he was a young boy, but he has never come across a find quite like this.
To help unravel the skullβs mysteries, an international team of scientists and palaeontologists search for clues about how this fearsome beast not only looked but how it behaved, and the strategies it used to hunt its prey. Cutting-edge visual effects sequences bring the sea monster to life, showcasing its astonishing size β thought to be an incredible 12 metres long - and its phenomenal strength. A momentous new discovery, scientists now believe this could be a completely new species of pliosaur.
Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster will combine ground-breaking science, fascinating natural history with gripping storytelling, and state-of-the-art CGI to explore the tale of the most formidable predator of the Jurassic worldβ¦one that hunted in the seas just off the coast of Britain!
Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Natural History Unit (1x60) production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer co-produced by PBS and the WNET Group. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Mike Gunton, and the Commissioning Editor is Tom Coveney.
PD
Carols From King's
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The candlelit, fan-vaulted Chapel of Kingβs College, Cambridge is the stunning setting for this much anticipated annual celebration of the Christmas story, told through music, readings and prayers with an invited congregation of college members and guests. Led by the Dean, the Revd Dr Stephen Cherry, the service begins in the time-honoured way as a solo chorister sings the first verse of Once in Royal David's City. The world renowned choir, directed by Daniel Hyde, sings carols old and new, including Silent Night (arr. John Rutter), In the Bleak Midwinter (Harold Darke), In the Stillness (Sally Beamish) and Child in a Manager (arr. John Rutter). The choir leads the congregation in popular carols, including O Come All Ye Faithful, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Hark! the Herald Angels Sing. The story of the Nativity is read by members of Kingβs College in the words of the King James Bible and in poems by Mary Elizabeth Coleridge, Marion Strobel, Thomas Hardy and Walter de la Mare.
Carols From King's is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios production (1x75β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and iPlayer. It was commissioned by Daisy Scalchi, Head of Religion and Ethics TV. The Executive Producer is Catherine Stirk.
PD
Midnight Mass from Portsmouth Cathedral
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The traditional celebration of the First Eucharist of Christmas and Blessing of the Crib, will be broadcast live from the βCathedral of the Seaβ situated in the historic heart of the city of Portsmouth. The Dean of Portsmouth, the Very Revd Dr Anthony Cane, will introduce and lead the service with Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Revd Dr Jonathan Frost preaching. Music will include the well-loved carols O Come, All Ye Faithful; It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. The Organist and Master of the Choristers, Dr David Price will lead the Cathedral Choir accompanied by musicians of His Majestyβs Royal Marine Band Service.
Midnight Mass from Portsmouth Cathedral is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Production (1x75β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and iPlayer. It was commissioned by Daisy Scalchi, Head of Religion and Ethics TV. The Executive Producer is Catherine Stirk.
PD
Christmas Morning from Manchester Cathedral
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer - 25 December
A joyful service of hope, peace and goodwill, live from Manchester Cathedral on Christmas morning led by the Dean, the Very Revd Rogers Govender. The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Revd Prof David Walker, will preach. The wonder of the Nativity; the Journey of Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds will be captured in a liturgy of music and readings. Manchester Cathedral Choir, directed by the Organist & Master of the Choristers, Christopher Stokes, will lead the congregation in some of the nationβs favourite carols, including O Come, All Ye Faithful, Unto Us Is Born a Son and While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night.
Christmas Morning from Manchester Cathedral is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios production (1x60β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and iPlayer. It was commissioned by Daisy Scalchi, Head of Religion and Ethics TV. The Executive Producer is Catherine Stirk.
PD
On Christmas Night
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
As Christmas Day draws to a close, a well-known celebrity narrates the story of the first Christmas from Luke's Gospel, when angels appeared to shepherds to proclaim the news of Jesusβs birth. The reading is followed by a familiar carol, performed by a solo singer or choir.
On Christmas Night is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios production (1x4β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and iPlayer. It was commissioned by Daisy Scalchi, Head of Religion and Ethics TV. The Executive Producer is Catherine Stirk.
PD
The Archbishop of Canterburyβs New Year Message
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
For his 2024 New Year Message, the Archbishop of Canterbury, explores what it means to serve your community and your country. This year, Archbishop Welby is focusing on those people who personify the notion of βserviceβ, and sometimes even self-sacrifice: the British Armed Forces. Heβll be at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, which has nearly 6000 service personnel, plus hundreds of civilian staff. Itβs home to the RAF's Air Mobility Force, and is also where desperately needed humanitarian aid is loaded onto planes and flown to parts of the world experiencing devastating war and conflict as well as natural disaster.
The Archbishop of Canterburyβs New Year Message is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios (1x5β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and iPlayer. It was commissioned by Daisy Scalchi, Head of Religion and Ethics TV. The Executive Producer is Catherine Stirk.
PD
The 2023 Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The truth about artificial intelligence, the most important and rapidly evolving field of science in the world today, will be revealed in the 2023 Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has increasingly grabbed the headlines in recent years β generating excitement and concern in equal measure β and not since the World-Wide Web emerged 30-years ago has a new technology promised to change our world so fundamentally and so swiftly.
But what should we believe? In three Christmas Lectures to be shown on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and iPlayer, Mike Wooldridge, Professor of AI at Oxford University and Director for AI at The Alan Turing Institute in London, will tackle the big questions facing AI research and unravel the myths about how this ground-breaking technology really works.
The 2023 Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution are produced by Windfall Films (3 x 60β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and iPlayer. They were commissioned by Kate Phillips, Director of Unscripted and Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Siobhan Mulholland. The Series Producer is Zara Powell and the Executive Producer is David Dugan.
PD
Festive Feel Good
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Strictly Come Dancing returns to the Ballroom for a Christmas special bringing festive fun, frolics and fab-u-lous dancing for all the family to enjoy on Christmas Day. Join Tess Daly & Claudia Winkleman as six stars take to the floor in a bid to be crowned Christmas Champion 2023, but will the judges be naughty or nice this year? Sam Ryder will also be performing in the Ballroom and there are two spectacular group routines guaranteed to bring Christmas cheer.
The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special will air on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer on Christmas Day.
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios production (1 x 60) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Sarah James and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Jo Wallace.
HD3
The Hit List Christmas Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
You better watch out - itβs time for a star-studded Christmas Special of The Hit List!
The three teams joining Marvin and Rochelle Humes for this festive episode are popstars Una Healy and Kimberly Wyatt, presenters Gregg Wallace and Kate Thornton, Union Jβs George Shelley and drag queen Kitty Scott-Claus - but who will jingle all the way to the Final Chart Rundown for a chance to win Β£10,000 for their chosen charity?
Get ready to play along and shout out the answers at the telly!
The Hit List Christmas Special is a Tuesdayβs Child Scotland (1 x 45β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ1 and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment. The Executive Producer for Tuesdayβs Child Scotland is Karen Smith and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Neil McCallum.
christina.joyce@organic-publicity.com
MasterChef: Battle of the Critics 2023
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
For the first time in MasterChef history, after years of tasting and critiquing contestantsβ dishes, the tables will be turned on five of the countryβs top food critics.
In this special episode, the Restaurant Critics will be putting their own culinary reputations on the line as they battle for the title of MasterChef Critics Champion 2023. Competing are Grace Dent, Leyla Kazim, William Sitwell, Jay Rayner, and Jimi Famurewa, who will be pushed to the extreme in two demanding challenges cooking for judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace and then also returning champions Ping Coombes (MasterChef 2014), Kenny Tutt (MasterChef 2018) and Nikita Pathakji (MasterChef: The Professionals 2022).
Will the diners show them any leniency, or do they have scores to settle? Who will receive positive reviews and who will crumble at being critiqued? Only one critic will be crowned champion and take home the coveted Golden Cutlery trophy. Itβs the ultimate showdown.
MasterChef: Battle of the Critics 2023 is made by Shine TV, part of Banijay (1 X 60) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. The Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Sarah Clay and the Executive Producer for Shine TV is David Ambler.
mairi@plankpr.com
Celebrity MasterChef: Christmas Cook-Off 2023
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Deck the halls, stuff the turkey and break out the Christmas fizz, as MasterChef judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode welcome back four of the most memorable celebrities from past series.
Battling to take home the ultimate Christmas present - the coveted Golden Whisk β are musician Mel Blatt, actor and comedian Richard Blackwood, singer Duncan James, and reality star Faye Winter. Christmas sunshine is guaranteed as the celebrities must create a dish reflective of Australia during the festive season β each with a recipe to follow and a set of ingredients from their Secret Santa Mystery Box.
Tasting their dishes along with the judges is special guest - one of Australiaβs greatest exports and national treasure - Peter Andre. The celebrities then must cook up their ultimate Christmas dinner. Expect fireworks and a sprinkling of fairy dust, as all four celebrities fight to sleigh the competition and be crowned Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Champion 2023.
Celebrity MasterChef: Christmas Cook-Off 2023 is made by Shine TV, part of Banijay (1 X 60) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. The Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Sarah Clay and the Executive Producer for Shine TV is David Ambler.
mairi@plankpr.com
Call The Midwife
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Call The Midwifeβs 2023 Christmas Special begins two weeks before Christmas, with Apollo 8 poised to circle the moon.
Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) is convinced this could be her final Yuletide and decides sheβll not live to see man walk on the moon. The Nonnatus Family, including Trixieβs (Helen George) brother Geoffrey (Christopher Harper), decide something must be done to try and lighten her state of mind. Nancy (Megan Cusack) has recommitted to staying at Nonnatus House and Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) has offered her and Colette (Francesca Fullilove) a room for the foreseeable future. Trixie and Matthew (Olly Rix), fresh from their honeymoon, are preparing their first Christmas together as husband and wife when Geoffrey pays them an unexpected visit days before Christmas. Cyril (Zephryn Taitte) gently intervenes when he discovers a lost soul living alone in a dilapidated basement flat. For this man, Christmas is a reminder of all heβs lost and all heβs never had. Nurse Crane (Linda Bassett), away on her refresher course, makes it home in time for Christmas festivities despite a treacherously heavy snowfall.
Call The Midwife (1x90) is a Neal Street Productions for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. Executive producers for Neal Street Productions are Pippa Harris, Heidi Thomas and Ann Tricklebank, with Gaynor Holmes for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.
jeni@jeninoelpr.co.uk
Death in Paradise Christmas Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Itβs the most wonderful time of the year as we return to sun-drenched Saint Marie to join the police team for a festive feature-length Death in Paradise Christmas special.
When entrepreneur and family man, Gerry Stableforth (Geoff Bell), is found dead in a ravine, his family β wife Bella (Patsy Kensit), children Benjamin (Freddy Carter), Mariana (Amelia Clarkson), and niece Riley (Leila Khan) - are left in shock. As DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little), DS Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson), Officer Marlon Pryce (Tahj Miles) and Trainee Officer Darlene Curtis (Ginny Holder) set to work on cracking this mysterious death, things take a turn as the familyβs visiting digital marketing guru, Debbie Clumson (Bronagh Waugh), suddenly disappears. Once news of Debbieβs disappearance reaches home, her hapless partner, Dave (Youssef Kerkour), is determined to find out what happened to her.
Meanwhile, Nevilleβs larger-than-life mum, Melanie (Doon Mackichan), arrives on the island to spend Christmas with her son in the sun. Quickly striking up a fabulous friendship with Catherine Bordey (Γlizabeth Bourgine), the pair take the Saint Marie dating scene by storm. But not before Melanie attempts to impart some words of wisdom upon her love-scarred son, who is battling the notion that some people just arenβt meant to find love, with him being one of them...
Also taking notes from Nevilleβs mum, Naomi attempts to loosen up and focus on herself outside of work βbut is she about to make things awkward between herself and a close friend at the Christmas party? And is Neville the man responsible for putting an awkward stop to Commissioner Selwyn Pattersonβs (Don Warrington) big Christmas lights switch on?
Death in Paradise (1x90) is a Red Planet Pictures production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. Executive producers for Red Planet Pictures are Tim Key and Ceri Meyrick, with Danielle Scott-Haughton for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.
dip@premiercomms.com
Beyond Paradise Christmas Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Following the huge success of the first series of Red Planet Picturesβ Beyond Paradise, audiences will be gifted a Christmas special on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer.
Kris Marshall (DI Humphrey Goodman), Sally Bretton (Martha Lloyd), Zahra Ahmadi (DS Esther Williams), Dylan Llewellyn (PC Kelby Hartford), Barbara Flynn (Anne Lloyd) and Felicity Montagu (Margo Martins) all return to Shipton Abbott alongside an exciting guest cast.
Starring in this festive episode are actors James Fleet (The Vicar of Dibley), Isaac Vincent-Norgate (Sanditon), Amalia Vitale (Endeavour), Kulvinder Ghir (Still Open All Hours), Sheila Reid (Benidorm) and Bellowhead. Chris Jenks also returns to play Josh Woods, with Jade Harrison as CS Charlie Woods and Eva Feiler as Lucy.
As the residents of Shipton Abbott gear up for Christmas, Humphrey and the team are baffled by a series of bizarre burglaries which arenβt quite what they seem. However, when the team make a breakthrough with an unexpected connection, itβs a bittersweet discovery that makes them reconsider the true meaning of Christmas.
Back at the station, Kelby is forced to babysit a cheeky young shoplifter and Humphrey feels the pressure when CS Charlie Woods continues to question why their beloved local police station should remain open. Meanwhile, navigating the trials and tribulations of family life, Estherβs teenage daughter, Zoe (Melina Sinadinou), is less than impressed when she is made to work in Santaβs Grotto. And a chance encounter gives Martha food for thought about the futureβ¦
Beyond Paradise is a Red Planet Pictures (1x60β) production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. Executive Producers for Red Planet Pictures are Tony Jordan, Tim Key and Belinda Campbell, with Danielle Scott-Haughton for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.
beyondparadise@premiercomms.com
Stacey Solomonβs Crafty Christmas
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer from 8pm on 14 December
Stacey Solomon returns with a Christmas special where friends and family join her to create a new batch of ingenious home-made gifts and decorations that she hopes will bring joy without blowing the budget. This year sheβll be making even more gifts as she throws a special Christmas party to say thank you to the volunteers in the local area who have been working through the year to help those in need.
With Joe being Joe, and five kids to keep occupied, Stacey will need all of the help she can get. Together with her boys, sister, the local WI, and with a special appearance from her 90-plus grandmother and professional organiser and Sort Your Life Out co-star Dilly Carter, itβs time to put everyone to work. Crafting a range of ingenious money-saving makes from Nutcracker figures made from household items to stunning Christmas Pudding wreaths and hand-made festive lanterns to personalised presents, foraged decorations and a very special home-made gift for Joe, can Stacey pull off her most ambitious Christmas craft party yet?
Stacey Solomonβs Crafty Christmas is made by Optomen (1 x 60) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries. The Executive Producers for Optomen are Nick Hornby and Tina Flintoff, and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Beejal-Maya Patel.
CT2 / MF2
The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Esme Young and Patrick Grant put four celebritiesβ sewing skills to the test in The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special.
Brand new host and former Christmas Special sewer, Kiell Smith-Bynoe is joined by actor, musician and punk icon Toyah Willcox, actor and comedian Kerry Godliman, comedian and writer Jessica Knappett and actor Hammed Animashaun as they put their twist on a pattern for a Christmas stocking. They then turn puffer jackets into food themed fancy dress for kids and finally create an outfit fit for their dream Christmas Day.
The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special is a Love Productions programme (1 x 60 minute) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Catherine Catton. The Executive Producers for Love Productions are Richard McKerrow and Tom Davies and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Patrick McMahon.
amanda@colsolepr.co.uk
Nigellaβs Amsterdam Christmas
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Nigella Lawsonβs love of Amsterdamβs food and culture at Christmas canβt be tamed, and this year for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and iPlayer sheβs bringing Dutch joy to viewers back home with Nigellaβs Amsterdam Christmas.
Amsterdam is entrancing at the best of times, but Nigella wants to bring its special festive atmosphere and sense of enchantment to viewers cosied up at home this winter. She has a long history with the city and her family ties go back generations. Her many visits to the city bring up fond memories of lights reflecting in the canals, the sights of people huddled against the cold drinking Claret Cup, the smells of spice-sweet and fruited breads, the crunch of icing-laced cookies.
With visits to Nigellaβs favourite places in Amsterdam, this special will follow the tried and tested Nigella approach β alongside her unique narrative storytelling which viewers love.
Filmed in both London and Amsterdam, this festive special delivers the much-loved charisma, unique storytelling, and enchantment that viewers have come to expect from Nigella. With delicious and accessible recipes along the way that will give a festive twist to Christmas this year, buckle in for a very personal journey through the Dutch capital this Christmas.
Nigellaβs Amsterdam Christmas Special is made by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios (1 x 60β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Factual Entertainment and Events. The Executive Producer is Paolo Proto and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Ricky Cooper.
AM3
Mary Berry's Highland Christmas
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer from Wednesday 13 December at 9pm
Dame Merry Berry is heading to her motherβs homeland of Scotland for a magical Christmas Special this December in Mary Berryβs Highland Christmas for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer, produced by the multi award-winning Rumpus Media.
In this enchanting festive special, Mary Berry travels to the Highlands on a winter break, cooking up some truly indulgent dishes that can be enjoyed at any time over the festive season. Audiences will have the opportunity to recreate some of Maryβs favourite Christmas dishes, as well as those steeped in Scottish tradition, including a spectacular Cranachan wreath, indulgent cheese fondue and her classic Buche de Noel. Sprinkled amidst the abundance of rich cultural delights will be Mary reflecting on her heritage with fascinating anecdotes about her Scottish roots. Sheβs not going alone, accompanying her on this magical adventure will be special guests whoβll make this one a Christmas to remember.
Maryβs Highland Christmas is made by Rumpus Media (1x60β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and iPlayer. It was commissioned by Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Factual Entertainment and Events. The Director is Katy Fryer and the Executive Producers are Emily Hudd and Kelly Sparks, and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Ricky Cooper.
charlotte.kershaw@multitudemedia.co.uk
My Life at Christmas with Adrian Chiles
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
In this second series of My Life at Christmas for advent 2023, journalist and broadcaster Adrian Chiles meets three well-known faces to find out how their festive memories reflect their lives, careers, family and faith.
Dancer Oti Mabuse recalls her journey from a South African township to becoming a two-time Strictly Come Dancing champion, and how a new arrival this year is going to change her Christmases forever.
Veteran ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ news reporter and World Affairs Editor John Simpson discusses his family, faith and a career filled with Christmases spent in far flung places across the world - from dangerous war zones and political revolutions to devastating tropical storms.
And Martin and Shirlie Kemp open their garden grotto to Adrian to share their Christmas memories, from the heady days of 80s pop stardom and TV & film success to becoming a family and coping with serious ill health.
- Episode 1 - Oti Mabuse β ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer from Sunday 3 December
- Episode 2 - John Simpson β ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer from Sunday 10 December
- Episode 3 - Martin & Shirley Kemp β ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer from Sunday 17 December
My Life at Christmas with Adrian Chiles is a Big Circus Media production (3x60β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Executive Producers are Gareth Collet, Matt Baker and Elliot Falk. The Series Producer is Jim Turner and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Daisy Scalchi.
PD
DIY SOS EastEnders Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔβs flagship home renovation programme sees EastEnders stars join Nick Knowles and the team in Essex for a Christmas special edition of DIY SOS.
Joined by an army of volunteers, the cast members from Albert square help to create a new building for local mental health hub Butterfly Effect Well-being. In need of desperate repairs, the crew work to turn this unloved space into a warm and welcoming space for the local community.
DIY SOS EastEnders Special (60β x 1) is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Unscripted Production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Factual Entertainment and Events. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Sarah Trigg and the Series Producer is Carrie Smith. The Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Jasmyn McGuile.
HA
Antiques Roadshow Christmas Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
In this festive end-of-year special, the Roadshow team gets into the Christmas spirit at a glorious country house as they look back on some of the most memorable and moving stories to have appeared on the show in recent years to find out βwhat happened next?β
The daughter of pioneering female pilot Jackie Moggridge traces her motherβs story at the Biggin Hill airbase, where she sees a Spitfire her mum would have flown. A collection of glass negative photos seen at the Roadshow in Edinburgh reveal a heart wrenching story of young boys taken from Scotland to work as unpaid laborers in Canada at turn of the 20th century. Jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn discovers a rare, previously unknown brooch by Victorian designer William Burgess.
Expect emotional moments and surprising discoveries as weβre reunited with a handful of characters who made a lasting impression when they first appeared on the show.
Antiques Roadshow Christmas Special (60β x 1) is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Robert Murphy and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Clare Mottershead.
GS
The Hairy Bikers: Coming ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ For Christmas
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The Hairy Bikers are back on their bikes after nearly a two year break.
12 months ago Dave received a cancer diagnosis that left him facing an uncertain future. But now, reunited with his best mate Si, the boys are back on the road, searching for wonderful seasonal ingredients to create a festive banquet to thank all those whoβve helped Dave throughout his recent struggles.
From the doctors and nurses who helped with his treatment, to the food producers who helped him fall back in love with food, and with the family and friends who have supported him through his darkest days, the preparation for this yearβs Christmas will tell the story of an incredibly emotional year for Dave and Si.
From wonderful local delicacies⦠to a traditional roast centrepiece... to a pudding that defies expectation⦠the bikers are making up for lost time and determined to create the greatest Hairy Bikers festive feast ever.
The Hairy Bikers: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ For Christmas is a South Shore production (1x60β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and iPlayer. It was commissioned by Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Factual Entertainment and Events. The Executive Producers are Andrew Mackenzie-Betty and Melanie Leach. The Series Producer and Director is Francois Galdofini and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Jasmyn McGuile.
PD
Father Brown
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Father Brown returns with a brand new series. In the first episode, Father Brown investigates when rivalries escalate to murderous heights at the Kembleston Olimpicks.
Mrs Devine (Claudie Blakley) is shocked when her son Eddie (Barney Wilkinson) returns to Kembleford. She is determined to keep her new relationship with Chief Inspector Sullivan (Tom Chambers) a secret from everyone, although Father Brown (Mark Williams) and Brenda (Ruby-May Martinwood) know exactly whatβs going on!
Soon the competitive nature of the games starts to show, with disgruntled gardener Patty Frewin (Erin Shanager) blaming Dr Geoffrey Fleming (Toby Williams) for her withdrawal from the competition, while Shirley Fraser (Amy Trigg) is also unusually edgy around the doctor. Elsewhere, Geoffrey disqualifies his own brother Brian (Kelvin Fletcher), much to the delight of Hambleston captain, William Redshaw (Esh Alladi). When Hambleston competitor Ursula Fanshaw (Barbara DβAlterio) is poisoned during the spinach eating contest, it soon transpires that Geoffrey was the intended target. Can Father Brown identify the killer before they strike again?
Father Brown is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios (10 x 45) production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Neil Irvine and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Helen Munson.
FM
Inside The Factory
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Gregg Wallace is following production of a seasonal favourite, the Yorkshire pudding. Inside the factory in Hull, they produce five hundred million frozen Yorkies every year. Although the factory makes them by the tonne, the ingredients are as simple as when you make them at home β flour, eggs, milk and salt. But the processes are entirely industrial, with high tech mixers, a 53 metre-long conveyor oven and huge freezers.
Gregg learns that the key to getting the perfect Yorkshire pudding shape is to trap air in the batter while mixing, and to make sure the oil added to the cooking pan forms a βhaloβ. Elsewhere in the episode, Cherry Healey visits one of the countryβs largest wheat testing and storage depots where each silo contains enough wheat to make flour for 416 million Yorkshire puddings. And if you prefer beef to your Christmas turkey, she teams up with food scientist, Barbara Bray to learn how to cook the perfect gravy. Historian, Ruth Goodman bites into the history of the roast dinner; and helps a chef master the art of washing up Tudor-style.
Inside the Factory is made by Voltage TV (1x60β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Executive Producers are Michael Rees and Lucy Carter and the Commissioning Editors for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ are Siobhan Mulholland and Sreya Biswas.
PD
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
In this special hour-long festive episode, Bob, Paul and Ted travel to Scotland to fish for salmon and to taste the traditional Hogmanay celebrations on offer.
As well as fishing the rivers Dee, Tay and Ericht, they will be joined by an old friend for dinner and invite a very special guest to perform at their New Yearβs Eve party.
They start their trip on a steam train overlooking the River Dee, the first place theyβll fish, a river that brings back special memories for Paul as he used to fish the very same beat with his father for many years.
On the train they set out their resolutions for the New Year, while Ted shows off his brand new Christmas present.
In true Gone Fishing style, Bob reveals unique accommodation in enchanting locations where all three can relax after a hard days fishing.
Mystic Wilf drops by to predict their year ahead and Ted is treated to a special afternoonβs entertainment before the traditional works party and awards ceremony.
The show ends with a musical bang as they bid farewell to 2023 and welcome 2024 β¦ and away β¦
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing is an Owl Power production (1 x 60) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Factual Entertainment and Events. The Executive Producer is Lisa Clark, the Director is Rob Gill and the Producer is Stephanie Fyfe. The Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Patrick McMahon.
PD
University Challenge
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Once again, University Challenge celebrates Christmas by giving students a short break, and instead inviting teams of distinguished alumni to compete on behalf of their former university.
Expect to see some of the UK's finest minds test themselves on one of the UKβs toughest quiz shows, with plenty of seasonal brainteasers to test what they know - and what they don't - about pretty much everything. We cordially invite all University Challenge viewers to test themselves alongside our fearless teams. As a former contestant on Christmas University Challenge himself, presenter Amol Rajan will know exactly what the teams will be going through
University Challenge is made by Lifted Entertainment/ITV Studios for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight. The Executive Producer for Lifted Entertainment is Peter Gwyn, Series Producer is Clare Parody and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Suzanne McManus.
LK
The Repair Shop Christmas Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The Repair Shop Christmas Special (w/t) sees the barn open its famous doors for some magical festive fixes. Jay Blades is joined by a team of favourite experts from across the series as they are tasked with the restoration of cherished items full of Christmas memories.
Among the precious items arriving in the barn is an extraordinary mechanical Christmas cake invention dating back to the 1940s that calls on a collaboration of skills from Steve Fletcher, Kirsten Ramsay and Mark Stuckey; whilst Pete Woods, Dominic Chinea and Suzie Fletcher team up to make a Caribbean steel pan sing once moreβ¦just in time for a special party.
Whilst tackling the restorations the team also create some incredibly personal Secret Santa gifts for each other leaving some of the experts speechless and as the items are returned to their grateful owners the spirit and excitement of the season is shared by all.
The Repair Shop: Christmas Special (TITLE TBC) is a Ricochet Production (1 x 60 Mins) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning for Factual Entertainment. The Executive Producers for Ricochet are Glenn Swift and Emma Walsh, with Series Producer, Matt Baker, and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Julie Shaw.
LP
Celebrity Escape to the Country
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Beloved house-hunting show, Escape to the Country is getting a sprinkling of star dust in this brand-new celebrity edition. In this very special series, Celebrity Escape to the Country welcomes an exciting host of well-known faces hoping to make a countryside relocation including the nationβs favourite panto dame and King of the Jungle, Christopher Biggins; Bucks Fizz popstar, Cheryl Baker; TV health professional, Doctor Ranj Singh; Strictly Come Dancingβs Janette Manrara and AljaΕΎ Ε korjanec; and TV quiz sensation, Jenny Ryan AKA βThe Vixenβ from The Chase.
First launching in 2002, the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔβs longest running property show Escape to the Country has showcased an idyllic look into rural Britainβs property market, giving urban homeowners an insight into a prospective country life. Guided by the property experts, the buyers decide whether or not to swap the hustle and bustle of city living in favour of the slower quietude of the countryside. Celebrity Escape to the Country will see our celebrity house hunters explore the serene landscapes and lifestyles of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Counties, Cheshire, the Peak District, Lancashire, Kent and Sussex.
Celebrity Escape to the Country is a Naked West (a Fremantle label) production for (45β x 5) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Rob Unsworth. The Executive Producer for Naked West is John Comerford and Emma Smith and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is John Comerford and Emma Smith.
john.comerford@nkdtv.com
Bargain Hunt Christmas Specials
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
In the first of two special Christmas episodes, the reds and blues are Christmas shopping in Malvern, alongside experts Tim Weeks and Izzie Balmer and Charlie Ross learns about the story of British Christmas stamps.
In the second festive helping two Christmas-loving teams enjoy a festive shop in Malvern with Tim Weeks and Izzie Balmer, while Charlie Ross discovers how to make the perfect Christmas cracker.
Bargain Hunt Christmas Specials are a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Production (2 x 45β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. They were commissioned by Lindsay Bradbury, Commissioning Editor, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Daytime. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Paul Tucker, and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Lindsay Bradbury.
KG
Morning Live at Christmas
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Morning Live at Christmas will bring together the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔβs most trusted experts to serve up the best money, health, food and time saving tips and advice to help get you through the festive season.
Morning Live is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Carla Maria Lawson. The Executive Producer for Morning Live is Emma Morris and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Rachel Platt.
PD
Festive Funny
Ghosts Christmas Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Christmas is just around the corner and Mikeβs mum, Betty is staying. Although she is just trying to be helpful, Mike and Alison soon lose patience with her interfering ways. Thereβs no easy way to ask her to go home so the couple (and the Ghosts) struggle on, with Button House feeling fuller than ever.
Now a Christmas convert, Robin is missing that all important βChristmassyβ feeling, so the gang share their secrets to getting into the festive spirit. But when even more decorations and merry music donβt do the trick, the Ghosts wonder if Robin will be able to capture that Christmas magic again?
Ghosts is a half hour Christmas Special for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy. The Executive Producers for Monumental Television are Alison Carpenter, Debra Hayward and Alison Owen and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Seb Barwell. The producer is Pat Tookey-Dickson, the director is Simon Hynd and the episode is written by Mathew Baynton and Jim Howick.
Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, Ben Willbond are also executive producers.
LV
Here We Go: Mumβs Classic Family Christmas
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
This Christmas, the relentlessly chaotic Jessop family return to our screens in Here We Go: Mumβs Classic Family Christmas.
Amy is home again for the holidays, so Rachel is determined to engineer an absolutely classic Jessop Family Christmas: Stockings, presents, church, turkey, Kingβs speech, charades. Then everyone sings Hey Mr Christmas by Showaddywaddy and watches Shrek. Should be great, so long as everyone sticks PRECISELY to the schedule.
Itβs never that easy.
Created by, written and starring Tom Basden (After Life), Here We Go: Mumβs Classic Family Christmas stars Jim Howick (Ghosts), Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) and Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacey) alongside Freya Parks (The School for Good and Evil), Jude Collie (Good Girlβs Guide to Murder), Mica Ricketts (Best Interests) and Tori Allen-Martin (London Kills). It guest stars Alex Macqueen (Hijack, Black Ops).
Here We Go: Mumβs Classic Family Christmas is from ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Comedy Productions (1x30) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. It is directed by Will Sinclair and the producer is Sam Ward. The Executive Producers for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios are Tom Basden, Josh Cole and Tom Jordan, and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Gregor Sharp.
VHW
Not Going Out: Wilfred
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Lee Mackβs multi-award-winning show, the longest running sitcom on air, returns with a new Christmas special as the comedy series hits 100 episodes, joining an elite group of sitcom centenarians.
Brace for yuletide suburban chaos courtesy of Lee (Lee Mack) and Lucy (Sally Bretton) as Lee throws everything at creating the perfect family Christmas, agreeing to Lucy's wishes to do something charitable and having βa normal Christmas where nothing goes wrong.β This moment of festive spirit sees the couple invite Wilfred, a lonely pensioner from the nearby care home, to join them for Christmas dinner. The only instruction is that Wilfred is not, under any circumstances, allowed to drink alcoholβ¦
Given best friends Toby (Hugh Dennis) and uptight ice-queen Anna (Abigail Cruttenden) are on hand, as well as Lucyβs lovely mum Wendy (Deborah Grant) with curmudgeonly dad Geoffrey (Geoffrey Whitehead), surely Lee can ensure this Christmas runs to plan?
Not Going Out is produced by Avalon (1x45) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. The Executive Producers for Avalon are Richard Allen-Turner, Rob Aslett, Lee Mack and Jon Thoday and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Gregor Sharp.
DLloyd@avalonuk.com
Mrs. Brownβs Boys Christmas - Mammyβs Mare
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
All Mrs Brown wants is a nice, peaceful Christmas, but the family have other ideas! Cathyβs decided to cook Christmas dinner for the first time ever, a sentimental decoration has gone missing and a surprise dinner guest all have the potential to ruin Agnesβ quiet Christmas.
Mrs Brownβs Boys is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Comedy Production in partnership with BOC-PIX for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. The Executive Producers for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios are Steven Canny and Josh Cole, the director is Ben Kellet and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Gregor Sharp.
connie@plankpr.com
Mrs. Brownβs Boys New Yearβs - New Year, New Mammy
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Mrs Brown and the gang start the New Year by attempting a tough new health and fitness regime. New year, new Agnes! But while Maria and Cathy work hard to get the gang into shape, a mysterious visitor to Finglas raises some difficult questions from Agnes and Winneβs past.
Mrs Brownβs Boys is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Comedy Production in partnership with BOC-PIX for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. The Executive Producers for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios are Steven Canny and Josh Cole, the director is Ben Kellet and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Gregor Sharp.
connie@plankpr.com
The Kemps: All Gold
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Spandau Balletβs Gary and Martin Kemp are back with more television Gold with a follow up to their to the hit 2020 mockumentary The Kemps: All True. This time, award-winning documentary filmmaker Rhys Thomas OBE follows the brothers over a whole year as they make a biopic, get divorced and form a supergroup. Naturally, not everything goes to plan. Michael Kitchen returns as the Kempsβ long-suffering manager, alongside a number of big-name cameos.
The Kemps: All Gold is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Comedy production (1 x 60) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Rhys Thomas and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Ben Caudell.
MJ
Bad Education Christmas Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Three and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Bad Education returns for an extra special musical-themed Christmas spectacular, starring Layton Williams, Charlie Wernham, Mathew Horne and Vicki Pepperdine alongside the cast of Class K as theyβve never been seen before. Featuring original songs and choreography to tell a Dickens-inspired tale, Jack Whitehall returns for a special Christmas cameo as Alfie Wickers with an unmissable musical theatre performance.
On the last day of Christmas term at Abbey Grove, drama teacher Stephen (Williams) stages his own funeral to hear what the school will say about him when he leaves for his new job in a pantomime. But he is shocked to encounter the ghost of Alfie, who tells him he will be visited by three ghosts to show him the error of his ways. Alfie wants Stephen to care about teaching more than he ever did; but his happiness depends on the lessons he learns that night, when Stephen has an important decision to make about his career at Abbey Grove.
Bad Education is produced by Tiger Aspect Comedy (part of Banijay UK) and Jackpot Productions. It was commissioned by Jon Petrie, Director of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Comedy and the Commissioning Editors are Ben Caudell and Navi Lamba for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Three and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. The Executive Producers are Jack Whitehall, Freddy Syborn, Sarah Fraser and Richard Ackerman. The director is Freddy Syborn. Banijay Rights will distribute the series internationally.
EK2
Blankety Blank
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The legendary gameshow Blankety Blank returns for a Christmas special on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and iPlayer, presented by the irrepressible Bradley Walsh. Six brilliant celebrities will be helping contestants by filling in the missing festive BLANKS. If their answers match, theyβll be in with the chance of winning some of tellyβs most βuniqueβ prizes.
Expect a lot of laughter and silliness in this yuletide version of the well-loved classic gameshow. Joining the panel is Ainsley Harriott, Brian Blessed, AJ Odudu, Katherine Ryan, Rob Beckett and Gemma Collins.
Blankety Blank is a Thames (a Fremantle label) production (10 x 35β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. The Executive Producer for Thames is Christopher Barbour and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Clodagh O'Donoghue.
ant.fragnito@fremantle.com
Live at the Apollo Christmas Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The BAFTA nominated Live At The Apollo returns to ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two for a highly anticipated eighteenth series with seven brand new episodes.
Live At The Apollo is back with seven all new episodes welcoming an array of established and up-and-coming stand-ups to the world-famous Apollo stage. At the forefront of its genre, the roll call of stand-ups who have performed in front of the iconic Live At The Apollo lights plays out like a whoβs who of comedic royalty and this series is no different.
In this special festive edition of the award-winning Live at the Apollo the fabulous Tom Allen is your host as he introduces Thanyia Moore and Lloyd Griffith to the stage.
Live At The Apollo is an Open Mike Productions (1 x 45mins) production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It is directed by Paul Wheeler, the series producer is Anthony Caveney and the Executive Producer is Andrew Beint. The Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Suzanne McManus.
alison@alisonpeterspr.com
Michael McIntyre's Christmas Wheel
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
BAFTA award-winning Michael McIntyre returns to our TV screens on Christmas Day for a tinsel-covered edition of his Saturday-night gameshow, jam-packed with extremely famous faces, even more laughs, and a colossal spinning wheel!
Rylan Clark, Peter Crouch, and Nicole Scherzinger are the special celebrity contestants, hoping to answer their way to a festive fortune for their chosen charities.
Our seven celebrity experts are on hand to use their knowledge of all things Christmas, to help the three famous faces bank as much cash as possible. Abbey Clancy, Nigel Havers, Carol Vorderman, Aled Jones, Judi Love, Joe Marler and Scott Mills will each have their time in the spotlight, answering questions on everything from pantos, toys, and carols to Christmas hits, Christmas dinners, as well as everyoneβs favourite Christmas classic, 'The Snowman'. This yearβs Christmas Wheel even sees questions dedicated to the main man himself, Father Christmas!
Michael McIntyreβs Christmas Wheel is a Hungry McBear Media Production (1 x 60β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. The Executive Producers for Hungry McBear are Dan Baldwin and Tom Blakeson and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Clodagh OβDonoghue.
isabelle.martin@multitudemedia.co.uk
The Graham Norton Show New Yearβs Eve
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The Bafta and National TV Award-winning chat show returns for its traditional New Yearβs Eve edition on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One. Sparkling chat, jokes and music as Graham takes a look back at the events of 2023, together with a sofa of star guests. Plus, end-of-year stories from the audience in the world-famous Big Red Chair.
The Graham Norton Show is a So TV production ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. The Executive Producer for So Television is Graham Stuart, and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Suzanne McManus.
mary@marycollins-pr.com
Would I Lie To You? At Christmas
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Rob Brydon is back in the hostβs chair for a festive one-off, Would I Lie To You? At Christmas.
As ever, David Mitchell and Lee Mack are the lightning-quick team captains. Over the course of the show, a stellar cast of celebrity guests reveal amazing stories about themselves. But are they telling the truth, or are they making it all up? David Mitchell is joined by Victoria Coren Mitchell and Naga Munchetty, while Lee Mack is joined by Alex Brooker and Melvyn Hayes. The stories debated include: Did Victoria Coren Mitchell once shock David with one of her Christmas gifts to him? Did Alex Brooker once accidentally tip his bin men Β£500? And did Lee Mack once rescue a couple called Mary and Joseph when there was no room at the Premier Inn?
Would I Lie To You? At Christmas is a Zeppotron production (1 x 30β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Senior Head of Entertainment Kalpna Patel-Knight and Director of Unscripted Kate Phillips. The Executive Producers for Zeppotron are Peter Holmes and Rachel Ablett, and the Commissioning Editors for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ are Pinki Chambers and Suzanne McManus.
PD
The Weakest Link
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Romesh Ranganathan brings his festive cheer to a star-studded Christmas Special of The Weakest Link. Eight celebrities will initially have to work together to try to win up to Β£50,000 for their individual chosen charity, in one of the worldβs most iconic quizzes. Each round, one player will be voted The Weakest Link by their fellow contestants and will leave with nothing.
One player will be crowned The Strongest Link and will take the prize ho-ho-home! The festive line up is Alex Jones, Cliff Parisi, Coleen Nolan, Dane Baptiste, Mel Schilling, Danny Beard, Paul Zerdin and Meryl Williams.
The Weakest Link is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios production (16 x 45β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. The Executive Producers for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios are Pete Ogden and Gareth Edwards, and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Neil McCallum.
GS
Dawn French is a huge TW*T
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Live (almost) from Londonβs iconic Palladium theatre, the nationβs favourite comedy star, Dawn French is about to reveal (almost) all the most excruciating gaffes and howlers sheβs made across her forty-year career as a comedian and actress. Dawn likes a laugh, and she likes it best of all when the laugh is on her. Her new one-woman show is more than just stand-up. This is the ultimate, βOh my god! Youβll never guess what Dawn did!β show β as everyoneβs favourite fictional lady vicar takes us through her career in comedy while simultaneously, laying bare her imperfections through massive landmarks of her life.
Playing to a full house at the Palladium, Dawn weaves together the highs and lows of her life through her self-confessed βstupid mistakes or misunderstandings.β These excruciatingly buttock-clenching embarrassing stories give the audience a peek behind the scenes of her glittering career in comedy.
Packed with showbiz anecdotes and celebrity stories, from an epic fail in front of Sir Kenneth of the Branagh, to a toe-curling Abba audition for a once in a life-time part in Mamma Mia.
And even though this is a βone-woman show,β we also get to enjoy a treasure trove of classic clips from her forty years in comedy β from early performances on The Comic Strip, to unforgettable French & Saunders sketches, plus an abundance of personal unseen photographs that take us on a journey through the life and times of this award-winning actor, best-selling novelist, and all-round very funny lady.
Dawn French is a huge TW*T (1 x 75') is a Phil McIntyre Television Production acquired for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Entertainment. The Executive Producers for Phil McIntyre are Lucy Ansbro and Maureen Vincent and the Producer is Lindsay Jex. The Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Katie Taylor.
CM2
QI
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Don your ugly jumpers to celebrate Christmas with QIβs Yuletide special! Sandi Toksvig and Alan Davies are joined by comedians Eshaan Akbar, Jo Brand and Jimmy Carr to unwrap their favourite festive facts from under the tree. Theyβll uncover Santa Clausβ whereabouts, why horses make excellent party guests, and why there always seems to be room for Christmas pudding - plus Sandi showcases her super-cool, cutting-edge hidden talent.
βAll I Want For Christmas Is Uβ kicks off the brand new series of QI in the New Year, showing the more unusual and unbelievable side of our universe, all under the umbrella of the letter βUβ.
QI is a joint production between QI Ltd and FremantleMedia Ltd. Produced by Talkback a Fremantle label (15 x 29β and 15 x 45β and 2 x 29β comps) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. The Executive Producers are Jonno Richards for Talkback and John Lloyd for QI Ltd, and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Sarah Clay.
PD
Pirates
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Three and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer - New Yearβs Eve, 9pm
Written and directed by Reggie Yates, Pirates follows three best mates, Cappo (Elliot Edusah), Two Tonne (Jordan Peters) and Kidda (Reda Elazouar), trying to break into the music scene through Pirate radio. The film follows the boys as they drive through London in their tiny Peugeot pumping a live garage set from the stereo and arguing about their Avirex jackets and Naf Naf imports. As the eighteen-year olds step into adulthood they know their lives and friendships are on the brink of change. Determined to see out the century with a bang they drive from place to place in a desperate search for tickets for the best millennium party EVER.
Pirates features music from British Garage legends including So Solid Crew, Wookie, DJ Zinc, Sunship, Scott Garcia, Hardrive, Scott Garcia, Ms Dynamite, Peven Everett, Sia and DJ Luck & MC Neat.
CG
Festive Thrills
Doctor Who
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer - Christmas Day, 5.55pm
As the Fifteenth Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa, takes over the TARDIS for his first epic adventure he will be joined by Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson, who makes her debut as the Doctorβs companion.
Airing on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer, the episode sees the Doctor come face-to-face with the mythical and mysterious goblins as his life collides with Ruby Sunday.
Little is known about Ruby Sunday as she was abandoned on Christmas Eve as a baby. Now living with her mum, Carla and grandmother, Cherry her world is about to be turned upside when she encounters the Doctor and the two set off on their first adventure together...
Alongside Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson is Davina McCall who will be playing herself as she joins the cast alongside Michelle Greenidge as Rubyβs mum Carla, Angela Wynter as Rubyβs grandmother Cherry and Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood.
CL2/JA2
EastEnders
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
On February 20 2023, EastEnders aired a first-of-its-kind flashforward scene that offered its viewers a glimpse into the highly-anticipated Christmas Day storyline.
Whilst itβs usually a happy time for many, Christmas Day in Albert Square is notoriously riddled with heartbreak and deceit, and this year will be no exception. Viewers know that one unlucky Walford male will find himself on the floor of The Queen Vic in the dreaded cufflinks but two very important questions remain to be answered β who is it and how has he come to be there?
Whilst the exact circumstances relating to his death will remain a tightly kept secret up until Christmas Day, one thing is for certain β six of Walfordβs much-loved matriarchs will find themselves embroiled in a series of events that lead up to his demise, and in a flash, their lives will be permanently changed foreverβ¦
EastEnders is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer.
- Read more: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Three and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer to air EastEnders festive interview special hosted by Joe Swash
JA2
Agatha Christieβs Murder is Easy
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
England, 1954. On a train to London, Fitzwilliam (David Jonsson) meets Miss Pinkerton (Penelope Wilton), who tells him that a killer is on the loose in the sleepy English village of Wychwood under Ashe.
The villagers believe the deaths are mere accidents, but Miss Pinkerton knows otherwise β and when she's later found dead on her way to Scotland Yard, Fitzwilliam feels he must find the killer before they can strike again. Because for a certain kind of person, murder is easyβ¦
Murder is Easy (2x60β) is adapted from Agatha Christieβs novel by SiΓ’n Ejiwunmi-Le Berre, and is directed by Meenu Gaur. Produced by Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer, it also stars Morfydd Clark, Sinead Matthews, Tom Riley, Douglas Henshall, Mathew Baynton, Mark Bonnar, Nimra Bucha, Tamzin Outhwaite, Jon Pointing and Phoebe Licorish.
Executive producers are SiΓ’n Ejiwunmi-Le Berre, James Prichard for Agatha Christie Limited, James Gandhi and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, Danielle Scott-Haughton for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ, and Reemah Sakaan and Stephen Nye for BritBox International.
MF3
Vigil (Series 2)
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer from Sunday 10 December
Following multiple unexplained deaths at a Scottish military base, Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) and Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) are tasked with uncovering the cause. Entering the hostile and closed ranks of the air force to catch a killer, the pair must face the deadly warfare of tomorrow as they fight for their own future.
Vigil series two is made by a World Productions (6 x 60β) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. The Executive Producers are Simon Heath and Jake Lushington for World Productions, and Gaynor Holmes for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.
- Watch the Vigil series two trailer
- Read more: Vigil cast and creatives discuss the "twisting and turning ride" of series two
SH2/EJ
Men Up
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Men Up explores the lives of five ordinary Welshmen who embark on an extraordinary journey when they take part in the trial of a new drug which would later become Viagra. The feature-length drama is loosely inspired by the remarkable true story of one of the world's first medical trials for the drug, held in Swanseaβs Morriston Hospital in 1994.
Mixing drama with humour, Men Up is a poignant and beautiful story in which a group of unassuming men rise to the challenge to reclaim their sex lives. In this fictionalised account, Men Up follows Meurig (Iwan Rheon), Colin (Steffan Rhodri), Tommy (Paul Rhys), Peetham βPeteβ (Phaldut Sharma) and Eddie (Mark Lewis Jones) in pursuit of their ultimate reward... the return of a romantic connection in their lives. But as the drug brings the hope of a return to that once-lost intimacy, the men realise the hard work has only just begun. The trial will take them to some very unexpected places and force them to re-assess their lives.
Men Up is a Quay Street Productions and Boom (1x90β) co-production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Director of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Drama Lindsay Salt and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Cymru Wales Head of Commissioning Nick Andrews. Executive producers are Nicola Shindler and Davina Earl (Quay Street Productions), Rachel Evans (Boom), Matthew Barry and Russell T Davies, with Rebecca Ferguson for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.
MenUp@premiercomms.com
The Tourist (Series 2)
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Elliot (Jamie Dornan) and Helen (Danielle Macdonald) travel to Ireland to find answers about Elliotβs identity, but instead they are forced to face the dangerous consequences of his past actions.
The Tourist (6x60) also stars Conor MacNeill, Greg Larsen, Olwen FouΓ©rΓ©, Francis Magee, Mark Mckenna, Nessa Matthews, and Diarmaid Murtagh. It is a Two Brothers Pictures production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. Executive producers are Harry and Jack Williams, Sarah Hammond and Daniel Walker for Two Brothers Pictures, Jamie Dornan, and Nawfal Faizullah for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.
thetourist@premiercomms.com
A Ghost Story for Christmas: Lot No. 249
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Mark Gatissβ adaptation of the Arthur Conan Doyle short story comes to ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two this Christmas, starring Kit Harington and Freddie Fox.
1881. Old College, Oxford plays host to three very different young academics: Abercrombie Smith, a model of Victorian manhood, clean of limb and sound of mind; Monkhouse Lee, a delicate and unworldly student from Siam; and the strange and exotic Edward Bellingham, whose arcane research into Ancient Egypt is the talk of the campus.
Could Bellinghamβs unnatural experiments bring the breath of life to the horrifying bag of bones tagged Lot No.249?
An end-of-Empire chiller, Lot No. 249 stars Kit Harington, Freddie Fox,β―Colin Ryan, John Heffernan, James Swanton, Jonathan Rigby and Andrew Horton.
Lot No. 249 is an Adorable Media production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer (1x30). The Executive Producer for Adorable Media is IsibΓ©al Ballance and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Mark Bell.
CB
Rambert Dance in Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Inspired by the TV series and specially filmed on the Birmingham Hippodrome stage, Rambertβs exhilarating performance of their hit stage show Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby comes to ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four this Christmas, with an iconic soundtrack.
Adapted for the stage by Steven Knight and choreographed and directed by Rambertβs Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer, the performance includes the full company of Rambert dancers and marks ten years since the first episode of Peaky Blinders aired on the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.
The story opens in the trenches of The Somme in 1916, a personal story unfolds in post-war industrial Birmingham as the Shelby family navigate the decisions that determine their fate and Tommy is intoxicated by mysterious newcomer, Grace. While Tommy is building his empire, Grace is operating as an undercover agent for Special Branch on a mission to get close to the heart of Tommyβs gang. As the story unfolds, hearts are broken and revenge is sought.
Birmingham-born writer and poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who played street preacher Jeremiah Jesus in the TV series, picks up the spoken-word element, while a live on-stage band perform specially commissioned music by Roman GianArthur and iconic Peaky Blindersβ tracks from Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Radiohead, Anna Calvi, The Last Shadow Puppets, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
Rambert Dance in Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby is a Rambert and North South Production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer (1 x 105). It was commissioned by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arts. The Executive Producers are Helen Shute, Steven Knight, Caryn Mandabach, Emma Cahusac and Fiona Morris, and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Stephen James Yeoman.
CB
Festive Musical Moments
Rick Astley Rocks New Yearβs Eve
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Made by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Entertainment, and coming from the iconic Roundhouse, the dazzling TV event will see Rick joined on stage by some very special guests.
Performing his global hits and some surprise numbers, Rick and his all-star guests will party right into 2024. This one-off TV recording of Rick Astley Rocks New Yearβs Eve for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One will be a night to remember. The festivities will continue after ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One goes live to London for the traditional epic fireworks display.
Rick Astley Rocks New Yearβs Eve (2 x 30) is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Entertainment production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer and was commissioned by Jonathan Rothery, Head of Popular Music, TV and Rachel Davies, Commissioning Editor, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Pop Music TV. The Series Editor is Rina Dayalji, the Executive Producer is Alison Howe and the Director is Liz Claire.
JE
Songs of Praise
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Songs of Praise is reflecting the excitement and joy of the festive season with a rich selection of programming from across the country.
We begin our celebrations on the first Sunday of Advent with Aled Jones hosting final of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Young Chorister of the Year, as six of the best junior and senior choristers perform a favourite Christmas choice.
In a very special programme to celebrate the beautiful music enjoyed at this time of year, Pam Rhodes is joined by fellow hymn expert Andrew Gant as they discuss some of the nationβs most loved carols. Our own Songs of Praise presenters also reveal their favourite carol and what Christmas means to them.
In County Durham, the Rev. Kate Bottley visits a dementia-friendly community where local school children and residents of a care home come together to mark the birth of Jesus as they rehearse their nativity play.
And on Christmas Eve, with a congregation of over 2000 people at the magnificent Sheffield City Hall, Aled Jones leads the carol singing with performances from Katherine Jenkins, Michael Ball, Strictly Come Dancingβs lead vocalist Tommy Blaize and the newly crowned Young Choristers of the Year.
Completing our festive offering is a New Yearβs Eve special hosted by the UKβs most successful mezzo-soprano, Katherine Jenkins. Katherine is joined by an array of celebrated guests including Aled Jones, the Gospel Choir of the Year winner and opera singer Carly Paoli to sing out 2023.
Songs of Praise is a CTVC production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Daisy Scalchi, Head of Religion and Ethics TV. The Executive Producers are Andrew OβConnell and Matthew Napier.
PD
The Hills Are Alive With The Kanneh-Masons
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Britainβs most gifted classical musical family, Nottinghamβs Kanneh-Masons, visit Salzburg to walk in the footsteps of Austriaβs most famous musical family, the Von Trapps - the inspiration behind Hollywoodβs The Sound Of Music.
For this one-off Christmas special, all nine members of the Kanneh-Mason family, including mum Kadie and dad Stuart, visit the filmβs key locations and explore the incredible story of the Von Trapps.
Having grown up watching the film every Christmas, the seven younger members - who like the Von Trapps are two brothers and five sisters - now perform their own arrangements of iconic music from the soundtrack, including Climb Every Mountain, My Favourite Things, Do Re Mi and Edelweiss.
The Kanneh-Mason siblings are all talented musicians, and more than half are internationally renowned classical soloists. Cellist Sheku (who won the 2016 Young Musician of the Year), violinist Braimah and pianist Isata all performed at this yearβs ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Proms, and the whole family performed Carnival Of The Animals at the 2019 Proms.
This is the second festive offering from the family, following on from A Musical Family Christmas with the Kanneh-Masons, which aired on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two on Christmas Day 2021.
The Hills Are Alive With The Kanneh-Masons is a MacLarty Brown Media and Wag Entertainment production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer (1x 60 check). The producer is Len Brown for MacLarty Brown Media, Executive Producer for Wag Entertainment is Bridget Boseley and the location director is Ian Denyer. The Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Stephen James-Yeoman
CB
Top Of The Pops: Review of 2023
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Top Of The Pops returns for a special hosted by Radio 1βs Clara Amfo.
The show will take a look back over the last 12 months delving into musicβs biggest stories and showcasing performances from some of the most talked about artists of 2023.
Top Of The Pops: Review of 2023 is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios (1 x 60) production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Suzanne McManus, Commissioning Editor for Entertainment. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Alison Howe.
FM2
Joolsβ Annual Hootenanny
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
As has become time-honoured tradition in the UKβs televised celebration of the New Year, Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra take centre stage once again for Joolsβ Annual Hootenanny.
Jools will be ringing in 2024 in fine style. Heβll be bringing viewers the very best music from a fabulous mix of the biggest stars, as well as the brightest new talent and will be joined by special guests.
Making his Hootenanny debut this year is British rock and pop legend, Rod Stewart, who performs alongside Joss Stone, Olivia Dean, Paul Jones, PP Arnold, Raye, Sugababes and The Mary Wallopers.
Thereβll be music from Boogie Woogie Queen and powerhouse vocalist Ruby Turner and as always, the Pipes & Drums of the 1st Battalion Scot Guards will feature, as the hour strikes midnight. Plus, Jools will hear from comedians, actors and more stars of 2023 from amongst the audience about their predictions and resolutions for the New Year.
Joolsβ Annual Hootenanny rounds off another spectacular year for Jools. He has hosted a further two series of Laterβ¦with Jools Holland which have featured performances from artists including Bombay Bicycle Club, Gabriels, Hozier, Jessie Ware, Johnny Marr, Jorja Smith, RΓ³isΓn Murphy, Royal Blood, Sharleen Spiteri, Take That, The National, The Streets and many more.
Joolsβ Annual Hootenanny is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios production (120β x 1) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Jonathan Rothery, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Head of Pop Music TV. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Alison Howe and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Rachel Davies.
SH8
Inside Classical: The Hound of the Baskervilles
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Prepare to be transported to the vast and dangerous moors where lies the Baskerville Hall estate and its dark secrets. A desolate house, an escaped murderer and a bloodthirsty supernatural beast provide the backdrop for Arthur Conan Doyleβs bestselling Sherlock Holmes novel - the story of βa foul thing, a great, black beast, shaped like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye has rested uponβ.
Mark Gatiss stars as Sherlock Holmes with Sanjeev Bhaskar as Dr Watson in this reading of Arthur Conan Doyleβs bestselling mystery, recorded on the stage of Londonβs Barbican Theatre. The gripping story is accompanied by a new musical score by dramatist and composer Neil Brand, played on stage by the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Symphony Orchestra.
Through music and drama, with no theatrical set or props, this play takes Holmes and Watson from the comfort of 222b Baker Street and audiences from the auditorium of the Barbican Hall in London to the moors of the Baskerville Hall estate in this chilling, gripping and hair-raising version of this legendary tale.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is an Afanti production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer (1x80). It was commissioned by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arts. The Executive Producer for Afanti is Emyr Afan and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Stephen James-Yeoman.
CB
New Yearβs Day Concert Live from Vienna 2024
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Petroc Trelawny presents live from the New Yearβs Day 2024 Vienna Philharmonic concert from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna.
The orchestra is directed by guest conductor Christian Thielemann, principal conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden and designated General Music Director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, in an array of polkas, waltzes and gallops by the Strauss family and their contemporaries.
As always, the concert will end with the ever-popular By The Beautiful Blue Danube and the Radetsky March.
New Yearβs Day Concert Live from Vienna 2024 is an ORF production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer (1x145 for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two; 1x120 for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four). It was commissioned by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arts. The Executive Producer for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Paul Bullock and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Stephen James-Yeoman.
CB
Gregory Porter: Live from Cheltenham 2023
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Gregory Porter returns to Cheltenham for a spellbinding sold-out show at this yearβs world-famous Jazz Festival.
Alongside sparkling versions of his favourite hits such as Revival, Take Me To The Alley and Liquid Spirit, Gregory and his band are joined on stage by two special guests: acclaimed American vocalist Lizz Wright and Italian-born New Yorker Giacomo Smith on clarinet.
Gregory Porter first performed at the Cheltenham Jazz festival in 2012 and has since made the town his home away from home. In 2023 he continues as the festivalβs Artistic Curator.
Gregory Porter: Live from Cheltenham 2023 is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios, Wales production (1x85) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Paul Bullock. It was commissioned by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arts and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Stephen James-Yeoman.
Festive Me Time
imagine⦠French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
imagineβ¦ French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter explores a brand of comedy based on satire, silliness and above all friendship - of the UKβs most successful double act of the last 40 years, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.
French & Saundersβ relationship started when they were college flatmates, entertaining each other by playing pranks and inventing characters. Behind the scenes at a recording of their successful podcast, Titting About, itβs clear theyβre still sparking off each other to create comedy.
imagineβ¦ charts their journey from the game-changing Comic Strip team, which helped launch the new Channel 4 in 1982, to their domination of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ schedules over the decades and their recent ventures on the stage, the page and in film.
Dawn and Jennifer revisit the former site of the Comic Strip Club in Soho where a group of young comedians revolutionised the comedy scene. Alongside interviews with Comic Strip comedians Alexei Sayle, Adrian Edmondson and Nigel Planer, Dawn and Jennifer tell the story of being the women in a team that would change the face of television. Just five years after Dawn and Jennifer met, they would be part of The Comic Strip Presents⦠Five Go Mad in Dorset, shown on the launch night of the new Channel 4.
At the start of French and Saundersβ career comedy was still firmly a male domain. Interviews with later generations of female comics like Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, who Dawn and Jennifer encouraged when they were a young double act, reveal how empowering their presence on TV was at the time.
Dawn and Jennifer are joined by a cast of collaborators including Dame Joanna Lumley, Ruby Wax, Richard Curtis and Alexei Sayle. These interviewees help to reveal the caustic wit behind their cosy exterior and show the huge impact that French & Saunders had on the generations of comedians that followed.
Produced and directed by Laura Blount
imagineβ¦ French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios production (1x60) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arts. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Tanya Hudson, the Series Editor is Alan Yentob and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Mark Bell.
CB
Charles III: The Coronation Year
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Charles III: The Coronation Year is a new 90-minute documentary made by Oxford Films for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and iPlayer. The film will offer a unique insight into the life of King Charles III and Queen Camilla and take viewers behind the scenes of the first year of the reign of King Charles. Narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, it will air this December as part of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔβs Christmas offering.
With exclusive access, the cameras follow King Charles III and Queen Camilla through landmark moments of the first year of their reign, as they embrace their new roles and carry out their work and duties. Filmed as Buckingham Palace prepares for, delivers, and celebrates the first Coronation in 70 years, and in the months that followed, this historic documentary features contributions from members of the Royal Family and key players in The King and Queenβs Household.
Charles III: The Coronation Year is made by Oxford Films (1 x 90) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. The Executive Producer for Oxford Films is Nicolas Kent and the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Simon Young. It is directed by Ashley Gething, produced by Faye Hamilton and the writer and co-producer is Robert Hardman.
MF2
Planet Earth III: Wonders of Nature
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
This special episode brings together highlights from the series. From hidden forests, and turbulent coasts, to vast unexplored deserts
We begin in the oldest desert on earth β the Namib, in SW Africa. A pair of ostriches raise their family in the searing heat to keep them safe from predators β but time is ticking as the chicks begin to hatch.
Away from the tropics, in the cold waters off North America, the sun fuels forests of giant kelp. It is a dangerous place for young horn sharks β giant sea bass and large sharks patrol through the kelp, but the real danger is buried beneath. A little horn shark unwittingly stumbles into an ambush set by an angel shark. With a lightning strike, it is swallowed whole, but it is not over yet β the little horn shark has a secret weapon.
From kelp forests to rainforests, animals must develop remarkable strategies to survive and in the Amazon jungle, alien-like treehoppers form surprising alliances to keep their young safe and fight off deadly assassin bugs. Here it pays to work together.
Leopards are the most adaptable of big cats, and a handful of special individuals have learnt to hunt by hiding and leaping from treetops - some higher than the roof of a two storey house. Their lives depend on them getting this unique game of hide and seek right, and when they do, their prey doesnβt see them coming.
In Botswana, nestled amongst flowering water lilies, newly hatched βlily-trotterβ chicks learn a vital lesson β how to βwalk on waterβ.
South Africaβs Robberg Peninsula, is a treacherous place to start life. Thousands of Cape fur seals are squeezed onto a small ledge. In recent years, this coast has been home to unprecedented numbers of great white sharks and to protect themselves the seal colony so something extraordinary - band together to see off the worldβs most notorious predator.
Many animals must now rise to a new challenge β¦.living alongside us. Some animals are meeting this challenge head on and thriving. In Bali, long-tailed macaques have learned to steal touristsβ most valued items, and then use them to barter with temple staff for their favourite food.
A lucky few can succeed in a human world, but our impact now extends to even the most remote corners of our planet.
Planet Earth III is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Natural History Unit (1x60) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer co-produced by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ America, ZDF, FTV and The Open University. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Executive Producer for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios is Mike Gunton, and the Commissioning Editor is Sreya Biswas.
TD
Caroline Aherne: Comedy Queen
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The unique life and talent of Caroline Aherne is celebrated in a new Arena film, featuring unseen photographs and contributions from a cast of her lifelong friends, including Steve Coogan, John Thomson, Craig Cash and producer Andy Harries.
Aherneβs pioneering representation of working class and family life in The Royle Family won her three Baftas and changed comedy writing forever, while her alter-ego Mrs Mertonβs question to stage performer Debbie McGee - βSo what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?β - is considered one of the greatest comic one-liners in British TV history.
The film traces Aherneβs life from childhood in Wythenshawe, Manchester, through her early adventures as a (rare) woman on Manchesterβs alternative stand-up scene and the breakthrough moment when the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ commissioned The Mrs Merton Show, when she fast became a national icon and surreptitious satirist-in-chief of mid-90sβ celebrity culture.
As the 90s entered its final years Aherne, with Craig Cash, conceived, wrote and starred in The Royle Family. Co-writers Henry Normal and Phil Mealy, and fellow cast members Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson and Ralf Little recall the remarkable writing and acting talent at the heart the series - a sitcom playing out in near-real time, devoid of studio laughter, punchlines, or anything much happening at all - but that built huge audiences and garnered multiple awards.
As her star rose, the realities of living with her own fame came to define Aherneβs life, as she became a fixture of tabloid speculation about her personal life, something she would struggle with throughout her career.
Tragically Caroline died of cancer in 2016. Her friends recall not just the lasting cultural and creative legacy she left behind, but of the joy she found in human life, her inimitable sense of mischief and the happiness she brought those closest to her.
Produced and Directed by Claire Whalley and Hannah Lowes.
Caroline Aherne - Comedy Queen is a Passion Pictures production (1 x 70) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arts. The Executive Producer for Passion Pictures is Hamish Fergusson and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Mark Bell.
CB
Mad About The Boy: The Noel Coward Story
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Thereβs only one man in the world whoβs described as The Master.
Born in a shabby London suburb at the turn of the 20th century, Noel Coward would become the most celebrated actor, playwright and songwriter of his generation. This is his remarkable journey, told in his own words, music and extraordinary home movies, in a new film for Arena.
Coward left school when he was only nine years old. βI was trained when I was very young as a show-off and Iβve continued triumphantly until this moment,β he told a tv interviewer.
A maverick, pioneer and pathfinder, by the age of 30 he was the highest-paid writer in the world and a star on the Broadway stage, writing, directing and acting in some of the finest plays and movies of all time, including Private Lives, Blithe Spirit, Brief Encounter and In Which We Serve.
Queer in a very straight world, Coward became one of the most successful artists of the 20th century, defining an era and leading an extraordinary life. He discovered John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier and David Lean; was a spy in the Second World War and a world-renowned songwriter and performer, of whom Frank Sinatra said, βIf you want to hear how a song should be sung, go see Mr Noel Coward.β
Narrated by Alan Cumming with Rupert Everett as the voice of Noel Coward and appearances from Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Harold Pinter, Frank Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, Michael Caine and Lucille Ball. Adam Lambert sings the title track.
Directed by Barnaby Thompson.
Mad About The Boy: The Noel Coward Story is a Fragile Films production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer (1x90). It was commissioned by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Arts. The Executive Producer for Unigram is Gregor Cameron and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Mark Bell.
CB
Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Monica and Rob head to the snowy Alps to discover the little known Panorama Hotel Hubertus β a resort in the Tyrol region of Northern Italy thatβs the vision of one family. Their hotel gives spectacular views of the mountains because its thoroughly modern architecture is something to behold - with dramatic angles and levitating pools and saunas. This creative architecture serves as a magnet to attract thousands of guests to this otherwise quiet valley. The Gasser family run this hotel and also have links to the world-class ski resort above it β all bringing valuable income into the community. Rob and Monica work behind the scenes in the unique βHeaven and Hellβ spa, cleaning the suspended pool, leading mountain treks and get to know the family behind the vision.
Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby is made by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios (8 x 60) for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Factual Entertainment. The Executive Producer is Dunk Barnes and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Patrick McMahon.
PD
Countryfile Christmas Special
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
The festive season is well under way and weβre back in the Cumbrian fells, near Appleby, with Shepherdess Katie and her family on their upland farm for this yearβs Countryfile Christmas! With livestock to keep warm, and sheep to herd on the 250 acre farm, winter is a busy time for Katie. So with Christmas fast approaching Sammi and Joe are on-hand to roll up their sleeves to help out in the fields, hang up the baubles and cook up some festive cheer as they join in with Katieβs festive traditions to celebrate a rural working Christmas, down on the farm.
Countryfile is a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer.
PD
Wild Scandinavia
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Wild Scandinavia is a new three-part series for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two celebrating the stunning wildlife, dramatic landscapes and unique culture of the furthest northern reaches of Europe, made by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Natural History Unit and co-produced by PBS and Sveriges Television (SVT).
Across 3 x 60 minute episodes, Wild Scandinavia will immerse viewers in the realm of Norse Gods, of Odin and Thor. Each film explores a different captivating natural world - the hauntingly beautiful coast, the magical seasonal forests, and the volcanic and arctic extremes.
Wild Scandinavia, a 3 x 60β series for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and iPlayer, is made by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Studios Natural History Unit and co-produced by PBS and Sveriges Television (SVT). It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual and Sreya Biswas, Head of Natural History, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Commissioning. The Executive Producer is Rosemary Edwards and the Series Producer and Director is Tuppence Stone.
EC5
Pianoforte - Storyville
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Considered to be one of the most prestigious competitions in classical music, the International Chopin Piano Competition held in Warsaw every five years since 1927 has been a career launchpad for some of the worldβs greatest virtuoso pianists. The competition itself is a rollercoaster of a classical ride with extremely tough qualifying rules, multiple stages, legendary jurors and a lot of pressure. Pianoforte takes us behind the scenes of this fascinating contest, meeting some of the most talented young professional piano players from across the world and watching them navigate the competition, along with its intense practices, new friendships, drama and nerves.
Pianoforte is a Telemmark SP (1 x 90) production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Four and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer. It was commissioned by Emma Hindley, Lead Commissioning Editor for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Storyville. The Executive Producer for Telemark SP is Maciej Kubicki and the Commissioning Editor for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is Lucie Kon.
PD
Festive Blockbusters
The Witches
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Based on the Roald Dahl novel, a young boy and his grandmother have a run-in with a coven of witches and their leader.
Belfast
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Oscar and BAFTA winning autobiographical drama.
1969. Young Buddyβs happy home life is rocked by the eruption of βthe Troublesβ, on top of his concerns about ailing grandparents, a crush on a girl at school, and doing maths. Street violence means the family face a stark future.
Marry Me
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Singer Kat Valdez is about to marry her fellow superstar Bastian in a live broadcast in front of a global audience of millions when it turns out he's been unfaithful. Instead she picks Charlie, a total stranger in the crowd, and marries him.
Respect
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
A biographical drama about the life and rise to fame of the American soul singer Aretha Franklin.
House of Gucci
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Ridley Scott's rendition of the rise and fall of the Gucci fashion empire, set between Milan and New York and centred around the marriage of Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani, who eventually and notoriously hired a hitman to have Maurizio killed in 1995.
Toy Story 4
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
When Woody, Buzz and the gang join Bonnie on a road trip with her new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky, the innocent little sporkβs hilarious antics launch Woody on a wild quest filled with unexpected new charactersβand one long-lost friend!
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Bea is delighted to be approached by ambitious publisher Nigel, but new husband Thomas is not so keen. Peter Rabbit is horrified to learn that he is being cast as a bad character, so determinedly sets out on his own to the city, but is soon approached by Barnabas who embroils Peter and his friends in some dastardly deeds.
The Lion King (2019 Live Action)
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Simba, a young lion cub, is forced to flee his kingdom when his evil uncle frames him for the murder of his father. Years later a chance encounter with Nula, his childhood friend causes him to return and claim what is rightfully his.
The Addams Family 2
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Wednesday is delighted to find a like-minded genius, who happens to be the sponsor of her school's science fair. When an irritating lawyer arrives at the family home, Gomez takes the Addams on an impromptu and diverting trip around America, but Wednesday is haunted by doubt. Why is she so different from the rest of her family? Animated sequel.
Boss Baby Family Business (2020)
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Set a few decades later than the original film, Tim is now a stay at home dad with two daughters and his younger brother Ted has grown up into a hedge fund CEO. Much to Tim's surprise he finds that his daughter Tina is an undercover agent boss baby whose mission is to thwart the world domination plans of the headmaster of her older sister's school.
Spirit Untamed
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer
Headstrong Lucky Prescott's life is changed forever when she is reunited with her father when she becomes too much for her grandparents to handle. Lucky and her Aunt are to spend the summer in a frontier town near the Mexican border where against her father's wishes she forms a bond with a wild mustang stallion.
Religious Programming
The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ will showcase a fantastic selection of festive programming across television and radio this Christmas. Our content will include musical celebration, traditional carols, live worship and spiritual contemplation.
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Scotland
As 2023 draws to a close ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Scotland has a stocking full of festive goodies across television and radio to entertain audiences over the holidays. A traditional mix of heart-warming and uplifting stories, laughs, festive warmth and musical treats will be served up alongside opportunities for reflection, making ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Scotland the perfect Christmas companion and the place to enjoy all the festive βfeelsβ.
Radio & ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Sounds
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio and Sounds delivers a Christmas cracker of a schedule for listeners this festive period. Enjoy special guest takeovers, music mixes, and a whole host of brilliant storytelling this Christmas on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Sounds.