the times | Saturday December 18 2021 saturday review 73
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thetimes.co.uk/tvplannerThursday 30
BBC1 BBC2 ITV
6.00am Breakfast 9.05 FILM Home
(U, 2015) Animated adventure
featuring the voice of Jim Parsons
10.30 How to Train Your Dragon:
Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon
(r) 10.45 FILM Missing Link (PG, 2019)
Animated comedy with the voice of
Hugh Jackman 12.15pm Bargain Hunt:
Entertainment Special (r) 1.00 BBC
News 1.30 BBC Regional News;
Weather 1.45 FILM Zootropolis (PG,
2016) Disney animated comedy with
the voice of Ginnifer goodwin 3.25
The Madagascar Penguins in a
Christmas Caper (r) 3.35 FILM The
Jungle Book (PG, 2016) Disney
adventure starring Neel Sethi 5.15
Pointless Celebrities. A special food
edition of the quiz (r) 6.00 BBC News
6.15 BBC Regional News; Weather
6.25 The Weakest Link. Quiz show7.10 My Family Nick’s new girlfriend
raises eyebrows (8/13) (r)7.40 EastEnders Nancy needs to
lean on Zack for support8.00 Attenborough and the
Mammoth Graveyard
David Attenborough joins a
team of archaeologists and
palaeontologists excavating
a mammoth graveyard found in
the prehistoric riverbed of the
Thames. See Viewing Guide9.00 The Great British Sewing Bee:
Celebrity New Year Special
Host Sara Pascoe invites
Lawrence Chaney, Rose
Matafeo, Claire Richards
and Kirsty Wark to take
part in a series of challenges
in the sewing room10.00 BBC News at Ten10.25 BBC Regional News10.35 FILM Ready Player One
(12, 2018) In 2045, gamers
explore a virtual world in the
quest for a deceased tycoon’s
fortune. However, they must
also contend with an evil
corporation who will stop at
nothing to get their hands on
the prize. Steven Spielberg’s
fantasy adventure starring
Tye Sheridan and Olivia
Cooke. See Film Choice12.45am Not Going Out. Lee and
Lucy’s New Year’s Eve celebrations do
not go according to plan, as everyone
feels compelled to point out exactly
which resolution friends and family
need to make (r) 1.30 Weather for
the Week Ahead 1.35 BBC News6.45am Sign Zone: Gardeners’ World
Winter Specials. Joe Lycett discusses
his new found love of gardening (r)
(SL) 7.45 Waterhole: Africa’s Animal
Oasis (r) 8.45 War Films: Talking
Pictures (r) 9.35 FILM Dunkirk (PG,
1958) Second World War adventure
starring John Mills (b/w) 11.45 FILM
Reach for the Sky (U, 1956) Biopic
of Second World War pilot Douglas
Bader starring Kenneth More (b/w)
2.00pm Anthony Hopkins: Talking
Pictures. A look back at the career
of the actor through interviews
conducted with the BBC (r) 2.45 FILM
Shadowlands (U, 1993) Fact-based
drama starring Anthony Hopkins
and Debra Winger 4.50 FILM The
Remains of the Day (U, 1993) Period
drama starring Anthony Hopkins,
Emma Thompson and James Fox6.00am Good Morning Britain 9.00
Lorraine 10.00 Celebrity Supermarket
Sweep (r) 11.00 In for a Penny (r) 11.30
Ninja Warrior UK (r) 12.30pm FILM
Despicable Me 3 (U, 2017) Animated
sequel with the voice of Steve Carell
2.15 ITV News; Weather 2.20 Regional
News; Weather 2.30 Dickinson’s
Biggest and Best Deals. David
Dickinson delves into the archives to
share his favourite moments from
Dickinson’s Real Deal 3.30 Tipping
Point. Ben Shephard hosts the
arcade-themed quiz 4.30 The Chase.
Bradley Walsh presents as four
contestants answer questions and
work as a team to take on one of
the ruthless Chasers and secure a
cash prize 5.30 Lingo. Quiz hosted
by Adil Ray 6.30 ITV News; Weather
6.40 Regional News; Weather7.00 Emmerdale Priya struggles
and soon has regrets, Nate
and Tracy are loved up, and
Belle takes action when
she finds herself in trouble8.00 Vera The detective must
unravel the mystery when
well-respected local builder
and family man Jim Tullman
is found beaten to death on
the steps of the Collingwood
Monument. His demise
happened just before he
was due to testify in court as
the key witness in a violent
assault case (1/6) (r)10.00 ITV News; followed by Weather10.15 Les Dawson: The Lost Tapes
Documentary unearthing
previously unseen footage
and clips of the funnyman,
who would have celebrated
his 90th birthday in 2021 (r)11.10 The Larkins at Christmas
In this festive special, the
Larkins are gearing up for
Christmas, and in the village all
talk is of the pantomime and an
ongoing spate of burglaries (r)12.30am Shop: Teleshopping 3.00 FYI
Extra 3.15 Wonders of the Coast Path.
Sean Fletcher explores the sand
dunes at Merthyr Mawr (r) (SL) 3.40
A Year in the Beacons (r) (SL) 4.05
Unwind with ITV 5.05 Tipping Point.
Quiz hosted by Ben Shephard (r) (SL)Channel 4 Channel 5
6.05am The Simpsons (r) 6.30 The
Simpsons (r) 6.55 The Simpsons (r)
7.20 The Simpsons (r) 7.40 The Big
Bang Theory (r) 8.05 The Big Bang
Theory (r) 8.35 The Big Bang Theory
(r) 9.00 The Simpsons (r) 9.30 The
Simpsons (r) 10.00 The Simpsons (r)
10.30 The Simpsons (r) 11.00 Frasier
(r) 11.30 Frasier (r) 12.00 Channel 4
News Summary 12.05pm A Place
in the Sun (r) 1.05 Château DIY at
Christmas (r) 2.05 Christmas at
Holkham Hall (r) 3.10 FILM Deep
Impact (12, 1998) A reporter stumbles
on evidence that a comet is on a
collision course with Earth. Sci-fi
drama with Robert Duvall 5.30 The
Simpsons. Marge and Homer suspect
Bart might be a sociopath (r) 6.00
Hollyoaks. Maxine makes an upsetting
discovery (r) 6.30 Channel 4 News6.00am Milkshake! 8.45 FILM Annie
(U, 1982) Musical based on the stage
play, starring Aileen Quinn and Albert
Finney 11.15 FILM My Fair Lady (U,
1964) A cockney flower girl is trained
to pass as an upper-class lady by an
arrogant elocutionist. Oscar-winning
musical starring Audrey Hepburn
2.50pm FILM The King and I (U, 1956)
An English schoolteacher is recruited
to tutor the many wives and children
of the King of Siam. Oscar-winning
Rogers and Hammerstein musical
starring Yul Brynner and Deborah
Kerr 5.40 All Creatures Great and
Small Christmas Special. James and
Helen question their future together
in the run-up to Christmas Day (r)
6.35 5 News Update 6.40 Dad’s Army:
Secret Lives & Scandal. Behind the
scenes of the wartime comedy (r)6.45 FILM Raiders of the Lost
Ark (PG, 1981) Intrepid
archaeologist Indiana Jones
goes in search of the legendary
Ark of the Covenant, a biblical
artefact of devastating power.
His quest leads him to Egypt,
where the Nazis are plotting to
use the Ark to further Hitler’s
plans for world domination —
aided by Jones’s deceitful
French rival. Action adventure
starring Harrison Ford, Karen
Allen and Paul Freeman9.00 One Night in London Zoo
Comedians Desiree Burch and
Guz Khan join presenters Alex
Brooker and Josh Widdicombe
at the famous animal attraction.
See Viewing Guide (3/4)10.00 Celebrity I Literally Just Told
Yo u Star-studded version of the
game show in which Lorraine
Kelly, Alex Horne, Aisling Bea
and Asim Chaudhry are given
every answer with the
questions written as the
show is happening (3/6)11.00 Jon & Lucy’s Christmas
Sleepover Jon Richardson
and Lucy Beaumont host a
special Christmas celebration,
joined by guests Roisin Conaty,
Romesh Ranganathan and
Rob Beckett to look back
at the year gone by (r)12.05am FILM Daddy’s Home (12,
2015) Comedy starring Will Ferrell
1.45 FILM Dodgeball: A True
Underdog Story (12, 2004) 3.20
Come Dine with Me (r) 5.35 Kirstie’s
Handmade Treasures (r) 5.45 Cook
Clever, Waste Less with Prue & Rupy (r)8.00 World’s Strongest Man 2021
James Richardson and Eddie
Hall present action from the
fourth heat of the event from
Sacramento, California (9/11)9.00 Wogan: Now You’re Talking
A celebration of Terry Wogan’s
career, charting his rise from
bank clerk to national treasure.
There’s also a look at his most
memorable moments, including
Eurovision, Blankety Blank,
Wogan and Children in Need
— and not forgetting his first
love, radio. See Viewing Guide10.30 Most Shocking TV Interviews
The top 30 worst television
interviews of all time, with
contributions from Matthew
Wright, Clive Anderson,
Kathy Lette and others. Clips
include Prince Andrew’s
interview with Emily Maitlis,
and the Bee Gees storming off
Clive Anderson’s chat show11.55 Eurovision’s Greatest Hits
Memorable entries (r)12.55am Entertainment News on 5
1.00 The 21.co.uk Live Casino Show
3.00 Entertainment News on 5 3.10
The Highland Midwife (r) 4.00 The
Highland Midwife (r) 4.50 The Funny
Thing About Christmas (r) (SL) 5.35
House Doctor. In Staffordshire (r) (SL)7.00 Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone
Christmas Fishing Paul takes
Bob on a steam train to the
north of England to search
for a prized English salmon
in the Eden and Tyne, and
the pair are joined on the
riverbank by Paul Gascoigne (r)8.00 Only Connect: Champion of
Champions Special The 007s
take on the Puzzle Hunters.
See Viewing Guide (4/4)8.30 Christmas University
Challenge The second
semi-final commences (9/10)9.00 FILM Judy (15, 2019) In the
autumn of her career, showbiz
legend Judy Garland reluctantly
agrees to a run of London
shows. Unfortunately, fiancé
Mickey Deans continually
distracts her when she
should be rehearsing. Biopic
starring Renee Zellweger, Jessie
Buckley, Rufus Sewell and Finn
Wittrock. See Film Choice10.50 Being Bridget Jones
Documentary celebrating
25 years of Helen Fielding’s
hapless creation, examining
how the ways in which female
writers have told their own
stories have evolved since
Bridget’s debut (r)11.50 Eddie Izzard: Force Majeure
A stand-up performance (r)1.20am FILM Alan Partridge: Alpha
Papa (15, 2013) Comedy starring
Steve Coogan 2.45 Sign Zone:
Nadiya’s Fast Flavours (r) (SL) 3.15
Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the
Lobby (r) (SL) 4.15-5.15 MasterChef:
The Professionals (r) (SL)Ready Player One (10.35pm) The Remains of the Day (4.50pm) Crime drama Vera (8pm) One Night in London Zoo (9pm) A tribute to Terry Wogan (9pm)