The Times - UK (2021-12-18)

74 saturday review Saturday December 18 2021 | the times

BBC4

7.00pm Australia: Earth’s Magical

Kingdom An exploration of

the country’s mesmerising

wildlife and how creatures

have adapted to survive in

the human environment.

Last in the series (3/3)

8.00 Royal Institution Christmas

Lectures Professor Jonathan

Van-Tam explores the world

of viruses, and how new

research could have an

impact far beyond Covid-19.

Last in the series (3/3)

9.00 Billy Connolly: Made in

Scotland The comedian

reveals the influences

behind his career (2/2)

10.00 Billy Connolly: A Scot in

the Arctic The comic

heads for the North Pole,

braving polar bears and

sub-zero temperatures

10.50-1.40am FILM A Star Is Born

(U, 1954) Musical drama

with Judy Garland, James

Mason and Jack Carson

ITV3

7.00pm Heartbeat Gina makes a

gruesome discovery and

Peggy acquires a freezer

for her latest business

venture, but soon finds

her purchase at the centre

of a murder enquiry

8.00 Torvill & Dean One-off

drama about Jayne Torvill

and Christopher Dean’s

humble beginnings in

Nottingham and the ups and

downs of their ice-dancing

partnership. Will Tudor

and Poppy Lee Friar star

10.00 An Audience with Bob

Monkhouse including John

Mills, Michaela Strachan,

Jeremy Beadle, Linda

Robson, Gaby Roslin

and Bobby Davro in a

show recorded in 1994

11.35-1.40am Inspector Morse

A rapist escapes from prison

and embarks on a deadly

game of cat and mouse with

Morse. Keith Allen stars (2/3)

More 4

5.30pm FILM The Longest Day

(PG, 1962) Fact-based

Second World War drama

about the Normandy

landings, from the

perspectives of the

British, German and

American forces. With

Richard Burton, John

Wayne and Richard Todd

9.00 The Good Fight Marissa

mounts a strong defence in

Vinetta’s court for Matteo,

while Carmen, Liz, and

Allegra defend a drug dealer

as prosecutors try to

put him back in prison.

Stars Christine Baranski.

Last in the series (10/10)

10.15-12.25am FILM Arrival (12,

2016) A linguist must find a

way to communicate with

an alien race as the world

teeters on the brink of global

conflict. Sci-fi drama starring

Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner

and Forest Whitaker

Sky Max

7.00pm Harry Potter: Hogwarts

Tournament of Houses

Helen Mirren hosts the

ultimate Harry Potter quiz,

as superfans compete (3/4)

8.00 Harry Potter: Hogwarts

Tournament of Houses

Superfans compete to take

home the Tournament

of Houses cup (4/4)

9.00 Rob & Romesh vs NBA

Basketball Rob Beckett and

Romesh Ranganathan learn

about the sport (2/4) (R)

10.00 Russell Howard Hour:

Selection Box A special

festive edition of the

topical comedy and

entertainment show

11.00 Chucky Jake and his

friends try to figure out

Chucky’s endgame (7/8) (R)

12.00-1.00am Chucky The doll’s

diabolical plan comes to

fruition at a particularly

dangerous — and

public — venue (8/8) (R)

Sky Atlantic

6.50pm Yellowjackets Misty

prepares to welcome a

surprise house guest,

and the group must

navigate love, lust and

DIY surgery. Drama

starring Juliette Lewis and

Christina Ricci (6/10) (R)

8.00 Yellowjackets Drama

starring Juliette Lewis and

Christina Ricci (7/10) (R)

9.05 Game of Thrones Daenerys

fights back, Jaime faces an

unexpected situation and

Arya returns home (4/7) (R)

10.10 Game of Thrones Daenerys

makes an offer to the Lords

of Westeros, and Tyrion

worries about his Queen’s

behaviour (5/7) (R)

11.15-12.30am Game of Thrones

Jon Snow and his team go

beyond the wall to capture

a white walker. Meanwhile,

Daenerys has to make a

tough decision, and Arya

confronts Sansa (6/7) (R)

Sky Documentaries

Sky Comedy

6.00pm Natalie Wood: What

Remains Behind Natasha

Gregson Wagner presents

a unique insight into her

mother’s life and career (R)

8.00 JFK: Destiny Betrayed

Oliver Stone’s four-part

documentary exploring

the Kennedy assassination,

and questioning the

actions of the President’s

political enemies (3/4)

9.00 Music Box Documentaries

exploring pivotal moments

in music, starting with Alanis

Morisette’s beginnings

as a pop star and her

rise to the top of the male-

dominated industry (R)

11.00-1.10am FILM The Beatles:

Eight Days a Week: The

Touring Years (12, 2016)

Director Ron Howard’s

documentary charting

the brief but successful

period pop band the

Beatles spent on the road

6.40pm Sex and the City Carrie

tries to apologise to Natasha

7.20 Sex and the City Carrie

receives a surprise phone call

8.00 And Just Like That Sex

and the City revival starring

Sarah Jessica Parker (4/10)

9.00 And Just Like That With Kristin

Davis and Cynthia Nixon (5/10)

10.00 Amy Schumer: Live at the

Apollo Stand-up comedy focusing

on food, sex, and getting in shape

11.15-12.30am Jim Jefferies:

I Swear to God Stand-up comedy

ITV2

6.35pm FILM Back to the Future

Part III (PG, 1990) Teenager Marty

McFly is transported back to the

Wild West to save his scientist

friend from death. Sci-fi comedy

sequel starring Michael J Fox

9.00 FILM Mean Girls (12, 2004)

A teenager is befriended by her

new school’s most popular girls

• but her so-called chums turn on
  her. Comedy with Lindsay Lohan
  11.05 Family Guy
  11.35 Family Guy
  12.00-12.30am Family Guy

ITV4

6.50pm FILM Ghostbusters II

(PG, 1989) The spectre-hunting

team reunites to save New York

from a river of slime. Supernatural

comedy sequel starring Bill Murray

9.00 FILM Aliens (18, 1986) Lone

survivor Ripley joins an expedition

that encounters the creatures that

wiped out her crew. Sci-fi thriller

sequel starring Sigourney Weaver

11.45-3.15am FILM The Wolf

of Wall Street (18, 2013) Martin

Scorsese’s fact-based drama,

starring Leonardo DiCaprio

E4

7.00pm Hollyoaks There is a

shocking update in Misbah’s case

against Ali, and Maxine takes

matters into her own hands

7.30 Rude(ish) Tube Shorts

7.40 The Great Christmas Bake Off

2021 The stars of award-winning

hit drama It’s a Sin compete

9.00 Celebrity Gogglebox

Appraisals of Britain’s Got Talent

and Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow

10.00 Gogglebox The households’

opinions on recent television

11.05-12.10am Naked Attraction

Dave

6.40pm Would I Lie to You?

7.20 Would I Lie to You?

8.00 Travel Man: 48 Hours in

Lisbon With Adam Buxton

8.30 Travel Man: 48 Hours in

Naples With comedian Jack Dee

9.00 QI XL Extended edition.

With the Rev Richard Coles,

Sara Pascoe and Bill Bailey

10.00 The Misadventures

of Romesh Ranganathan

Romesh visits Zimbabwe

11.00 Red Dwarf

11.40-12.20am Red Dwarf

Drama

6.20pm Last of the Summer Wine

Compo and Clegg meet a tramp

with a peculiar interest in donkeys

8.00 Jonathan Creek The

unconventional sleuth investigates

an alleged metamorphosis. With

Maureen Lipman and Bill Bailey

9.20 New Tricks The detectives

investigate the murder of an East

German immigrant, but all they

have to go on are his mysterious

final words, ‘blue flower’

10.40-12.40am Judge John Deed

John accuses Everard of corruption

Yesterday

7.00pm Secrets of the Transport

Museum The Napier-Railton is

put through its paces when it

meets an old rival (5/10)

8.00 The Architecture The

Railways Built Tim Dunn visits

London’s King’s Cross and learns

of Bristol’s funicular railway (3/10)

9.00 Steam Train Britain Three

preserved steam railway lines (1/10)

10.00 Bangers and Cash (1/10)

11.00 Bangers and Cash (2/10)

12.00-1.00am Abandoned

Engineering Bizarrely-shaped huts

PBS America

6.35pm The Last Voices of World

War One The suffering of relatives

left at home during the conflict (5/6)

7.35 The Last Voices of World

War One Steve Humphries

explores the spring of 1918 (6/6)

8.40 The Tank: Weapon of the

20th Century The story and

impact of the military tank (1/2)

9.50 The Tank: Weapon of the

20th Century The tank’s

development since the end

of the Second World War (2/2)

11.00-12.05am The Alaska Pipeline

Smithsonian

7.00pm How Did They Build That?

A visit to a futuristic research station

in the world’s most extreme climate

8.00 Inside the Factory The

production of frozen pizzas

9.00 Making Tracks on Mars

A look at how a rover known as

Perseverance may re-define man’s

understanding of the planet

10.00 Air Warriors Examining

the F-86 Sabre, America’s

first swept-wing jet fighter

11.00 Air Warriors

12.00-1.00am Air Warriors

Sky Arts Sky Witness

7.00pm Border Patrol A dubious

Christmas gift raises eyebrows

7.30 Border Patrol An actress finds

herself in trouble with officers

8.00 9-1-1 A sniper targets

members of the LAFD (14/14)

9.00 Law & Order: Special

Victims Unit The detectives

investigate an attempted murder

10.00 Blue Bloods (5/16)

11.00 Law & Order: Special Victims

Unit Benson tracks a serial rapist

12.00-1.00am Law & Order:

Special Victims Unit

Sky History

7.00pm History’s Greatest

Mysteries Magician Bill Kalus

learns about Harry Houdini’s life

9.00 FILM The Devil’s Graveyards

(12, 2014) Fantasy drama presented

as a factual documentary starring

Clint Carmichael and Jeff Davis

11.00 Salvage Kings Ted and

Justin search for Cold War

relics at the site of the former

Yugoslavian Consulate (2/10)

12.00-1.00am Forged in Fire

Two smiths face off to recreate

George Washington’s sword

Alibi

6.20pm Death in Paradise (3/8)

7.40 Death in Paradise (4/8)

9.00 Shakespeare & Hathaway:

Private Investigators An energy

tycoon hires Frank and Lu to keep

an eye on his daughters (7/10)

10.00 Whiskey Cavalier (1/13)

11.00 The Good Wife

12.00-1.20am Death in Paradise

Discovery

7.00pm Alaska: Homestead

Rescue The Raneys tackle a

treehouse cabin on the verge

of collapse in Missouri

8.00 Kindig Customs

9.00 Naked and Afraid From the

coastal rainforest of Ecuador

11.00 Supertruckers

12.00-2.00am Naked and Afraid

Nat Geographic Comedy Central

7.00pm Friends

7.30 Friends

8.00 Friends

8.30 Friends Joey dates a fan

9.00 FILM Mission: Impossible:

Rogue Nation (12, 2015) Spy

thriller sequel starring Tom Cruise

11.45-12.45am Lee Evans:

Roadrunner Stand-up from 2011

Gold

6.05pm Only Fools and Horses

8.00 Sandylands Emily and Les

return to discover her mother

8.40 Sandylands

9.20 Sandylands

10.00 The Cockfields Christmas

Special Comedy series

11.00-12.40am Only Fools and

Horses Rodney leaves home

W

7.00pm One Born Every Minute

8.00 One Born Every Minute

9.00 FILM Spider-Man (12, 2002)

A teenager bitten by a genetically

engineered spider develops

superhuman gifts. Comic-book

adventure starring Tobey Maguire

11.35-12.35am Emily Atack:

Adulting Documentary

7.00pm Ice Road Rescue

8.00 Wicked Tuna: North v South

9.00 Ice Road Rescue:

Highway Havoc! Documentary

10.00 Alaska: The Next

Generation (7/8)

11.00 Air Crash Investigation

12.00-1.00am Airport Security:

Brazil Bricks of cocaine (3/4)

FV 9/24, FS 173, SKY 116, VIRGIN 107 FV 10, FS 115, SKY 119, VIRGIN 117 FV 18, FS 124, SKY 136, VIRGIN 147 SKY 113, VIRGIN 122 SKY 108 SKY 121, VIRGIN 278

SKY 114, VIRGIN 135

FV 6, FS 113, SKY 118, VIRGIN 115 FV 25, FS 117, SKY 120, VIRGIN 118 FV 13, FS 122, SKY 135, VIRGIN 106 FV 20, FS 158, SKY 143, VIRGIN 130 FV 26, FS 159, SKY 155, VIRGIN 129

SKY 132, VIRGIN 126 SKY 125, VIRGIN 250, BT 322 SKY 129, VIRGIN 266, BT 317 SKY 112, VIRGIN 181, BT 307 SKY 110, VIRGIN 124, BT 310 SKY 109, VIRGIN 125, BT 311

FV 19, FS 157, SKY 111, VIRGIN 127

FV 84, FS 155, SKY 174, VIRGIN 273 FV 56, FS 175, SKY 171, VIRGIN 276 FV 11, FS 147, SKY 130, VIRGIN 165 SKY 107, VIRGIN 112 SKY 123, VIRGIN 270

Sky Main Event

7.45-12.00 Live Big Bash League:

Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars

12.30-4.30pm Live World Darts

Championship Session one on day

13 at Alexandra Palace in London

7.30 Live EFL: Nottingham Forest

v Huddersfield Town (Kick-off 7. 4 5)

10.00-11.00 Live World Darts

Championship Session two

12.00 Live NBA Basketball:

Brooklyn Nets v Philadelphia 76ers

2.30-5.00am Live NBA Basketball:

Denver Nuggets v Golden State

Warriors (Tip-off 2.30)

Sky Premier League

10.00am The Football Show

12.00 Gary Neville’s Soccerbox

1.00pm PL Years 1998/99 season

3.00 PL Greatest Games

4.00 Best PL Goals 92/93

5.00 PL Highlights

6.00 Soccer AM: The Best Bits

6.30 The Tyler Archives

7.00 PL World

7.30 Inside the WSL

8.00 Gary Neville’s Soccerbox

9.00 PL World

9.30 Inside the WSL

10.00-11.00pm Class of ‘92

Sky Cricket

7.30am Live Test Cricket: South

Africa v India Day five of the first

Test in the three-match series, at

SuperSport Park in Centurion

3.30pm My Icon

4.00 Spinwash 1993

5.15 Cricket’s Climate Crisis

5.30 Talking Cricket

6.00 Test Cricket

7.00 Big Bash League

11.00 Test Cricket

12.00 You Guys Are History

1.00am Test Cricket

2.00-3.00am My Icon

BT Sport 1

7.30-8.15am Live: Ashes Daily

Day five of the third Ashes Test

6.00pm WWE Monday Night Raw

8.30 The Run-In

9.00 The Cricket’s On

10.00 Live: Women’s T20 Super

Smash: Central Hinds v

Canterbury Magicians Coverage

of the match from Pukekura Park

1.30am Live: T20 Super Smash:

Central Stags v Canterbury Kings

Coverage from Pukekura Park

5.00 Badminton Unlimited

5.30-6.00am BT Sport Reload

BT Sport 2

6.00-8.00am Live: A-League

Women: Wellington Phoenix

Women v Sydney FC Women

(Kick-off 6.05). From Sky Stadium

11.00 Live: Ultimate Pool

Professional Cup Day four of the

Ultimate Pool Professional Cup

5.00pm Premier League World

5.30 The Ashes

7.00 Live: Ultimate Pool

Professional Cup Day four of the

Ultimate Pool Professional Cup

11.00 WWE NXT Highlights

12.00-12.30am The Run-In

SKY 401, VIRGIN 511, BT 467 SKY 402, VIRGIN 512 SKY 404, VIRGIN 514 SKY 413, BT 459 SKY 414, BT 460

7.00pm Sammy Davis Jr: Legends

in Concert The entertainer’s most

memorable stage appearances

8.00 Dean Martin: A Legend in

Concert Featuring performances

by the singer and actor.

9.00 Dean Martin: King of Cool

Documentary chronicling

the achievements of the

singer and actor

11.00-12.40am Walden Ian Rickson

directs Amy Berryman’s debut

play, which explores fractured love

and loss. See Viewing Guide

Thursday 30 | Primetime digital guide

FV Freeview FS Freesat

Dean Martin

King of Cool is a new

documentary exploring the

life of the singer and actor

Sky Arts, 9pm

Ravichandran Ashwin will play

against South Africa in the first

Test (Sky Cricket, 7.30am)