78 saturday review Saturday December 18 2021 | the times
BBC4
7.00pm Top of the Pops: New Year
2014 Fearne Cotton and
Reggie Yates review
2014 in music, featuring
performances by Labrinth,
Clean Bandit, Ed Sheeran,
George Ezra and the Vamps
8.00 TOTP2: Party Special A
nostalgic mix featuring
archive clips from the show
8.40 Abba at the BBC A
collection of memorable TV
appearances by the group
9.40 Chic Feat Nile Rodgers:
Radio 2 in Concert
Highlights from an 2017
performance at the
BBC Radio Theatre
10.40-12.10am FILM When Harry
Met Sally (15, 1989) A man
and a woman develop a
close friendship, but a
mutual sexual attraction
threatens to ruin the
relationship. Romantic
comedy starring Billy
Crystal and Meg RyanFV 9/24, FS 173, SKY 116, VIRGIN 107ITV3
7.00pm Heartbeat Alf poses as a
criminal, but his undercover
operation only reveals
shocking information
about Miller’s beliefs
8.00 Doc Martin Al tries to raise
some quick cash, while
Martin accidentally inflicts
a minor wound on an
elderly patient — who
walks out of the surgery,
vowing never to return (4/8)
9.00 Doc Martin The doctor
heads for London to meet
the man leading the
selection process for
the job he wants, but
has to conquer his blood
phobia to secure the
prestigious position (5/8)
10.00 An Audience with Victoria
Wood From 1988
11.10-12.40am Elton John: The
Nation’s Favourite Song
The singer discusses
20 of his biggest hits
with David WalliamsFV 10, FS 115, SKY 119, VIRGIN 117More 4
6.30pm Guy Martin’s Great Escape
The racer wants to recreate
the climax of The Great
Escape, in which Steve
McQueen’s character
tries to jump two border
fences into Switzerland
8.35 Guy Martin’s Lancaster
Bomber The presenter
trains in all seven crew
positions on the iconic
aircraft, from pilot to
bomb aimer, receiving
tutelage from the last
surviving member of
the Dambusters mission
9.40 24 Hours in A&E A driver is
rushed in after crashing his
car and flipping it on its roof
10.40 24 Hours in A&E The story
of a retired air stewardess
who was rushed in after
seriously cutting her leg
11.45-12.50am 8 Out of 10 Cats
Does Countdown With
Rob Beckett, Cariad
Lloyd and Jamie LaingFV 18, FS 124, SKY 136, VIRGIN 147Sky Max
6.30pm FILM The Spy Next Door
(PG, 2010) A Chinese
secret agent looks after
his girlfriend’s mischievous
kids for the weekend — just
as his arch enemy escapes
from prison. Comedy
starring Jackie Chan
and Magnus Scheving
8.15 Dynamo: Beyond Belief
Following the magician on
tour as well as charting
his road to recovery from
an illness brought on by
Crohn’s disease (1/3) (R)
9.15 Dynamo: Beyond Belief
The magician faces
difficulties as his medication
starts to take hold (2/3) (R)
10.15 Dynamo: Beyond Belief
The magician tests out
a new medicine (3/3) (R)
11.15 Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Comedy music quiz
hosted by Greg Davies (R)
12.00-12.45am Never Mind
the Buzzcocks (R)SKY 113, VIRGIN 122Sky Atlantic
6.50pm Landscapers Susan and
Christopher take the stand
for a final chance to prove
their version of events
from that fatal night (4/4) (R)
8.00 Game of Thrones Tyrion
tries to save Westeros
from itself as everyone
meets to discuss the
fate of the realm (7/7) (R)
9.30 Game of Thrones As the
Night King’s army of the
dead marches towards
Westeros, Jon and Daenerys
arrive in Winterfell (1/6) (R)
10.35 Game of Thrones Jaime
Lannister is confronted with
the consequences of his
past mistakes, and Daenerys
learns the truth about her
relationship with Jon (2/6) (R)
11.40-1.10am Game of Thrones
The Night King and the
army of the dead reach
Winterfell, and an epic battle
between the living and
the dead begins (3/6) (R)SKY 108Sky Documentaries
Sky Comedy
5.50pm FILM Hitsville: The
Making of Motown (12,
2019) Rare performances,
interviews and rarely seen
footage come together to
paint a picture of the history
and origins of Motown
8.00 JFK: Destiny Betrayed
Oliver Stone’s four-part
documentary exploring the
Kennedy assassination (4/4)
9.00 FILM Gascoigne (15, 2015)
Documentary about Paul
Gascoigne, featuring an
extensive interview with
the former footballing
superstar and archive
footage of his greatest
moments on the pitch
10.50-12.50am FILM Belushi
(18, 2020) The life story of
comedy star John Belushi,
who captured the hearts
and funny-bones of
audiences worldwide
before his tragic and
untimely death aged 337.00pm The Office (US) Michael
and Jan reveal their romance
7.30 The Office (US) Michael
and Darryl demand a pay rise
8.00 The Office (US) The staff
take part in a safety training day
8.30 The Office (US) A printing
error threatens the company
9.00 Ricky Gervais: Fame
Highlights of the fastest-selling
comedy tour in UK history
10.30 Ricky Gervais: Science
12.00-12.30am The Fresh Prince
of Bel-Air Geoffrey quits his jobSKY 121, VIRGIN 278SKY 114, VIRGIN 135ITV2
6.35pm FILM Snow White & the
Huntsman (12, 2012) A princess
joins forces with the warrior sent to
kill her to overthrow an evil queen.
Fantasy adventure starring Kristen
Stewart and Chris Hemsworth
9.00 FILM Pitch Perfect 2
(12, 2015) The Barden Bellas
try to recover from a disastrous
performance by winning the World
Championships of A Cappella.
Comedy sequel with Anna Kendrick
11.20 Family Guy
11.50-12.20am Family GuyFV 6, FS 113, SKY 118, VIRGIN 115ITV4
7.00pm FILM The Alamo (PG,
1960) A small Texan volunteer
force is charged with holding
off a 7,000-strong invading
Mexican army. Western, directed
by and starring John Wayne
9.00 FILM True Grit (15, 2010)
A farm girl recruits a hard-drinking,
one-eyed marshal to help her track
down the man who killed her father.
Western starring Jeff Bridges
111.15-1.20am All Elite Wrestling:
Dynamite Hard-hitting action from
the world of All Elite WrestlingFV 25, FS 117, SKY 120, VIRGIN 118E4
7.00pm The Great British Bake Off:
The Winners The first of two
specials paying tribute to the
winners from past shows
8.00 The Great British Bake Off:
Best Bits The second of two
programmes pays homage to the
nation’s favourite squirrel (2/2)
9.00 Celebrity Gogglebox The
best moments from the first series
10.00 Celebrity Gogglebox 2020
11.05-12.10am Naked Attraction
A 22-year-old woman and 25-year-
old man seek their perfect partnersFV 13, FS 122, SKY 135, VIRGIN 106Dave
6.40pm Would I Lie to You?
7.20 Would I Lie to You?
8.00 Travel Man: 48 Hours in St
Petersburg With Rob Beckett
8.30 Travel Man: 48 Hours in
Budapest With Aisling Bea
9.00 Not Going Out Lee and Lucy’s
New Year’s Eve celebrations
do not go according to plan
10.00 Gavin & Stacey Stacey
goes to meet Gavin in person
10.40 Gavin & Stacey
11.20 Gavin & Stacey
12.00-12.40am Gavin & StaceyFV 19, FS 157, SKY 111, VIRGIN 127Drama
6.55pm Last of the Summer Wine
Compo wonders what to get Nora
for Christmas, so decides to
consult Auntie Wainwright
8.00 Jonathan Creek A sceptical
researcher returns from the dead
9.20 New Tricks Gerry and Steve
investigate the 1993 unsolved
murder of a bookie in Glasgow
10.40-12.40am Judge John Deed
Jo prosecutes an MP charged
with attempted murder, but Deed
discovers Row Colemore is part of
a conspiracy to acquit the accusedFV 20, FS 158, SKY 143, VIRGIN 130Yesterday
7.00pm Secrets of the Transport
Museum Brooklands’ Concorde
‘Delta Golf’ has a makeover (6/10)
8.00 The Architecture The
Railways Built Tim Dunn
visits Ribblehead Viaduct
in the Yorkshire Dales (4/10)
9.00 Steam Train Britain (2/10)
10.00 Bangers and Cash (3/10)
11.00 Bangers and Cash
An Aston Martin DB6 (4/10)
12.00-1.00am Abandoned
Engineering The facility that
held apartheid’s greatest criticFV 26, FS 159, SKY 155, VIRGIN 129PBS America
5.55pm The Vietnam War Lyndon
Johnson escalates America’s
military commitment (3/10)
8.30 The Vietnam War North
Vietnamese troops stream down
the Ho Chi Minh Trail into the
south, while Saigon struggles
to pacify the countryside (4/10)
11.00-12.15am Clinton The story
of former US president Bill Clinton,
who rose from a difficult childhood
to forge a political career,
beginning with the lead-up to
his 1992 presidential victory (1/4)FV 84, FS 155, SKY 174, VIRGIN 273Smithsonian
7.00pm Aerial America The
nation’s most majestic and
unique roadside attractions
8.00 Aerial Greece An exploration
of Greece’s landscape, culture
and history from the air
9.00 Aerial Greece A look at
the south of Greece — a land
of Spartan warriors, mythical
legends and great gods
10.00 Aerial Greece Examining
Crete and the Eastern Islands
11.00 Aerial Greece
12.00-1.00am Aerial AfricaFV 56, FS 175, SKY 171, VIRGIN 276Sky Arts
6.00pm Bee Gees: One Night
Only The Gibb brothers perform
their greatest hits at the MGM
Grand in Las Vegas in 1997
8.10 Bee Gees: In Our Own
Time Robin and Barry Gibb
discuss their career in music
9.25 Andre Rieu Royale:
Coronation Concert Live in
Amsterdam A performance at
the investiture of King Willem-
Alexander on April 30, 2013
11.40-1.55am Andre Rieu:
New Year’s Eve PunchFV 11, FS 147, SKY 130, VIRGIN 165Sky Witness
7.00pm Border Patrol
A troublesome taxi driver
keeps customs officers busy
7.30 Border Patrol Biosecurity
New Zealand finds a hidden haul
8.00 Caught on Dashcam Road
disasters captured on video by
drivers’ dashboard cameras (4/5)
9.00 FILM The Firm (15, 1993)
Thriller starring Tom Cruise
11.50-12.45am Lincoln Rhyme:
Hunt for the Bone Collector The
Bone Collector challenges the
team with a trifecta of victims (5/10)SKY 107, VIRGIN 112Sky History
7.00pm Unidentified: Inside
America’s UFO Investigation
8.00 Unidentified: Inside
America’s UFO Investigation
9.00 Unidentified: Inside
America’s UFO Investigation UFOs
have been at the centre of many
science fiction plots for years. But
as sightings and evidence build,
are they becoming a reality?
11.00 Deadliest Warrior
Comparing the battle prowess of
vampires and zombies (10/10)
12.00-1.00am American PickersSKY 123, VIRGIN 270Alibi
6.20pm Death in Paradise (5/8)
7.40 Death in Paradise (6/8)
9.00 Murdoch Mysteries: Home
for the Holidays Murdoch and
his brother investigate a murder
connected to an archaeologist
11.00 The Good Wife Alicia is faced
with some difficult questions
12.00-1.20am Death in ParadiseSKY 132, VIRGIN 126Discovery
7.00pm Railroad Alaska An
earthquake threatens to bring
the railroad to a standstill
8.00 Gold Rush: The Dirt
9.00 The Alaska Triangle
10.00 Expedition X Investigating
America’s most haunted town
11.00 Supertruckers
12.00-1.00am The Alaska TriangleSKY 125, VIRGIN 250, BT 322Nat Geographic
SKY 129, VIRGIN 266, BT 317Comedy Central
7.00pm Friends Brad Pitt stars
7.30 Friends Ross and Monica’s
parents celebrate their anniversary
8.00 Friends Ross gets a monkey
8.30 Friends
9.00 FILM Dumb and Dumber
To (15, 2014) Comedy sequel
starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels
11.15-12.15am Lee Evans: XL TourSKY 112, VIRGIN 181, BT 307Gold
5.40pm Only Fools and Horses
Christmas special from 2002.
The Trotters go to France
7.20 Only Fools and Horses
9.00 Murder, They Hope
10.00 Gimme Gimme Gimme
10.50 dinnerladies
11.35-1.25am Only Fools and
Horses Del visits the dentistSKY 110, VIRGIN 124, BT 310W
6.20pm DIY SOS: The Big Build
The experts adapt the home
of a man with multiple sclerosis
7.40 DIY SOS: The Big Build
9.00 FILM White House Down
(12, 2013) Action thriller starring
Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx
11.40-12.40am Inside the
Ambulance DocumentarySKY 109, VIRGIN 125, BT 311
7.00pm Russia’s Toughest Prisons
Documentary offering a never-
before seen look inside three
high security Russian prisons
8.00 Britain’s Underworld (1/6)
9.00 Britain’s Underworld (3/6)
10.00 Britain’s Underworld (2/6)
11.00 Australia’s Hardest Prison
12.00-1.00am Death Row TexasSky Main Event
7.45am Live Big Bash League:
Adelaide Strikers v Sydney
Thunder From Adelaide Oval
12.15pm Sky Sports News
6.00 Live NBA Basketball: Boston
Celtics v Phoenix Suns (Tip-off
6.00). Coverage from TD Garden
8.30 Sky Sports News
11.00 Live: NFL Fantasy
12.00 Live: Total Access
1.00am Sky Sports News
4.30-8.15am Live Big Bash League:
Hobart Hurricanes v Brisbane
Heat From Blundstone ArenaSky Premier League
10.00am The Football Show
12.00 Gary Neville’s Soccerbox
1.00pm PL Years 2000/01 season
3.00 PL Greatest Games
4.00 Best PL Goals 94/95
5.00 PL Highlights
6.00 PL Legends: Robbie Fowler
6.30 Inside the WSL
7.00 Premier League Preview
7.30 Premier League Matchpack
8.00 Premier League Review
9.00 Premier League Preview
9.30 Premier League Matchpack
10.00-11.00pm Class of ‘92Sky Cricket
7.45am Live Big Bash League:
Adelaide Strikers v Sydney
Thunder From Adelaide Oval
12.15pm Test Cricket
5.15 India’s History At Lord’s
5.30 The Women’s Hundred
Final Bitesize From Lord’s
5.45 The Hundred Final Bitesize
6.00 Big Bash League
10.00-10.15 The Women’s
Hundred Final Bitesize
4.30-6.00am Live Big Bash
League: Hobart Hurricanes v
Brisbane Heat At Blundstone ArenaBT Sport 1
8.00-10.00am Live: Isuzu UTE
A-League: Central Coast Mariners
v Macarthur FC (Kick-off 8.05)
12.00 Uefa Champions League
Goals Show Retro
2.00-3.30pm The Football
Archives Triple bill
6.00 The Ashes
8.00 Scottish Football Extra
8.30 Live College Football
Action from the NCAA
12.30-4.30am Live College
Football Coverage of another
match from the NCAABT Sport 2
12.00noon The Cricket’s On
1.00pm MLB Classic
2.00 BT Sport Goals Reload
3.00 WWE NXT
4.45 The Ashes Reload
5.00 Live College Football
Action from the NCAA
8.30 DIY Pundit
9.00 UFC: The Walk
9.30 Scottish Football Extra
10.00 WWE NXT UK
11.00 WWE NXT Highlights
12.00-1.00am WWE SmackDown
Highlights The best actionSKY 401, VIRGIN 511, BT 467 SKY 402, VIRGIN 512 SKY 404, VIRGIN 514 SKY 413, BT 459 SKY 414, BT 460New Year’s Eve | Digital guide
Abba at the BBC
A compilation of
memorable performances
from the BBC archives
BBC4, 8.40pm
FV Freeview FS FreesatRashid Khan and fellow Adelaide
Strikers take on Sydney Thunder
(Sky Main Event, 7.45am)