The Times - UK (2021-12-21)

8 Tuesday December 21 2021 | the times

television & radio

Christmas dinner are

Strictly Come Dancing’s

Oti Mabuse, the

comedian Judi Love,

the reality star Joey

Essex, the former

footballer Neil “Razor”

Ruddock and the

Hi-de-Hi! actress Su

Pollard. On Thursday

it’s the turn of Gemma

Collins, Joe Swash, Les

Dennis, Mica Paris and

the Rev Richard Coles

to impress the judges.

Celebrity

MasterChef

BBC1, 8pm

Starting four celebrity

versions of the BBC

culinary favourite,

tonight’s opener

features a quintet

that is nothing if not

eclectic. Battling it

out for the, er, golden

whisk trophy (if trophy

is the right word)

by knocking up a

interview and present

a TV programme. This

programme concludes

with Philip’s final

months, when

lockdown at least

allowed him to enjoy

what was probably the

most time he and the

Queen spent alone

together. Perhaps his

greatest gift to the

nation was the solace

he brought her — and

making her laugh.

flattering story. Philip’s

famous “gaffes” are set

firmly in the context

of press intrusion, and

his hatred of having

cameras and

microphones shoved

in his face. But this

programme also makes

clear that it was Philip

who brought the TV

cameras into royal

life: he was the first

member of the royal

family to give a TV

been borrowed from

a 100th birthday profile

that never was. But the

talking heads provide

nuggets of revelation

that are almost as

“golden” as the

royal hair they keep

mentioning. The duke’s

friend and biographer

Gyles Brandreth seems

almost dewy-eyed

most of the time, but

he knows how to tell

a good and gently

House of Windsor’s

broadcaster of choice.

And courtiers will find

little to displease them

with this glowing

tribute to the Duke of

Edinburgh, who died

in April. We hear the

words “handsome”

and “charming” a lot,

although some of the

testimony is in the

present tense, leading

one to suspect that

some slivers may have

Viewing Guide

Ben Dowell

Philip: Prince,

Husband, Father
ITV, 9pm

With
relations
between
Buckingham
Palace and the BBC
frosty of late, ITV
seems keen to step
into the breach as the

Top

pick

7PM

Early

8PM

9PM

10PM

11PM

Late

BBC1 BBC2 ITV Channel 4 Channel 5

7.00 The Goes Wrong Show: The Spirit

of Christmas An amateur dramatics

society undertakes an ambitious

festive endeavour (1/6) (r) (AD)

7.30 EastEnders Martin confronts Zack

and threatens to tell Sharon about

everything that has happened (AD)

8.00 Celebrity MasterChef Christmas

Cook-Off John Torode and Gregg

Wallace invite former contestants Oti

Mabuse, Joey Essex, Neil Ruddock,

Judi Love and Su Pollard back to the

kitchen. See Viewing Guide (AD)

9.00 The Girl Before After receiving

shocking news, Jane resolves to

find out exactly what Edward knows

about Emma’s fate. In flashback,

the police pick apart the story of

Emma’s assault (3/4) (AD)

10.00 BBC News at Ten

10.25 BBC Regional News and Weather

10.35 The Royle Family Christmas

Special The couch-potato clan

gathers for another Christmas Day,

which sees Barbara proudly handing

out her pound-shop presents and

Dave coming up with an idea

worthy of Dragons’ Den (r) (AD)

11.35 Have I Got a Bit More News for

You Broadcaster Steph McGovern and

comedy writer Armando Iannucci pair

up with Ian Hislop and Paul Merton to

poke fun at the week’s events. Martin

Clunes hosts. Last in the series

12.20am The Graham Norton Show The host is

joined by Stanley Tucci, Joan Collins, Jamie Oliver and

Romesh Ranganathan (r) 1.15-6.00 BBC News

7.30 Dad’s Army Christmas special from

1971. The platoon challenges a rival
      regiment to a gruelling duel, involving
      map-reading, initiative tests,
      river-crossing and field-fighting, to
      prove they are fitter and better
      trained than any other troop (r)

8.30 Christmas University Challenge

Teams from Winchester and Bradford

compete for a place in the semi-finals

9.00 A Taste of Christmas with Andi

Oliver The cook meets three very

different families from Glasgow

as they create celebratory feasts

for their nearest and dearest (AD)

10.00 Impeachment: American Crime

Story The Starr Report’s flood of

salacious details mortifies Monica, and

Linda is further vilified after the

release of her tapes (10/10) (AD)

11.10 What We Do in the Shadows

Nandor is persuaded to reject

vampirism (8/10) (AD)

11.35 What We Do in the Shadows Colin

celebrates a birthday (9/10) (AD)

12.00 What We Do in the Shadows The housemates

grieve the loss of one of their own. Last in the series

(AD) 12.30am NFL This Week 1.20 Sign Zone: Mary

Berry’s Festive Feasts (r) (AD, SL) 2.20 Bridget Riley —

Painting the Line (r) (SL) 3.20-4.20 Dolly: The Sheep

That Changed the World (r) (SL)

7.00 Emmerdale Meena is disrupted by

Noah, Billy and Dawn share an

emotional moment, and Mandy urges

Sam to make amends (AD)

7.30 Gino’s Italian Family Adventure

Gino D’Acampo takes his wife Jess on a

romantic getaway to Puglia (6/7) (AD)

8.00 Love Your Garden In Wakefield, Alan

and the team create a secluded secret

garden filled with hidden corners and

magical touches for a wheelchair-

bound little girl and her family (AD)

9.00 Philip: Prince, Husband, Father

Documentary charting the life of

Prince Philip, drawing on rare archive

footage and audio recordings spanning

eight decades to tell his story in his

own words. See Viewing Guide (AD)

10.00 ITV News at Ten

10.30 Regional News

10.45 The Savoy at Christmas

Documentary following life in the

London hotel over the festive season,

as staff prepare to welcome guests

during the hotel’s most profitable time

of the year (5/5) (r) (AD)

11.40 Shaun of the Dead (15, 2004) An

aimless man decides to get his life

back on track just as zombies start to

roam the streets of London to feast on

the living. Comedy horror with Simon

Pegg and Nick Frost (AD)

1.15am Shop: Teleshopping 3.00 FYI Extra 3.15

Extraordinary Twins (r) (AD) 4.05 Unwind with ITV

5.05-6.00 Tipping Point (r) (SL)

7.00 Channel 4 News

8.00 Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the

Country at Christmas The family

prepare for their perfect countryside

Christmas, building a grand treehouse

inspired by an alpine chalet, making

honey-based booze and visiting

a herd of reindeer

9.00 Amazing Spaces: George’s

Icelandic Adventure George Clarke

and master craftsman Will Hardie

explore the best of Iceland’s

architecture, from a traditional home

made of turf to a treetop hotel room

inspired by a Christmas bauble

10.00 The Great British Truck Up

Documentary following would-be lorry

drivers as they undergo five days of

intensive training at the National

Driving Centre in Croydon, before

taking their tests on the busy roads

11.00 Celebrity Gogglebox 2021

Memorable moments of the year,

featuring some of the country’s

favourite celebrities critiquing shows

including Masked Dancer, First Dates,

Quizness and The Handmaid’s Tale (r)

12.00 FILM: Mr & Mrs Smith (15, 2005) Comedy

adventure with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie 2.00am

The Simpsons (r) 3.15 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares

USA (r) 4.00 Couples Come Dine with Me (r) 4.55 Cook

Clever, Waste Less with Prue & Rupy (r) 5.25 Kirstie’s

Handmade Christmas (r) 5.35-6.15 Countdown (r)

7.00 Cadbury’s at Christmas & Other

Chocolate Treats Featuring a

look at Fortnum & Mason’s new

confectionery department after

a major refit. Plus, the history of

Christmas chocolate packaging (r)

8.00 Harrods at Christmas

A behind-the-scenes look inside the

world famous department store at

Christmas, revealing how the

store claimed its place at the very

heart of the festive season

9.00 Christmas Cruising with Susan

Calman The comedian goes in search

of the Northern Lights as her

Christmas-flavoured trip takes

her from the northern city of

Tromso to Arctic Finnsnes (2/2)

10.00 Meet the Parents (12, 2000)

A male nurse delays proposing to

his girlfriend until he has won the

approval of her strict father, a former

CIA agent who does not suffer fools

gladly, and vows to be on his best

behaviour during a visit to her family

home. However, his efforts to impress

soon collapse into a catalogue of

disasters. Comedy starring Robert De

Niro, Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Blythe

Danner and Owen Wilson

12.15am Greatest Ever Celebrity Wind Ups Joe

Pasquale revisits celebrity pranks (r) 1.15 The 21.co.uk

Live Casino Show 3.10 Entertainment News on 5 3.20

Hot Body Hot Yoga: Downward Dog (r) 4.05 Tower Block

Kids (r) 4.50 Our New Puppy. A border collie tries

sheep herding (r) 5.35-6.00 House Doctor (r) (SL)

6.00am Breakfast 9.15 Morning Live at Christmas.

Magazine show, hosted by Kym Marsh and Gethin Jones

10.00 Animal Park Christmas Special. A New binturong

settles into its enclosure (r) 10.45 A Countryside

Christmas. Gethin Jones delivers the ultimate guide to a

countryside Christmas (AD) 11.15 Homes Under the

Hammer. Properties about to be auctioned in Surrey,

Derby and Co Durham (r) 12.15pm Bargain Hunt. From

the Newark Antiques fair (r) (AD) 1.00 BBC News at One;

Weather 1.30 BBC Regional News; Weather 1.45 Spy in

the Snow. Undercover cameras reveal how living in the

snow tests animals to their limit (r) (AD) 2.45 FILM:

Saving Mr Banks (PG, 2013) Walt Disney tries to

persuade the creator of Mary Poppins to part with the

movie rights to her beloved creation. Fact-based drama

with Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks (AD) 4.45

Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers. Nick Park’s

Oscar-winning animation, in which the inventor and

his dog find their lives turned upside down by their

villainous penguin lodger (r) (AD) 5.15 Pointless. Quiz,

hosted by Alexander Armstrong (r) 6.00 BBC News at

Six; Weather 6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather

6.10am Sign Zone: MasterChef: The Professionals (r)

(AD, SL) 7.10 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip (r) 8.10

Lifeline (r) 8.20 A Very Country Christmas (r) (AD) 9.20

FILM: Dancing Through Christmas (PG, TVM,

2021) When widower Michael meets Olivia, his

daughter’s dance teacher, a flame is sparked in the

firefighter’s heart. Romantic drama starring AnnaLynne

McCord 10.50 Snow Wolf Family and Me (r) (AD)

11.20 Nigellissima — An Italian Inspired Christmas (r)

(AD) 12.20pm Inside the Christmas Factory (r) (AD)

1.20 Great Alaskan Railroad Journeys (r) (AD)

1.50 FILM: Doctor Zhivago (PG, 1965) A physician is

torn between loyalty to his wife and his love for another

woman during the Russian Revolution. Drama starring

Omar Sharif and Julie Christie. See Viewing Guide

5.00 Remarkable Places to Eat at Christmas. Michel Roux

Jr takes Fred Sirieix for a Christmas treat in Bristol,

where they enjoy the perfect French bistro, a countryside

escape and Jamaican jerk turkey (r) (AD) 6.00 The Good

Life (r) 6.30 Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Christmas

Fishing. Bob Mortimer returns to his childhood roots to

fish the River Esk and Tees (r) (AD)

6.00am Good Morning Britain 9.00 Lorraine.

Entertainment, current affairs and fashion news, as well

as showbiz stories and celebrity gossip. Presented by

Lorraine Kelly 10.00 Supermarket Sweep. Rylan

Clark-Neal hosts the supermarket-based game show in

which three pairs of shoppers go wild in the aisles to win

a £3,000 prize (r) 11.00 In for a Penny. Stephen Mulhern

sets challenges to members of the public in Southampton

(r) (AD) 11.30 Midsomer Murders. A fatal explosion at a

haulage yard proves a difficult case for Barnaby, whose

suspects include several Territorial Army soldiers, a

ruthless businessman and a grieving mother (r) (AD)

1.30pm ITV News; Weather 1.45 FILM: Shrek (U,

2001) A grumpy ogre is forced to rescue a princess from

a dragon, aided only by a wisecracking donkey. Animated

comedy, with the voices of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz

and Eddie Murphy (AD) 3.30 You’ve Been Framed!

Unwrapped. Harry Hill narrates festive-themed clips (r)

4.00 Tipping Point. Ben Shephard hosts the quiz (r) 5.00

The Chase. Bradley Walsh presents the quiz show as

another set of contestants take on the Chaser (r) 6.00

Regional News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather

6.15am The King of Queens (r) 7.05 The Big Bang

Theory (r) 7.50 The Simpsons (r) 9.20 Frasier (r) 10.20

FILM: Christmas at Grand Valley (U, TVM, 2018)

Romantic drama starring Danica McKellar 12.05pm

Channel 4 News Summary 12.10 Couples Come Dine with

Me (r) 1.10 Jamie’s Quick and Easy Christmas. Jamie

Oliver shares ideas for simple festive recipes that take

little effort to prepare (r) 2.10 Countdown. The Rev

Richard Coles is in Dictionary Corner 3.00 A Place in the

Sun. A couple seek their dream home in the region of

Torrox Costa, Spain (r) 4.00 Château DIY at Christmas.

Abbie, Clive and Karen erect a heavy spiral staircase in the

Dordogne 5.00 Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas. Festive

crafters compete to create the best seasonal stocking,

Kirstie Allsopp reveals the secrets of quilted placemats

and there is a guide to making candy cane canapes 6.00

The Simpsons. Homer resolves to turn over a new leaf

and become a do-gooder, but his kindness rivals that of

Ned Flanders, and the neighbours embark on a battle for

supremacy (r) 6.30 Hollyoaks. A text from Trish makes

Tony worry for his job at The Dog, Sami is forced to come

clean, and things could be looking up for Darren (r)

6.00am Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine. The broadcaster

and guests discuss the issues of the day, with co-host

Storm Huntley joining him for phone-ins and reading out

viewers’ correspondence 11.15 Entertainment News on 5.

Showbiz news and gossip 11.30 Friends. Janice gets a

wedding invitation (r) 11.50 FILM: Gnomeo & Juliet

(U, 2011) Two garden gnomes fall in love over a fence,

but their romance is threatened by a bitter feud between

their houses. Animated comedy with the voices of James

McAvoy and Emily Blunt 1.30pm 5 News at Lunchtime

1.35 FILM: Christmas Rivalry (PG, TVM, 2021)

A woman returns to her hometown for Christmas to

drown her sorrows after her recent defeat in a political

campaign for city council. Festive drama starring Jacky Lai

3.30 FILM: A Nutcracker Christmas (PG, TVM,

2016) A jaded ex-ballet dancer struggles with her own

emotions as she mentors her niece to star in a production

of The Nutcracker. Festive drama starring Amy Acker 5.20

FILM: The Christmas Toy Maker (PG, TVM, 2021)

A small toy company CEO must convince her former

business partner to agree to a merger with a much larger

company. Festive drama starring Marisol Nichols