8 Wednesday December 22 2021 | the times
television & radio
from French critics for
its cliché-ridden, sugar-
coated depiction of the
city, but it was a big hit
with viewers (58 million
accounts binged or
hate-watched it during
its first 28 days on
Netflix). Season two
will deal with the messy
aftermath of Emily’s
night of passion with
Gabriel and its impact
on her friendship with
Camille.Emily in Paris
NetflixThe divisive comedy
drama is back for
a second season, with
Lily Collins returning
as the young American
social media whiz who
immerses herself in
French culture/men
while living in Paris for
work. The first series
was on the receiving
end of scathing reviewsCompleting the family
are Dean’s older
siblings: popular sister
Kim (Laura Kariuki)
and sporty brother
Bruce (Spencer Moore
II). Like Kevin before
him, Dean views his
life through rose-tinted
glasses. “Whether
we were yelling or
laughing,” he says, “if
you turned your head
just right, it all sounded
like music.”“be cool”, which isn’t
easy when you’re
a black man trying
to raise a family in
Alabama in the late
1960s — 1968 was the
year after the race riots
and a US presidential
campaign that was
suffused with the
politics of race. Dean’s
mum, Lillian (Saycon
Sengbloh), is an
accounting executive
with a master’s degree.1968 and Dean has just
turned 12 — “the age
where you turn from
a boy to a man” — but
like most kids of that
age he’s just busy trying
to figure out his place
in the world. His dad,
Bill (The West Wing’s
Dulé Hill), is a music
professor by day and a
funk musician by night,
and to Dean he is “the
baddest dude I knew”.
Bill’s motto for life issensitive teenager
Kevin Arnold, as
recalled by his older,
wiser self. Disney+ is
rebooting it, but this
time the protagonist is
Dean Williams (Elisha
“EJ” Williams), a boy
from a black middle-
class family in
Montgomery, Alabama.
As before, the series is
narrated by a grown-up
Dean, voiced by Don
Cheadle. The year isViewing Guide
Joe ClayThe Wonder Years
Disney+
The Wonder
Years was the
whimsical
1960s-set
coming-of-age US
comedy drama that ran
from 1988 to 1993 and
followed the nostalgia-
tinged schooldays of
Top
pick7PM
Early
8PM
9PM
10PM
11PM
Late
BBC1 BBC2 ITV Channel 4 Channel 5
7.00 The Repair Shop at Christmas
The team takes on a precious toy
rocking horse, a seized-up stereogram,
a toy truck built during the Second
World War, and a vintage musical
carousel ornament (r) (AD)8.00 The Great British Sewing Bee:
Celebrity Christmas Special New
host Sara Pascoe presents this festive
special, in which the Rev Kate Bottley,
Antony Cotton, Kiell Smith-Bynoe
and Anneka Rice make Christmas
jumpers and fancy dress outfits.
See Viewing Guide (AD)9.00 The Girl Before Jane, increasingly
suspicious of Edward, discovers a pearl
that appears to be from her necklace.
When a jeweller confirms it is identical
and Simon tells her Edward also gave
Emma a pearl necklace, the disturbing
repetition of Edward’s relationships
again hits home for Jane (4/4) (AD)10.00 BBC News at Ten10.25 BBC Regional News and Weather
10.35 Crazy Rich Asians (12, 2018)
When New York University professor
Rachel Chu heads to Singapore with
her boyfriend, Nick Young, she is
surprised to learn he is from an
extremely wealthy family. The problem
is they are not so approving of her,
so she attempts to win them over.
Blockbusting comedy based on Kevin
Kwan’s novel of the same name,
starring Constance Wu, Henry
Golding and Gemma Chan (AD)12.30am Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel Gemma
Collins, Dara O Briain, Fred Sirieix, Rochelle Humes,
Lorraine Kelly, Jordan Banjo and Liam Charles help the
contestants take on the colossal wheel and answer
questions (r) 1.30 Superman & Lois. Clark shares some
Kryptonian history (r) (AD) 2.15-6.00 BBC News7.30 Christmas University Challenge
The third match of this special series
sees a team from the University
of Bristol and a team from King’s
College in Cambridge fight for a
place in the semi-finals (3/10)8.00 The Hairy Bikers Go North for
Christmas Dave Myers and Si King
prepare a festive feast inspired by the
north of England that they will share
with their nearest and dearest in a
long-overdue Christmas celebration
See Viewing Guide (AD)9.00 Inside the Christmas Factory
Gregg Wallace and Cherry Healey visit
factories to find out how household
staples are made and Ruth Goodman
examines their history (AD)10.00 Live at the Apollo: Christmas
Special Jason Manford welcomes
Maisie Adam and Nabil Abdulrashid
to the Hammersmith Apollo
stage for this festive special10.45 Secrets of the Apollo Comedians
share their memories of performing
on Live at the Apollo from the
stalls of the famous Hammersmith
theatre. Featuring classic archive
clips from the show (r)11.45 Great Expectations (12, 2012)
A penniless orphan is given the chance
to rise through high society. Period
drama with Jeremy Irvine (AD)1.45am Sign Zone: Villages by the Sea How
traditional boat building shaped the village of Arnside on
the banks of the River Kent (r) (SL) 2.15 Surgeons: At
the Edge of Life. Cameras focus on one of Addenbrooke’s
Hospital’s leading head and neck surgeons (r) (SL)
3.15-5.15 MasterChef: The Professionals (r) (AD, SL)7.00 Emmerdale Meena is blindsided, and
Liam is ensnared by her trap, while
Kim feels a pang of loneliness (AD)7.30 Coronation Street Max backtracks on
his plan to sabotage Daniel’s concert.
While Abi gets into the festive spirit,
Kevin makes a startling discovery (AD)8.00 Paul O’Grady: For the Love of
Dogs Paul helps a Staffie overcome
its dislike of loud noises (AD)8.30 Coronation Street A furtive Kevin
keeps a secret from Abi. Meanwhile,
Sarah begins to regret suggesting
a joint family Christmas (AD)9.00 Madame Tussauds: The Full Wax
Filmed across a year at Madame
Tussauds’ London and Blackpool
locations, this documentary offers
a behind-the-scenes look at the
world famous tourist attraction.
See Viewing Guide (AD)10.00 ITV News at Ten10.30 Regional News10.45 Die Hard (18, 1988) New York cop
John McClane visits Los Angeles to see
his family over the Christmas holiday.
Stopping off at his wife’s place of
work, he realises armed men have
taken over the building and are holding
the corporation’s staff to ransom —
and only he has the ability to
fight back. Action thriller starring
Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman1.05am Teleshopping 3.00 FYI Extra 3.15 Sewer Men.
First in a two-part documentary following workers for
Severn Trent water company as they unblock toilets and
drains and delve down sewers clogged with all sorts
of waste (r) (AD) 4.05 Unwind with ITV 5.05-6.00
Tipping Point. Quiz hosted by Ben Shephard (r) (SL)7.00 Channel 4 News8.00 Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It
The presenters Kirstie Allsopp and Phil
Spencer are in Lancing, West Sussex,
where a couple are battling over
whether to stay put or move on from
their Victorian semi by the sea9.00 First Dates at Christmas
With Christmas 2020 having been cut
short for so many, Fred Sirieix and
his team are back and pulling out all
the stops to make sure that this
Christmas is one to remember10.00 Live: Joe Lycett — Mummy’s Big
Christmas Do! The comedian hosts
a festive house party from his
Birmingham hometown celebrating all
things queer, with guests including
Lorraine Kelly, John Whaite, Suzi
Ruffell and Rosie Jones11.30 Gogglebox Reviews of Seven Year
Switch, Jane McDonald & Friends,
The World’s Ugliest Pets and MAKE!
Craft Britain. Last in the series (r)12.35am Naughty & Nice: Sex Toy Britain How and
why Britain has become a nation of sexual adventurers (r)
1.30 Christmas at Liberty (r) 2.25 The Supervet at
Christmas (r) 3.20 Luxury Christmas for Less (r) 4.15
Couples Come Dine with Me (r) 5.05 Cook Clever, Waste
Less with Prue & Rupy (r) 5.35-6.15 Countdown (r)7.00 World’s Strongest Man 2021
Europe’s Strongest Man. James
Richardson presents action from the
event at First Direct Arena in Leeds.
With analysis from Laurence Shahlaei
and Terry Hollands, and commentary
by Colin Bryce and Danny Wallace8.00 Christmas at the Tower of London
Historic Royal Palaces interpretation
officer Emma Bell has a bold plan
to transform the fortress into a
winter wonderland, inspired by
the Tower’s famous menagerie9.00 Our Victorian Christmas A family
experiences Christmas as it would have
been 150 years ago, while historians
and experts provide historical
background and revealing insights into
the era. The programme charts the
transformation of Christmas over the
course of the Victorian era as it went
from 12 days of feasting, drinking and
partying to a far more family-friendly
celebration focused on Christmas Day10.30 Inside the Force: 24/7 When a
woman allegedly threatens her
neighbour with a knife, it results
in a dramatic arrest with four police
officers being assaulted, while
Sergeant Mike arrests a volatile
suspect who threatens hostel
staff with a hammer (4/4) (r)
11.30 Ambulance: Code Red Paramedic
Jack attends the scene of a double
stabbing in Birmingham, where two
neighbours have been attacked (r)12.30am 999: Criminals Caught on Camera The use
of CCTV to fight crime (r) 12.55 Entertainment News
1.00 The 21.co.uk Live Casino Show 3.00 Entertainment
News 3.10 Our New Puppy. A labrador puppy gets
training as an assistance dog (r) 4.00 The Great Model
Railway Challenge (r) 5.35-6.00 House Doctor (r) (SL)6.00am Breakfast 9.15 Morning Live at Christmas 10.00
Animal Park Christmas Special. The eland herd is growing
fast after the introduction of a young male (r) 10.45
A Countryside Christmas. Matt Baker and his wife Nicola
make bird feeder decorations (AD) 11.15 Homes Under
the Hammer. Properties about to be auctioned in the
West Midlands and Norwich (r) (AD) 12.15pm Bargain
Hunt: Food and Drink Special. Some of the most
interesting food-related items bought by past contestants
(r) (AD) 1.00 BBC News at One; Weather 1.30 BBC
Regional News; Weather 1.45 Snow Animals. The
remarkable strategies wildlife use to survive the winter
(r) (AD) 2.45 Merry Madagascar. Animated adventure
with the voice of Ben Stiller (r) (AD) 3.05 FILM: Pete’s
Dragon (PG, 2016) A young boy orphaned by a car crash
and left alone in a forest befriends a giant, fire-breathing
dragon. Adventure starring Bryce Dallas Howard 4.40
Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave. The animated characters
get mixed up in sheep rustling (r) (AD) 5.15 Pointless
Celebrities Christmas Special. With Lesley Joseph, Louie
Spence, Amelia Lily and Joe Pasquale 6.00 BBC News
at Six; Weather 6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather6.20am Sign Zone: Scotland’s Sacred Islands with Ben
Fogle (r) (SL) 7.20 Winter: Earth’s Seasonal Secrets (r)
(AD) 8.20 A Very Country Christmas (r) (AD) 9.20 FILM:
Christmas A La Carte (PG, TVM, 2021) A food
correspondent helps a businessman open his diner with
the aid of her television special. Romantic drama starring
Erin Agostino and Dillon Casey 10.50 Snow Wolf Family
and Me (r) (AD) 11.20 Rick Stein’s Cornish Christmas (r)
(AD) 12.20pm Inside the Christmas Factory (r) (AD)
1.25 Great Alaskan Railroad Journeys (r) (AD)
1.55 FILM: Kiss Me Kate (U, 1953) A divorced
couple’s bickering threatens to derail a production of a
Shakespeare play when they are cast in the romantic
leads. Musical comedy with Howard Keel and Kathryn
Grayson 3.40 FILM: Guys and Dolls (PG, 1955)
A gambler tries to win the heart of a Salvation Army
member, while his friend searches for somewhere to hold
an illegal dice game. Musical with Frank Sinatra and
Marlon Brando 6.05 Dad’s Army. The vicar holds a
fundraising bazaar (r) 6.40 Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em.
Frank offers his services for the local nativity play, but
the vicar is reluctant to accept. Stars Michael Crawford (r)6.00am Good Morning Britain 9.00 Good Morning
Britain with Lorraine. Entertainment and fashion news
10.00 Supermarket Sweep. Rylan Clark-Neal hosts the
game show in which three pairs of shoppers compete
in a series of challenges to win a £3,000 prize (r)
11.00 In for a Penny. Stephen Mulhern sets challenges
to members of the public in Cambridge (r) (AD)
11.30 FILM: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (U, 1982)
A lonely boy befriends a stranded alien and helps him
to contact his own people and call for rescue. Steven
Spielberg’s sci-fi fantasy starring Henry Thomas and
Drew Barrymore. See Viewing Guide (AD)
1.40pm ITV News; Weather 2.15 FILM: Shrek 2
(U, 2004) The ogre meets his in-laws, who are decidedly
unimpressed with their daughter’s choice of husband.
Animated adventure sequel featuring the voices of Mike
Myers and Cameron Diaz (AD) 4.00 Tipping Point.
Ben Shephard hosts the arcade-themed quiz in which
contestants drop tokens down a choice of four chutes
in the hope of winning a £10,000 jackpot (r) 5.00 The
Chase. Bradley Walsh presents the quiz show (r) 6.00
Regional News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather6.15am The King of Queens (r) 7.05 The Big Bang
Theory (r) 7.55 The Simpsons (r) 9.20 Frasier (r)
10.20 FILM: Christmas in Rome (PG, TVM, 2019)
An American tour guide agrees to teach a businessman
about Rome during the festive period. Romantic drama
starring Lacey Chabert and Sam Page 12.05pm Channel 4
News Summary 12.10 Couples Come Dine with Me.
Contestants from Nottingham compete for the cash prize
of £1,000 (r) 1.10 Jamie’s Italian Christmas. Jamie Oliver
cooks a festive meal with an Italian twist (r) 2.10
Countdown. The Rev Richard Coles is in Dictionary Corner
3.00 A Place in the Sun. Scarlette Douglas helps a couple
from Kent find a home on Spain’s Orihuela Costa (r) 4.00
Château DIY at Christmas. Matt takes to the cherry picker
to decorate the 40-feet tree in the garden 5.00 Kirstie’s
Handmade Christmas. How to make a care hamper and a
gingerbread hug mug 6.00 The Simpsons. A corporation
buys Springfield Elementary School and secretly uses the
pupils as guinea pigs to test a new toy range (r) 6.30
Hollyoaks. A life-changing decision is made in the
Osborne household, while Cindy decides to put her all into
making this Christmas an extra special one for Luke (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 11.25 Friends. Rachel’s
assistant Tag spends Thanksgiving with the gang, and a
puppy smuggled into the flat by Phoebe unnerves
Chandler (r) 11.50 FILM: Christmas Ever After (PG,
TVM, 2020) A writer falls for a man who resembles one
of her characters. Romantic drama starring Ali Stroker
and Daniel di Tomasso 1.35pm FILM: A Very Corgi
Christmas (PG, TVM, 2019) A woman is asked to help
take care of a Christmas present a fellow single parent
has bought for his daughter. Romantic comedy starring
Kelly Kruger and Kevin McGarry 3.30 FILM: Christmas
Miracle of Love (PG, TVM, 2021) United by
community service, a couple find new purpose at
Christmas. Drama starring Kat Barrell and Alberto Frezza
5.20 FILM: A Christmas Stray (PG, TVM, 2021)
A man finds himself stranded in a small town on
Christmas Eve and unable to shake the stray dog who ran
him off the road. Festive drama starring Andra Fuller