Friday, 15 December 2017

Must see TV - Week beginning 16/12/2017


It has been a while since I have offered up my weekly TV choice with that mainly down to Christmas but this week the TV schedule has picked up. Mostly thanks to the BBC. I reckon I will have to clean out my saved recordings on my virgin box to make space for the upcoming festive period.

With sadness, the Walking Dead is on their mid-season break and to make matters worse on Wednesday Pinky Blinders series ends, as did the Blue Planet on last Sunday I feel like I should don a black armband.

December 16 Saturday

BBC 1 – Strictly Come Dancing: Final 6:30pm ***New***

Tomorrow it’s the last live show and the only person in the country happy to see the back of the BBC show is Simon Cowell. We will see one of this year’s celebrity hopefuls scoop the coveted glitterball trophy my favourite is still in the mix Gemma Atkinson but as no chance.

Tonight each couple has to dance three times – with one dance chosen by the judges, one of the other dances is a show dance with no rules, and then finally they dance their favourite routine of the series. The judges will have their say however; the public will decide the winner in the end.

BBC 2 – Feud: Bette and Joan 9pm ***New Series***

Emmy-nominated drama, exploring the now-legendary rivalry between celebrated Hollywood actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The story picks up with the pair in 1962, as Joan comes to realise that good roles are not being written for women of her age. Chancing upon Henry Farrell's novel What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. Joan decides she has found the perfect part to showcase her abilities, and convinces director Robert Aldrich to champion a movie adaptation.

However, for the film to proceed, Joan realises she will need the talents - and raw star power - of her bitter rival Bette. Starring Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon

December 17 Sunday

BBC 1 – Sports Personality of the Year 6:45pm ***New***

Another one of those traditions like watching Miss World in days gone by and Eurovision to watch the Sports Personality of the Year show. Over the years its got bigger and bigger from the BBC studio to larger venues.

It’s not a reality show – and yet ironically its way more real, content-wise, in terms of the achievements it celebrates, than 100 reality shows put together and multiplied by, ooh, I don’t know, several hundred more.

The shortlist is announced a few weeks before the award ceremony, and the winner is determined on the night by a public telephone and on-line vote. The shortlist released a few weeks before the award ceremony, and the winner is determined on the night by a public telephone and on-line vote.

December 18 Monday

BBC 1 – Father Brown 1:45pm ***New Series***

As the Kembleford Amateur Dramatics Society prepares to put on a pantomime, a grim incident from the group's past is unearthed. A body is found in the woods, and identified as a woman who went missing from a rehearsal seven years previously. An examination of the corpse provides evidence that a man who confessed to the murder was innocent, leaving Father Brown with a miscarriage of justice to put right in time for Christmas.

BBC 2 – The League of Gentlemen 10pm ***New Series***

Much-loved comedy The League of Gentlemen returns to BBC 2 this Christmas with three brand-new episodes to celebrate the group’s twentieth anniversary at the BBC.

Once again, the three performing members of the League - Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton and Mark Gatiss - will be playing a veritable host of bizarre and darkly comic characters inhabiting the fictional Northern town of Royston Vasey, in scripts written by themselves and co-creator Jeremy Dyson.

Royston Vasey is facing a threat more dire than anything it has faced before: dark rumours of boundary changes that could erase the town from the map forever. The fight to save Royston Vasey from administrative annihilation will come from unexpected and surprising directions, all of them local…
December 19 Tuesday

Sky Cinema Premiere – Final Recall (2017) 9:40pm ***Film***

Five friends go on a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods for some sun, swimming and sex. With impeccable timing, while all the carefree frolicking in the wilderness is happening, an alien invasion begins. The friend’s early fears though come from a mysterious ‘Hunter’ who is prowling the woods. Is he on their side or the aliens?

Final Recall is not a big budget movie and it shows onscreen with passable special effects and acting that varies from good (Snipes) to not so good. The narrative plays out slow and steady with the odd little twist here and there, but predominantly the main thread is more character based with a lot of your enjoyment of the movie resting on if you have any empathy for the 5 young friends.

December 20 Wednesday

Sky Cinema Premiere – Battle for Moscow 9:35pm ***Film***

I love a war film and the likelihood will be the wife heading to bed early that is ok for me.

Russian World War II drama that follows a group of Soviet soldiers as they put their lives on the line to protect the city of Moscow from advancing Nazi forces. Set in 1941, with a column of German tanks pushing ever further into Russian territory, a small band of soldiers from the Red Army's 316th Rifle Division are forced to go to extreme lengths in order to protect the city and their people

December 21 Thursday

Sky One – Gwen Stefani’s you make it feel like Christmas 8pm *** Christmas Special***

It is well know my attraction to Gwen Stefani in fact I have even told the wife who I love that she would be the only woman who I would cheat on her with how naughty am I.

Blake Shelton, Chelsea Handler, Ken Jeong, Seth MacFarlane, and Ne-Yo join Gwen in this holiday special, which features music and holiday-themed sketches. She sings songs from her "You Make It Feel like Christmas" album, including a duet with Shelton, and such Christmastime classics as "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night" and "Santa Baby."

ITV 2 – The Great Xmas Rant 9pm *** Christmas Special***

A one-off 90-minute show in which comedians vent their anger about the festive season. The Great Xmas Rant will feature stand-ups including Ellie Taylor, Mark Watson, Tom Davis, Stephen Bailey, Darren Harriot, Nish Kumar and Richard Gadd alongside celebrities such as Joey Essex and Chris and Kem from Love Island.

From the turkey, to the hangovers, to the shopping and the cringe worthy office parties, the finest comedians from TV hilariously rant in detail about what annoys them most about Christmas. The show features nostalgic archive, and famous faces sharing their pet hates about Christmas.

December 22 Friday

BBC 1 – Tom Jones & Beverley Knight’s Gospel Christmas 9pm *** Christmas Special***

Gospel Christmas will come from the heart of Cardiff Dockland with this festive treat coming from the Grand Hall of the Exchange Hotel, celebrating a special evening of music and Christmas cheer with Sir Tom Jones and Beverley Knight.

The blend of traditional gospel, carols and songs of spiritual intent from modern greats like Prince and Bob Dylan, performed by choirs and a house band from the British gospel scene, will add up to the freshest of winter warmers.

Sir Tom pays homage to a genre that is very close to his heart, and accompanies the audience back home to the South Wales valleys and to the church where the sounds that led Tom on his musical journey began.

Meanwhile Beverley makes a welcome return to her roots after co-hosting last year’s inaugural show, and sings uplifting and joyful songs that will get you in the mood for Christmas. Brit and Mobo Award-winning singer-songwriter Jessie Ware, soul singer Kwabs and the London Community Gospel Choir and the House Gospel Choir will join them.

ITV – Al Murray’s make Christmas great again 9pm *** Christmas Special***

The Pub Landlord is back this Christmas to host a one-off festive special called Al Murray’s ‘Make Christmas Great Again’ .
Christmas is coming and the nation's favourite publican will be hosting the ultimate public house party. Serving up a Crimbo cocktail… no, make that a pint, (rules are rules) of festive cheer, seasonal games, and fun-loving celebrity guests.

You won't be properly warmed up for any Yuletide celebrations until you’ve experienced this Christmas cracker of a lock-in with The Pub Landlord.

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