It's the week before Christmas, and celebrity specials rule the house. Eggheads and Pointless are joined by University Challenge (BBC2, all week), Take Me Out (ITV, 7.45 Sat), Sion a Sian (S4C, 8.25 Thu), and Come Dine with Me (C4, 5pm weekdays). It's the grand final of Only Connect (BBC4, 8.30 Mon) and Countdown (C4, 2.40 Friday), and - if the hype is to be believed - the final of the world as we know it. ITV is hedging its bets with Text Santa (Friday from 8), an entertainment gala (so if the world does end, it's with a smile) and charity appeal (so if it doesn't, some good will be done). Genius!
Schedules subject to change.
Shortcuts: Sat | Sun | Weekdays | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri
Saturday 15 December
| 0830 | CITV | Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge
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| 0900 | CBBC | Gory Games
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| 1100 | Rad5 | Fighting Talk
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| 1300 | BBC1 | Bargain Hunt
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| 1400 | CBBC | Total Wipeout
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| 1530 | TV5 | Questions Pour un Champion
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| 1550 | ITV2 | The Xtra Factor x5 | Highlights from the various series.
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| 1625 | ITV | Famous Family Fortunes
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| 1625 | C4 | Come Dine with Me Ireland x5
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| 1635 | CITV | Jungle Run
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| 1745 | BBC1 | A Question of Sport | Sports Personality special: Joe Calzaghe, Steve Redgrave, Mary Peters.
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| 1830 | BBC1 | Strictly Come Dancing | Additional commentary on Ceefax p301.
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| 1945 | ITV | Take Me Out Special | Celebrities: Matt Johnson, Joe Swash, Keith Lemon. Take Me Out The Gossip follows on ITV2 at 2100.
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| 2000 | CHAL | Bob's Full House
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| 2030 | RTE1 | Winning Streak
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| 2100 | ITV | Ten Years of Girls Aloud Special | Popstars: The Rivals: so much to answer for. Over on 4, it's another Twilight movie.
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| 2300 | Rad4 | Brain of Britain
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Sunday 16
| 0730 | C4 | Survival of the Fittest Special | The pain from these obstacles can quickly add up.
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| 0830 | CITV | Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge | Also ITV.
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| 0930 | ITV | There's No Taste Like Home
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| 1000 | Rd4X | Desert Island Discs | The JAM years, with Paul Merton (1993).
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| 1030 | ITV | Dinner Date
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| 1130 | ITV | Dickinson's Real Deal
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| 1204 | Rad4 | I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue
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| 1320 | BBC1 | Bargain Hunt | SD. Not Scotland.
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| 1345 | C4 | Deal or No Deal | AudioD.
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| 1400 | CBBC | Total Wipeout
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| 1420 | ITV | The X Factor | Repeat from last Sunday.
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| 1605 | Mor4 | Come Dine With Me x5
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| 1635 | CITV | Jungle Run
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| 1850 | BBC1 | Strictly Come Dancing
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| 1900 | C4 | Come Dine With Me | Jona Lewie, Maizie Williams from Boney M, VV Brown, and Toby Anstis.
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| 1915 | TG4 | An Jig Gig
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| 2000 | TV3 | Famous Family Fortunes | Benidorm v Towie.
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| 2100 | DAVE | Mock the Week Night
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| 2215 | BBC2 | QI XL | Also BBC-HD. Not NI.
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| 2300 | BBC2 | Never Mind the Buzzcocks | Also BBC-HD.
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Shortcuts: Sat | Sun | Weekdays | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri
Weekdays
| 1215 | BBC1 | Bargain Hunt | Some episodes SD.
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| 1400 | CBBC | Total Wipeout
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| 1400 | DAVE | QI x2
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| 1400 | WTCH | Total Wipe Us Out | HD. Also DAVE 1900 (Mo 1800).
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| 1415 | BBC2 | The Weakest Link
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| 1440 | C4 | Countdown | Alistair McGowan. Finals week concludes. SD.
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| 1500 | ITV | Dickinson's Real Deal
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| 1520 | DAVE | Never Mind the Buzzcocks | Fr: HIGNFY.
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| 1525 | TV5 | Questions Pour un Champion
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| 1530 | C4 | 1001 Things You Should Know
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| 1600 | C4 | Deal or No Deal | AudioD.
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| 1600 | ITV | Britain's Best Bakery
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| 1700 | ITV | The Chase
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| 1700 | C4 | Come Dine With Me | Very minor celebs: Chelsee Healey, Marcus Collins, Crissy Rock, Nick Pickard, Lasmine Lennard. Who are these people?
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| 1715 | BBC1 | Pointless | More celebrities not good enough for Saturday, like Mark Durden-Smith.
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| 1800 | BBC2 | Celebrity Eggheads | See daily listings for details. Also BBC-HD.
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| 1830 | BBC2 | Strictly Come Dancing It Takes Two | Also BBC-HD. Friday for an hour, and it's at 2100 in NI.
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| 1900 | BBC2 | Masterchef The Professionals | Highlights, recipes, and tips from the chefs. Not Fr.
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| 1930 | BBC2 | University Challenge | Celebrity editions. See daily listings for details. Also BBC-HD, the first time UC's been in HD.
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Monday 17
| 1500 | Rad4 | Brain of Britain
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| 1800 | BBC2 | Celebrity Eggheads | Sports: Johnny Virgo, Rodney Marsh, Matthew Hoggard, David Fairclough, Joe Johnson.
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| 1830 | Rad4 | I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue | Preston. Victoria Wood is the guest panelist, Celebrity Big Brother's Jack Dee the guest host.
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| 1930 | BBC3 | Winter Wipeout
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| 1930 | BBC2 | University Challenge | Bristol (Alistair McGowan from the next-door studio) v Leeds (Jay Rayner).
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| 2030 | BBC4 | Only Connect | The Grand Final: Scribes v Draughtsmen.
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| 2100 | DAVE | Have I Got A Bit More News for You
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| 2100 | LIV | America's Next Top Model | Bungee jumps.
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| 2200 | DAVE | Mock the Week
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| 2200 | BBC2 | Never Mind the Buzzcocks | Highlights.
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| 2200 | BBC2 | Limmy's Show
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| 2200 | CHAL | Britain's Strongest Man 2012 x2
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| 2200 | C4 | 8 Out of 10 Cats | Highlights.
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| 2235 | BBC1 | Have I Got A Bit More News for You | Charlotte Church, Miles Jupp, Richard Osman. NI 2305, Wales 2320, Scot 2335.
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| 2240 | DAVE | Would I Lie to You?
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Shortcuts: Sat | Sun | Weekdays | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri
Tuesday 18
| 0355 | BBC1 | Masterchef The Professionals New! | Signed.
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| 1100 | CBBC | Copycats x5 | To 1320.
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| 1800 | BBC2 | Celebrity Eggheads | Travellers: Martin Roberts, Wanted's Magenta Devine, Pop Idol's Nicki Chapman, Simon Calder, Alex Riley.
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| 1930 | BBC2 | University Challenge | Newcastle (Peter Gibbs) v Loughborough (Tanni Grey-Thompson).
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| 2000 | BBC2 | The Great British Bake Off Christmas Masterclass | Including advice on the best arrangement for nuts. Also BBC-HD.
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| 2100 | DAVE | QI XL
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| 2200 | E4 | Tool Academy | Lowlights.
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| 2200 | DAVE | Have I Got A Bit More News for You
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| 2300 | DAVE | Mock the Week
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Wednesday 19
| 1740 | S4C | Y Lifft
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| 1800 | BBC2 | Celebrity Eggheads | Archers Admiration: Tim Bentinck, ndrew Wincott, Rachel Atkins, Charlotte Martin, Charles Collingwood.
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| 1930 | BBC2 | University Challenge | New Oxford (Kate Mosse) v LSE (Lloyd Grossman).
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| 2100 | DAVE | QI XL
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| 2200 | DAVE | Have I Got a Bit More News for You
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| 2300 | DAVE | Mock the Week
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Thursday 20
| 0340 | BBC1 | Masterchef The Professionals | Signed.
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| 0930 | Rd4X | Just a Minute | Merton, Hawks, Hancock, Norton. August 2011.
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| 1800 | BBC2 | Celebrity Eggheads | Paralympians: Charlotte Henshaw, Liz Johnson, David Wetherill, Dani Brown, Mark Colbourne.
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| 1930 | BBC2 | University Challenge | Liverpool (Lawrence McGinty) v Cardiff (Bill Turnbull).
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| 2000 | ITV2 | The X Factor Us | The first of two exciting shows. TV3 2100.
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| 2000 | BBC1 | Young The Apprentice | Connaitre moi sports, connaitre toi casual. Mm-hm.
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| 2000 | C5 | World's Strongest Man 2012
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| 2025 | S4C | Sion a Sian Special | Iwan and Non John; Emily Tucker and Rhys Bidder.
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| 2100 | DAVE | QI XL
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| 2100 | ITV | Who Wants to be a Millionaire Special | Christmas special.
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| 2200 | ITV2 | Celebrity Juice | A Juicemas Carol (2/2)
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| 2300 | DAVE | Mock the Week
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Friday 21
| 0340 | BBC1 | Masterchef The Professionals | Signed. Also 0315 tomorrow.
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| 1800 | BBC2 | Celebrity Eggheads | Songwriters: Tim Rice, Gary Kemp, Roger Greenaway, Mike Batt, Gary Osborne.
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| 1830 | Rad4 | The News Quiz
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| 1930 | BBC2 | University Challenge | Newnham Cambridge (Diane Abbott) v Nottingham (Brian Moore). Scotland 2000, not Wales, NI.
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| 2000 | BBC2 | Mastermind | None of this celebrity nonsense! Bee Gees, Kevin Smith, Falklands war, Thomas Hardy. Not Wales, NI.
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| 2000 | ITV2 | The X Factor Us | TV3 2100.
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| 2000 | ITV | Text Santa Special | If the world is ending tonight, ITV are going out with a bang - Jonathan Ross and Jo Brand in Family Fortunes, Loose Women on The X Factor, and it's all for charity.
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| 2100 | BBC1 | Have I Got News for You | Daniel Radclife, Andy Hamilton.
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| 2100 | DAVE | QI XL
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| 2100 | LIV | The Love Machine Special | Inexplicably renewed, this is the catch-up from series one for anyone who cares.
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| 2200 | SKY1 | A League of Their Own | Best bits.
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| 2200 | BBC2 | QI | Jingle Bells: Sarah Millican, Phill Jupitus, Danny Baker.
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| 2200 | DAVE | Have I Got A Bit More News for You
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| 2215 | ESPT | Latin Dancing x2 New! | Competitive dance sport from Moscow and Innsbruck.
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| 2300 | DAVE | Mock the Week
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| 2315 | ITV | Celebrity Juice Special | A Text Santa special, with Davina McCall, Louis Smith, Aston Merrygold, and Simon Gregson. STV 0000, as rugby's more important.
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| 2330 | BBC1 | Would I Lie to You?
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Shortcuts: Sat | Sun | Weekdays | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri
Channel abbreviations
| 4MUS | 4 Music
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| ABSR | Absolute Radio
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| ALBA | BBC Alba
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| ARTS | Sky Arts
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| BBC1 | BBC1 (Network unless otherwise noted)
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| BBC2 | BBC2 (Network unless otherwise noted)
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| BBC3 | BBC3
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| BBC4 | BBC4
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| BBCH | BBC-HD
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| BORD | Border (ITV in Cumbria and south-west Scotland)
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| C4 | Channel 4
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| C5 | Channel 5
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| CBBC | CBBC Channel
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| CBBS | Cbeebies
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| CLAS | Classic FM (Radio)
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| DAVE | Dave
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| DISN | Disney Channel
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| DMAX | D-MAX
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| DRT | Discovery Real Time
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| ESPC | ESPN Classic
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| ESPT | Eurosport
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| ESP2 | Eurosport 2
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| FDNT | Food Network
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| FOOD | UKTV Good Food
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| FSTR | 5*
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| GOLD | UKTV Gold
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| HOME | UKTV Home
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| HTV | HTV (ITV in Wales; Wales only unless noted)
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| ITV | ITV1 (Network unless otherwise noted)
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| ITV2 | ITV2
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| ITV3 | ITV3
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| ITV4 | ITV4
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| LIV | Sky Living
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| LIV2 | Sky Living It
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| LFC | LFC TV
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| MOR4 | More 4
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| NICK | Nickelodeon
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| PICK | Pick TV
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| QUES | Quest
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| Rad1 | BBC Radio 1
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| Rad2 | BBC Radio 2
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| Rad3 | BBC Radio 3
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| Rad4 | BBC Radio 4
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| Rad5 | BBC Radio 5
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| Rd4X | BBC Radio 4Xtra
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| RCym | BBC Radio Cymru
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| RSct | BBC Radio Scotland
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| RUls | BBC Radio Ulster
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| RWal | BBC Radio Wales
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| RLLY | UKTV Really
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| RTE1 | RTE1 (Irish)
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| RTE2 | RTE2 (Irish)
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| RTR1 | RTE Radio 1 (Irish)
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| S4CD | S4C Digidol
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| SKY1 | Sky 1
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| SKY2 | Sky 2
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| SKYA | Sky Atlantic
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| STV | STV (ITV1 in North and Central Scotland)
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| TLKS | Talk Sport (radio)
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| TV3 | TV3 (Irish)
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| TV5 | TV5 Monde (Europe)
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| TG4 | TG 4 (Irish)
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| UTV | Ulster Television (ITV1 in Northern Ireland)
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| WTCH | Watch
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AudioD - Audio Description for the blind.
Signed - in-vision British Sign Language translation.
Shows on BBC1, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV2, E4, Sky Living, and Sky One are in HD unless specified as SD. Shows on other channels are marked as HD.
See also
TV Guide Last Week
