TV Guide 2015-12-19

Christmas week sees lots of shows end - Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, Sat), Masterchef Australia (Watch, Sun), The Apprentice (BBC1, Sun), Masterchef The Professionals (BBC2, Christmas Eve).

Christmas specials kick into high gear, with new runs of University Challenge (BBC2, from Sun), World's Strongest Man (C5, from Mon), and Celebrity Mastermind (BBC1, from Tue). Viewers in Wales might enjoy The Really Welsh Quiz (BBC1, Mon).

Swashbuckle (Cbeebies) puts out its Christmas special on Saturday, A Question of Sport gets to go out on Wednesday. Pointless Celebrities pulls a plum spot on Christmas Eve, followed by Would I Lie to You? BBC2 has The Great History Quiz, about the Tudors; ITV sends us Through the Christmas Keyhole.

Christmas Day honours fall to Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1), QI (BBC2), Fighting Talk (Radio 5), and The Quizeum (BBC4).

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Schedules are accurate at the time of publication; check against EPG for late changes.

Contents

Saturday 19 December

  • Benchmark (C4, 4.35am) What a start to the week.
  • Swashbuckle (Cbeebies, 11am) Snow joke.
  • Fighting Talk (Radio 5, 11am) Josh Widdicombe.
  • Masterchef Australia (Watch, 11.25) The finals week's five episodes - the winner's named tomorrow.
  • The X Factor (TV3, 12.55) Who won? Serious question, who won?
  • Celebrity Squares (ITV, 1.35) Repeat.

PRIMETIME

  • Keep It In the Family Christmas Special (ITV, 5.35; UTV Ireland 7.30) With Jack P Shepherd, Jane Danson, Wendi Peters, Louie Spence, Shaun Wallace, Paul Sinha.
  • Pointless Celebrities (BBC1, 6pm) Reality tv, with Ruth Badger and Solomon Akhtar, Carl Fogarty and Jimmy Bullard, Craig Phillips and Nikki Grahame, Jamie Laing and Alex Mytton.
  • Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, 6.35) Final performances.
  • Schlag den Raab Commentary (bothersbar, 7.15) Three British chaps discuss action on a German game show, and play games like Fabricated Pointless Benchmark. Last in the series.
  • Winning Streak (RTE1, 8.15).
  • Survivor San Juan del Sur (TG4, 8.25) Two episodes.
  • Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, 9pm) The results. An interview with the winner follows on Super Ceefax 601 at 9.55, and will be repeated all night.
  • QI XL (BBC2, 10.20; Wales 11.20, Scotland 11.50) Merriment.
  • The Apprentice (BBC1, 11.55).

Sunday 20 December

  • Come Dine with Me (More 4, 9.50am) Peterborough.
  • Knightmare (Challenge, 10am) Two episodes from series three.
  • Bargain Hunt (BBC1, 12 noon).
  • Four in a Bed (More4, 2.45) Five episodes.
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Challenge, 3pm) Five episodes.
  • Tipping Point for Text Santa (ITV, 5pm) Another chance to see Friday's show.
  • Come Dine with Me (More 4, 5.25) Christmas celebs.

PRIMETIME

  • The X Factor Winner's Story (ITV2, 6.25) Putting the apostrophe there tells us Reggie and Bernie were always going to lose.
  • University Challenge (BBC2, 6.50) UCL (Lynne Truss and Tom Dyckhoff) take on Birmingham (John Hammond, Joanna Gosling).
  • A Game of Two Halves (RTE Radio 1, 7.30).
  • The Chase With Celebrities (ITV4, 8pm).
  • Christmas Dinner Date (ITVBe, 8pm) A new episode ends the run of repeats.
  • Masterchef Australia (Watch, 8pm) Final of the cooking contest.
  • The Chase Us (Challenge, 8pm) We'd rather watch The Beast being beastly.
  • An Jig Gig (TG4, 8.30).
  • The Apprentice (BBC1, 9pm) The grand final. Includes You're Hired.
  • Have I Got a Bit More News for You (BBC1, 11.30) Best of the year.

Weekday Daytimes (Mon - Wed only)

  • Swashbuckle (Cbeebies, 9am and 1pm).
  • Rebound (ITV, 9.25am).
  • Pick Me! (ITV and UTV Ireland, 10.20am).
  • Big Star's Little Star (ITV, 11.20am).
  • The Great Pottery Throw Down (BBC2, 12 noon)
  • Bargain Hunt (BBC1, 12.15).
  • Come Dine With Me (C4, 1.05).
  • Pressure Pad (BBC2, 1.45).
  • Deal or No Deal (C4, 2.10).
  • Countdown (C4, 3.10) Tim Rice.
  • The Chase (ITV, 5pm) Repeats.
  • Come Dine with Me (C4, 5pm).
  • Pointless (BBC1, 5.15) Repeats.
  • Eggheads (BBC2, 6pm; not Mon) Repeats.

Monday 21 December

  • Who Wants to be a Millionaire Day (Challenge, from 6.15am) Non-stop Chris Tarrant, apart from some Bullseye between 9pm and 12.20.
  • Quote... Unquote (Radio 4 Extra, 9am and 4pm) From 2011.
  • Tipping Point (ITV, 12.25).
  • 1000 Heartbeats For Text Santa (ITV, 2pm).
  • Round Britain Quiz (Radio 4, 3pm) Scotland v Northern Ireland.
  • Pyramid (S4C, 5pm).
  • The Great British Bake Off Christmas Masterclass (BBC2, 5.15).
  • I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (Radio 4, 6.30) From York. With Dame Sandi Toksvig, but guest host Jack Dee.
  • World's Strongest Man 2015 (C5, 6.55) Qualifying events travel the great cities of the world: today, Stockholm in Sweden.
  • The Conversation (BBC World Service, 7.30) Karen Igho Rakos from Big Brother Africa 2011; Alexandra Zazzi from Expedition Robinson 1998.
  • University Challenge (BBC2, 8pm) Oriel Oxford (Peter Harness) v Trinity Cambridge (Faisal Islam).
  • Only Connect (BBC2, 8.30) Cluesmiths v Railwaymen in the third quarter-final.
  • The Really Welsh Quiz (BBC1 Wales, 8.30) Chris Corcoran has a festive quiz about Wales, for Wales.
  • Lip Sync Battle Christmas Special (Spike, 9pm).
  • Rupaul's Drag Race (TruTV, 10pm) Glamazon; Drag Queen of Comedy. Two episodes.
  • Mock the Week Christmas Special (BBC2, 10pm).

Tuesday 22 December

  • Benchmark (C4, 4.15am).
  • Wheel of Fortune Day (Challenge, from 6am) Except between 9pm and 12 midnight, when it's Bullseye.
  • The Great Sport Relief Bake Off (Really, 10am) Four episodes cycled twice.
  • Celebrity Squares (ITV, 1pm).
  • World's Strongest Man 2015 (C5, 6.55) Grindavik, in Iceland.
  • Celebrity Mastermind (BBC1, 7pm) Ricky Hatton, Tony Singh, Ardal O'Hanlon, Kate Bliss.
  • University Challenge (BBC2, 7.30) Manchester (Jesse Armstrong) play UEA (Caroline Flint, Tim Bentinck).
  • Masterchef The Professionals (BBC2, 8pm) Finals week.
  • The Chase With Celebrities (ITV4, 8pm).
  • A League Of Their Own Christmas Party (Sky1, 9pm)
  • QI (BBC2, 10pm; not NI) No L, with Carrie Fisher, Bill Bailey, CAUTION Jimmy Carr. Also on Dave at 11pm, and Dave+1 at 12 midnight.
  • Freeze Out (ITV, 11.45; UTV 12.40am, not STV).

Wednesday 23 December

  • Benchmark (C4, 4.30am).
  • Catchphrase Day (Challenge, from 6am) Except between 9pm and 12 midnight, when it's Bullseye.
  • Counterpoint 1999 (Radio 4 Extra, 9am and 4pm).
  • Countdown The Grand Final (C4, 3.10)
  • The Chase for Text Santa (ITV, 5pm) Repeat.
  • Celebrity Mastermind (BBC1, 7pm) Cheryl Fergison, Stacey Dooley, Kellie Maloney, Jane Hazelgrove.
  • World's Strongest Man 2015 (C5, 7pm) Leeds. The finals continue on Sunday.
  • A Question of Sport (BBC1, 7.30) Christmas special, with mystery celebrity guests.
  • University Challenge (BBC2, 8pm) Christ's Cambridge (Natalie Haynes) vs Essex (Dotun Adebayo).
  • All-Star Mr and Mrs (ITV, 8pm) Jack and Martine McCutcheon; Sandra and Harry Redknapp; Gwyneth Strong and Jesse Birdsall.
  • Masterchef The Professionals (BBC2, 8pm) Finals service.
  • Celebrity Juice (ITV2, 10pm) More best bits from the year.
  • Tipping Point (ITV, 11.40; UTV 12.15am Fri) Late-night lateral movement on the top shelf.

Thursday 24 December - Christmas Eve

  • The Chase Day (Challenge, from 6am) Except between 9pm and 12 midnight, when it's Bullseye.
  • Swashbuckle (Cbeebies, 9am and 1pm).
  • Pick Me! (ITV and UTV Ireland, 10.25am).
  • Bargain Hunt (BBC1, 12 noon).
  • Come Dine with Me (More4, 12.55) Five festive episodes.
  • All-Star Mr and Mrs (ITV, 5.40) From last night.
  • Celebrity Mastermind (BBC1, 6.40) Radzi Chinyanganya, Damon Gough, Rebecca Root, Kriss Akabusi.
  • Pointless Celebrities Christmas Special (BBC1, 7.10) Jeffrey Holland and Su Pollard, Alison Hammond and Robin Windsor, The Krankies, Louise Jameson and Colin Baker.
  • University Challenge (BBC2, 7.30) Exeter (Nick Baker and a dalek) vs Magdalen (Louis Theroux and a lift).
  • Would I Lie to You at Christmas (BBC1, 8pm) Bill Bailey, Ruth Jones, Jo Brand, Kelly Holmes.
  • Masterchef The Professionals (BBC2, 8pm) The grand final.
  • The Chase Christmas Special (ITV4, 8pm) From last year.
  • The Great History Quiz The Tudors (BBC2, 9pm) Kirsty Young asks of Lucy Worsley and Dan Snow and panelists.
  • 8 Out of 10 Cats (C4, 9pm) Peter Andre, Rob Beckett, Roisin Conaty, Joe Lycett.
  • Through the Keyhole (ITV, 9.45) Stephen Mulhern, Claudia Winkleman, and Jimmy Carr appears on two channels at once, which is jolly clever.

Friday 25 December - Christmas Day

  • Benchmark (C4, 4.20am) Are the kids up too early? Let them watch this, but do wake them up for lunch.
  • 3-2-1 (Challenge, 6.20am) Dickens, from 1979; can the players avoid the worst Christmas present of them all?
  • Junior Just a Minute (Radio 4, 8am) Paul Merton and Josie Lawrence are joined by younger players.
  • Swashbuckle (Cbeebies, 9am and 1pm).
  • The 99p Challenge (Radio 4 Extra, 9am and 4pm).
  • Bullseye (Challenge, 9.35am) A couple of Christmas specials.
  • Pointless Day (Challenge, from 12 noon) Except between 9pm and 12 midnight, when it's Bullseye.
  • Christmas Dinner Date (ITVBe, 6pm) Three episodes.
  • Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, 6.15) With Abbey Clancy, Harry Judd, Tom Chambers, Lisa Snowden, Cassidy Little, Alison Hammond.
  • The Quizeum Christmas Special (BBC4, 7pm) To the V&A Museum of Childhood, with Janina Ramirez, Kate Williams, Hallie Rubenhold, Lars Tharp.
  • Fighting Talk (Radio 5, 8pm) Josh Widdicombe hosts a taped edition for 2015.
  • The Bachelor (ITVBe, 9pm) The women tell all.
  • QI (BBC2, 9.50) Merriment, with Jenny Eclair, Johnny Vegas, Bill Bailey, Alan Davies. A new episodes.
  • 8 Out of 10 Cats (C4, 11pm) From yesterday.

Sign language interpretation

  • Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge (ITV, 6am Sat and Sun).
  • Show Me the Telly (STV, 2am Sun and 1.30am Wed).
  • The Apprentice (BBC2, 2.05am Tue).
  • The Great Pottery Throw Down (BBC2, 3.50am Tue).
  • Ejector Seat (ITV 3am Thu, not STV).
  • Great British Menu (BBC2, 8.35am Thu).
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