PICKS OF THE MONTH: DECEMBER 2024

What to watch this month.

Strike: The Ink Black Heart

BBC One

Tom Burke and Holiday Grainger return in the hit crime series based on J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novels written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

When frantic, desperate Edie Ledwell appears in the office begging to speak to her, private detective Robin Ellacott doesn't know quite what to make of the situation.

The Split: Barcelona

BBC One

Abi Morgan’s hit legal drama The Split returns to BBC iPlayer and BBC One for a very special Spanish extravaganza set over one sun-soaked weekend. The two-part special will explore the themes of love, legacy, and modern marriage, through a sparkling cast of characters that audiences know and love.

Wallace & Gromit

BBC One

After a recent crime wave of stolen garden goods from across the region, Wallace and his pre-programmed smart gnome, Norbot, are the main suspects. While Wallace proclaims his innocence, it’s up to Gromit once again to battle sinister forces, or Wallace will never invent again!

Outnumbered

BBC One

The Brockmans are back! Written and directed by the show’s creators, Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton, the Outnumbered Christmas Special will follow the chaos in the downsized home of Pete and Sue Brockman, as they grapple with the challenges of parenting kids who are now adults, with their own lives to lead.

Gavin & Stacey

BBC One

In Barry, Bryn’s packing the Picasso in readiness for a trip to Essex; Stacey and Gavin are looking for new ways to spice up their seventeen year marriage and Gwen is behaving most strangely. Nessa’s started a new business venture and Neil the Baby’s about to begin an apprenticeship with his dad.

Doctor Who

BBC One

The episode introduces Joy, starring Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls), who checks into a London hotel in 2024, only to discover that her quiet stay is anything but ordinary. When Joy opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel, she discovers danger, dinosaurs and the Doctor. But a deadly plan is unfolding across the Earth, just in time for Christmas.

Call The Midwife

BBC One

It’s Christmas 1969 and the Nonnatus midwives are in their element, all busy delivering babies and doing the job they are most dedicated and committed to. The funfair comes to Poplar, adding a burst of colour and excitement to the frosty landscape but there are other visitors to the borough - including influenza and the Hong Kong flu.

Wham: Last Christmas Unwrapped

BBC Two

This Christmas, in celebration of its 40th anniversary, BBC Two and BBC Music presents WHAM!: Last Christmas Unwrapped – an hour-long celebration from Blink Films and Sony Music Entertainment, in association with Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael Entertainment, of a latter-day Christmas classic, telling the story of how George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s WHAM! turned one song into a cultural phenomenon.

Woman Of Stone: A Ghost Story For Christmas

BBC Two

Mark Gatiss brings E. Nesbit’s chilling short story Man-Size in Marble back to life in his seventh Ghost Story for Christmas. In her final days, author Edith Nesbit recounts the chilling tale of newlywed Victorians Jack and Laura. The couple are settling into a small cottage in a quiet village when their idyll is overshadowed by the superstitious warnings of their housekeeper, Mrs Dorman, and the legend of the village church’s tomb effigies - a pair of marble knights who are said to rise from their slabs on Christmas Eve…

You Bet!

ITV1

Hosted by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern, iconic challenge show You Bet! returns to ITV1 and ITVX with two action-packed primetime event specials. Crammed full of epic challenges, mind-blowing feats, big name celebrities and nail-biting suspense, You Bet! is back with a fresh new update. Members of the public will use their unique abilities to pull off the most outrageous challenges imaginable, all for the chance of winning a big cash prize.

Bullseye

ITV1

The game show is back on ITV with cricketing legend Freddie Flintoff at the presenting helm. Bullseye is one of the UK’s most successful and best-loved family game shows - in this brand-new Christmas special, each playing team will be made up of an amateur dart player known as the ‘thrower’ and their team partner the ’knower’. They will combine their skills and throw darts at different game boards while answering questions correctly for ‘points and prizes’.

Gino & Fred: Emission Impossible

ITV1

Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix are off on an epic eco-friendly trip to explore the cuisine and culture of Austria and Croatia. Along the way, the firm friends find themselves rowing through spectacular glaciers, taking part in a traditional Austrian dance, trying their hand at water polo in Croatia and milking donkeys.

Archie

ITV1

 A four-part drama depicting the life of Cary Grant, Hollywood’s greatest leading man, and starring Jason Isaacs in the leading role. Born in Bristol in England in 1904 to parents Elsie and Elias, Archie tells the story of a young Archibald Alexander Leach’s troubled childhood and how extreme poverty, his father’s adultery and the loss of his older brother John tore the family apart and sent his loving mother into a downward spiral of grief and depression - Jeff Pope’s scripts reveal how deceit, cruelty, and one overpowering lie shaped Archie’s life.

Bake Off: Festive Special

Channel 4

For this special episode, Soap royalty Chris Bisson, Natalie Cassidy, Dean Gaffney, Shobna Gulati and Sheree Murphy compete for Star Baker. The Great Christmas Bake Off returns to Channel 4 this festive season. 

The Good Ship Murder: Christmas Special

Channel 5

The holiday season is off to a rocky start when the ship's resident Santa falls ill, threatening to disappoint the passengers. Bev puts Jack in charge of finding a replacement Santa, and his search leads him to Buddy, a veteran comedian in Dubrovnik who seems like the perfect fit. However, unexpected events complicate Jack's plan, leaving everyone scrambling to save Christmas on board...

The Serial Killer's Wife

Channel 5

This intense four-part drama is set in a family home nestled in an idyllic English town, where Beth Fairchild (Annabel Scholey) has prepared a surprise birthday party for her husband Tom (Jack Farthing). With most of the village present as Tom is the beloved local doctor, Beth’s world is turned upside down when the party is interrupted by the police and Tom is arrested for the murder of his former assistant.

Bad Tidings

Sky Max

It’s the week before Christmas and Stockport home security expert, Neil (Lee Mack) has a problem with his neighbour. Scott (Chris McCausland) swaps their bins, complains about Neil’s ‘project’ car on his drive and has had his Christmas lights up all year, shining into Neil’s home office. Basically, he’s a git. He’s also blind, and the rest of the street think he’s great.

Black Doves

Netflix

Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, Black Doves is a sharp, action-filled, and heartfelt story of friendship and sacrifice. It follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother - and professional spy. For 10 years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organization she works for: the Black Doves.

Squid Game 2

Netflix

Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won.