What’s on TV tonight: I’m a Celebrity, Vigil and Planet Earth III

Sunday 10 December

Vigil
BBC One, 9pm
Back when lockdowns were easing and the appetite for new telly was insatiable, Suranne Jones’s DCI Amy Silva boarded a submarine to investigate a mysterious death, in the process exposing a Russian conspiracy and an awful lot of misbehaviour. Vigil was a huge hit, making a second series a tough act to follow, but this first episode suggests creator Tom Edge has a firm grasp on what made it a success: pushing plausibility without shattering it, an evocative setting and a cast able to sell the occasional silliness.

We begin with a botched drone demonstration at a Scottish airbase, intended to impress visiting officials from the (fictional) Middle Eastern state of Wudyan. When things go fatally awry, Silva and her partner Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) are called upon to investigate. Military top brass Dougray Scott and Romola Garai are cooperative, but as the story envelops human rights campaigners, shifty RAF officers and trans-continental arms trading – prior, of course, to a breathless cliffhanger – you may well switch to iPlayer where episodes two and three await (and also follow on Monday and Tuesday). Perfect popcorn telly. GT

Planet Earth III
BBC One, 6.20pm
The finale of another staggering series turns from the magnificence of nature towards those working hard to preserve it – “true heroes”, in the words of David Attenborough. They include a woman busting ivory poachers in Côte d’Ivoire, another rearing Northern bald ibis chicks in Austria and Mohamed Nasheed, former President of the Maldives and now a leading voice in the climate fight.

Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream
ITV1, 6.30pm
Sophie and Sky are finally cast in the upcoming production of the Abba jukebox musical, with Zoe Ball introducing performances from London’s Novello Theatre and Alan Carr, Samantha Banks, Amber Riley and Jessie Ware passing judgement one last time.

An Audience with Kylie
ITV1, 7.45pm
Twenty-two years ago, Kylie Minogue did her first Audience with… and set the bar sky high in terms of duetting partners. While it might be wise not to expect a reprise of Especially for You with Kermit the Frog, we are promised gems from her extensive back catalogue (the likes of Spinning Around and recent megahit Padam Padam will surely get an airing), smart choreography and questions from celebrity fans in this one-off from the Royal Albert Hall.

Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas
Channel 4, 8pm
Now heading up something of a festive tradition, Kirstie Allsopp returns with tips on decorations for trees and windows, centrepieces and basket making, along with a delicious Persian Christmas dinner.

Killing Sherlock: Lucy Worsley on the Case of Conan Doyle
BBC Two, 9pm
Perhaps Dorothy L Sayers and Margery Allingham should be watching their backs; having picked apart the life of Agatha Christie, Lucy Worsley moves on to Arthur Conan Doyle and his difficult relationship with his greatest creation, Sherlock Holmes. She begins by examining the first stories and Doyle’s early life by way of drug use, criminality and a trip to Switzerland.

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Final
ITV1, 9pm
Whatever your views on Nigel Farage, this has been one of the worst recent runs of this venerable reality show, which comes to an end tonight with another King or Queen of the Jungle being crowned. Who’s your pick?

Miracle on 34th Street (1947, b/w) ★★★★★
Channel 5, 1.40pm  
We’ve had four remakes to date of this classic Christmas mood-enhancer, but George Seaton’s fantastic original won four Oscars and it’s still the family favourite. Good-natured Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) is declared insane after he claims that he’s the real Father Christmas – but at a court hearing, his lawyer tries to prove that he’s telling the truth. Maureen O’Hara co-stars.

The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953) ★★★
BBC Two, 2.45pm  
The first Ealing Studios comedy to be filmed in colour is set in a tiny village serviced by a railway branch line facing closure, and was inspired by real-life events. Enter the local vicar (George Relph), whose schemes involve the villagers running the line and even appropriating a 19th-century engine from a nearby museum. John Gregson and Stanley Holloway co-star in this extremely sweet number.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) ★★★
ITV1, 4.20pm  
This Abba sequel lacks the shock value of the original: that bolt of bewilderment that struck you at Money, Money, Money, when you realised that yes, they were really going through with this… But once you get over that, it’s another glorious riot of song and dance in the Mediterranean, starring returning cast members Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep and Julie Walters, plus newbies Lily James and (believe it or not) Cher.

Pride & Prejudice (2005) ★★★★★
BBC Two, 6pm  
Joe Wright is the only director who makes Keira Knightley look like a good actress. For this version of Jane Austen’s classic novel she even got an Oscar nomination for her turn as Lizzie Bennet, a spirited woman who wishes for more than a dashing man on her arm. Matthew Macfadyen is much better though, as the brooding Mr Darcy, and all the mist-shrouded views of country houses, and mud-spattered petticoat hems, are divine.

Monday 11 December

The Factory: Made in Manchester
BBC One, 10.40pm; NI, 11.10pm
Manchester’s colossal new arts venue, Aviva Studios, is the UK’s largest cultural investment since the Tate Modern. Made up of an array of flexible spaces, including one large enough to house a jumbo jet, it is intended to elevate the north’s creative economy: creating jobs, nurturing careers and attracting talent. Yet at a cost of a whopping £240 million, the pressure to deliver is enormous.

In this wide-ranging Imagine… documentary, Alan Yentob charts the days leading up to the venue’s first live performance: an immersive dance retelling of 1999’s The Matrix, overseen by Trainspotting director Danny Boyle. Yentob goes behind the scenes of the production, titled Free Your Mind, and questions figures such as councillor Bev Craig about the studio’s troubled development. Craig defends the £35 million naming rights deal with insurance company Aviva. Critics have lamented the erasure of the venue’s original name, Factory International, inspired by the beloved Manchester record label that brought us Joy Division. As Yentob argues, it speaks to a larger debate about whether the venue can serve the city’s needs. SK

Jamie’s Christmas Shortcuts
Channel 4, 8pm
Jamie Oliver hosts this two-part guide on how to make Christmas dinner less of a living nightmare. Some tips are useful (wait until the turkey reaches room temperature before putting it in the oven), others a tenuous excuse (cheesecake is “the shortcut to impressing your family”) to show off a new recipe.

Winter on the Farm
Channel 5, 8pm
Helen Skelton and Jules Hudson report from Cannon Hall Farm in South Yorkshire to find out how farmers are preparing for the winter. Stripped across four nights, they will be welcoming guests such as Yorkshire vet Rohin Aojula, who treats a reindeer, and popstar-turned-farmer JB Gill.

EastEnders: The Six – Revealed
BBC Three, 8pm
Excitement has been building for the EastEnders Christmas special since February, when a flash-forward teased the death of a mystery man by one of the soap’s six matriarchs. This behind-the-scenes special, presented by former cast member Joe Swash, catches viewers up on the story so far. You can also watch it on BBC One on Tuesday at 10.40pm.

Julius Caesar: The Making of a Dictator
BBC Two, 9pm
The assassination of Julius Caesar is one of the most extraordinary events in history. In the final part of this excellent documentary series, the story is retold by experts with almost cinematic panache. Special mention goes to actor Andonis Anthony, who manages to bring Caesar to life without saying a word.

The Real Full Monty: Jingle Balls
ITV1, 9pm
A naked, winking Paul Burrell, Christmas hat on, dragon tattoo across his bare bum, welcomes us to this year’s two-part edition of the cheeky fundraiser. The other celebrities preparing to reveal all for charity this year include presenter Julia Bradbury, reality TV star Gemma Collins and ex rugby player Ben Cohen, who will join select others to reveal the full monty at the same time tomorrow night.

Car Boot Kings
Channel 4, 11.05pm
This jaunty documentary follows self-proclaimed car-boot kings JT and Andrew, who run the biggest car-boot sale in the West Midlands. The site plays host to as many as 9,000 traders and buyers. Much like a kingdom of squabbling subjects, they can prove a constant challenge to keep happy.

Young Winston (1972) ★★★★
Film4, 4.05pm  
Richard Attenborough’s meticulous biopic traces the early years of one of Britain’s most beloved (and now most controversial) prime ministers. Based on Winston Churchill’s own memoirs, it begins with his stint as a war correspondent in Africa, skips back to his boisterous public schooldays, and leads up to his esteemed entry to Parliament and the start of his path to the premiership. Simon Ward and Anne Bancroft star.

The Death of Stalin (2017) ★★★★
BBC Two, 11.15pm  
Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It) makes a delicious mockery of 20th-century Russian history in this darkly absurd satire. With a bevy of acclaimed British thesps, including Simon Russell Beale and Michael Palin, Iannucci adapts this French graphic novel with plenty of wit and verve. As the net closes in on the scheming Soviet executioner-in-chief Lavrentiy Beria (Beale), you might be surprised to find a lump in your throat.

Spike Island (2012) ★★★
BBC One, 11.50pm  
“Baggy” is the word often used to characterise the late 1980s and early 1990s Manchester music scene, when The Stone Roses dominated British music. Mat Whitecross’s coming-of-age drama, set in the north-west at the era’s height, centres on five teenage bandmates who are determined to attend the band’s much-hyped Spike Island concert in Widnes, at whatever cost. The cast includes Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke.

Television previewers

Stephen Kelly (SK), Veronica Lee (VL), Gerard O’Donovan (GO), Poppie Platt (PP), Gabriel Tate (GT) and Jack Taylor (JT),