TV Times tops picks for tonight
What’s on telly tonight? Here the TV Times team of expert reviewers highlight the best shows on Sunday 7th January
Vera, 8.00pm, ITV
DCI Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn - who told us she nearly quit the show) returns for four gripping new investigations, beginning with the gruesome case of a body found in an abattoir incinerator. The victim turns out to be DC Harry Fenton, a fraud officer killed on the eve of his retirement. As Vera struggles to find the killer, a tip-off opens the door to a world of corrupt coppers and family secrets… Rating: ****
Michael Palin: A Life on Screen, 9.00pm, BBC2
This celebration of the talent of Michael Palin features clips from his many TV and film appearances and interviews with people who’ve worked with him, including John Cleese and David Jason. The 74-year-old, who carved out a new career as a travel presenter after achieving success as a comedy writer and performer, shares his own memories, too. Palin’s comic creations, both as part of Monty Python and in the shows he made with Terry Jones, are still hilarious. “There’s something about the fish-slapping dance,” he says of the classic Monty Python sketch. “It’s the perfect test of whether you have a sense of humour. I would regard that as the high point of my career!” Rating: *****
Dancing on Ice, 6.00pm, ITV
After four years away this winter TV mainstay is back! Among the 12 celebs getting their skates on are Bucks Fizz star Cheryl Baker, 2016 Bake Off champ Candice Brown and Good Morning Britain weatherman Alex Beresford. Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby return as hosts and Jason Gardiner is back as a judge, while Ashley Banjo joins Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean on the "ice panel". Rating: ****
More previews tomorrow
