TV Times tops picks for Christmas Eve
What’s on telly tonight? Here the TV Times team of expert reviewers highlight the best shows on Christmas Eve…
Not Going Out, 9.35pm, BBC1
The gags come thick and fast as Lee and Lucy bicker their way through Christmas in this hugely enjoyable festive special. Preparations are going well enough for the pair, but events spiral out of control when Geoffrey and Wendy show up with their presents for the children. It all leads to a last-minute dash to the shops, an increasingly elaborate web of deceit and a very awkward Christmas dinner. Rating: ****
Maigret in Montmartre, 8.30pm, ITV
Rowan Atkinson’s fourth outing as the French detective is his best yet. Maigret is probing the death of a stripper called Arlette, and the case takes him to the nightclub where she worked to interview its owners (Douglas Hodge and Lorraine Ashbourne). As ever, it looks utterly fantastic, and the engrossing plot takes in addiction, prostitution and an aristocrat who has fallen on hard times, as Maigret lifts the lid on the seamier side of 1950s Paris. Magnifique! Rating: ****
Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show, 8.30pm, BBC1
Michael McIntyre must be on Santa’s naughty list this year after roasting the likes of Danny Dyer and Miranda Hart in his ‘Celebrity Send to All’ sketch, as well as delivering a few rude awakenings in ‘Midnight Gameshow’! But the cheeky comedian has saved the best for last with a jam-packed special, which features music from Seal and comedy from Bill Bailey. An unsuspecting Santa is in for a mind-blowing surprise in the ‘Unexpected Star of the Show’, and Michael will also be hijacking a very special celebrity guest’s phone! Rating: ****
Child Genius vs Celebrities, 8.00pm, C4
Four celebrities take on some pint-sized geniuses in a battle of the brains. Janet – ‘just because they’re kids it doesn’t mean we have to be nice to them’ – Street-Porter, comedian Dom Joly, C4 newsreader Cathy Newman and actor Rob Delaney go head-to-head over five rounds with four of the brightest young minds in the country. The teams are tested on spelling, memory, maths, a specialist subject and general knowledge. Will Janet get a cerebral kicking from a nine-year-old? Will Dom try to distract his young rival to succeed? The gloves are off as the celebs’ reputations are at risk against these remarkable kids. Rating: ****
More previews tomorrow.
