It's the week before Christmas, and this is what you can watch
TV WEEK (Wednesday 18th to Monday 22nd)
TOP SPECIALS
Strictly Come Dancing: 20 Fabulous Years (BBC 1, Saturday 21st, 7pm)
A sparkling celebration of two decades of Strictly Come Dancing, the iconic dance competition that has captured the hearts of millions since its debut in 2004. With exclusive behind the scenes footage and interviews, this programme reflects on how the show has transformed into a global phenomenon while maintaining its core charm and appeal.
Bad Tidings (Sky Max, Saturday 22nd, 7.30pm)
It’s the week before Christmas and Stockport home security expert, Neil (Lee Mack), has a problem with his neighbour complaining about his ‘project’ car and his Christmas lights up all year. He’s also blind, and the rest of the street thinks he’s great. When they try to make him the new head of Neighbourhood Watch, Neil can stand it no more.
How to Cook Well at Christmas with Rory O’Connell (RTÉ 1, Sunday 22nd December, 7.30pm and Monday 23rd, 7pm))
Rory O’Connell is back with two new Christmas specials in which he shares festive recipes and creative cooking tips to help make cooking over the holiday period a stress-free and enjoyable experience. Last year, Rory’s Christmas programmes attracted a combined audience of 553,000 viewers. The Ballymaloe Cookery School that Rory co-founded with his sister Darina celebrated its 40th anniversary last year.
A Christmas Carol: The Read With Anne-Marie Duff (BBC 4, Sunday 22nd, 7.45pm)
Anne-Marie Duff takes us on a spirited journey through Victorian London with Charles Dickens’s timeless seasonal classic in which miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come to make him fall in love with Christmas.
WATCH OF THE WEEK
So This Is Christmas (RTÉ 1,Wednesday 18th, 9.35pm)
Follows a handful of people around Ireland as they navigate a complicated lead-up to Christmas, and we witness the familiar joys and struggles of the holidays. Full of warmth, humour and humanity, the film invites audiences to reflect on what Christmas truly means while celebrating the spirit that holds us all together.
BEST FILMS
The Seven Year Itch (TG4, Friday 20th, 1.05pm)
In the midst of a summer heat wave, New Yorker Tom Ewell ships his wife and son off for vacation. Left alone, he encounters a gorgeous blonde model, Marilyn Monroe, who has moved into the apartment upstairs, and becomes immediately infatuated and pondering infidelity. A Classic that still has that zing.
Judy (RTÉ 1, Friday 20th, 11.25pm)
Thirty years after starring in The Wizard of Oz, actress and singer Judy Garland arrives in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub. She reminisces with fans and begins a whirlwind romance with musician Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.
I.S.S (Sky Movies Premiere, from Saturday)
Tensions flare in the near future aboard the International Space Station as a worldwide conflict breaks out on Earth. Reeling from that, the astronauts receive orders from the ground: take control of the station by any means necessary.
Super Klaus (Sky Movies Premiere, from Sunday)
Santa Claus’s wish comes true when he accidentally bumps his head and starts believing he’s SuperKlaus. With the help of Billie and Leo his elf-xecutive assistant, SuperKlaus will take on a toy-obsessed businessman to save Christmas.
CLASSIC MOVIE
Chariots Of Fire (BBC 2, Sunday 22nd, 12.30pm)
In the class-obsessed United Kingdom of the early 1920s, two determined runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell, a devout Christian, sees running as part of his worship of God’s glory, while Harold Abrahams overcomes anti-Semitism and class bias to reach for the highest sporting rings of all. The film won four Oscars, including Best Musical Score for that sublime theme from composer Vangelis.
KIDS STUFF
Fia’s Fairies: A Fairy Island Christmas (RTÉ 1, Saturday 21st, 8.35am)
When Banba’s EV ranger runs out of power on Christmas Eve, Fia and Ameer have to race to deliver lanterns across Fairy Island to ensure Daidí na Nollag can find everyone in time for the big day, proving that teamwork and kindness are the real Christmas magic.
Storybud (RTÉ 2, Saturday 21st, 11.15am)
Newcomer Amy Huberman joins Storybud veterans Jason Byrne and Tara Lynne O’Neill to regale us with ‘totally true’ tales about some of our most loved celebrities, sports-stars and President Michael D Higgins – plus Taylor Swift’s alien encounter, Margot Robbie’s Robot, and Katie McCabe’s bizarre car-boot sale.
ON DEMAND
Carry-On (Netflix)
If you thought Ryanair’s stringent luggage policy was tough, try this for size. Taron Egerton an airport security agent who’s blackmailed Jason Bateman into letting a dangerous package on board a flight. Director Jaume Collet-Serra ramps up the action on a gut-wrenching scenario that we can all relate to.
Elton John: Never Too Late (Disney+)
Elton John looks back on his life and his 50-year career. As he prepares for his final concert in North America at Dodger Stadium, he recounts the extraordinary highs and heartbreaking lows of his early years and how he overcame adversity, abuse and addiction.
No Good Deed (Netflix)
Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano are trying to sell their Los Angeles home – a 1920s Spanish-style villa in one the most desirable neighbourhoods – all the while struggling to hide a potentially deadly secret beneath a plot of prime real estate. Sometimes the home of your dreams can be a nightmare…
SPORTS CENTRE
URC Live (RTÉ 2, Saturday 21st, 5.00pm)
Leinster v Connacht in URC Live. Clare MacNamara is joined by Bernard Jackman and Jamie Heaslip for live coverage from the Aviva Stadium. Commentary: Hugh Cahill, Donal Lenihan. KO 5.30pm.
Rugged Rugby: Conquer Or Die (Netflix)
The seven best rugby teams in Korea – four semi-professional, two college, and one military – compete in this ultimate test of strength, agility, strategy and teamwork, vying for the trophy and grand prize of 300 million won (€200,000 approx).