Tag: All Creatures Great and Small

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 16/12/2023

Planet Earth III (BBC 1/HD | 5:35pm to 6:35pm | Sunday 17th December 2023)

Heroes. Series 3, episode 8. David Attenborough introduces conservation heroes fighting to save the world’s wildlife, from exploring remote jungles to going undercover to catch criminals in the illegal ivory trade. In South Africa, new breeding populations of black rhino are set up in safe havens where they will be protected from poachers, while a conservationist in Ecuador works to protect endangered frogs.

Vigil (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 18th December 2023)

In the aftermath of a brutal rescue mission, Amy is convinced that what she’s believed up until now has been a lie, but all the evidence points the other way. With Amy completely isolated, Kirsten begs her to come home, but she cannot let go of her suspicions. Despite huge pressure from above, Amy refuses to leave Wudyan, putting herself in grave danger.

Vigil (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 19th December 2023)

Amy scrambles for answers with one person dead and another injured on board her flight home. Kirsten puts herself in greater danger when she agrees to meet with Sutherland and when she discovers the full scale of the conspiracy, Amy must decide if she’s prepared to risk everything to find those responsible.

All Creatures Great & Small and The Yorkshire Vet (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 21st December 2023)

Just over 50 years ago, an unassuming vet called Alf Wight, under the name James Herriot, put pen to paper and created the global phenomenon All Creatures Great and Small. With access to the film set and studios, Peter Wright and Shona Searson from The Yorkshire Vet experience 1940s Darrowby at Christmas, and get an unseen glimpse into the magic that the Christmas special has to offer.

All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:10pm | Thursday 21st December 2023) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

On a Wing and a Prayer. Series 4. Series 4, episode 7. An emotional phone call with a very pregnant Helen makes James determined to get back to her, but he doesn’t have many options, and RAF mascot Georgie needs his help. Meanwhile, Mrs Hall prepares a community Christmas celebration in Darrowby, while Siegfried and Carmody argue over who will be Father Christmas.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 04/11/2023

Planet Earth III (BBC 1/HD | 6:15pm to 7:15pm | Sunday 5th November 2023)

Deserts and Grasslands. Series 3, episode 3. Life in some of the many deserts and grasslands around the world, including in the baked Namib desert, where a pair of ostriches raise their family in the searing heat to keep them safe from predators. One troop of desert baboons are on a continual quest to find water and a young mother who is low in the pecking order must battle for her right to drink. Closer to the equator, in the grassland paradise of the Cerrado in Brazil, lives the rare, fruit-eating maned wolf, a bizarre creature about whom little is known.

Shetland (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 8th November 2023) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

Calder and Tosh must work together to find the armed killers and prevent further disaster, but can’t agree on whether it’s the work of experienced criminals, with Tosh thinking that the hand of organised crime is involved. On the other side of the island, Agnes Moffat’s morning drive is interrupted by a gun-toting Howell standing in the middle of the road.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 9th November 2023)

Motley Crew. Series 8, episode 7. In Blackpool, the crew respond to reports of a teenager who has been swept out to sea, within sight of the main beach. On the Kent coast, the Margate crew begin a frantic search to find two paddleboarders – a father and son – who have drifted two miles out to sea.

All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 9th November 2023)

The Home Front. Series 4, episode 6. Helen feels redundant at Skeldale, and buried family secrets threaten to tear their relationship apart as Richard refuses to let her muck in on the farm. Helen notices that calf Smokey seems unwell and tries to help him, but it only makes things worse with her dad. Drama, starring Nicholas Ralph and Rachel Shenton.

Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 10th November 2023)

The comedian enjoys a new adventure at Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, home to the Museum of Scottish Railways, and she remembers some of the highlights from her escapades over the years.

The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:05pm | Friday 10th November 2023)

Comedians Jon Richardson and Desiree Burch join Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker as they launch the show’s 29th series offering a light-hearted review of significant moments of the past seven days. As usual, the hashtag #isitok paves the way for the gang to round up, examine and explain the leading and most entertaining news stories of the week.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 28/10/2023

Planet Earth III (BBC 1/HD | 6:20pm to 7:20pm | Sunday 29th October 2023)

Ocean. Series 3, episode 2.  The wildlife inhabiting the world’s oceans, from the shallow seas of the tropics, where predators like the lionfish can become the prey to one of the world’s oddest hunters, to the greatest depths, where a massive siphonophore, longer than a blue whale, and a gulper eel with huge jaws are captured on film using specialised vessels designed to withstand the pressure. The episode also features the mating dances of mobula rays and the symbiotic relationship between Columbus crabs and turtles.

Shetland (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 1st November) ** NEW SERIES + PICK OF THE WEEK **

Met detective Ruth Calder returns to Shetland on the trail of a vulnerable witness, and must team up with Tosh on a case that will test their fragile, new partnership. On top of the case, Calder is faced with figures from her past and cringes through a chance encounter with deadbeat ex-boyfriend Cal Innes. Even worse is her visit to estranged younger brother Alan, now the minister of their father’s old kirk, as it’s clear that the two siblings have starkly different views of their childhood.

Doctor Who at 60: A Musical Celebration (BBC 4/HD | 8:30pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 1st November 2023)

Jo Whiley introduces this concert celebrating the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who from Cardiff’s Hoddinott Hall, featuring the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC Singers conducted by Alastair King. Music includes the first live performance of Ruby Sunday’s theme The Life of Sunday, and composer Murray Gold’s best-known Doctor Who themes, including I Am the Doctor, The Long Song, Doomsday and Abigail’s Song (Silence Is All You Know). The classic years are also featured as the Radiophonic Workshop’s Mark Ayres and Peter Howell hark back to the days of the Sea Devils, City of Death and The Five Doctors. Plus, new works including The Woman Who Fell to Earth.

Roman Kemp: The Fight for Young Lives (BBC 3/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 1st November 2023) ** MUST WATCH **

Broadcaster Roman Kemp knows first-hand the impact of serious mental health issues. In 2020, he made Our Silent Emergency in the wake of the death of a friend. He encouraged those in need to talk to friends, family and professionals, but now strives to move the conversation on from talking about mental health to discovering what action is needed to support those suffering.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 2nd November 2023)

Family. Series 8, episode 6. In Torbay, Devon, a yacht has sent out a Mayday, meaning the lives of the six crew on board are in grave and imminent danger. In Wales, the Aberystwyth crew race to the rescue of a small boat that has lost engine power, and is drifting perilously close to the rocks at the end of the harbour wall.

All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 2nd November 2023)

Papers. Series 4, episode 5. The war is getting closer, James is about to embark on a new journey. He desperately wants things in order and Carmody trained up to support Siegfried. But James is frustrated at Carmody’s inability to drive and he keeps missing opportunities to spend precious time with Helen.

Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 3rd November 2023)

Kent. Series 2, episode 7. The comedian hits the highways of Kent, where she explores Canterbury and the Garden of England. Susan kicks off her adventure at the mighty Hever Castle. Later she stops at Canterbury Cathedral, and In Penshurst, she tries her hand at the noble art of fencing in a location used for classic film The Princess Bride.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 21/10/2023

Celebrity Race Across the World (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 25th October 2023) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

The teams face set out on the final leg to reach the finish line in Tromso and have to make the decision to take the more direct route with expensive public transport or venture east via the Baltic States passing through five countries. Race leaders Billy and Bonny Monger have a huge decision to make and Alex Beresford fulfills a childhood dream in Lapland. Mel and Helene Blatt have squeezed their budget to within an inch of its life and Harry and Emma Judd share a special moment while fishing in the fjords of Norway.

Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 25th October 2023)

Hackney, 2023. Kevin McCloud meet Graeme and Melanie who have huge ambitions for a home in Hackney. They plan to build on a tiny twin garage plot with no surrounding land that cost them £275,000 on a traditional Victorian terraced road. Architect Graeme has come up with an unapologetically modernist, bright red-clad design laid out to maximise space over three floors and has set out just 12 months to build it.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 26th October 2023)

Adrenaline. Series 8, episode 5. In Plymouth, the crew race to the rescue of a fisherman who’s fallen off his boat, and is now adrift in the water, with a sea temperature of just eight degrees. In Llandudno – Wales’ largest seaside resort – a father and son have capsized from their kayak, on its first outing.

All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 26th October 2023)

By the Book. Series 4, episode 4. James and Helen are keeping a secret, and following a visit to the Crabtree’s Farm, Carmody is challenged with learning how to be a vet outside of his books. The new farmers have a worrying illness amongst their herd and James wants to help them in any way he can.

Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 27th October 2023)

Scottish Borders. Series 6, episode 4. The presenter is on home soil exploring the beautiful Scottish Borders and the neighbouring Dumfries and Galloway. Just outside the town of Duns, Susan hears about Jim Clark, a local hero who became one of the greatest racing drivers of all time and Scotland’s first Formula One Champion. She also heads to the base of the Leaderfoot Viaduct, where the northernmost amphitheatre of the Roman Empire once sat.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 14/10/2023

Friday Night is Music Night: Doctor Who 60th Birthday Celebration (BBC Radio 2 | 8:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 15th October 2023) ** RADIO SHOW OF THE WEEK **

Jo Whiley presents this performance celebrating the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who from Cardiff’s Hoddinott Hall, featuring the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC Singers conducted by Alastair King. The music includes composer Murray Gold’s best-known Doctor Who themes, including I Am the Doctor, The Long Song, Doomsday and Abigail’s Song (Silence Is All You Know). The classic years of Doctor Who are also featured by the Radiophonic Workshop’s Mark Ayres and Peter Howell as they hark back to the days of the Sea Devils, City of Death and The Five Doctors. Plus, new works including The Woman Who Fell to Earth, a full-length suite composed by Segun Akinola, and three Murray Gold works.

Endurance: Race to the Pole (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 16th October 2023)

Terra Nova Expedition 1910-1913. Series 1, episode 3. Ben and Dwayne Fields tackle the trials and tribulations faced by Robert Falcon Scott and his team on the ill-fated Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole from 1910 to 13. Ben and Dwayne drag their kit across the polar plateau in fierce storms as they did, but for Scott and his crew arriving at the Pole was a desperate and wretched moment as they discovered that they had been beaten by Norwegian Roald Amundsen – and by a full month.

Norfolk and Suffolk (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 8:58pm | Wednesday 18th October 2023)

On Great Yarmouth’s Golden Mile, Doug and Mark as they do their morning inspections of a 91-year-old wooden rollercoaster, while on the banks of the River Waveney, Jonny Crickmore starts the process of turning that morning’s milk into an English version of Brie. As a Mid-Norfolk Railway train steams through the stunning countryside, passengers are served high tea and we ride on the foot plate where Stuart and Matt use the fireman’s shovel to cook up their own tea.

Celebrity Race Across the World (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 18th October 2023) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

In the penultimate leg of the race, the teams make their way 1,500km north from Sarajevo to Berlin, Germany. Race leaders Harry and Emma Judd use their eight hour lead to visit one of the traditional baths in Budapest and spend some quality time together. Alex and Noel Beresford venture to the Great Hungarian plains to make some money for the rest of their journey while Billy and Bonnie Monger race economically to try get the edge over the other team in joint second place. Mel and Helene Blatt reflect on their family’s Jewish heritage when they visit the shoes on the Danube bank in Budapest.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 19th October 2023)

Facing the Fear. Series 8, episode 4.  In Conwy, north Wales, the RNLI crew respond to reports of two people – including a young boy – who have been caught out by the tide, and are now struggling to stay afloat.

All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 19th October 2023)

Right Hand Man. Series 4, episode 3. When new vet Richard Carmody joins the practice, James feels his place by Siegfried’s side is threatened. Conflicts come to the surface at Mrs Pumphrey’s community tea party. Drama, starring Nicholas Ralph.

Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 20th October 2023)

Lincolnshire. Series 6, episode 3. The presenter explores the second largest county in England as she takes in the rural sights in and around the Lincolnshire Fens. Susan stops by Isaac Newton’s family home, Woolsthorpe Manor House, explores Lincoln Cathedral, and tries soapbox racing.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 07/10/2023

Endurance: Race to the Pole (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 9th October 2023)

The Nimrod Expedition 1907 – 1909. Series 1, episode 2. Ben and Dwayne Fields tackle the trials and tribulations faced by Ernest Shackleton on his Nimrod expedition, the explorer’s second foray into the great white wilderness. Shackleton and his three-man team faced the formidable and unexplored Trans Antarctic Mountain Range, and Ben and Dwayne take on their own ice mountain challenge, facing steep slippery waves of blue ice, deadly crevasses and steep slopes to try to reach the barren and seemingly endless polar plateau.

Norfolk and Suffolk (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 8:58pm | Wednesday 11th October 2023)

At Shottisham campsite high above the River Deben in Suffolk, campsite owner Claire Norton is busy gathering eggs and milking goats for what will soon be breakfast for the snoozing campers. Up the coast, Bill Pinney is rowing out onto Orford Ness to dredge up oysters to serve up for lunch at his restaurant on the bank. At Norwich Cathedral, Andrew Fiddes and Daniel Rose-Jones near the end of a mammoth project to restore the organ, tuning the last of the 6,000 pipes that give the instrument its voice.

Celebrity Race Across the World (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 11th October 2023) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

Budgets dwindle and intensity rises as the teams leave western Europe and set off to the next checkpoint in Sarajevo, travelling over 1,200km and passing through five countries on the way. Race leaders Harry Judd and his mother Emma opt to go through Austria but their budget is rapidly shrinking and the pace is taking its toll on Emma. Alex and Noel Beresford take advantage of their newly achieved second place and take some time to appreciate their surroundings on the journey while Billy Monger and sister Bonny adopt a ‘cheap and smart’ mantra for this leg. Mel and Helene Blatt hit a low point when things don’t go to plan.

Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 11th October 2023)

Gloucestershire Treehouse Revisit. Series 23, episode 3. Kevin McCloud returns to Gloucestershire to visit Jon and Noreen who, in 2013, planned to build a three-bed treehouse on a half-acre patch of woodland. Their stacked three box design was to be almost gravity-defying to avoid harming any tree roots and a mirror glass ground floor to reflect the surrounding trees but their £250,000 budget didn’t seem to match the project’s high ambition. Despite having worked hands-on for long hours with help from friends and family, by 2016 the house was barely ready enough for them to move in and the money had run out with the project not finished. Seven years later, Kevin returns to see their progress.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 12th October 2023)

Heart of the Community. Series 8, episode 3. Reports come in of a kayaker who has failed to make it back to shore in Larne, Northern Ireland, so father-son duo Frank and Jack race to the rescue, while the missing man’s wife watches on helplessly. On the south Devon coast, the Torbay volunteers race to the rescue of a dinghy crew who have found themselves in a perilous position after running aground on rocks, and in Cardigan, two capsized kayakers provide the RNLI with a stern test.

All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 12th October 2023)

Carpe Diem. Series 4, episode 2. Siegfried has the bright idea of bringing in an experienced bookkeeper, Miss Harbottle, to bring method to the madness of the practice. She’s certainly efficient, but the cracks soon start to show – and a sick ferret only makes matters worse. Farmer Dakin is very attached to his injured, elderly cow, but Siegfried advises letting the animal go, while James and Helen arrive at a long-awaited decision.

Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 13th October 2023)

Hampshire. Series 6, episode 2. Susan’s adventures bring her to the county of Hampshire. In Portsmouth she explores HMS Victory, learning how Nelson’s cunning tricks won out in the Battle of Trafalgar. She also visits the former home of Jane Austen in Chawton, which inspires her to have a go at Regency dancing, and finds out about a curious eating competition in the town of New Alresford.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 30/09/2023

Endurance: Race to the Pole (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 2nd October 2023) ** NEW SERIES **

The Discovery Expedition, 1901-1904. Series 1, episode 1. Ben and Dwayne Fields tackle the trials and tribulations faced by the expeditions racing to become the first to reach the South Pole at the beginning of the 20th century, experience decisive moments that saw Roald Amundsen reach the pole first, Ernest Shackleton become a seasoned explorer and Robert Falcon Scott reach the pole only to die on the return journey. In the opeining episode, Ben and Dwayne land on Antarctica and transition from modern polar explorers into their historical clothes and follow in the footsteps of Britain’s three-year-long Discovery expedition, which began in 1901.

Norfolk and Suffolk (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 8:58pm | Wednesday 4th October 2023)

At a Second World War airbase in Norfolk, 30 members of the Women’s Institute take to the air with the Norfolk Gliding Club. Elsewhere at Thetford Forest, Geoff Scrivens and his team erect two giant tipis in time for a wedding, which takes place as the sun begins to set, and in Lowestoft in Suffolk, the 77ft fishing smack Excelsior is readying for sea.

Celebrity Race Across the World (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 4th October 2023) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

As they approach the halfway point, the teams must travel from the Mediterranean island of Corsica to the third checkpoint in Zermatt, a mountain resort in the Swiss Alps. Harry Judd and his mother Emma hold a slim one-hour lead having jumped from last place to first place in the previous leg. The pair plan their route to Zermatt via Italy where they take a horseback tour of Lake Como which reawakens Emma’s childhood passion while Mel Blatt and her mum Helene opt for a route through France. Billy Monger and his sister Bonny decide to have some fun after a challenging last leg but Bonny will need some convincing to go with Billy’s caving idea. Alex Beresford and his dad Noel arrive at the checkpoint over 24 hours after the race leaders but are determined to catch up.

Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 4th October 2023)

North Lincolnshire 2023. Series 23, episode 2. Kevin McCloud meets college deputy principal Danny who plans on building a four-bedroom house in his garden in North Lincolnshire. He plans to build a stylish, sustainable but affordable home among the trees with dramatic bedroom pods raised on steel stilts on the edge of a fishing pond to help his three children connect to nature. With plenty of ambition but no experience as a self-builder, his £300,000 budget doesn’t seem to match the scale of his project.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 5th October 2023)

In a Split Second. Series 8, episode 2. In Whitby, north Yorkshire, the crew race to the rescue of two fossil hunters who are cut off by the tide – and soon find that they too are in grave danger. On Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, in Swanage, a trainee yachtsman has suffered a mysterious head injury and is in need of urgent treatment.

All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 5th October 2023) ** NEW SERIES **

Broodiness. Series 4, episode 1. Return of the drama, starring Nicholas Ralph and Samuel West. It is Spring 1940, and without Tristan, Skeldale House is busier than ever. James and Helen dream about the future, hoping that he won’t be called up. And a chance encounter with young lad, Wesley Binks, leaves James worrying if his dog, Duke, is being mistreated.

Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 6th October 2023) ** NEW SERIES **

Pennines and Northumberland. Series 6, episode 1. The comedian returns for a fresh batch of adventures, beginning with a trip to the northeast corner of England, taking in the Pennines and Northumberland coast. Susan enjoys a stretch of Heritage Coast and the rolling countryside of the North Pennines. She also explores the Northumberland National Park.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

Dales Way : Day 2 : Burnsall to Kettlewell

That’s Bugsy, Mark G and myself done day 2 of the Dales Way, which took us 10.04 miles from Burnsall to Kettlewell.

Like yesterday, the weather was great, maybe a bit more windy. But still dry and sunny.

The highlight was walking around Grassington, which is also used has the fictional town of Darrowby in the 2020 Channel 5 series of All Creatures Great and Small.

Here are some photos from day 2. Plus our route can be found at www.strava.com/activities/8913976449

Many more photos can be found at www.gordon-valentine.com/zenphoto/dales-way/

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 17/12/2022

The Snowman: The Film That Changed Christmas (Channel 4/HD | 5:00pm to 6:00pm | Saturday 17th December 2022)

This year marks 40 years since Channel 4 first broadcast the animated adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved children’s book The Snowman. Children’s authors Tom Fletcher, Joseph Coelho and Dapo Adeola celebrate a film that has become an essential part of the British Christmas, while members of the team who created it share their memories. Narrated by Mandip Gill.

The Snowman (Channel 4/HD | 6:00pm to 6:30pm | Saturday 17th December 2022)

Raymond Briggs’ festive favourite, a wordless animated fantasy telling the story of a small boy whose snowman magically comes to life and whisks him off on the journey of a lifetime to the North Pole. Howard Blake’s score includes the award-winning song Walking in the Air, which was taken to number five in the charts by a young Aled Jones, but is here sung by Peter Auty.

The Snowman and the Snowdog (Channel 4/HD | 6:30pm to 7:30pm | Saturday 17th December 2022)

Animated sequel to Raymond Briggs’ classic festive tale The Snowman, telling the story of another youngster’s magical Christmas. A boy’s snowman and snowdog come to life at the stroke of midnight and take him on an adventure to the North Pole, where he and his new companions meet an assortment of colourful characters, including Santa himself, before returning home – where a wonderful surprise awaits.

Top Gear (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 18th December 2022)

The team carries out some consumer testing, taking a look at 50 family cars on the market and whittling them down to he best three. Plus, some tips on buying a delivery van on a budget, and Paddy McGuinness heads to Italy to test drive the Daytona SP3, Ferrari’s retro-styled supercar inspired by its iconic 1960s racers.

The Railway Children (BBC 2/HD | 3:00pm to 3:45pm | Tuesday 20th December 2022)

Three Edwardian children are forced to leave their comfortable middle-class London home and move to the wilds of Yorkshire after their father is wrongfully imprisoned for treason. Family drama adapted from E Nesbit’s story, starring Jenny Agutter, Sally Thomsett, Gary Warren, Dinah Sheridan, Bernard Cribbins, William Mervyn and Iain Cuthbertson.

Sports Personality of the Year (BBC 1/HD | 6:45pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 21st December 2022)

Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott present coverage of the ceremony live from MediaCityUK in Salford, as the year’s key sporting moments are reviewed and the successor to Emma Raducanu is crowned following a public vote. The top scorer in England’s Euro 2022 triumph Beth Mead and the ICC World T20-winning cricketer Ben Stokes are among those expected to be in contention. The 69th staging of the show will also champion the unsung heroes in local communities who do inspiring work at grassroots level.

Paddington (BBC 1/HD | 3:15pm to 4:45pm | Thursday 22nd December 2022)

An earthquake forces a bear from the Peruvian jungle to start a new life in London. He finds modern Britain to be very different from the stories told to him by his aunt, but makes a new home with a kindly family. However, a sinister taxidermist intends to turn him into a museum exhibit. Comedy based on Michael Bond’s series of children’s books, starring Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Nicole Kidman, with the voice of Ben Whishaw.

Paddington 2 (BBC 1/HD ( 3:35pm to 5:15pm | Friday 23rd December 2022)

The lovable little bear has settled into his new life with the Brown family in London, becoming a much-loved member of the local community – until his search for a birthday present for his aunt leads to him being framed as a thief. While the Browns try to clear Paddington’s name, he tries to make himself at home in prison, winning over the other convicts and getting involved in an escape attempt. Comedy adventure, starring Hugh Bonneville, Hugh Grant and Sally Hawkins, with Ben Whishaw providing the voice of Paddington.

All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:10pm | Friday 23rd December 2022) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

It’s Christmas in Darrowby and everyone is trying to make the most of things while the world is at war. A young guest brings some wonder, mischief and cheer to Skeldale House while everyone waits for important news. When Mrs Pumphrey heralds the arrival of a kitten in need of some extra care at Pumphrey Manor, James has just the person to take him under their wing. Siegfried is asked to pay a visit to an injured River just before a big race and makes an important discovery which Sebright Saunders uses as leverage to get River back on the racetrack.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 15/10/2022

Inside Central Station (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 17th October 2022)

The team start work on cleaning up the station’s disused Victorian Platform, ready for renovation. Up on the concourse, Transport Police tackle drug issues around the station and station staff receive life-saving training. A special unveiling takes place to honour war veterans and out on the tracks, and the engineering team tackle one of the biggest sections of work in the Argyll line closure.

Our Dementia Choir with Vicky Mcclure (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 17th October 2022)

Part two of two. Vicky and the choir are joined by Pop Star Tom Grennan as they sing at Splendour Festival, taking their fight for change to their biggest audience ever. Vicky also meets new choir member Steve, who has just been diagnosed with dementia, and catches up with the choir’s youngest singer Julie who was diagnosed at 51

Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 19th October 2022)

Back in 2011, Edward and Hazel Short set out to build an art deco, shining white lighthouse tower with additional bedrooms, guest rooms and infinity pool, all on a rugged but beautiful clifftop in north Devon. It was an ambitious project and quickly ran into trouble, not least the apparent breakdown of the couple’s marriage and a spiral of borrowing and debt which, by the end of 2019, left Edward facing bankruptcy. Kevin McCloud now returns to see if anything has been salvaged from this disastrous project.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 20th October 2022)

In Thurso, Scotland’s most northerly mainland station, the crew race to the rescue of an ocean-going rower who’s run into trouble 40 miles out to sea. In Dungeness, on the Kent coast, there are two different shouts for the crew to deal with – an 11-year-old boy who has drifted out to sea on an inflatable dinghy, and three migrants attempting to cross the English Channel at night.

All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 20th October 2022) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **

The Skeldale House regulars think about what matters to them most when the radio reports that Britain is standing on the brink of war. As everyone processes the news, James discovers a case of TB at Heston Grange. Richard begs him not to report it or the farm will be shut down and he could lose his livelihood.

Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 21st October 2022) ** NEW SERIES **

The comedian heads to the south Cornish Coast in her campervan, Helen. Susan’s adventure starts at the most southerly point of Britain on the Lizard peninsula, where she explores the coast by kayak to see the dramatic scenery up close.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.