Tron Legacy (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:55pm | Saturday 14th December 2013)
Sci-fi sequel following a man haunted by the disappearance of his father, a computer programmer, as he tries to track him down. After receiving a signal from his computer that only his father could have sent, he is pulled into a digital world on a journey across a cyber universe where the pair battle an evil villain.
Sports Personality of the Year 2013 (BBC1 /HD | 7:40pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 15th December 2013)
After another incredible year of sport, Gary Lineker, Gabby Logan and Clare Balding present the 2013 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, live from Leeds. In front of a 12,000 crowd and millions watching at home, this star-studded event features appearances by some of the greatest names in world sport. The evening climaxes with the presentation of one of the most coveted awards in sport, which is chosen by viewers live on the night. 2013 is the 60th year of the show and this milestone in television history is celebrated in the programme, as amongst the many famous faces in attendance will be a number of the award’s great past winners. In 2012, cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins walked away with the famous trophy and described winning it as probably his ‘greatest achievement’ – as it is the public who decides the winner. Ten contenders will be in with a chance of creating their own piece of history, but only one will be victorious.
Tales From Northumberland with Robson Green (itv/HD | 8:00pm to 8:30pm | Monday 16th December 2013)
Robson Green travels around his home county of Northumberland to discover how this mystical place has played a unique role in shaping the Britain we know today. In the seventh episode, Robson investigates the culinary heritage of the Northumberland coast. At Howich Hall, he learns about the history of Earl Grey tea and explores one of Britain’s greatest coastal gardens. At the fishing village of Craster, Robson visits one of the region’s last traditional smokehouses to find out about the origins of the famous Craster kipper.
The Choir: Sing While You Work (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 16th December 2013)
Choirmaster Gareth Malone challenges the four remaining workplace choirs to find their souls, rhythm and conviction in a joyful bid to be crowned the year’s best workplace choir. Three world class choral judges, an 800-strong audience and the London Community Gospel Choir await them at a celebration concert in one of the country’s biggest gospel churches. Spirits are lifted at the fire service amidst news of strike action, the besuited bankers descend into dad dancing, the council workers try to rediscover belief in themselves and the ferry staff exuberantly rock the boat during rehearsals. On the night, potential soloists wait nervously for Gareth to decide who has the courage and fervour to step forward and improvise and lead their choir into the grand final.
Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves (BBC 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:00pm | Monday 16th December 2013)
Swedish mini-series about the struggle the homosexual community had with AIDS. The group attend funeral after funeral for their friends and are brought ever closer together in a mood of solidarity. But Paul and the others are appalled at the prejudice they still face and the refusal of the bereaved families to acknowledge their loved ones’ homosexuality. Having finally come out to his devoutly religious parents when Rasmus received his HIV diagnosis, Benjamin is faced with not just losing Rasmus but his own family. Years later Holger, a friend of Rasmus’s parents, contacts Benjamin out of the blue and gives him an opportunity to reflect on his life, his friendships and everything he has lost. (In Swedish with English subtitles).
Heston’s Great British Food (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 17th December 2013)
Heston Blumenthal takes an iconic British dish, revealing the secret history behind its evolution and finding inspiration for an incredible culinary tribute of his own. This time it’s roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Heston discovers the origins of the great British roast, before serving up a spectacular roast beef dinner to the people who make it possible – butchers and farmers. Heston travels back to late medieval times and tries out a roast chicken dressed as a knight riding a pig into battle. Heston then finds himself in the early 1800s, uncovering just how important beef was to Nelson and his navy. He travels to Switzerland to discover how mould is being used in laboratories to create the most sublime aged beef. He creates a joint made up of different cuts, all treated differently, and stuck together with meat glue; an edible vegetable garden; a bull shot cocktail; and giant Yorkshire puddings. And Heston reveals the secrets of his signature roast potatoes.
Bad Education (BBC 3/HD | 10:00pm to 10:30pm | Tuesday 17th December 2013)
School-based sitcom. It is time for the Abbey Grove Christmas Play and with Miss Pickwell no longer around Mr Fraser decides Alfie is the obvious replacement to direct this year’s production. But with the class undecided about whether to put on the Nutcracker or Robocop, will Alfie’s decision to write and direct a plot mash-up of Robocracker and casting school bully Grayson as co-lead prove successful? Mitchell decides to do something lovely for Alfie and invite his estranged mother to the play, but will Mr Fraser and Mitchell come up with a good enough reason to lure her over from Spain with her new husband Javier? And will Miss Gulliver manage to persuade Alfie and his class to volunteer at the soup kitchen where a Scottish tramp makes quite an impression?
The Great Train Robbery: A Robber’s Tale. Episode 1 (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:30pm | Wednesday 18th December 2013)
Based on the true story of the 1963 train robbery, this drama shows how a group of mid-level criminals masterminded by Bruce Reynolds joined forces with a corrupt solicitor to hijack the Bank Holiday mail train from Euston to Glasgow. But their meticulous planning was compromised by a violent attack on the train driver and a botched getaway. Faced with such a huge and audacious crime, worth £44 million in today’s money, the establishment hit back – and Reynolds and his men became the most wanted men in Britain.
The Great Train Robbery: A Copper’s Tale. Episode 2 (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:30pm | Thursday 19th December 2013)
Drama based on the true story of the police investigation into the 1963 train robbery, spearheaded by the Flying Squad’s legendary DCS Tommy Butler and conducted in the full glare of public and media scrutiny. In a race against time, can Butler and his hand-picked team of detectives identify every criminal involved in the robbery and bring them to justice before they flee the country? And even if they catch the criminals – can they find the money itself?
George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 19th December 2013)
In this festive special, George visits an incredible man-made stalactite crystal grotto in Surrey, and meets a small-spaces enthusiast who has rebuilt and renovated a Victorian flat-pack tin chapel in Shropshire to create a magical holiday home. He catches up with carpenter Adam, who created a double-decker bus holiday home on the Brighton coastline, Jay and Jonathan at their ambulance-turned-campervan in Norfolk, and Barry at his hexagonal home in Lancashire. Meanwhile, it’s Christmas in the tree house with Rew from the Land Rover cocktail bar helping to get the celebrations started.
Stobart: Trucks, Trains and Planes (Channel 5 | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 20th December 2013)
Observational documentary series about one of the world’s biggest haulage firms. Tim Fox arrives at Penrith fire station just as the alarm bells start ringing, while the rail team call upon the services of a mega machine to make safe a dangerously subsiding slope beside a track.
2013: Moments in Time (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Friday 20th December 2013)
The story of 2013 told through the high-impact images of the year, exploring how photography has changed in the age of smartphones, social media and the selfie. From the helicopter crash in London to the bush fires in Tasmania and the Boston Marathon bombing, this was a year in which the best camera was the one you had in your hand and saw ordinary people taking some of the most striking pictures of 2013. Meeting photographers, news editors and members of the public who were in the right place at the right time, this film reveals how these extraordinary pictures were taken and argues that the image remains as powerful as ever in the modern world.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.