The Railway: First Great Western (Channel 5 | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 22nd December 2014)
Documentary series following the staff of First Great Western. In this episode, as the deadline to re-open the mainline at Dawlish nears, engineers work around the clock to annul the threat of a landslide. At Paddington, onboard a special service with a Pullman silver-service dining car, chef Paul pulls out all the stops to impress a food critic and in the Cotswolds, station manager Theresa illustrates why her ‘firm-with-care’ policy has earned her the nickname ‘the smiling tiger’.
John Bishop’s Christmas (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 22nd December 2014)
John Bishop’s Christmas Show is an all-singing, all-dancing festive comedy spectacular. To help him bring the Christmas cheer, John is joined on stage at the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End by big names in music and comedy. George Ezra and Olly Murs both perform their hits from the year and Jack Whitehall, Jason Byrne, Katherine Ryan and the Horne Section are some of the comedy acts supplying the laughs. There are plenty of other Christmas treats and surprises along the way, including Mr Bishop performing a dance routine with 16 Tiller Girls.
Holby City (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 23rd December 2014)
Hospital drama. Elliot’s plans for a quiet family Christmas are derailed by the arrival of a friend in need. Arthur must step up when those around him are falling apart. Ric returns to AAU and manages to tread on quite a few toes.
The Choir: New Military Wives (BBC 2/HD | 8:30pm to 9:30pm | Wednesday 24th December 2014)
Two-part documentary following choirmaster Gareth Malone, as he forms a special Military Wives choir to perform at a World War I centenary prom at London’s Royal Albert Hall, alongside the cast of War Horse. It’s three years since Gareth formed the first Military Wives choir and since then the organisation has mushroomed with over 2,000 members around the globe. In this episode, Gareth works the wives harder than ever as they prepare to share the stage of the Royal Albert Hall with some of the world’s top professional musicians on the 3rd August – the eve of the day Britain entered World War I. The wives meet the National Theatre’s War Horse team who they will perform alongside, and the planned repertoire forces the wives to confront their own vulnerability. One of the serving wives makes the momentous decision to leave the armed forces. This episode culminates in Gareth and his 100-strong amateur choir giving a professional and emotionally engaged performance at the BBC Proms.
Doctor Who (BBC 1/HD | 6:15pm to 7:15pm | Thursday 25th December 2014)
The Doctor and Clara face their last Christmas. Trapped on an Arctic base, under attack from terrifying creatures, who are you going to call? Santa Claus!
Miranda (BBC 1/HD | 7:15pm to 7:50pm | Thursday 25th December 2014)
Miranda has received two proposals – one from Gary and one from Mike. Will she choose one of them or will she run away from the pressures of relationships and the fear of not coping with being a wife?
Call the Midwife (BBC 1/HD | 7:50pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 25th December 2014)
Drama about a group of midwives in 1950s London, based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth. The episode opens in 2005 with Jennifer Worth at home preparing for Christmas with husband Philip. She reminisces about the friends and colleagues of her youth at Nonnatus House, and as she talks there is a cut back to 1959. Rehearsals are under way for the Sunday School Christmas concert and while Chummy tries to choreograph dancing snowflakes, Trixie sets to work designing a Father Christmas outfit for Fred to wear. Chummy is enlisted to help run a poorly managed mother and baby home and with Patsy’s help succeeds in bringing some Christmas joy into the residents’ lives. Cynthia is drawn deeply into a case concerning two former residents of a Victorian mental hospital who have been left to fend for themselves and are barely coping. This causes Cynthia to make a life-changing decision.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.