January
Lazy days
COMPELLING COUNTRYSIDE TV, BOOKS AND RADIO FOR WINTER EVENINGS
OUR TOP PICKS FOR FESTIVE VIEWING
Snuggle up under a blanket for a feast of countryside entertainment this holiday season
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
BBC ONE
With Olivia Colman as wealthy recluse Miss Havisham, Fionn Whitehead as Pip and Matt Berry as Mr Pumblechook, Great Expectations is a rich Christmas adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic coming-of-age story of an orphan, nicknamed Pip, whose life is transformed by a mysterious benefactor. The action moves from the wild marshes of Kent to the fine houses of London, as Pip grows from impoverished boy to wealthy gentleman.
HIS DARK MATERIALS
FROM 18 DECEMBER, BBC ONE AND IPLAYER
Based on the final book of Philip Pullman’s fantasy trilogy, the third series of His Dark Materials brings this epic adventure to a close. The action takes place over eight episodes, as Lord Asriel (James McAvoy) wages war on the Authority, summoning a mighty army, while Lyra and Will enter the land of the dead and Mary Malone (Simone Kirby) quests to find Dust. Filmed in Wales and England, the show transforms familiar landscapes into fantastical worlds.
THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE
BBC ONE
Bringing to life the charm of the best-selling book, this short film follows the rare friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse as they journey together in the boy’s search for home. Charlie Mackesy’s distinctive illustrations are reimagined in full colour with hand-drawn traditional animation, while an award-winning cast of actors voice the book’s protagonists, including Tom Hollander as the mole, Idris Elba as the fox, Gabriel Byrne as the horse and newcomer Jude Coward Nicoll as the boy.
ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
CHANNEL 5
The rustic Yorkshire drama returns. As the Second World War looms, veterinarian James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) and Helen (Rachel Shenton) celebrate their first Christmas as a married couple and adjust to changing times at Skeldale House.
DOC MARTIN: LAST CHRISTMAS IN PORTWENN
ITV
Following a near-death experience featuring barbed wire and a herd of stampeding cows, curmudgeonly Doc Martin has finally decided to put down roots in Cornwall. This episode, featuring all the familiar faces, marks the finale of his 10-series-long story. Look out for a sparkling appearance from Port Isaac, decked out in Christmas lights.
MORTIMER AND WHITEHOUSE: GONE FISHING CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
BBC TWO
Having wrapped up the fifth series of their ever-popular angling odyssey this year, the funny fishmermen mark the season with another watery adventure. Bob Mortimer (61, portly, unskilled) and Paul Whitehouse (62, angular, highly skilled) settle on the bank to shoot the breeze and make a Christmas catch, joined by special guests.
COUNTRYFILE: HOGMANAY
BBC ONE, 27 DECEMBER, 8PM
To discover the secrets of Hogmanay, Margherita Taylor visits Auchindrain in Argyll and Bute, an 18th-century Highland farm township. With the buildings dating to medieval times, the historic village has been preserved since its last resident left in the 1960s. Like the rest of Scotland, the township couldn’t celebrate Christmas but made up for it at Hogmanay. Margherita also delves into the archives to celebrate other winter customs and traditions.
MARY BERRY’S ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS
BBC ONE
Dame Mary shares her ultimate Christmas feast: a stilton and sage mini scone canapé, followed by lemon and herb roast turkey with all the trimmings, finished with a Christmas pudding and a show-stopping festive trifle. Mary also reveals how to create a sustainable and affordable centrepiece from foraged greenery. She meets chefs Angela Hartnett and Monica Galetti, who whip up their own seasonal specials, and visits a ‘pick-your-own’ farm with Rylan Clark to cook a dish of Brussels sprouts with peas and cashews.
GHOSTS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
BBC ONE
Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike Cooper (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) are again muddling through the season with the ghostly residents of Button House. When Alison’s family dinner goes awry, her spirited housemates produce a surprise Christmas present, and Pat (Jim Howick) takes a festive trip down memory lane that leads him to question his very identity. Enjoy hijinks and hauntings galore.
DETECTORISTS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
BBC FOUR
The metal-detecting duo of Lance (Toby Jones) and Andy (Mackenzie Crook, above) return for more treasure-hunting misadventures in the mellow golden fields of Suffolk. Written and directed by Crook, this feature-length special is filmed in part at Framlingham Castle.
COUNTRYSIDE RADIO
FARMING TODAY: KINGDOM FORGE
BBC RADIO 4, 5.45AM, 26 DECEMBER
Kingdom Forge is a workshop in Brundish, Suffolk, run by blacksmith Paul Stoddart. Paul and his team design and create high quality metalwork axes, swords and farm tools. Their style of forgework is greatly influenced by Victorian architecture, and the saying “nothing too strong ever broke”.
During the pandemic, the team took on an abandoned local orchard to start making cider from 2.4 hectares of apple trees. Their ‘still medium’, ‘dry’, and special ‘Brundish Blush’ ciders inspired the launch of their bar – they’re the only licensed forge in the UK.
BBC RADIO 3 CAROL COMPETITION
BBC RADIO 3
Music-lovers have been invited to compose a tune that could be the next big Christmas hit. Scottish poet Niall Campbell has written this year’s carol text, The Winter’s Brightening. Entries can range from gospel to pop, rap to folk and jazz to classical. With the six shortlisted pieces revealed on 16 December, the finalists’ compositions are arranged for the BBC Singers, and broadcast on BBC Radio 3, with the winner announced on 23 December.
See radiotimes.com for all broadcast details