If you’ve still got some mince pies left, today might be the day to dish them out – Worzel Gummidge is the perfect show to watch with the family with a seasonal snack in hand.
Mackenzie Crook returns as the iconic scarecrow for the third year in a row tonight, while a mince pie would also be suitable to a very Christmassy trip to Norway in Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig.
If you’re looking for a dark drama based on real life then there are two great options tonight – both A Very British Scandal and Landscapers air their concluding episodes tonight, which collectively feature four of Britain’s best actors in rousing performances.
Here’s the best Christmas TV for Tuesday 28th December.
The BFG – 3:25pm, BBC One
!["Ruby]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2017/11/the-bfg-movie-1f423a6.jpg?quality=90&crop=12px%2C0px%2C1027px%2C684px&resize=620%2C413" "\"The")
Steven Spielberg re-teams with ET scribe Melissa Mathison for this 2016 update of the Roald Dahl classic – and achieves similar family-friendly fun. The film remains faithful to Dahl’s beloved book, following a young orphan girl who befriends a Big Friendly Giant who helps her stop man-eating giants from invading the human world.
A Roald Dahl adaptation that is also Spielberg’s first Disney film – is there a bigger crossover in family entertainment? Ideal viewing over the festive period.
Worzel Gummidge – 7:15pm, BBC One
!["Worzel]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/12/twitchers-0101adf.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Twitchers\"")
Mackenzie Crook returns to Scatterbrook farm for the third year in a row for two more episodes of family-friendly fantasy, once again using this reboot of the 1970s classic to highlight the importance of the environment. Tonight’s episode sees Worzel facing becoming obsolete after Mr Braithwaite unboxes the Scare-o-Matic 5000 – and also has to contend with bird-spotters focused on his field…
The second episode airs tomorrow, with Strictly champion Bill Bailey guest-starring as Mr Peregrine.
Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig – 8pm, Channel 4
!["Extraordinary]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/02/Extraordinary_Escapes_Sandi_Toksvig-968d1f5.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Extraordinary_Escapes_Sandi_Toksvig\"")
It was only last night that comedian Joe Lycett was exploring Iceland for Channel 4 – and the Scandinavian escapades continue as Sandi Toksvig pops to Norway for a seasonal special of her travel series. She won’t be alone however – along with Deborah Meaden, Fay Ripley and Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, the QI host goes in search of killer whales, wolves, Christmas trees and the all-important Northern lights.
However their lodgings are just as impressive as the sights – those with an aversion to heights may not want to look at their mountain-top glass cabin!
A Very British Scandal – 9pm, BBC One
!["A]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/12/A-Very-British-Scandal-8a75658.jpg?quality=90&crop=23px%2C0px%2C4237px%2C2823px&resize=620%2C413" "\"A")
The disconcerting three-part drama concludes tonight, with the Duke of Argyll’s campaign of cruelty escalating to new heights while Margaret struggles as the law, the press, and society seems to be against her. We finally get to see the notorious and oft-mentioned trial begin tonight, and it’s as nasty as you’d expect – brought to life by terrific performances from Claire Foy and Paul Bettany.
Landscapers – 9pm, Sky Atlantic
!["Landscapers]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/11/Landscapers-Colman-Thewlis-aa72d5a.jpg?quality=90&crop=25px%2C115px%2C4270px%2C2845px&resize=620%2C413" "\"Landscapers")
This surreal and wholly original take on true crime ends tonight, and if this concluding episode is anything like the first three we should be in store for a rather unique ending – quite the feat when we know what happened in real life. National treasures Olivia Colman and David Thewlis star here as Susan and Christopher Edwards, who were found guilty of murdering her parents and burying them in their own back garden.
However Susan’s love of cinema means the story so far has been told through many homages to classic Hollywood – with leads to an awful lot of commentary about how true-crime series are created and presented.
Learn more about the Landscapers true story.
The Meg – 9pm, Channel 5
!["themeg"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2018/08/themeg-92f1b5e.png?quality=90&crop=438px%2C0px%2C1618px%2C1078px&resize=620%2C413" "\"themeg\"")
If you’ve had a few mince pies too many or over-indulged on the mulled wine, this is the perfect low-effort film to throw on while you nurse your food hangover. Like an amped-up version of Jaws that is definitely not afraid to show the shark, The Meg stars Jason Statham as rescue diver Jonas Taylor, who agrees to help a team of researchers fight an ancient Megaladon.
It’s Jason Statham versus a giant prehistoric shark – does any more need to be said?
Mock the Week End of Year Special – 10pm, BBC Two
!["Mock]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/11/18104944-high_res-mock-the-week-s19-4318a13.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"mock-the-week-dara-obriain-hugh-dennis\"")
If you’ve missed Mock the Week this year, this is the perfect time to jump back in as regulars Dara O’Briain and Hugh Dennis recap the last twelve months. It’s certainly not been the easiest of years, but O’Briain, Dennis and their revolving door of panel guests always manage to find the funny side – and we get a special look at the outtakes which are often funnier than the jokes.
Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.