TV tonight: our highlights for Wednesday 16th December

TV tonight Gordon, Gino & Fred: Desperately Seeking Santa
(Image credit: Tony Ward)

Gordon, Gino & Fred: Desperately Seeking Santa is just one of the gems on today...

Gordon, Gino and Fred are Desperately Seeking Santa, Vicky McClure is back with Her Dementia Choir at Christmas, and it's the last of Paul O'Grady's Great British Escapes. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss on TV tonight.

  • Our hand-selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include three TV shows, a film, live sport and the latest trending need-to-binge-on-now box set 
  • Keep up to date with the latest soap spoiler storylines on TV tonight with our daily soap synopsis 
  • For more information about what’s on TV tonight see our TV Guide 

What's on TV tonight 

Our expert TV journalists have picked the best things on TV tonight... 

Best TV shows on TV tonight

Vicky McClure's Dementia Choir at Christmas, 7.30pm, BBC1 (Wales, BBC2)

TV tonight Vicky McClure's Dementia Choir at Christmas

Encore: Vicky’s back with her choir

Following their truly triumphant concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2018, Vicky McClure and her choir of singers living with dementia get ready for a special seasonal performance for one of their members. Mick wants to sing on stage one last time as part of his ‘bucket list’, but has no idea Vicky has arranged for him to perform with the English National Opera at the London Coliseum. And she has roped in her Line of Duty co-star Adrian Dunbar to sing with him! This heartwarming documentary also catches up with the rest of the choir and looks at how they coped during lockdown. 

★★★ JH

Gordon, Gino & Fred: Desperately Seeking Santa, 9pm, ITV

TV tonight Gordon, Gino & Fred: Desperately Seeking Santa

Gordon, Gino and Fred chill out at the North Pole

Gordon Ramsay, Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix are on a mission. Determined to end 2020 with some high jinks, the three not-so-wise men head to Lapland to find Santa! Gino wants to hand-deliver a letter from his daughter to the big man himself, Fred’s keen to see the Northern Lights and Gordon relishes sitting down with Finland’s indigenous Sami people and learning all they can teach him about reindeer meat. Expect festive jumpers, brotherly bickering, constant one-upmanship, reindeer herding and nakedness. The nakedness is not guaranteed, but with GGF it’s best to be prepared. Christmas has been turned up to 11! 

★★★ ER

Paul O'Grady's Great British Escape, 8pm, ITV

TV tonight Paul O'Grady's Great British Escape

Kent or Star Wars? Paul visits Red Sands fort

The series bows out with Paul exploring some of Kent’s most unusual sites, including Red Sands Fort – looming towers above the Thames Estuary that helped combat enemy aircraft during World War Two. Paul also fires a rare anti-aircraft gun, and learns how tunnels were dug into the White Cliffs to hide smugglers’ loot. But Paul couldn’t say goodbye without some animal antics and a visit to Port Lympne Safari Park. 

★★★★ CC

Best box set to watch

Black Books, seasons one to three, All 4/Netflix/BritBox/Amazon Prime Video

TV tonight Black Books

Bill Bailey stars with Dylan Moran and Tamsin Greig

Strictly Come Dancing’s Bill Bailey is among the fine cast of this hugely enjoyable dark comedy co-created by Dylan Moran, who also stars as bad-tempered bookshop owner Bernard Black. Bill plays his cheerful, long-suffering assistant.

Best film to watch on TV tonight

Safety, Disney +

TV tonight Safety

Brotherly love: Ray and Fahmarr

A film based on the true story of American football player Ray McElrathbey. Set at Clemson University in South Carolina, Ray makes the difficult choice to save his younger brother, Fahmarr, from being taken into foster care. He sneaks him into his university campus and, helped by his teammates and other students, juggles his studies, football and caring for Fahmarr. Starring Jay Reeves as Ray and Corinne Foxx, daughter of actor Jamie Foxx, as Kaycee. A preview wasn’t available but you can expect this will be a heartfelt, feelgood film. 

Live sport

  • Premier League Football: Arsenal v Southampton k-o 6pm, Amazon Prime Video
  • Premier League Football: Leicester v Everton k-o 6pm, Amazon Prime Video
  • Premier League Football: Leeds v Newcastle k-o 6pm, Amazon Prime Video
  • Premier League Football: West Ham v Crystal Palace k-o 8pm, Amazon Prime Video
  • Premier League Football: Fulham v Brighton k-o 8pm, Amazon Prime Video
  • Premier League Football: West Ham v Crystal Palace k-o 8pm, Amazon Prime Video
  • Premier League Football: Liverpool v Spurs k-o 8pm, Amazon Prime Video

Soaps on TV tonight

If you watch just one thing on TV tonight… 

Don't miss Gino, Gordon and Fred on TV tonight – more like desperately seeking sanity

Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide. 

Happy viewing!