On TV tonight, the Queen of Cakes guides us through creating her perfect Christmas feast in Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas, the Taylor Sheridan TV universe gets even bigger as Yellowstone prequel 1923 hits Paramount Plus, and there's new festive specials of both For The Love of Dogs and QI XL to keep you entertained. Here's what you shouldn't miss on TV Tonight.
- Our hand-selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include 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
Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas, 8 pm, BBC One (Tuesday Scotland)
Mary is joined by presenter Rylan and chefs Angela Hartnett and Monica Galetti as she shows us how to make the ultimate Christmas dinner, using recipes she’s honed over 50 years. Mary serves up stilton-and-sage canapés followed by a lemon-and-herb roast turkey with all the trimmings. And if you’ve still got room for dessert, there’s her traditional Christmas pudding and a festive trifle. Mary gives us plenty of tips and tricks to make the whole day easy and fuss-free, but maybe her most challenging task is to convert Rylan into a lover of Brussels sprouts… ★★★★★ NH
For The Love of Dogs Royal Special, 9 pm, ITV1
Her Majesty The Queen Consort joins Paul O’Grady for this special episode marking the 160th anniversary of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. In her previous role as The Duchess of Cornwall, The Queen Consort - a dog lover and long-term Battersea supporter - held a garden party at Clarence House earlier this year to celebrate the occasion, before joining Paul at the charity’s Brands Hatch site to help tend to some of the dogs in their care. Paul’s keen to find forever homes for a blind Jack Russell, a giant Schnauzer with a serious health issue, and a Westie suffering a crisis of confidence. ★★★★ SP
QI XL, 9 pm, BBC Two
Sandi Toksvig hosts a festive edition of the ‘quite interesting’ panel show, as Gyles Brandreth, Aisling Bea and Chris McCausland join regular Alan Davies. You may want to record the episode as proof to show disbelieving recipients of your Christmas gift-giving, but apparently experts say that sticks are the best toy to give children. We also learn that the Three Wise Men could have brought baby Jesus chervil if they couldn’t find myrrh (although Gyles notes that ‘a truly wise person would take Calpol’) and The Magic Circle’s President, Megan Swann, performs a great trick which also has an important environmental message. ★★★★ JP
A-listers Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, who played a married couple starting a new life in Central America in the 1986 film The Mosquito Coast, team up again to star as husband and wife in this second prequel series to the hit contemporary Western Yellowstone. They play Jacob and Cara Dutton, forebears of Yellowstone’s John Dutton III (Kevin Costner), who face up to various tough challenges in 1920s Montana, including rival ranchers the ‘sheep men’, led by Scottish shepherd Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn). The two veterans are both in fine form in this compelling portrayal of the hard knocks of life in the Old West. IM
Best box set on TV tonight
The Flatshare, Paramount Plus
Tiffany and Leon are flatmates, but there's nothing conventional about their living arrangements. Despite sharing the same place, they've never actually met with Tiffany having the flat from 8 pm - 8 am, and Leon having it from 8 am - 8 pm. Over time the pair learn more about each other through post-it notes and start to develop an attraction to one another, even though they've never had an in-person conversation.
Jessica Brown Findlay and Anthony Welsh are excellent in the leading roles and with all six episodes now available on Paramount Plus, it's the perfect show for binge-watching. But will Tiffany and Leon actually become an item? You'll have to watch and find out!
★★★★ LB
Best film on TV tonight
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, 4.10 pm, Channel 5
The definitive Ebenezer Scrooge has to be Alastair Sim – the man was born to play the role of misery incarnate who discovers, with the prodding of a few ghostly visitors, Christmas really is worth celebrating. This 1951 version, made more than 70 years ago, has yet to be bettered. It’s wrapped up in a true Dickensian atmosphere, with a magnificent supporting cast: Michael Hordern’s wonderful take as the ghost of Jacob Marley, George Cole as the young Ebenezer, Mervyn Johns as Bob Cratchit and Hattie Jacques in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it portrayal of Mrs Fezziwig. ★★★★★ NP
Soaps
- EastEnders, 7.30 pm, BBC One
- Emmerdale, 7.30 pm, ITV
- Coronation Street, 8 pm, ITV
- Hollyoaks, 6:30 pm, Channel 4
Live Sport
- EFL: Wigan Athletic vs Sheffield United, 8 pm, Sky Sports Main Event
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas on TV tonight! Mary's bound to have some very useful tips and tricks up her sleeves for mastering the cooking on the big day.
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
