Not Going Out Christmas Special is one of the gems tonight...
Not Going Out brings us a hilarious festive special, while Stephen Fry takes a look at significant changes in the last 20 years. Here's what else you shouldn’t miss tonight.
- Our hand-selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include three TV shows, a film 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
Not Going Out, 9pm, BBC1
This seasonal special finds Lee and Lucy playing hosts with the mosts, trying (and failing miserably) to entertain their dysfunctional family and friends on New Year’s Eve. When parlour games are abandoned for a no-holds-barred discussion of their bad habits, all hell breaks loose, with hilarious consequences and a finale that will leave fans speechless. It’s a bittersweet watch as the wonderful and much-missed Bobby Ball, who plays Lee’s dad, passed away shortly after filming. ★★★★ RF
Tom Allen Goes to Town, 9pm, C4
Big city boy Tom Allen’s pilot for a new series sees him visit the sort of mid-size town he’s grown to love… and putting on a show. Wakefield is the first place to get the Tom treatment. There he meets some local characters, samples Wakey’s famous steak pies, renovates a Caribbean restaurant and then heads for the Theatre Royal where he takes to the stage with Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp! ★★★★ NC
21st Century Firsts, 8.30pm, ITV
Stephen Fry looks back at the most significant changes to our lives over the last 20 years. From the explosion in social media as Facebook (2004) and then Twitter (2006) launched, to the first accurate satnav and the smoking ban in 2007. The pace of new tech is pretty mind-blowing, while progress of other kinds has been made after decades of frustration and injustice, including the legalisation of same-sex marriage (2014) and the first solo British black man to headline Glastonbury, when Stormzy rocked Worthy Farm in 2019. ★★★★ JL
Best box set to watch on TV tonight
The Fall, BBC iPlayer, series 1 to 3
If you're looking for a gripping new box set to get your teeth into this Christmas, then look no further than The Fall on BBC iPlayer. The series, set in Northern Ireland, sees DSI Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) called in to solve a grisly Belfast murder. The series also stars Jamie Dornan, better known as Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades film series, who gives a chilling portrayal of killer Paul Spector.
Best film to watch on TV tonight
To Catch a Thief / North by Northwest, from 1.05pm, BBC2
Snuggle down for four hours of back-to-back Sir Alfred Hitchcock, along with leading man Cary Grant. First up, coaxed out of retirement for this very role, Cary plays a retired cat burglar on the Cote d’Azur suspected of being back in business by cool blonde Grace Kelly. Then it's Eva Marie Saint as Cary's icy companion in a thriller so iconic it's only necessary to say 'crop duster' and everyone's got it. Thrills, wit, charm, looks and terrible back-projection driving sequences, this double bill has the lot. ★★★★★ SM
Live sport
- EFL: Brentford v Bournemouth, 5pm (k-o 5.30pm), Sky Sports
- EFL: Swansea City v Reading, 7.45pm, (k-o 8pm), Sky Sports
Soaps on TV tonight
- Emmerdale, 7pm
- Coronation Street, 7.30pm
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss Not Going Out on BBC1 - a great festive treat.
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
