The Great Christmas Bake Off 2020 (C4, 7.40pm)
LET’S hope Matt Lucas truly feels at home in the tent now that his first series is over, because for this Christmas special, he won’t have Noel Fielding to guide him. Instead, Bake Off: The Professionals host and Extra Slice regular Tom Allen is on co-presenting duties. They’ll be joined by judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, and four former contestants, Jamie and Rosie from 2019, Ruby from 2018 and James from 2017, who will battle for the title of Christmas Star Baker. There will be a guest appearance from Alexandra Burke, who performs her version of Silent Night.
Would I Lie to You? At Christmas (BBC1, 7.45pm)
ROB Brydon takes charge of another edition of the hilarious panel show. Regular team captains Lee Mack and David Mitchell are also in attendance, and they will be joined by Jo Brand, Joe Lycett, Joe Swash and Ruth Madeley. Among the highlights are Lycett’s efforts to convince everyone he fell out with his family over the famous “doof-doofs” at the end of EastEnders.
Birds of a Feather (STV, 9.15pm)
AFTER a three-year absence from our screens, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph are back as Tracey and Dorien, but all is not well. The last time we saw them, Tracey had reluctantly sold the house they all shared to Dorien, but now, they’re starting to get on each other’s nerves.
It doesn’t help that Sharon is stuck on the other side of the world, having become trapped on a never-ending cruise during the coronavirus panic. Les Dennis makes a guest appearance as Dorien’s new flame Graeme while Ami Metcalf appears as Jordan, Tracey’s young friend.
Miranda’s Games with Showbiz Names (BBC1, 9.45pm)
SADLY, there’s no sign of her sitcom returning in the near future, but it’s good to see Miranda Hart back on the box. A few years ago, she interviewed her hero, Bruce Forsyth, for the programme When Miranda Met Bruce – and now she’s hosting a one-off show that he would probably have been proud to have presented himself.
In fact, it has a hint of The Generation Game about it. Three celebrity couples join her from the comfort of their homes to take part in a series of outrageous challenges.
Have I Got 30 Years for You (BBC1, 10.15pm)
ON September 28, 1990, a pilot for a new satirical comedy show was broadcast on BBC Two. Chaired by Angus Deayton, with team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton, the panellists on the first episode of Have I Got News For You were Sandi Toksvig and Kate Saunders.
Ian and Paul look back at three decades of the daddy of all satirical panel shows, with contributions from Germaine Greer, Gary Lineker, Victoria Coren Mitchell, Ken Livingstone and Alexander Armstrong.
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