Below are my picks of the week's most notable TV shows, debuting or returning to British airwaves. As usual, the New Year heralds lots of new programming to get 2013 off to a good start...
~ NEW YEAR'S EVE ~
Wild At Heart: Filming With Animals (ITV1, 6pm) Special detailing how the drama series coped filming with live animals. Narrated by Stephen Tompkinson.Top Of The Pops: New Year's Eve Special (BBC1, 7pm) Special retrospective of 2012's best music, presented by Fearne Cotton & Reggie Yates. Featuring Robbie Williams, Rita Ora, Girls Aloud, Tulisa, Tinie Tempah, Ellie Goulding, Stooshe, Rizzle Kicks, and more.
2012: A Funny Old Year (ITV1, 9pm) Light-hearted look back at 2012's defining moments, hosted by Jason Manford. Featuring Rob Beckett, Nina Conti, Alistair McGowan & Omid Djalili.
PICK OF THE DAY Alan Carr's New Year's Specstacular (Channel 4, 9pm) Live televised party to ring in 2013 with Alan Carr. Guests are Jonathan Ross, Jack Whitehall, Jimmy Carr, Gok Wan, Melanie Sykes, Christine Bleakley, Rylan Clark & Bruno Mars.
House Party: NYE (Channel 4, 11.50pm) Second live all-night dance music event, with sets from six of the world's most famous DJs: Annie Mac, Frankie Knuckles and Normany Jay, Hercules & Love Affair, Charlie Sloth and Toddla T.
~ NEW YEAR'S DAY ~
Royal Babies (ITV1, 7pm) Documentary on the many royal babies that have captured the hearts of the nation and the world, in light of Prince William and Kate Middleton's unborn daughter—who will be the first female royal to succeed the throne ahead of any male siblings.Nature's Weirdest Events (BBC2, 8pm) Series 2 of the wildlife show looking at the more extraordinary creatures in the world. Presented by Chris Packham.
Celebrity Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (ITV1, 8pm) Special edition of the quiz show with celebs playing for charity. Presented by Chris Tarrant.
Queen Victoria's Children (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary series exploring the late Queen's relationship to her husband and their chidren using letters, diaries, memoires and journals. Continues tomorrow. (1/3)
Gary Barlow & Friends (ITV1, 9pm) Special where the Take That singer-songwriter hosts an evening of music and chat. Guests include Nicole Scherzinger, Peter Kay, James Corden, Mark Owen, JLS & Tulisa.
PICK OF THE DAY Charlie Brooker's 2012 Wipe Out (BBC2, 10pm) Irreverent and acerbic retrospective on the past year, with contributions from Doug Stanhope, Sharon Horgan & Peter Serafinowicz.
WEDNESDAY 2nd
Wanted Down Under (BBC1, 9.15am) Series 7 of the show where British families try and immigrate to Australia. Hosted by Nicki Chapman. (1/20)Tipping Point (ITV1, 4pm) Series 2 of the arcade-themed quiz show with a £10,000 jackpot. Hosted by Ben Shephard. (1/40)
Midsomer Murders (ITV1, 8pm) Series 15 of the cosy murder-mystery drama, this one focusing on the murder of a journalist with echoes to a 1960s horror movie. Starring Neil Dudgeon, Jason Hughes, Fiona Dolman, Tamzin Malleson & Sinead Cusack.
Gok's Style Secrets (Channel 4, 8pm) Brand new fashion series from Gok Wan, where he gives single women a makeover to get them back into the dating game. (1/6)
PICK OF THE DAY Africa (BBC1, 9pm) Landmark wildlife series focusing on the African continent. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough. (1/6)
One Born Every Minute (Channel 4, 9pm) Series 4 of the fly-on-the-wall documentary about people giving birth across two maternity wards in Leeds. (1/13)
Secrets Of A Good Marriage with Sharon Horgan (Channel 4, 10pm) Special where the comic actress explores what makes a happy marriage, meeting six couples and trying to fathom their secret.
THURSDAY 3rd
Waterloo Road (BBC1, 8pm) Series 8 of the school drama resumes. (11/30)Location, Location, Location (Channel 4, 8pm) Series 15 of the property series. Presented by Kirstie Allsopp & Phil Spencer. (1/5)
Nursing The Nation (ITV1, 8.30pm) Brand new series following the lives of district nurses visiting homes across the UK. (1/7)
DIY SOS: The Big Build (BBC1, 9pm) Special where the DIY team transform a mother-of-three's home, because she agreed to house a dying friend's five kids.
Trouble Abroad (ITV1, 9pm) New series about Britons who left the country seeking a better life, only to face living nightmares. (1/2)
PICK OF THE DAY Celebrity Big Brother (Channel 4, 9pm) Series 11 of the celebrity version of the reality gameshow. Hosted by Brian Dowling.
Fake Reaction (ITV2, 10pm) Brand new comedy panel show where contestants try to keep a straight face. Hosted by Matt Edmondson, with team captains Joe Swash & Ellie Taylor.
Summer In Blackpool (BBC1, 10.35pm) Documentary on the famous Lancashire seaside resort.
FRIDAY 4th
The Channel 4 Mash Up (Channel 4, 7.30pm) Return of the evening where some of Channel 4's top shows becomes jumbled up. Hosted by Davina McCall & Kevin McCloud.Wild Britain with Ray Mears (ITV1, 8pm) Series 3 of the survival show.
PICK OF THE DAY Room 101 (BBC1, 8.30pm) Series 2 of the revived comedy gameshow where celebs try to banish hated things into the fictional room, hosted by Frank Skinner. Guests are Miranda Hart, John Craven & Reggie Yates. (1/8)
SATURDAY 5th
Richard Hammond's Secret Service (BBC1, 6.30pm) Brand new hidden camera series.Splash! (ITV1, 7.15pm) Special gameshow where five celebs learn how to dive, tutored by Tom Daley. Hosted by Vernon Kaye & Gabby Logan.
PICK OF THE DAY Britain's Brightest (BBC1, 7.10pm) Brand new series to find the most intelligent person in the country. Presented by Clare Balding. (1/6)
Stanley Baxter: The Many Faces Of (BBC2, 8pm) Profile of the late Glaswegian entertainer who achieved huge fame in the '70s and '80s.
Take Me Out (ITV1, 8.45pm) Series 5 of the dating gameshow. Hosted by Paddy McGuinness. (1/8)
Borgen (BBC4, 9pm) Series 2 of the Danish political drama.
SUNDAY 6th
Got To Dance (Sky1, 6pm) Return of the dance competition. Hosted by Davina McCall.Dancing On Ice (ITV1, 6.15pm) Series 8 of the celebrity ice skating competition. Hosted by Phillip Schofield & Christine Bleakley. Judges are Robin Cousins, Jason Gardiner & Ashley Roberts. Celebrities are Pamela Anderson, Luke Campbell, Keith Chegwin, Samia Ghadie, Lauren Goodger, Oona King, Matt Lapinskas, Joe Pasquale, Gareth Thomas, Beth Tweddle, Anthea Turner & Shayne Ward. (1/10)
Glee (Sky1, 8pm) Series 4 of the US musical-comedy-drama. Starring Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, Jane Lynch & Matthew Morrison. (1/22)
Tankies: Tank Heroes Of WWII (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary on the 5th Royal Tank Regiment beginning in France 1940. (1/2)
PICK OF THE DAY Mr Selfridge (ITV1, 9pm) Brand new drama series based on the life of retail magnate Harry Gordon Selfridge. Starring Jeremy Piven, Frances O'Connor, Katherine Kelly, Zoe Tapper, Aisling Loftus & Gregory Fitoussi. (1/10)
Neil Armstrong: First Man On The Moon (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary on the famous astronaut, who died this year.
Hawaii Five-0 (Sky1, 9pm) Series 3 of the crime drama set in Hawaii. Starring Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim & Grace Park. (1/22)
Speed Dreams (BBC2, 10pm) Documentary about the event in Bonneville, Utah, where elite groups try to break the land speed record. (1/2)
NCIS: Los Angeles (Sky1, 10pm) Series 4 of the crime drama. Starring Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J & Linda Hunt. (1/24)
