Below are my picks of the most notable new shows, returning or premiering on UK screens over the next 7 days...
MONDAY 22nd
Gadget Man's Guide to Christmas (Channel 4, 8pm) Festive edition where Richard Ayoade tests various gadgets with a Christmas theme.Would I Lie To You? At Christmas (BBC1, 8.30pm) Yuletide special of the comedy panel show. Guests are Ray Winstone, Josh Widdicombe, Rachel Riley & Ricky Tomlinson.
John Bishop's Christmas Show (BBC1, 9pm) Seasonal special of the comedian's light entertainment show. Guests are Jason Byrne, Jack Whitehall, George Ezra, Olly Murrs & Katherine Ryan.
★ The Wrong Mans (BBC2, 9pm) Two-part special of the hit comedy-drama about two council workers who become embroiled in an espionage plot. Starring Mathew Baynton, James Corden, Dawn French, Sarah Solemani, Raoul Trujillo, Anastasia Griffith & Samantha Spiro. Concludes tomorrow. (1/2)
Tsunami: Survivors' Stories (ITV, 9pm) Documentary catching up with survivors of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami that hit Thailand.
Food Unwrapped (Channel 4, 9pm) Christmas special of the show, where Jimmy Doherty, Kate Quilton and Matt Tebbutt have spent twelve-months travelling the world looking for festive recipes and meals.
Michael Buble's Christmas 2014 (Channel 5, 9pm) Music special recorded live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Guests are Barbara Streisand, Ariana Grande, Miss Piggy & The Rockettes.
Stella (Sky1, 9pm) Christmas special of the comedy-drama. Starring Ruth Jones, Patrick Baladi, Steve Speirs & Di Botcher.
Derek: The Special (Channel 4, 10pm) Seasonal send-off for the mockumentary about a simpleton living in an old people's home. Starring Ricky Gervais, Kerry Godliman, David Earl & Holli Dempsey.
Taking New York (E4, 10pm) Preview of the new structured reality show, debuting in 2015, about a group of young Brits trying to make their dreams come true in New York City.
TUESDAY 23rd
Lottery Stories: Be Careful What You Wish For (ITV, 9pm) Documentary exploring how winning the National Lottery has changed the lives of people, with both positive and negative results.Len Goodman's Big Bang Bonanza (BBC4, 9pm) Special where the ballroom expert and Strictly Come Dancing judge explores big band and swing music in the UK since WWII.
★ Man Down (Channel 4, 10pm) Christmas special of the sitcom about a blundering middle-aged man. Starring Greg Davies, Stephanie Cole, Roisin Conaty & Mike Wozniak.
Kylie: Kiss Me Once (ITV, 10.40pm) Highlights of the Aussie popstar's current tour, recorded at Glasgow's Hydro arena in November.
CHRISTMAS EVE
On Angel Wings (BBC1, 4.15pm) Animated adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's children's book, which reworks the Nativity story. Voices by Dominic Cooper, Juliet Stevenson, Colin McFarlane, Oliver Walsh & Joshua McFarlane.★ The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm (BBC1, 8.30pm) Adaptation of the popular children's books, about an eccentric inventor being run out of town by a local councillor. Starring Harry Hill, Madeline Holliday, Ben Miller, David Mitchell, Miranda Richardson, Simon Day & Vicki Pepperdine.
Gogglebox 2014 (Channel 4, 9.30pm) Highlights from this year of Gogglebox episodes.
Julie Walters: A Life on Screen (BBC2, 9.30pm) Celebration of the comic actress's 40-year career. Featuring Victoria Wood, Willy Russell, Rupert Grint, Celia Imrie, Alan Bleasdale, Gary Lewis & Hugh Bonneville.
Cuckoo (BBC3, 10.25pm) Christmas special of the sitcom about a suburban middle-class family living with a peculiar free-spirited American. Starring Greg Davies, Taylor Lautner, Helen Baxendale, Esther Smith & Tyger Drew-Honey.
Some Santas with Jokes (BBC4, 10.30pm) Various Santa's tell their favourite gags.
Rude Tube Christmas Cracker (Channel 4, 11.05pm) Festive edition of the show compiling internet videos and viral clips. Hosted by Alex Zane.
CHRISTMAS DAY
Top of the Pops (BBC1, 2pm) Seasonal countdown of the year's most successful chart hits. Hosted by Fearne Cotton & Reggie Yates. Performances from Ed Sheeran, Tom Odell, Clean Bandit, Jess Glynne, George Ezra, Take That, Ella Henderson, The Vamps, MNEK, and more.The Queen's Garden (ITV, 3.10pm) Gardening special where Alan Titchmarsh explores Buckingham Palace Garden. (1/2)
Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas (ITV, 4.20pm) Animated version of the movie Elf. Voices by Jim Parsons, Mark Hamill, Ed Asner, Kate Micucci & Max Charles.
Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, 5pm) Christmas special of the celebrity dancing competition, bringing back six popular faces from series past: Chris Hollins, Lisa Riley, Louis Smith, Rachel Stevens, Russell Grant & Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Hosted by Sir Bruce Forsyth & Tess Daly.
James May's Toy Stories (BBC2, 5.10pm) Special where the Top Gear co-host attempts to make Action Man cool again, by propelling a figure through the sound barrier.
Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs (ITV, 5.50pm) Seasonal edition of the show following the work of the Battersea Dogs & Cars Home.
★ Doctor Who: Christmas Special (BBC1, 6.15pm) Festive special of the family sci-fi adventure. Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Nick Frost, Dan Starkey, Nathan McMullen & Faye Marsay.
Miranda (BBC1, 7.15pm) Two-part conclusion of the sitcom about an unlucky-in-love middle-aged joke shop proprietor. Starring Miranda Hart, Tom Ellis, Sarah Hadland, Sally Phillips, Adrian Scarborough & Patricia Hodge. Concludes New Year's Day. (1/2)
Call the Midwife (BBC1, 7.50pm) Christmas special of the period drama about nurses.
Frozen at Christmas (Channel 4, 8pm) Documentary investigating the phenomenon of the world's most successful animated movie, Disney's Frozen.
Downton Abbey (ITV, 9pm) Seasonal special of the 1920s period drama.
Mrs Brown's Boys (BBC1, 10.05pm) Festive editions of the sitcom. Concludes New Year's Day. (1/2)
Alan Carr: Chatty Man (Channel 4, 9pm) Christmas instalment of the chat show. Guests are Terry Wogan, Sarah Millican, Dan Stevens, Emma Willis, Gino D'Acampo, Phillip Schofield, Sam Smith, George Ezra & McBusted. (15/15)
Michael McIntyre's Very Christmassy Christmas Show (BBC1, 10.35pm) Festive edition of the chat show. Guests are Robbie Williams, Jamie Oliver, Rob Brydon, Barbara Windsor, Brendan O'Carroll, Michelle Keegan & Jamie Cullum.
BOXING DAY
Still Open More Hours (BBC1, 6.25pm) New series of the sitcom about a corner shop owner, 28-years after the original series aired. Starring David Jason, Lynda Baron, James Baxter, Stephanie Cole, Brigit Forsyth, Kulvinder Ghir & Tim Healy. (1/6)★ The Boy in the Dress (BBC1, 6.55pm) Adaptation of David Walliams's children's book about a young boy whose unusual fashion choices revitalises his ordinary life. Starring Billy Kennedy, David Walliams, Jennifer Saunders, James Buckley, Meera Syal, Steve Speirs, Tim McInnerny & Harish Patel.
A Christmas Cracker (ITV, 8pm) Light entertainment special from the Hammersmith Apollo. Hosted by Bradley Walsh. Guests are Al Murray, Katherine Jenkins, The Muppets, The Vamps, Cirque du Soleil & Flawless.
Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (Sky1, 8.30pm) Comedy crime-drama based on MC Beaton's novels, about a former-PR whizz who becomes a murder suspect after moving to a close-knit Cotswolds village. Staring Ashley Jensen, Hermione Norris, Robert Bathurst & Katy Wix.
The Day We Sang (BBC2, 9pm) Musical drama about the members of a 1969 children's choir who reunite 40-years later. Starring Imelda Staunton, Michael Ball, Conleth Hill, Lyndsey Marshal, Daniel Rigby & Sophie Thompson.
Birds of a Feather (ITV, 9pm) Series 11 of the sitcom that was recently revived. Continues New Year's Day. (1/8)
The Big Fat Quiz of the Year (Channel 4, 9pm) Comedy panel show about the past 12 months. Hosted by Jimmy Carr. Guests are Richard Ayoade, David Mitchell, Mel B, Micky Flanagan, Sarah Millican, Kevin Bridge, Michael Palin, Rio Ferdinand, Lily Allen, Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley & Blake Harrison.
Wallander (BBC4, 9pm) New series of the Swedish crime drama. (1 & 2/4)
Through the Christmas Keyhole (ITV, 9.30pm) Festive edition of the game show. Hosted by Keith Lemon. Guests are Jonathan Ross, Louis Walsh & Kym Marsh.
SATURDAY 27th
You Saw Them Here First (ITV, 6.05pm) Special taking a look through the archives, to uncover modern celebrity's humble onscreen beginnings. Narrated by Robert Webb. Bruce's Hall of Fame (BBC1, 8.30pm) Special where Sir Bruce Forsyth hosts a show where celebrities are given a chance to emulate their idols. Guests are Jessie Wallace, Jamie Cullum, Jason Manford, Ben Miller, Alfie Boe & Jon Culshaw.
★ Top Gear: Patagonia Special (BBC2, 8.30pm) South American adventure from the Top Gear trio. Concludes tomorrow. (1/2)
50 Funniest Moments of 2014 (Channel 4, 9.30pm) Clips of the past year's most hilarious moments.
The Haunting of Radcliffe House (Channel 5, 9.35pm) Supernatural drama about a family who move to a remote estate in the Yorkshire moors, triggering paranormal activity. Starring Olivia Williams, Matthew Modine, Adam Thomas Wright, Antonia Clarke, Richard Dillane & Steve Oram.
Darcy Oake: Edge of Reality (ITV, 9.50pm) Magic special from the Britain's Got Talent contestant. Hosted by Christine Bleakley.
Not Going Out: The Outtakes (BBC1, 11.05pm) A selection of bloopers from the filming of the sitcom.
SUNDAY 28th
Unbelievable Moments Caught on Camera (ITV, 7pm) Amazing eyewitness footage caught by the public. Hosted by Alastair Stewart.All Star Family Fortunes (ITV, 8pm) Soap special of the gameshow, pitting the cast of Coronation Street against the cast of Emmerdale. Hosted by Vernon Kaye.
The Hotel (Channel 4, 8pm) Series 4 of the documentary, two-years after hotelier Mark Jenkins sold The Grosvenor. (1/8)
Got to Dance: A Celebration (Sky1, 8pm) Tribute to the dance contest, which ended this year.
★ Last Tango in Halifax (BBC1, 9pm) Series 3 of the romantic drama about elderly newlyweds. Starring Derek Jacobi, Anne Reid, Sarah Lancashire & Nicola Walker. (1/6)
Racing Legends (BBC2, 9.05pm) Series 2 of the documentary looking at British motorsport greats. Hosted by Vic Reeves. (1/3)
All New It'll Be Alright on the Night (ITV, 9pm) A new selection of goofs, bloopers and cockups from the TV archives. Hosted by Griff Rhys Jones.
Most Shocking Celebrity Moments of 2014 (Channel 5, 9pm) A compilation of outrageous moments with famous faces in the limelight.
House of Fools (BBC2, 10pm) Christmas special of the surreal sitcom about two middle-aged housemates. Starring Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Morgana Robinson, Dan Skinner, Matt Berry & Reece Shearsmith.
For a look at what the rest of the year's going to bring,
why not read and bookmark my TV Calendar?
