My weekly picks of the most notable TV shows debuting in the UK this week is below, covering 3-9 December 2012...
MONDAY 3rd
The Royal Variety Performance 2012 (ITV1, 7.30pm) Annual variety entertainment evening attended by The Queen. Hosted by David Walliams with acts such as One Direction, Girls Aloud, Kylie Minogue, Katherine Jenkins, Rhod Gilbert, Bill Bailey, Neil Diamond, Alicia Keys, Andrea Bocelli, Placido Domingo, Amanda Holden, Robbie Williams, the cast of Matilda, Bruce Forsyth, Ronnie Corbett, Bradley Walsh, Jimmy Tarbuck & Des O'Connor.Turner Prize 2012 (Channel 4, 7.30pm) Live coverage of the annual ceremony from the Tate Britain in London, with Jude Law handing out the awards. Hosted by Lauren Laverne.
The Real Man's Road Trip: Jon & Sean Go West (Channel 4, 9pm) Sean Lock and Jon Richardson travel to Louisiana to become Creole cowboys in the bayou. (1/2)
Inside Claridge's (BBC2, 9pm) Behind the scenes of the world-famous luxury hotel in Mayfair, central London. (1/3)
Junior Doctors: One Year Check Up (BBC3, 9pm) Follow-up to the fly-on-the-wall documentary, catching up with the young doctors a year later.
The Fear (Channel 4, 10pm) Brand new drama about a crime boss turned entrepreneur battling dementia and Albanian gangsters in Brighton. Starring Peter Mullan, Harry Lloyd, Paul Nicholls & Anastasia Hille. Continues nightly until Thursday. (1/4)
TUESDAY 4th
A Superscrimpers' Merry Christmas (Channel 4, 8pm) Financial series offering people advice on how to have a fun by thrift Christmas.Inside The Body Beautiful: How Fat Works (BBC3, 9pm) Documentary about the psychological and physiological pressures people deal with to lose weight.
Lemon La Vida Loca: Merry Keithmas (ITV2, 10pm) Festive special of the spoof fly-on-the-wall documentary series, following Keith Lemon on a winter retreat with his girlfriend. Co-starring Emily Atack. Concludes tomorrow. (1/2)
WEDNESDAY 5th
The Town (ITV1, 9pm) Brand new drama about the aftermath of a family tragedy, where a man returns to the town he grew up in after 10 years. Starring Andre Scott, Julia McKenzie, Martin Clunes, Douglas Hodge, Aisling Bea, Kelly Adams, Charlotte Riley, Phil Davis, Sam Troughton & Goldy Notay. (1/3)The War On Britain's Roads (BBC1, 9pm) Documentary on the state of the nation's roads, which has to cope with 34 million motorists and 12 million cylists.
Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways (Channel 5, 9pm) Brand new series where the broadcaster goes on a variety of train journeys around the world. (1/3)
Rome: A History Of The Eternal City (BBC4, 9pm) Documentary on the role of religion in maintaining Rome's power. Presented by Simon Sebag Montefiore. (1/3)
THURSDAY 6th
Madeley Meets The Squatters (ITV1, 9pm) Documentary where the broadcaster investigates the pro's and con's of squatters.Jamie & Jimmy's Food Fight Club (Channel 4, 9pm) Brand new series where Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty open a seaside café in Southend, Essex. (1/4)
A Young Doctor's Notebook (Sky Arts 1, 9pm) Period comedy-drama based on the work of Russian playwright Mikhail Bulgakov, about a doctor sent to a remote village. Starring Daniel Radcliffe & Jon Hamm. (1/4)
FRIDAY 7th
100 Years Of The Royal Variety Performance (ITV1, 9pm) Documentary on the centenary of the Royal Variety Performance, which has seen a dizzying number of stars perform for members of the Royal family.Westminster Abbey (BBC2, 9pm) Documentary going behind-the-scenes of Westminster Abbey. (1/3)
Peter Kay In Conversation (Channel 4, 9pm) Danny Baker interviews the Bolton comedian about his personal and professional life.
AC/DC Live At River Plate (BBC4, 9pm) The Australian rock band perform at Buenon Aires, recorded live in 2009.
Iron Maiden: Behind The Beast (BBC4, 10pm) Behind-the-scenes of the British rock band's world tour in 2010/11,
SATURDAY 8th
The McFly Show (ITV1, 7pm) Music special where the boyband perform some of their hits, to celebrate the release of their Greatest Hits album. Featuring celebrity guests Al Murray & Michelle Keegan.Tommy Cooper's Christmas Special (Channel 5, 8.55pm) Festive edition of the classic comedian's show from 1974.
Led Zeppelin Live In London 2007: Celebration Day (BBC2, 10.45pm) One-off reunion performance at London's O2 Arena, recorded live in 2007.
SUNDAY 9th
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (ITV1, 6.40pm) Festive special of the popular quiz show, where panto stars try to win the million, presented by Chris Tarrant. Featuring David Hasselhoff, Cheryl Ferguson, Tim Vine, John Partridge & Alison Hammond.How The Bismarck Sank HMS Hood (Channel 4, 8pm) Documentary telling how HMS Hood was sunk by the Germany battleship Bismarck in May 1941.
Rome's Lost Empire (BBC1, 8.40pm) Documentary on ancient Rome, using satellite imagery to identify lost towns, ampitheatres and forts. Presented by Dan Snow.
Rod Stewart's Christmas (ITV1, 9.40m) The singer-songwriter showcases his new Christmas album, performing a selection of his favourite festive songs. Featuring Kylie Minogue, Michael Buble & Nicola Benedietti.
