Soon, all the Yuletide specials will be hitting the small screen in earnest, and to help you navigate these stormy waters, in tomorrow's newspaper (Wednesday, December 15) you will be able to find your full Christmas Eve to New Year's Day festive TV guide.

For now, here are some of our top TV picks from Christmas Eve to New Year's Eve. Deck the halls!

Christmas Eve

The Repair Shop at Christmas (BBC1, 7pm)

If you prefer a slightly lower-key Yuletide, then don’t miss this festive visit to the repair shop. It follows the team as they take on a very special mechanical doll, a traditional German decoration, an ageing harmonium, and a train set all the way from Kenya. Plus, Secret Santa has again challenged every expert to create a gift from scratch for one of their barn mates. As secret plans are feverishly hatched, inspired creations begin to emerge, including a gingerbread replica of the Repair Shop itself.

Royal Carols: Together at Christmas (ITV, 7.30pm)

The last time the Duchess of Cambridge was at Westminster Abbey, the world’s media held its breath as Kate and Prince William sat almost within touching distance of Prince William and his wife Meghan, who were briefly back in the UK after stepping down as working royals. Emotions of a very different kind are sure to be stirred by this festive carol service hosted by the Duchess, and supported by The Royal Foundation. It will recognise the people and organisations who pulled together in their communities, as well as hear poignant personal reflections from some of the unsung heroes who stepped up during the past 18 months. A variety of guests are also on hand to give readings and musical performances.

The Greatest Snowman (C4, 8pm)

Sue Perkins hosts an epic snow-building competition from an Alpine mountainside, as Johnny Vegas, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Dani Dyer, Liam Charles and Cherry Healey go head-to-head across three tough rounds that challenge them to build incredible structures from tonnes of snow and ice. Supported by world-class ice sculptors, engineers and snow builders, the celebrities must design and make the most extraordinary snow creations, before the final round and an attempt to create the greatest snowman.

Top Gear: Driving Home for Christmas (BBC1, 8.30pm)

Brace yourselves for the mother of all secret Santas, as Chris Harris, Paddy McGuiness and Freddie Flintoff choose cars for one another. After unwrapping their presents in Bethlehem (the one in Wales, obvs) the trio travel across Britain, playing the traditional Christmas game of ‘high speed visual charades’, and delivering 1,000 kgs of Norway Spruce to the city of Bath, along the way. Then it’s time for the presenters to head to the Top Gear test track, transformed into a winter wonderland of speed.

Gardeners’ World Winter Specials (BBC Two, 9pm)

Monty Don embraces the festive spirit as he creates a winter container filled with seasonal favourites at Longmeadow. Florist and social media sensation Arthur Parkinson joins Rachel de Thame to make Christmas decorations with plant material sourced from the garden, comedian Joe Lycett talks to Carol Klein about his new love of gardening, and Adam Frost looks at ground-cover plants. Advolly Richmond learns about the history of the topiary gardens at Levens Hall in Cumbria, while Sue Kent makes some festive gardening gifts.

All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special (C5, 9pm)

It really wouldn’t be Christmas without a dose of festive nostalgia and this charming drama has it in spades. We join the community of Darrowby on Christmas Day, where James and Helen are in a bit of a pickle: they never agreed where they would eat on the big day and they’re expected both at Skeldale by Hrs Hall and at Heston Grange by Jenny. Sadly, their dilemma throws up awkward questions about their future, and a card from James’ father doesn’t help. Meanwhile, Helen feels like a fifth wheel at the Skeldale Christmas party after a local pet falls ill and Siegfried. Luckily for her and the unfortunate creature, local farmer Dave Kitson may have all the answers. Plus, Tristan has some important news.

Christmas Day

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special (BBC1, 5.10pm)

It’s time to settle down on the sofa and watch someone else be energetic as Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman raise the curtain on this year’s festive special. The Repair Shop’s Jay Blades, First Dates regular Fred Sirieix, comedian and former Bake Off host Mel Giedroyc, veteran broadcaster Moira Stuart, singer and Voice UK coach Anne-Marie and presenter Adrian Chiles are the celebrities who have signed up for the one-off competition. They’ve each being paired with a professional, and will be taking to the floor, hoping to be crowned this year’s Festive Champions. It all kicks off with a sensational group routine, and there are performances from Jamie Cullum and Gary Barlow and Sheridan Smith.

Terry Pratchett’s The Abominable Snowbaby (Channel 4, 7.30pm)

Dame Julie Walters and Hugh Dancy star in the animated adaptation of Sir Terry Pratchett’s short story, narrated by David Harewood. In this charming, festive tale of friendship, love and the best of the Christmas spirit, a small quintessentially English town is thrown into disarray by a huge snowfall and the unexpected appearance of a 14-foot-tall ‘snow monster’. The creature is rescued by the indomitable Granny (Walters) and her grandson Albert (Dancy),who shower their new pet with love and affection. But not everyone is happy with the new arrival.

The Great Christmas Bake Off 2021 (C4, 8pm)

The stars of award-winning drama It’s A Sin, Olly Alexander, Nathaniel Curtis, Lydia West and Shaun Dooley, join presenters Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding for this fun festive special, as they vie to be crowned the 2021 Christmas Star Baker. It will remain to be seen whether they cause as much chaos as the cast of Derry Girls when they were let loose in the tent. Which of the celebrity bakers will put a smile on the faces of judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith?, and who will have them muttering: “bah, humbug!”

Call the Midwife (BBC1, 8pm)

Just like a golden turkey, overdone sprouts and nodding off gently during the Queen’s speech, this period drama has become a Christmas staple, and the day wouldn’t be quite right without it. The 11th season gets under way in this festive special, set in December 1966. It promises to be a memorable Yuletide holiday at Nonnatus House, as Lucille and Cyril (played by Leonie Elliott and Zephryn Taitte) prepare for their upcoming winter wedding. Meanwhile, the team are faced with their busiest Christmas Day ever, as the maternity home is filled with expectant and sometimes anxious mothers-to-be, each with their own challenging case. Luckily Mother Mildred (the ever-wonderful Miriam Margolyes) is on hand to support everyone.

A Musical Family Christmas with the Kanneh-Masons (BBC Two, 8.30pm)

A festive celebration with the exceptionally gifted seven string instrument-playing siblings. The programme features seasonal performances of some of their favourite Christmas music, including Mary’s Boy Child, We Three Kings and Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, plus covers of In the Bleak Midwinter and Hallelujah. Cameras also follow the family as they wrap and unwrap presents, as well as prepare for the traditional Anglo-Afro-Caribbean-style Christmas holidays in their Nottingham home.

The Larkins at Christmas (ITV, 9pm)

Bradley Walsh and Joanna Scanlan head the cast of this feature-length special of the rose-tinted period drama. The festive season is well under way, but the village is abuzz with gossip about the pantomime and an ongoing spate of burglaries – with Miss Pilchester, the Normans and Johnny Delamere among the hapless victims. While PC Harness applies his limited detecting abilities to tracking down the culprit, Mariette and Charley decide to take their romance to the next level. Pop and Ma are overjoyed to have the pair back for Christmas, but when Charley’s parents arrive to meet the Larkin clan, and the entire village is left without lighting and heating following a power cut, chaos descends on the family farm.

Boxing Day

Around the World in 80 Days (BBC1, 5.50pm)

He travelled through space and time in Doctor Who, so presumably going Around the World in 80 Days shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for David Tennant. He plays Phileas Fogg in this eight-part adaptation of Jules Verne’s adventure, which begins tonight with a double bill. In 1870s London, Phileas, who has never been abroad before, is goaded into making a bet than he can circumvent the globe in just 80 days. So, with his new valet Jean Passepartout (Ibrahim Koma) and journalist Abigail ‘Fix’ Fortescue (Leonie Benesch) in tow, he sets out on the first leg, which takes him to Paris. There, Passepartout meets up with his revolutionary brother, who leads him and Fix into the unrest, while Phileas is left wondering if he’s really cut out for globe-trotting adventure.

Death in Paradise Christmas Special (BBC1, 7.30pm)

Fans of the murder mystery are in for a Christmas treat _ not only is this the first feature-length episode, it also sees the return of Danny John-Jules as Officer Dwayne Myers. The plot finds DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little) and the team investigating when a wealthy shipping magnate is found dead at a Christmas party. That may not seem unusual for Saint Marie, but the case takes a twist when a man in London receives a mysterious Christmas card that appears to be connected to the victim’s death.

All I Want(ed) for Christmas (Channel 4, 8pm)

As kids, no matter how many mountains of presents we tore through, there was always that one longed-for toy that Santa never delivered. This holiday special narrated by Stephen Fry turns those once-distant dreams into reality, as some of the nation’s best-loved celebrities finally get the chance to unbox the present they always pined for. Among those hoping Santa comes up trumps are Jonathan Ross, Asim Chaudhry, Robert Webb, Big Narstie, Keith Lemon, Rosie Jones, Martine McCutcheon, London Hughes, Aled Jones, Kerry Godliman, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Charlie Higson, Simon Day, Grace Dent, Lucy Porter and Justin Edwards.

All Star Musicals at Christmas (ITV, 8pm)

Fern Britton, Ben Miller, Gyles Brandreth, Anita Rani, Catherine Tyldesley and Radzi Chinyanganya are all familiar faces on our screens, but now they are going to find out if they have what it takes to cut in on the stage in a musical. Luckily, they won’t be thrown in totally at the deep end, as musical-theatre veterans Elaine Paige, Samantha Barks and Trevor Dion Nicholas will be on hand to mentor them, and they’ll receive training from West End choreographers and vocal coaches. But who will deliver the most-showstopping performance? John Barrowman hosts.

La Boheme from the Royal Opera House (BBC Four, 9pm)

Puccini’s opera of passion, friendship and heartbreak is one of the world’s best-loved operas. Its music includes such treats as Rodolfo and Mim’’s Act I arias and duet, the ebullient choruses of Act II and Mimi’s heartrending death scene. Suzy Klein introduces Richard Jones’s production performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 2020. Sonya Yoncheva heads the cast as the doomed seamstress Mimi, with Charles Castronovo as Rodolfo, who falls in love with her at first sight, and Simona Mihai and Andrzej Filonczyk as on-off lovers Musetta and Marcello.

A Very British Scandal (BBC1, 9pm)

Claire Foy is no stranger to dramas about 20th-century British history – she played Queen Elizabeth II in the first two series of Netflix hit The Crown. However, while in The Crown, the scandals were very much going on around her, in this three-part series she plays someone right at the heart of it – the Duchess of Argyll, whose divorce from the Duke (Paul Bettany) became one of the most notorious legal cases of its era. The opening episode shows how heiress Margaret Sweeney was in the midst of her first divorce when she fell for the dashing and married Ian Campbell, the future Duke of Argyll – and his crumbling stately home, Inveraray. The pair tie the knot, but the honeymoon doesn’t last, setting the scene for a scandal.

December 27

World’s Strongest Man 2021 (C5, 7pm)

Christmas has some odd traditions. Salad in the middle of winter, being forced to go for a walk after eating your bodyweight in sprouts and this muscle-bound competition are just three that spring to mind. This year sees James Richardson and Eddie Hall present the opening heat from Sacramento, California. Four-time champion Brian Shaw of the USA and Welsh hopeful Gavin ‘The Bull’ Bilton were among the contestants. Featuring analysis from Michelle Ackerley, and commentary by Colin Bryce and Danny Wallace.

The Voice Kids (ITV, 7.30pm)

The singing competition is back for a new run, hosted by Emma Willis. While judges and mentors Danny Jones and will.i.am will be out to pick a winner over last year’s victor, Pixie Lott, who guided Jess Folley to the final, all eyes will be on the latest addition to the panel. Former Spice Girl Melanie C will be taking a seat in one of the red chairs, as an array of singers, aged seven to 14, take to the stage, all hoping to impress one or more of the star coaching quartet enough to make them turn around. “I’ve always been a huge fan of The Voice so I am super excited to be a coach on The Voice Kids this year,” said Melanie. “I can’t wait to get in one of those big red chairs and Spice things up!”

MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch 2021 (BBC1, 8pm)

If you’ve had enough of cooking to last you a lifetime over Yuletide and want to see how the pros cope under pressure, don’t miss this festive food battle like no other. Four of the most memorable chefs from past series return to demonstrate how far their food and careers have progressed, and will face demanding challenges set by the MasterChef judges Monica Galetti, Marcus Wareing and Gregg Wallace. Philli Armitage-Mattin, Santosh Shah and Bart van der Lee, who were all 2020 finalists, and Jamie Park, a finalist in 2017 pull out all the stops to deliver a showstopping seasonal feast that is sufficiently creative, delicious and spectacular, aiming to guarantee they are crowned the 2021 champion.

Travel Man: 96 Hours in Iceland (C4, 8pm)

Joe Lycett takes over hosting duties and kicks off with this Christmas special, heading to Iceland in the company of Bill Bailey. They begin in Reykjavik, where an immersive visit to a punk museum in a disused public toilet, an art installation featuring neon synthetic hair, and lunch at a restaurant where the theme is tomato, all await. Joe and Bill can’t resist trying to boil an egg in a hot spring, experience an earthquake simulator and see the northern lights from the comfort of a heated plastic bubble.

Made in Chelsea: Christmas (E4, 9pm)

Still reeling from Sam Prince’s betrayal in the Lake District, Inga fills Liv in on his antics and vows that it’s over. But when Liv tries to see both sides of the story in order to bring them back together, she’s left with the shock reveal that Sam has also been on a secret date with Verity. Meanwhile, after months of ups and downs, Reza and Ruby continue to spend more time together. But while Reza believes that their relationship is on the road to recovery, is Ruby on the same page? Elsewhere, Paris takes a big step with new guy on the scene Cillian.

Jon & Lucy’s Christmas Sleepover (C4, 9pm)

Husband-and-wife comedians Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont host a getaway for some of their closest friends in this one-off special. They eat, drink and get very merry during a night away from the post-Christmas, pre-New Year lull. Roisin Conaty, Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett are among the stars joining the duo, alongside a few surprise guests along the way, as the whole gang reflects on the highs and lows of 2021 and enjoys a boozy festive feast that’s guaranteed to lead to misbehaviour and chaos.

December 28

Escape to the Chateau: Restoring the Dream (More4, 6.55pm)

This special retrospective series takes a look back at the epic transformation of Dick and Angel Strawbridge’s 45-bedroom Chateau de la Motte Husson in north-west France, from an abandoned, crumbling ruin into a sumptuous family home. This first episode explores how Dick overcame the enormous technical and engineering challenges, to make their fairy-tale chateau habitable for Angel and their very young family. In the depths of their first winter in France, Dick’s ingenious solutions were put to the test.

Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country (C4, 7pm)

The boys’ bedrooms are ready to be decorated and all four of them are keen to not only put their own personal stamp on the design, but to carry out as much of the work as they can themselves. However, with such grand plans, their parents wonder if they can pull it off. While the kids are busy, Sarah and Graham have fun installing a zipwire across their large pond. She also has a go at brewing nettle beer with leaves collected by Charlie and Laurie – but it’s fair to say that not everyone is impressed by her efforts.

Worzel Gummidge: Twitchers (BBC1, 7.15pm)

We’re being treated to two episodes of the family show this festive season. One of them will guest star Bill Bailey, and you might think it’s this one. As a long-standing bird-watcher, he should be a shoe-in for an edition entitled Twitchers, but instead, he’s popping up as a fairground owner called Mr Peregrine in Calliope Jane, which airs on Wednesday. Instead, the focus here is on a flock of rare choughs that turn up at Scatterbrook Farm. Worzel is thrilled by the prospect of scaring them, but before he can do so, a group of twitchers arrive. One of them is Lee Dangerman, a long-standing rival of Mr B’s, and before long, Susan and John find themselves caught up in all manner of schemes and scams. Mackenzie Crook has, once again, directed and written the scripts as well as leading the cast.

Extraordinary Escapes at Christmas with Sandi Toksvig (C4, 8pm)

While some people have bravely ventured abroad in the past few months, others feel safer staying closer to home. During the regular series of this programme, Sandi Toksvig was joined by another famous females to explore the hidden delights of the UK, but this time she’s returning to her native Northern Europe. But rather than exploring Denmark, where she was born, she’s sampling all that Norway has to offer. She’ll be accompanied by businesswoman Deborah Meaden, actor Fay Ripley and space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock. While Deborah swaps life alongside dragons for getting up close to a pack of wolves, Fay Ripley really does get cold feet in a mountain-top glass cabin. Things are far more comfortable for Maggie – she gets to see the Northern Lights while sitting on a sofa.

Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby (BBC2, 9pm)

Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, is one of the world’s oldest amusement parks. By contrast the Nimb Hotel, located within the Gardens, is full of all the mod cons. It’s not out of place, though, located in a Moorish-inspired historic building which dates back to 1909 (the park itself opened in 1843), but it’s home to one of the city’s most avant-garde restaurants. Critic Giles Coren tries to get himself a table, while Monica Galetti helps to keep the Moroccan-style facade gleaming bright.

Mock the Week End of Year Special (BBC2, regions vary)

More like ‘Mock the Year’ this week, as host Dara O Briain and regular panellist Hugh Dennis round off 2021 with a look back at all its highs and lows. And there were a lot of them to choose from – 2021 was quite the year, after all. The pair will be joined by a whole host of comics as they recap an eventful 12 months that brought us riots in Washington DC, a vaccine rollout the scale of which the world had never seen before, and any number of weird and wonderful quirky stories that make the news a nicer place to be.

December 29

Billionaire Blooms (C4, 7pm)

If your Christmas decorations run to an overabundance of tinsel rather than oodles of fresh flowers, spare a thought for the celebrated florists featured in this documentary, as they cater to the luxury end of the market. Jamie Aston’s Christmas display for one of London’s most exclusive venues is so big it needs scaffolding, but must be finished before dawn. Celebrity floral designer Paula Rooney races against the clock to find hundreds of spectacular stems for a client who wants their entire mansion decorated for Yuletide. Meanwhile, Iona and Romy have a contemporary take on floristry, mixing flowers and subculture to create a cool Christmas installation at one of the world’s top 50 restaurants.

Worzel Gummidge: Calliope Jane (BBC One, 7.15pm)

Susan and John are excited when they learn that FR Peregrine’s Travelling Fair is coming to Scatterbrook. But as much as he’d love to join his friends, Worzel can’t be seen wandering around by humans. He recalls the legend of a fairground with an enchanted organ. It’s believed that, with the right music, the organ has the power to send humans to sleep so that scarecrows can enjoy the rides without the fear of being seen. At the museum, Aunt Sally finds herself agreeing to go on an adventure with another ex-fairground attraction, Calliope Jane, and it turns out Worzel isn’t the only scarecrow who wants to attend the fair…

Pauline Collins: Britain’s Sweetheart (C5, 8pm)

Tom Conti, Simon Callow, Willy Russell and Nerys Hughes are among the famous faces lining up to celebrate the life and work of the much-loved actress in this special programme. They recall funny anecdotes about the 81-year-old star, explaining how she shaped their lives, and recognise her influence. The programme also features an array of clips and interviews, as well as highlights from Pauline’s most celebrated performances, including Shirley Valentine, the role that made her an international star.

Britain’s Most Expensive Houses (C4, 9pm)

Arabella Weir narrates this absorbing series in which cameras follow the staff of luxury estate agency UK Sotheby’s International Realty. It kicks off as brokers John and Mary view a £30 million mega mansion in Windsor, on behalf of a French Moroccan socialite who can’t travel due to Covid-19 restrictions. Meanwhile, Shereen mentors junior broker Leena on a surprisingly tricky search for her buyer, Harley Street clinician Anastasia, who has £5 million burning a hole in her pocket for a London property. Plus, MD of UK Sotheby’s Realty,Guy Bradshaw, is on the Llyn Peninsula in north Wales, where he spent his childhood summer holidays, to view Plas Glynllifon, a Grade I-listed mansion in urgent need of some TLC.

Celebrity Quizness (C4, 10pm)

This festive edition of the rib-tickling quiz show sees Derry Girls actor Siobhan McSweeney, veteran comedian Jo Brand, TV judge Robert Rinder and presenter AJ Odudu go head-to-head in a bid to win up to £25,000 for their chosen charity. However, as regular viewers will know, if they want to win the game, the celebrities must prove their brains by looking daft, with fiendish questions on anything from Richard III to Big Bird. Comedian Tom Allen oversees what should be a brilliant blend of comedy and chaos.

Frankie Boyle’s 2021 New World Order (BBC2, 10pm)

This time of year always throws up themed assessments of the past 12 months, such as news, sport or entertainment. There’s no really describing Scottish comedian Frankie Boyle’s way of looking at things without it getting a little dark. Thank heavens he’s joined by a few special guests for this dissection of the bewildering year that was 2021. Expect near-the-knuckle satire at its finest as Frankie reviews and discusses all the big stories from the last 12 months, along with a selection of unbelievable clips.

December 30

Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard (BBC1, 8pm)

Amateur palaeontologists Nevillle and Sally Hollingworth made the news in July by unearthing the largest find of Jurassic echinoderms in a quarry in the Cotswolds. But it’s not the first time the couple has discovered prehistoric relics of note. Four years ago, while walking around a freshly dug gravel pit outside Swindon, they spotted the fossilised leg bone of a mammoth – it turned out to be one of many. Also among their finds in the area was a stone axe made by an early human, which offers a glimpse into life in the Ice Age. Now Sir David, who has always had a keen interest in fossils, learns more about the finds alongside biologist Professor Ben Garrod and the team entrusted with excavating them.

Only Connect: Champion of Champions Special (BBC2, 8pm)

Anyone who even makes it onto Only Connect in the first place deserves the utmost respect – this fiendish lateral-thinking contest makes University Challenge look like Family Fortunes. In this special edition, presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell pits the best of the best against one another as the winners of Series 16, the Puzzle Hunters, take on Series 15 victors The 007s. Bonus points for anyone who manages to identify all of the connections between these seemingly random groups and sequences at home.

The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity New Year Special (BBC1, regions vary)

Sara Pascoe proved to be a worthy successor to Joe Lycett as host during the Great British Christmas Sewing Bee. Hopefully it wasn’t just beginners luck because she’s back again with a New Year edition. This time winner of Drag Race UK Lawrence Chaney, comedian and writer Rose Matafeo, singer Claire Richards from Steps and journalist Kirsty Wark are the famous faces taking part. Judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young challenge them to make a festive waistcoat in the pattern task before transforming old clothes into party wear for children. Finally, the group must produce a made-to-measure food-themed fancy dress outfit. After that, Claire will entertain everyone by performing a 1980s disco classic.

One Night in London Zoo (C4, 9pm)

Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe are embarking on another nocturnal adventure – and one imagines it might be quite noisy. Not because their latest companions – comedians Desiree Burch and Guz Khan – are particularly loud but due to the fact that some of London Zoo’s residents prefer to get up to mischief during the night rather than when the regular visitors are around in the day. Between getting a bit of kip in an on-site lodge, the quartet have a lot of fun hanging out with the giraffes and feeding camels. Coming face-to-face with spiders and feeling that three’s a crowd after stumbling upon some amorous lions isn’t quite so amusing. Nevertheless, by the time dawn breaks, we’ll all wish we were staying over with them.

Dean Martin: King of Cool (Sky Arts, 10pm)

A crooner of hits, an accomplished film actor, a longtime TV host and a comedy straight man extraordinaire – Dean Martin made it all look exceptionally easy. First in partnership with Jerry Lewis, then on his own, he conquered the movies, television, records, with a great talent and an air of not caring what happened. But what was he really like? Tom Donahue’s affectionate documentary paints a portrait of the fabulously famous but intensely private star who died, aged 78 on Christmas Day 1995.

Celebrity I Literally Just Told You (C4, 10pm)

Comedians Alex Horne, Aisling Bea and Asim Chaudhry are joined by the queen of daytime TV herself, Lorraine Kelly, to take part in the latest edition of this most unusual of quiz shows. Okay, so everyone hopes they know the answers before going on such programmes, but here, they have literally been told them before the cameras start rolling. All they have to do is remember the conversations – and that’s where the problems begin… With regular contestants, sometimes their nerves get the better of them, but a group with previous TV experience should do better – shouldn’t they?

New Year’s Eve

Superman & Lois (BBC One, 5.15pm)

There are a quite a few bittersweet moments in the fifth episode of the superhero drama. As Smallville celebrates its first Harvest Festival since Martha’s passing, Clark is reminded what his mother meant to him. However, he later learns a lesson that will hopefully help him move past her death. Meanwhile, Lois digs deeper into into whatever Morgan Edge is up to and finally makes a breakthrough in her investigation. And finally, Kyle tries to reconnect with Lana, but it seems like he might be falling back into his old ways.

MasterChef Champion of Champions (BBC1, 8.30pm)

A lot of talented chefs have emerged from this competition, but who can claim to be the champion of champions? We’re about to find out as five winners from the past decade, Tim Anderson, Ping Coombes, Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed, Kenny Tutt and Irini Tzortzoglou, return to battle it out and show just how far their cooking and careers have progressed since they first signed up. Deciding who is the best of the best is no easy task, so John Torode and Gregg Wallace are joined by guest judge and host of the award-winning food podcast Table Manners, Jessie Ware.

The Last Leg of the Year (C4, 9pm)

It’s been a year to remember for the Last Leg team – not only did they report on the Paralympics, but Josh Widdicombe learned he was descended from royalty on Who Do You Think You Are? and has got to run wild in various British tourist attractions with his co-host Alex Brooker on the series A Night In. Oh, and there’s been quite a bit happening in the news too. So, they will have plenty to look back on as they are joined by Aisling Bea, Joe Wilkinson, Ivo Graham, Nish Kumar and Vick Hope, as well as house band Alex Horne and The Horne Section, for an end-of-year party.

The Graham Norton Show (BBC1, regions vary)

Graham rounds off the year with an impressively star-studded line-up, including Oscar-nominated Jessica Chastain, the star and producer of female spy film The 355. Claire Foy, fresh from her role in A Very British Scandal, discusses the quirky biopic The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, and Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage chats about playing Cyrano de Bergerac. Comedian Joe Lycett and The Good Fight’s Cush Jumbo also call in for a natter, and the music comes from the Divine Comedy.

The Big New Years & Years Eve Party (BBC1, regions vary)

It’s been a year to remember for Years & Years’ Olly Alexander. In the past 12 months, he’s starred in the hit drama It’s a Sin, announced that Years & Years was going from being a band to a solo project, and performed at the Brits with Elton John. He was even on The Great Christmas Bake Off 2021, suggesting he’s well on his way to national treasure status. So, no wonder he wants to say goodbye to 2021 in style with his special party. He’ll be performing many of his own best-loved songs as well as a few surprise covers, and will be joined by special guest Kylie Minogue. Then he’ll take a break for the bells at midnight, before staring 2022 in the company of the Pet Shop Boys, the band who gave It’s a Sin its name.

Jools’ Annual Hootenanny (BBC2, 11.25pm)

It wouldn’t be New Year’s Eve without Jools Holland – he even managed to host a Hootenanny last year, which was much appreciated as most of us couldn’t go out to celebrate. This year he’s joined in the studio by the all-conquering Ed Sheeran, who will be performing tracks from his latest album, as well as one of his favourite songs with help from Jools and his orchestra. Gregory Porter, Lulu, Joy Crookes, Rag’n’Bone Man, Yola, Vic Reeves, Ruby Turner and the Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards are also dropping by, and if that wasn’t impressive enough, Jools will also be delving into the Hootenanny archives for performances from Craig David, Madness and Soul II Soul. And when they’re not singing, the guests will be sharing their New Year’s resolutions and predictions.