BBC WEEK 51 & 52 17 - 23 December 2016 24 - 30 December 2016 Programme Information, Television & Radio BBC Scotland Press Office BBC Media Centre (Scotland) BBC iPlayer (Scotland) BBC Scotland BBC Scotland on Facebook @BBCScotland on Twitter General / Carol Knight Hilda McLean Jim Gough Julie Whiteside BBC Alba THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS TELEVISION & RADIO / BBC WEEKS 51 & 52 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ SATURDAY 17 DECEMBER Stevie Wonder NEW BBC ALBA MONDAY 19 DECEMBER Two Doors Down LAST IN THE SERIES BBC Two Trusadh - An Aghaidh Mhor (Aviemore) NEW BBC ALBA TUESDAY 20 DECEMBER River City TV HIGHLIGHT BBC One Scotland WEDNESDAY 21 DECEMBER Scot Squad – Festive Special NEW BBC One Scotland Am I Included? NEW BBC One Scotland SATURDAY 24 DECEMBER Christmas Celebration NEW BBC One Scotland Taigh Thorcuill – Nollaig NEW BBC ALBA Ciuin an Oidhche/Christmas Eve Service NEW BBC ALBA SUNDAY 25 DECEMBER Lulu’s Back in Town NEW BBC Radio Scotland Up the Dancing NEW BBC Radio Scotland Opening Nights NEW BBC Radio Scotland Na Saboteurs NEW BBC ALBA Balach nam Bagh NEW BBC ALBA MONDAY 26 DECEMBER A Funny Kind of World NEW BBC Radio Scotland Personal Best’s Healthy Top Tips NEW BBC Radio Scotland TUESDAY 27 DECEMBER River City TV HIGHLIGHT BBC One Scotland Spors na Bliadhna/Sports Review 2016 NEW BBC ALBA Anna Latharna: Aitealan NEW BBC ALBA Adventure Show: Roads Less Travelled NEW BBC Two Scotland WEDNESDAY 28 DECEMBER Burnistoun Goes To Work NEW BBC One Scotland Alba Rioghail/The Royal Family in Scotland NEW BBC ALBA THURSDAY 29 DECEMBER The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo HIGHLIGHT BBC Two Scotland _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Viewers outside Scotland can access BBC One Scotland on Sky 141 (HD) & 951, Freesat 108 (HD) & 960, Virgin Media 108 (HD) & 862. BBC Two Scotland can be viewed on Sky 142 (HD) & 970, Freesat 970. BBC ALBA is on Sky 143, Freesat 110, Virgin Media 188, Freeview 8 (Scotland only). BBC Radio Scotland can be accessed on Sky 0116, Freesat 712, Freeview 719 (Scotland only). BBC One Scotland, BBC Two Scotland and BBC ALBA are also available on the BBC iPlayer bbc.co.uk/iplayer & BBC Radio Scotland on bbc.co.uk/radioscotland EDITORIAL 2016 / BBC WEEKS 51 & 52 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ BBC SCOTLAND CELEBRATES THE FESTIVE SEASON WITH BUMPER PACKAGE OF COMEDY, DRAMA, DOCUMENTARIES & MUSIC A selection box of programming with something for everyone during this festive season has been unwrapped by BBC Scotland. There’ll be plenty of yuletide laughs with the likes of Scot Squad, Burnistoun and Only An Excuse? making merry during the festivities. And a tasty cocktail of contemporary and traditional music and comedy plus a dash of entertaining nostalgia from the movies will bring in the New Year. Meanwhile in River City, this Christmas will be one to remember – when the sound of gunfire shatters Shieldinch’s festive cheer. Merriment quickly vanishes after the Murdochs pretend to be full of the festive spirit at Christmas dinner. As the day sours, Lenny (Frank Gallagher) finds himself the focus of hatred in Shieldinch – and becomes the target of a bloody revenge. When the sound of gunfire subsides and with Lenny lying bleeding on Montego Street, the finger of suspicion points to six suspects. River City is on BBC One Scotland on Tuesday, 20 December, and Tuesday, 27 December. Sitcom Two Doors Down finishes its run with a double bill on Monday, 19 December, on BBC Two. It’s celebration time in the finale as Beth (Arabella Weir) is organising the perfect baby shower for mum-to-be Sophie (Sharon Rooney). But all the hilarity could have a cost - as it looks as though it may have brought on Sophie’s labour. In Aly Bain’s America on BBC Two Scotland on Tuesday, 20 December, the Shetland fiddling maestro, celebrating his 70th year, talks to Alex Norton about his love for American folk and roots music. Scot Squad has a cracker of an episode on Wednesday 21 December, on BBC One Scotland. Police chief Cameron Miekelson (Jack Docherty) opens his ‘Radgevent’ Calendar, PCs Singh (Manjot Sumal) and McKirdy (Grado) share a seasonal sing-song in the cop car while rural duo McIntosh (Chris Forbes) and Mackay (Ashley Smith) investigate the world’s worst winter wonderland. On Christmas Eve on BBC One Scotland, Sally Magnusson presents a selection of songs and readings from St. Mary’s in Haddington. With its origins going back more than 700 years, St Mary’s is a fitting setting for Christmas Celebration which features carols sung by former BBC Songs of Praise Choir of the Year winners Edinburgh Academy Chamber Choir and also members of St Mary’s Choristers. On Christmas Day, on BBC One, there’s a Mrs. Brown’s Boys special, Mammy’s Forest, which was filmed before a live audience at BBC Scotland. Something isn’t quite right in the Brown household this Christmas with Agnes (Brendan O’ Carroll) declaring she has had enough hassle with Christmas trees so she is refusing to have one. For rugby fans, there’s a Boxing Day treat when BBC Two Scotland has Live Rugby – featuring the festive derby clash as Glasgow Warriors take on PRO 12 rivals, Edinburgh Rugby, in the capital’s Murrayfield Stadium. Another festive tradition is the two part Adventure Show special - Roads Less Travelled on BBC Two Scotland. In this year’s journey, travelling on foot, by bike and with his beloved campervan, Cameron McNeish sets off in Dornoch at the southern tip of Sutherland and finishes in the shadow of Britain’s highest land-based lighthouse at the furthest point of North Ronaldsay in the Orkney Islands. The programmes air on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 December. For viewers who may not be relishing the thought of returning to work after the festive break, a one-off Burnistoun special on Wednesday 28 December on BBC One Scotland, will be an entertaining diversion. Written by and starring Robert Florence and Iain Connell, Burnistoun Goes to Work features Jolly Boy John, the Quality Polis and other characters old and new as they deal with the idea of employment, gainful or otherwise. BBC One Scotland’s Hogmanay line-up features documentary Wha’s Like Us? in which Sanjeev Kohli take a wry look at how Scots are portrayed on screen. An impressive supporting cast including Kate Dickie, Clare Grogan, Gary Lewis and Denis Lawson, give their verdict on silver screen triumphs and the most toe-curling stereotypes. Later on Hogmanay Jonathan Watson returns with the Only An Excuse? team for another look back at what the past twelve months have served up both on and off the pitch. As well as highlighting the woes of Gordon Strachan's Scotland team, Sir Alex Ferguson, Mark Warburton and new bhoy Brendan Rodgers chip in with their contributions while non-footballing headline makers like Donald Trump, Sir Rod Stewart and Nicola Sturgeon also have something to say. Also on BBC One Scotland, Jackie Bird and special guests will be bringing in the new year from BBC Scotland's party of the year. Hogmanay Live 2016 will get the celebrations started with singer- songwriter Amy MacDonald and Hue And Cry performing at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow. There’ll also be rousing tunes from Rura, former live act of the year at the Scottish Traditional Music Awards and entertainment from the inimitable Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain. In Edinburgh, Carol Kirkwood gets in among the action for the capital's legendary street party and the spectacle of the fabulous fireworks that light up the city on the stroke of midnight. On Christmas Day on BBC Radio Scotland, a new drama continues the tale of one of Glasgow’s best- loved singers. Lulu’s Back in Town, picks up the story of the early years of the pop star which was aired in a drama last year, and begins with her making her mark with her own series. Lulu (Kirsty MacLaren) faces a recording dilemma and also begins a relationship with Maurice Gibb (Alasdair Hankinson). Also on Christmas Day, Jackie Bird takes a nostalgic look back at Scotland's vibrant disco scene of the 70s and 80s in Up the Dancing with memories from club owners, DJ's, dancers, punters, bouncers and Scotland's very own disco diva, Kelly Marie. And later in Opening Nights, Billy Differ explores the world of First Nights at the theatre, with contributions from Mel Brooks and Angela Lansbury. On Boxing Day, BBC Radio Scotland’s programming has an international flavour. In The Scots in Hawaii Billy Kay follows in the footsteps of Robert Louis Stevenson and tells the story of the beautiful Scottish Hawaiian Princess, Ka’iulani and in Funny Kind of World, Julia Sutherland introduces an international range of comedians, each with their own perspective on race, religion and culture. Also, in the trip of a lifetime, Edi Stark joins Glaswegian entrepreneur Amar Latif, ‘the blind man who wants to show you the world’ on a journey to Myanmar. Sightseeing in Myanmar describes how he founded Travel Eyes in 2004, giving visually impaired people like himself the opportunity to travel independently. In Flitting to France Edi goes to two different parts of France to meet a mix of ex pat Scots, young and old, working and retired, to see if they have turned their dreams into reality. Listeners will be invited to dance their way out of 2016 and welcome 2017 in The Hogmanay Show with Bryan Burnett who will be joined by The Cask Strength Ceilidh Band and Fiona Hunter. BBC ALBA’s Hogmanay Show, Ceilidh na Bliadhn' Uire 2016, welcomes in the New Year at iconic Stirling Castle.