TV HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS FILMS MIDSOMER MURDERS WILLY WONKA AND THE (ITV1 Wales, 8.30pm) CHOCOLATE FACTORY Forget Walford — when it comes to the worst (1971) (ITV1 Wales, places to spend Christmas,the villages of Midsomer must be top of the list, especially 4.50pm) as there’s a good chance you won’t live to An eccentric confectionery see Boxing Day. In this festive edition, king takes a group of young- Barnaby and Jones are almost relieved to sters on a tour of his empire. be called to an explosion at a haulage Musical adventure, based on yard,mainly because it gives them an Roald Dahl’s book, starring excuse to bail out of a team-building Gene Wilder. exercise.The site is run by James TOY STORY 2 Parkes,who is known for his (1999) (BBC One, 6.05pm) ruthlessness when it comes to business Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear and his personal life.The plot thickens and the gang embark on a dar- when a man is found dead shortly after ing rescue mission after cow- being seen arguing with James,but while boy Woody is stolen by an the businessman is unpopular,is he really a unscrupulous toy collector. murderer? Animated sequel, with the voice of Tom Hanks. GAVIN & STACEY CHRISTMAS CALENDAR GIRLS SPECIAL (2003) (BBC Two, 8.30pm) WILLY WONKA AND … FESTIVE FUN: (BBC1, 10pm) Joanna Page, and The ladies of a Yorkshire (ITV1 WALES, 4.50PM) If you’re a fan of this award-winning series branch of the Women’s Mathew Horne , but have seen the first two seasons so many Institute decide to raise money THE LUZHIN DEFENCE Gavin & Stacey times you can recite the dialogue,then the for charity — by posing nude (2000) (S4C, 3.20am) Christmas good news is James Corden and Ruth Jones for a calendar.Fact-based com- A boy with an extraordinary have crafted this one-offfestive special. It edy,starring Julie Walters. gift for chess grows up to be a Special, takes place on Christmas Eve and the Wests ALONG CAME A SPIDER top-class player, but his trou- (BBC1, 10pm) join the Shipmans for one of Mick’s famous bled family life and lack turkey dinners.Smithy is elated at the (2001) (S4C, 12.05am) of social skills damage his thought of spending his first Christmas A youngster is kidnapped from chances of finding love. with baby Neil. However,when he finds a private school by one of her Romantic drama, based on the out Dave will be tagging along and teachers, prompting a race novel by Vladimir Nabokov, playing happy families with Nessa, it against time to find her. starring John Turturro dampens his spirits. Thriller,starring Morgan and Emily Watson. Freeman and Monica Potter. SATELLITE TV ITV2 BBC3 MORE4 SKY3 6.00 Emmerdale 7.05 The Montel Williams Show 7.00 Most Annoying Couples We Love To Hate. Profiles 9.00 Deal Or No Deal 9.45 A Place In The Sun 10.45 6.00 Relic Hunter 7.00 The Dog Whisperer 8.00 Lion 7.55 Sally Jessy Raphael 8.40 Ricki Lake 9.25 of the tabloids’ favourite celebrity couples and a look Location, Location, Location 11.45 Hill Street Blues Man 9.00 Floyd Around The Med 9.30 Sky Travel Emmerdale 10.30 ITV At The Movies: Christmas at why they capture the media and public’s attention 1.50 FILM: Miracle On 34th Street (U) (1947) 10.30 Cold Case 11.30 Sky Travel 12.00 Shadow Of Special 11.30 Creature Comforts 12.00 Emmerdale as much as they do. 7.10 The Most Annoying Pop Christmas fantasy, starring Edmund Gwenn. 3.40 The Shark 1.00 Zambezi Shark 2.00 Sky Travel 2.30 1.00 Creature Comforts 1.30 Aladdin 3.00 Cinderella Songs We Hate To Love 11.00 EastEnders. Sean and Willie’s Perfect Chocolate Christmas 4.40 Jamie At Road Wars 3.30 The Dog Whisperer 4.30 Sky Travel 4.30 Dick Whittington 6.00 Jack And The Roxy tell everyone about their planned move, so Archie Home Christmas Special 5.45 Come Dine With Me At 5.00 Lion Man 6.00 Road Wars. An innovative Beanstalk. Star-studded panto, with Neil Morrissey becomes more determined than ever to ruin their Christmas 6.50 Christmas At River Cottage 7.55 The supermarket thief is caught. 7.00 Cold Case. Rush and Julian Clary. 7.30 Take That Come To Town. relationship. Dot tries to persuade Ian to swallow his 100 Greatest Christmas Moments. A chance to relive and Jeffries investigate a 1945 case involving One-off special in which Jason Orange, Mark Owen, pride and return to his family. 11.40 Shrek The Halls. the most popular seasonal clips of all time, as chosen baseball star Clyde ‘The Glide’ Taylor, who was Howard Donald and Gary Barlow perform classic hits Festive animated short featuring the full whimsical by the British public. Featuring the heart-warming beaten to death with his own bat after a game. 8.00 as well as songs from their new album The Circus in cast of the hit film series. Shrek settles down for a end of It’s a Wonderful Life. 11.55 Father Ted So You Think You’re Safe? Liz Bonnin and Adrian front of a studio audience in Manchester. 8.30 FILM: quiet Christmas with Fiona and the babies — but Christmas Special. Fathers Ted and Dougal have their Simpson present a show dedicated to making people Peter Pan (PG) (2003) Fantasy following the Donkey has other plans. 12.00 Family Guy 1.50 The worst Christmas ever by getting lost in a department more aware of domestic hazards at Christmas. 9.00 adventures of the boy who never grows old, as he Most Annoying Pop Songs We Hate To Love 4.45 Close store’s lingerie department, leaving them in a highly Top 50 Showbiz Comebacks. Christopher Biggins whisks Wendy Darling and her brothers into the embarrassing predicament. 1.05 Hitler: The Comedy presents a countdown of stars and shows that have strange world of Neverland — where they come face BBC4 Years 2.10 Deal Or No Deal 3.10 Close returned to the limelight for a second shot at fame, 7.00 Sacred Music. Simon Russell Beale explores the to face with the fearsome Captain Hook. Adaptation including Stephen Fry, David Beckham and history of Western sacred music through the story of FIVE US Gladiators. 11.00 Shadow Of The Shark. The of JM Barrie’s novel, starring Jason Isaacs, Jeremy Thomas Tallis and William Byrd, two composers at the 12.00 Whose Line Is It Anyway? 2.00 FILM: The Sumpter, Rachel Hurd-Wood and Lynn Redgrave. achievements of Ron and Valerie Taylor, whose heart of England’s musical renaissance. 8.00 Christmas Box (U) (1995) A work-obsessed man extensive study of ocean life has significantly Including Entertainment News Update.10.35 Christmas Oratorio From Weimar. Part four of Bach’s neglects his wife and child, but a series of dreams Coronation Street. Carla and the drunken factory girls developed underwater scientific knowledge. Christmas masterpiece, performed by the Monteverdi makes him realise that his family is the most 12.00 Zambezi Shark 1.00 Cold Case 3.00 Weeds celebrate at the Underworld Christmas Eve party, Choir and the English Baroque Soloists and conducted FRIENDS (E4, 9PM) important thing in his life. Drama, with Richard unaware Tony is hiding a horrific secret after being 4.00 Relic Hunter 5.00 Sky Travel by John Eliot Gardiner. 8.30 The Book Quiz. Festive 11.35 Alan Carr’s Christmas Ding Dong. Festive edition Thomas. 4.00 FILM: Noel (PG) (2004) The troubled confronted by a visitor just hours earlier. Kevin and edition of the panel quiz show hosted by Kirsty Wark lives of five New Yorkers, including a bride-to- Sally are unhappy when Rosie opts to spend her of the game show in which pantomime goodies take on to see who knows the most about literature. Andrew pantomime baddies, featuring celebrities including be and a petty crook, overlap on Christmas birthday with Gary Windass, and Joe is evicted. 11.05 Motion and Jan Ravens do battle against Charlie Eve. Drama, starring Susan Sarandon, FILM: Love Actually (15) (2003) Romantic comedy, Paul Daniels, Barbara Windsor, John Thomson and Joe Higson and Joan Bakewell. 9.00 Rob Brydon’s Identity Pasquale. 12.25 The Friday Night Christmas Project Penelope Cruz and Alan Arkin. 6.00 Numb3rs starring Hugh Grant. Including Entertainment News Crisis. Comedian Rob Brydon explores what national With Girls Aloud 1.25 Shameless 2.25 Cape Wrath 3.25 8.00 CSI: NY. A billionaire playboy and his date AMerry Update. 1.45 Ghosthunting With Radio One 3.45 identity means to Welsh people and considers why his Russell Brand’s Christmas Ponderland 3.50 Hollyoaks are shot by a bowman during a party Teleshopping 5.15 The Office: An American Workplace routine causes offence to some of his more patriotic celebrating a local artist, leaving the girl dead FILM4 and the host in shock. Gary Sinise stars. 9.00 ITV3 countrymen. 10.00 Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe. A tongue-in-cheek take on the year in the TV industry, 1.00 Red River (U) (1948) A hard-as-nails Texan CSI: Miami. The CSIs uncover a plot to 6.00 Rising Damp 6.25 FILM: The Man Upstairs (PG) rancher falls out with his foster son during a long- distribute a new type of ammunition, and the Christmas... (1992) Comedy drama, starring Katharine Hepburn.