TV guide: 12 of the best new shows to watch, beginning tonight

Killing Sherlock: Lucy Worsley on the Case of Conan Doyle

Sunday, BBC2, 9pm

Killing Sherlock: Lucy Worsley. Photograph: Harry Truman/BBC

He is the greatest fictional detective in the world, but when Sherlock Holmes was at the height of his deductive powers, a mystery villain was plotting his murder. Who was this nefarious cad? Why, it was none other than the creator of Holmes himself, Arthur Conan Doyle, according to historian Lucy Worsley, and in this intriguing three-part series, Worsley investigates Conan Doyle’s conflicted relationship with the character that made him rich and famous, and explores how the writer soon came to despise his lucrative sleuth.

Vigil

Sunday, BBC1, 9pm

Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie return as detectives Amy Silva and Kirsten Longacre in series two of the crime thriller with a military twist. In series one, Amy was airlifted on board the nuclear sub the Vigil to investigate a mysterious death; in series two, she is sent to an air force base in Scotland, where a number of military personnel have been killed by drones. Did they malfunction or was someone controlling them? Amy will have to navigate a hostile military environment while also keeping her growing relationship with Kirsten on track.

[ Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+: 10 of the best new shows to watch in December and over Christmas ]

Taking Back Control

Monday, RTÉ1, 9.35pm

How do you know if you are the victim of coercive control? In this hard-hitting documentary, one survivor of this insidious form of abuse tells her story, waiving her anonymity so that others may be able to spot the signs of coercive control in their own relationships and get out before it’s too late. Nicola’s partner, a member of the An Garda Síochána, subjected her to vile abuse while she was pregnant and living with a diagnosis of terminal cancer, and was convicted of coercive control in a landmark case in 2022.

The Real Full Monty: Jingle Balls

Monday & Tuesday, UTV, 9pm

Spare a thought for celebs – they have to work hard to keep the public’s attention, including eating maggots, jumping off cliffs and being near Nigel Farage. And of course they have to get their kit off to raise money for their chosen charity. In this festive special of The Real Full Monty, a bunch of brave celebs – including TV presenter Julia Bradbury, actor Sherrie Hewson, Corrie and Death in Paradise star Victoria Ekanoye, former royal butler Paul Burrell and former England rugby international Ben Cohen – have to overcome their shyness and shed like a Christmas tree.

Tuesday, BBC2, 9pm

Ashley Walters and Louis Theroux. Photograph: Ryan McNamara/BBC/Mindhouse Productions

It’s the last in this series of Theroux interviews, and this could be his toughest one yet. The broadcaster fearlessly locks horns with gangsta Dushane from Top Boy, aka actor Ashley Walters. Luckily, Walters is a little less formidable than his character in the hit crime series, but he has fallen foul of the law in the past, and he talks to Theroux about his early life growing up in Peckham, his time as a student in a top theatre school and his previous career as a rapper with the infamous So Solid Crew. He also talks candidly about his arrest on gun charges and how prison prompted him to turn his life around.

Scannal: Water Fight

Tuesday, RTÉ1, 7pm

In this episode of Scannal, we’re brought back to those days when water charges galvanised the nation, and people took to the streets to protest at having to pay for their water, as if it was some essential service. Ordinary folk ranted, raved and let off lots of steam, directing most of their ire at the newly set up Irish Water, which sent out bills to households already reeling from the banking bailout and the financial crash. In November 2014, angry anti-water protesters in Jobstown in Tallaght surrounded the then tánaiste Joan Burton’s car, trapping her for hours. The whole water debacle saw nearly half a billion euro poured down the drain.

How to Cook Well with Rory O’Connell

Wednesday, RTÉ1, 8pm

It’s the end of term at Rory O’Connell’s Ultimate University of Great Gourmet Cooking, and we hope you’ve been paying attention over the course of this seventh series. To end this round of lessons, O’Connell is making roast rack of lamb with sauce soubise and a whole load of other French-sounding stuff on the side. This series marks 40 years since O’Connell began sharing his knowledge and skill in the kitchen for the betterment of all tummies. “Teaching gives me great pleasure as the joy of sharing knowledge feels like an extra and unexpected gift I have been granted,” he says. The pleasure is all ours, Chef.

Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas

Wednesday, BBC1, 9pm

The queen of cakes indulges in a spot of sweet festive nostalgia, as she looks back on her childhood Christmases when she would visit her mum’s homeland in Scotland to celebrate the season with her Scottish relatives. She heads back to Scotland for a Highland Hogmanay, but she’s not going empty-handed, she’ll be bringing along some fab recipes for traditional festive fare, and meeting up with a few friends: Scots-born tennis star Andy Murray, who owns a hotel in Dunblane where his granny makes shortbread, Scottish comedian and TV presenter Iain Stirling and Scottish singer Emeli Sandé.

Neven’s Christmas in Adare

Thursday, RTÉ1, 8pm

Chef Neven Maguire is ensconced in the historic grounds of Adare Manor, cooking up Christmas dinners to beat the band, and also exploring some of the culinary delights on offer in this scenic part of Co Limerick. In part two of his Christmas cooking special, Maguire makes a luxuriant lamb dish for the season that’s in it, goes fishing on the river Maigue in the company of local ghillie Stephen Normoyle, and meets Adare Manor’s head pastry chef Olivier Stievenard for afternoon tea and a selection of superb pastries.

Stacey Solomon’s Crafty Christmas

Thursday, BBC1, 8pm

We are guilty of leaving Christmas present buying to the last minute, but we have to raise our hands and admit that when it comes to Christmas decorations and all the other crafty things that give your home a festive look – by the time we get around to decking the halls, it’s almost Easter. Luckily, Stacey Solomon is back with a second series of her Christmas craft show, and she’s going all out for a crafty party, and sharing her tips for creating clever home-made gifts and decorations that won’t break the Christmas budget.

Gardener’s World Winter Specials

Friday, BBC2, 8pm

Mary Berry is widely known as the queen of cakes, but what many may not realise is that she’s also the grande dame of gardening, and in this winter special, Adam Frost visits Berry at her home to hear all about her horticultural side hustle. Berry gives an insight into the fragrant world of cut flowers, and also shares the joy of frozen herbs. There’s not much you can teach Berry about gardening, but Frost gives it ago, showing her how to sow tiny snapdragon seed using just a cocktail stick. Maybe he’ll get some cake as a reward.

Ben Elton Live

Friday, Channel 4, 11.05pm

Remember when Ben Elton was the king of alternative comedy, bursting on the scene with his big glasses as the host of Channel 4′s groundbreaking Saturday Live? Since then, Elton has enjoyed a stellar career as a stand-up comic, co-writer on some of telly’s top comedy series, and author of several novels brimming with his trademark snarky humour. He’s been off the boil for a few years, but in 2022 he performed a big comeback gig at the Palace Theatre in Southend, and this Channel 4 special captures the event, as Elton displays his comedy chops and proves there’s lots of fuel left in that motormouth of his.