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HIGHLIGHTS
ALIAS GRACE Netflix, Fri 3 Nov The latest Margaret Atwood novel to be adapted for television. See review, page 126. BABYLON BERLIN Sky Atlantic, Sun 5 Nov, 9pm German thriller set during the 1920s based on a series of novels by Volker Kutscher. Apparently the most expensive non-English language TV series of all time.
MOTHERLAND BBC One, Tue 7 Nov, 10pm Graham Linehan and Sharon Horgan’s sitcom about the pressures of motherhood gets a full series. THE PUNISHER Netflix, Fri 17 Nov Brutal vigilante action. Jon Bernthal is Frank Castle in this Marvel / Netflix collaboration.
SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT Netflix, Thu 23 Nov Updated remake of Spike Lee’s classic 1986 debut about the life and loves of Nola Darling (DeWanda Wise) and her three potential suitors.
THE MARVELOUS MRS MAISEL Amazon Prime, Wed 29 Nov Fifties-set drama / comedy about a housewife who decides to try her hand at stand-up, loosely based on the life of Joan Rivers. Brought to the small screen by Gilmore Girls duo Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino. THE CROWN – SEASON 2 Netflix, Fri 8 Dec The life of the Windsors heads to the 60s, where Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy) and Prince Philip’s (Matt Smith) relationship hits a few roadbumps.
JEAN-CLAUDE VAN JOHNSON Amazon Prime, Fri 15 Dec Meta action comedy starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as himself as an undercover agent. THE TUNNEL – SEASON 3 Sky Atlantic, Dec, date tbc The UK / French remake of Nordic noir The Bridge is back for a third and final season.
SHETLAND – SEASON 4 BBC One, Jan, date tbc Douglas Henshall returns for another series of this rugged murder mystery set on the Scottish isles. AGENTS OF SHIELD – SEASON 5 E4, Jan, date tbc After their encounters with Ghost Rider, the Darkhold and Aida, the team need to regroup in this Marvel TV spin off.
1 Nov 2017–31 Jan 2018 THE LIST 127
Ratburger
BOX SELECTION Henry Northmore checks out the festive treats and yuletide specials to keep you glued to the gogglebox this Christmas
COMEDY
Perhaps the most exciting news is the return of The League of Gentlemen (BBC Two) for three half- hour specials as the full team (Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson) head to Royston Vasey for more pitch-black character comedy. ‘We’ve been dying to do it for ages. This is a really good year because it’s been 20 years since we did our Radio 4 series,’ Pemberton recently told the Adam Buxton podcast. ‘We wanted to do a one hour special essentially, but as we started writing, the material was just coming out of us.’ Also back is smash hit sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys (BBC One) while Ben Elton’s Shakespeare comedy Upstart Crow (BBC Two) scores its i rst Christmas special. In panel show land, Would I Lie To You? (BBC One) and QI (BBC Two) have special episodes. Charlie Brooker is also on hand to sum up another tumultuous year in his razor sharp 2017 Wipe (BBC Two).
DRAMA
The big draw has to be Peter Capaldi’s i nal appearance as Doctor Who (BBC One, Christmas Day) in ‘Twice Upon a Time’ (also starring David Bradley as the First Doctor) before Jodie Whittaker becomes the i rst ever female Doctor. The Victorians invented many of our favourite Christmas traditions so Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes’ return as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in a festive edition of Victoria (ITV) feels like the perfect i t. Ordeal by Innocence (BBC One) i lls the annual big budget Agatha Christie slot in the December schedules. And Eric, Ernie & Me (BBC Four) is a one-off drama about comedy scriptwriter Eddie Braben and his work with perennial festive favourites Morecambe and Wise. There’s also specials from Call the Midwife (BBC One) and Father Brown (BBC One), if you like that kinda thing.
ENTERTAINMENT Everyone was so cynical about The Great British Bake Off moving to Channel 4 but it worked out a treat, and Prue, Paul, Noel and Sandi return for two Christmassy specials. Popular family favourites Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One, Christmas Day), Cannonball (ITV), The Crystal Maze (Channel 4) and Blind Date (Channel 5) all return with special tinsel-drenched episodes.
KIDS David Walliams’ children’s books have become a publishing phenomenon and both BBC One and Sky 1 have tapped into his brand of kid’s comedy with Grandpa’s Great Escape and Ratburger respectively. Another modern Xmas tradition is a brand new adaptation of a Julia Donaldson short story, and this year The Highway Rat (BBC One) gets the animated treatment with the vocal talents of Rob Brydon and David Tennant, while the kids battle it out with the adults on the Child Genius vs Celebrities Christmas Special (Channel 4).