Here are some TV highlights coming up in the days ahead from Saturday, December 21, including Gavin & Stacey, The Hairy Bikers and Strictly Come Dancing at 20.

Strictly Come Dancing: 20 Fabulous Years (Saturday 21/12/24, BBC One, 7pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

Cast your mind back to 2004…That was the year that Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook on an unsuspecting world, the final episode of Friends aired and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won a record-equalling 11 Oscars.

A photo of Dave Myers and Si King taken from The Hairy Bikers: You'll Never Ride Alone, a one-hour special about the memorial day which will air on BBC Two on December 23. Photo: Jon Boast/BBC/PA Wire

The BBC, meanwhile, launched a show that is still going strong, and has become its flagship entertainment series – Strictly Come Dancing, the first episode of which aired on May 15; from the second run onwards, it began to appear in its more familiar pre-Christmas slot.

“I’ll never forget watching at home the first year when Natasha Kaplinsky won,” claims current pro Amy Dowden. “I’d never seen anything like it before on TV. At the time I was dancing and going to Blackpool regularly but to see it on TV was special, so to be part of the anniversary feels surreal.”

At the time of that first run, nobody knew if ballroom dancing would be a success on TV. After almost 50 years, the similarly named Come Dancing had ended in 1998 due to a fall in ratings, so bringing back the format, albeit with celebrities paired with professionals, was something of a risk. However, it was an instant hit, and despite numerous issues in recent years, shows no sign of falling in popularity.

That first run now looks rather cheap but cheerful. The set is smaller and less lavish, but relatively little else has changed, other than the personnel. Dancers and judges have come and gone, while original host, Mr Saturday Night himself, Bruce Forsyth, bowed out due to ill health after 10 years at the helm; his co-presenter, Tess Daly, remains in place, however, alongside Claudia Winkleman.

The programme has been sold across the globe, with the Guinness Book of Records describing it as the world’s most successful reality TV format. Under various names, versions have been made in around 60 other countries.

“I honestly think it is still the best show and will continue to be the best show on TV for many years to come,” says another of the current batch of pros, Dianne Buswell. “I hope in 20 years’ time they’ll look back at stuff I’ve done with my partners and think that was cool. I hope that they look back with fond memories just as we look back on Strictly series one so fondly.”

Now, just a week on from the most recent final, the Beeb is broadcasting a programme documenting the programme’s incredible success as well as its history. Expect to see some iconic performances – good and bad – as well as heartwarming interviews with former participants, professional dancers and judges.

“Strictly Come Dancing is more than just a TV show, it has become an integral part of British culture, bringing families together and inspiring viewers of all ages to embrace the joy of dance,” explains Kappa Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC.

“Throughout its 20-year history, the show has launched careers, sparked trends, and touched the hearts of millions with its dazzling performances, emotional journeys, and unforgettable moments and we will be showcasing it all in this very special programme.”

Cheers to that – and here’s to the next 20 years!

Death in Paradise (Sunday 22/12/24, BBC1, 8.30pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

It may be a detective drama, rather than a sci-fi saga, but Death in Paradise now has its own extended universe – tune in on Friday, December 27, for a double bill of the spin-offs Return to Paradise and Beyond Paradise.

And, like Doctor Who, fans have also accepted that the lead actor will keep changing. We started with Ben Miller, before Kris Marshall took over and then handed on the baton to Ardal O’Hanlon. Ralf Little was the next star to move to the Caribbean, and had the longest stint to date, but he left at the end of the last series.

So, now it’s time for a new DI to take up residence on the beautiful but crime-ridden island of Saint Marie – and he’s played by former EastEnder Don Gilet.

The actor knows it’s a big responsibility. He says: “Being offered the new lead role in Death in Paradise feels like a deeply loved and incredibly precious jewel has been placed in my hands. This is a big show, with a big heart and the love continually grows for it.

“It is my intention to never lose sight of that and to remain grateful, humbled and dedicated. Even during those testing times when every sinew is screaming at me to run off the set and dive into the sea, swimming pool or an ice-cold beer – whichever happens to be closer at the time!”

It maybe took some of the pressure off to know that this festive special also has an impressive cast of guest stars, including Jim Howick (Ghosts), Angela Griffin (The Wives), Marcus Brigstocke (The Unbelievable Truth), Steven Hartley (Happy Valley), Elizabeth Carling (Hotel Portofino), Michael Salami (Supacell) and Dex Lee (Doctors).

There are also the regulars, including Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, Shantol Jackson as DS Naomi Thomas, Ginny Holder as Officer Darlene Curtis and Danny John-Jules as Officer Dwayne Myers.

The cops investigate when holiday maker Stuart Fullwell (Brigstocke) is found shot dead on the beach.

The case gets more complicated when it turns out two more men were shot, and there’s seemingly nothing to connect the three victims apart from the fact that they were all shot with the same gun at the same time – and they were all dressed as Santa.

The local police could really use an experienced DI to help them get to the bottom of it, so the Commissioner is pleased to learn that there just happens to be one on the island – Londoner Mervin Wilson (Gilet), who has been ruffling feathers among the locals.

Mervin is due to return home when he gets a call from his boss to say that he’s been seconded to Honore, whether he likes it or not.

How will Mervin react, and how will his colleagues adapt to their boss’s new methods? And could there be one than more mystery to solve, as the viewers and regulars try to work out exactly what brought Mervin to Saint Marie?

Meanwhile, Dwayne has problems of his own as his Christmas with his dad does not go to plan.

The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Ride Alone (Monday 23/12/24, BBC2, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

We’ve said farewell to various celebrities during the past 12 months, including Quincy Jones, Terry Griffiths and Barbara Taylor Bradford, but few have made quite as big an impact on the public as the death of Dave Myers.

He passed away in February at the age of 66, following a long battle with cancer. Friends, fans and family members were devastated by his loss, none more so than his best mate and colleague Si King, with whom he’d shared many adventures as the Hairy Bikers.

The pair first met in 1995 on the set of ITV drama The Gambling Man; Myers was then a make-up artist specialising in prosthetics, while King was its second assistant director. They formed a bond over their mutual passion for motorbikes and food, and the rest, as they say, is history.

In October, during an appearance on ITV1’s This Morning, King said of their success: “We always used to say it was like winning the lottery but better. We were two working class lads from the north and it’s been such a privilege to see the world we live in and talk to the wonderful people that are sometimes completely diverse from the culture that we know and understand and are completely different.

“It was just joyous to give them the opportunity. Dave and I… were conduits for other people’s stories. We had our crack and laugh when we were cooking together, but it was about everybody else. It was never about us.”

Nevertheless, the nation took them to their hearts; after watching them laughing and joking together, during which they were always so open and honest, it almost felt as if we knew them. As a result, once the news of Myers’ death had sunk in, fans were desperate to do something in his honour, so preparations began for Dave Day, which saw 45,000 fellow bikers join King on a memorial journey from London to his mate’s hometown of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria in April.

The ride is charted in a moving documentary that also serves as a tribute to Myers. It features archive footage, previously unaired clips and new interviews that celebrate his life and achievements, during most of which he had King by his side.

“The outpouring of love for The Hairy Bikers this year has been extraordinary and it was a real honour for everyone who has worked with them to document Dave Day and celebrate Si and Dave’s friendship over the decades,” says executive producer Andrew Mackenzie.

But it’s King who has the last word while summing up the programme simply but with heart – just like the food they cooked as a double act for almost 30 years.

“It was a very special show to pull together,” explains King. “Full of nostalgia, laughs and celebration of my best friend and his life.”

No doubt we’ll all be raising a glass to this warm-hearted and much-missed chap – it’s the very least he deserves after the fun and entertainment he served up for our enjoyment.

A Ghost Story for Christmas: Woman of Stone (Tuesday 24/12/24, BBC Two, 10.15pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

The festive season. It’s a period of joy, when we spend time with our families, eat wonderful food, open presents and generally have fun.

That’s all true – up to a point anyway. But Charles Dickens had other ideas. He may be best remembered for his novels, such as Bleak House and Great Expectations, but he’s also responsible for the tradition of telling ghost stories around the time of December 25th.

So if you were wondering why we scare each other silly when we should be enjoying ourselves, blame him. His A Christmas Carol is now a festive favourite, and the BBC has a long tradition of broadcasting spooky tales during the season to be jolly.

They began in the 1970s with Lawrence Gordon Clark’s acclaimed adaptations of various classics, mostly by MR James. A quarter of a century later came Christopher Lee’s Ghost Stories for Christmas. Then the BBC briefly revived the idea in the mid-2000s before Mark Gatiss took over with The Tractate Middoth in 2013.

Another gap followed, but every year since 2018 (apart from Covid-hit 2020) the writer-actor-director has delivered another spooky story, and 2024 is no different.

This time we’re being treated to a first – a tale written by a woman. Edith Nesbitt is best known as the author of The Railway Children and Five Children and It, but she penned her fair share of supernatural tales too, including Man-Size in Marble, which was first published in 1893 in her collection of horror stories entitled Grim Tales.

Gatiss claims he regards well-known stories, like those featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dracula, both of which he successfully revamped alongside former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, as ripe for reinvention: “These things are absolutely what I grew up loving most and to have a go at Baker Street, to have a go at Castle Dracula, is a dream come true.

“It’s an interesting thing to do, to not mess around with it but reassess it. If you photograph every page of the book, what’s the point? Read the book – the book is not going to go anywhere.

“You can do something new and interesting with it – like we did for Sherlock. You can get a new audience or a new response to it. It’s a really interesting way of looking at the material again, through a different prism. You’re not just slavishly reproducing it.”

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why Gatiss swapped the rather excellent original title of Man-Size in Marble to the more bland Woman of Stone, ahead of his latest festive production’s broadcast.

Whatever the case, the tale remains genuinely chilling, with Celia Imrie heading the cast as Nesbitt herself, recalling the terrifying experience of Victorian newlyweds Jack (Eanna Hardwicke) and Laura (Phoebe Horn).

Their efforts to settle into a small cottage in a quiet village are disturbed by their housekeeper, the superstitious Mrs Dorman (Monica Dolan), who warns them about the local church’s tomb effigies, a pair of marble knights that, legend has it, rise from their slabs every Christmas Eve.

Jack dismisses it as nonsense, but nevertheless feels strangely drawn to the place as the fateful night draws near, leaving Laura home alone…

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale (Wednesday 25/12/2024, BBC One, 9pm)

Words by Richard Jones

Over 11 million viewers ‘stepped into Christmas’ and watched the Gavin & Stacey festive special on BBC One five years ago.

And ever since we left Nessa down on one knee, asking Smithy to marry her, the excitement has been building hoping we’ll get to spend more time with the Shipman and West clans.

A certain hotel chain has even looked to cash in by rebranding its Barry Island establishment as ‘What’s Occur-Inn’, which was opened by a Ruth Jones lookalike/knock-off Nessa.

But although fans were thrilled to hear much-loved sitcom would be back this Christmas, the announcement in May was also tinged with sadness, as Jones and her writing partner James Corden confirmed it would be the show’s swan song.

Corden told Virgin Radio that the decision made him feel “very emotional” but was thankful that they had the “luxury of deciding to end it and to be in a position where people still care”.

While a lot has happened in the five years since we last saw Gavin, Stacey, Nessa, Smithy and the rest of their friends and families, not much has changed, really.

In Barry, Bryn’s packing the Citreon Picasso for a trip to Essex, while Stacey and Gavin are looking for new ways to spice up their 17-year marriage, and Gwen is behaving rather strangely.

However, Nessa has started a new business venture, and Neil the Baby is no longer a baby – he’s about to begin an apprenticeship with his dad.

Over in Billericay, Pam is stressing out at the prospect of playing hostess, not helped by a newly retired Mick practicing his golf swing in the living room. And there have been more ups and downs in Pete and Dawn’s relationship.

Although these details have been released ahead of the show, the rest of the plot is being kept firmly under wraps.

Alison Steadman, who plays Pam, has described how the cast and crew were instructed not to leak any storylines before the episode’s broadcast.

“The main thing is that Ruth and James were saying to everyone is we don’t want to spoil it for you.

“We want Christmas Day to be a surprise. And once you know a bit of secret or a story, then you’re going to spoil it. We want it to be (a surprise). And that is what I want too.”

Meanwhile, Larry Lamb, who plays Mick, described the final days of filming in October to ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “It was a trip down memory lane because suddenly there we are and we’re facing the fact that, effectively, this is the end of this venture, the end of this journey, and it was so emotional.

“There’s a mental ‘tick, tick’ going on all the time and the emotions (are) just building and building and building. The end comes bursting out at you and it’s absolutely… it’s just beautiful, really beautiful.”

So, if you want to see how Nessa and Smithy’s long-running love-hate relationship pans out and what actually ‘occurred’ on that infamous fishing trip, it’s a waste of time scouring the internet or even visiting a temporarily renamed hotel in south Wales.

Like millions of others, you’ll have to tune in tonight. It may be emotional, but let’s hope it will also be ‘tidy’ and ‘well lush’.

Outnumbered (Thursday 26/12/2024, BBC One, 9.40pm)

Words by Richard Jones

Many people feel a sense of dread at their kids growing up. In what seems like the blink of an eye, the once cherubic babies and toddlers (in the eyes of their parents, anyway), morph into moody teenagers and then fully grown adults, ready to fly the nest.

When Outnumbered first aired in 2008, the kids of exasperated south London parents Pete and Sue Brockman (Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner) were aged just five, seven and 11.

There was the youngest, Karen (Ramona Marquez), who had a tendency for asking embarrassing questions, out-of-control pathological liar Ben (Daniel Roche), and the eldest, girl-obsessed tweenager Jake (Tyger Drew-Honey), who was trying to keep his dignity intact.

Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton’s series became a huge hit, mainly thanks the brilliant performances of the children, who improvised almost all their lines.

The writer/directors would just whisper an idea or a few lines into the kids’ ears before rolling the cameras. Ramona was, apparently, unable to even read a script when the show started.

As the years rolled on and the kids got older, the jokes started to wear a bit thin, and Outnumbered became a little less funny each year.

After all, stroppy teenagers are, by their very nature, a bit boring.

In March 2014, it was time to say goodbye to the Brockmans, although the family did return for a Christmas special in 2016. Now, after eight years, they are back again, and it’s safe to say the kids have definitely grown up.

This special Christmas episode is set in Pete and Sue’s downsized home, as they grapple with the challenges of parenting kids who are now adults, with their own lives to lead.

Jake may have some sympathy now with his long-suffering parents as he’s been trying to work from home while also dealing with a three-year-old.

Ben is still finding ways to worry his family, this time by planning a big adventure, and Karen is frustrated by her work colleagues and personal relationships.

Throw in neighbours, hyenas and a bus replacement service, and it looks like it’s going be a very chaotic Christmas.

Co-creator, writer and director Hamilton says: “It’s a very exciting prospect to be revisiting the Brockman family – older, but not necessarily wiser – as they steer a path through the perils of Xmas and the rapids of modern-day family life.”

Jenkin adds: “I really wanted to find out what the Brockmans were up to these days, so Andy and I had to write this special.”

And it’s not just those behind the camera that are looking forward to this new episode of Outnumbered.

Hugh, who lives with co-star Claire in real life too, says: “I can’t wait for the Brockmans to be back together again.

“Pete and Sue have downsized, the children are no longer children, but I’m sure family life will prove to be just as chaotic as ever.”

Claire adds: “I’m really looking forward to being reunited with my TV family. Working on this wonderful BBC comedy doesn’t feel like work and is one of the greatest joys for us all.”

Whether or not the public still has an appetite for additional episodes of Outnumbered following this one-off special remains to be seen.

At the moment, there’s no official confirmation of any future series, but Jenkin has hinted he would be up for working on more during an interview with Radio Times.

He said: “We might get another idea. But we wanted to make this a really special event. Having waited eight years, hopefully everybody will be very curious to see where this family they grew up with ended up.”

Beyond Paradise (Friday 28/12/24, BBC One, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

You can run but you can’t hide from Paradise, these days. Well, any drama that features the word in its title anyway.

Death in Paradise has been a huge hit for the Beeb, with millions around the world unable to get enough of British detectives tackling crime on the sun-kissed island of Saint Marie. Don Gilet is the latest actor to take up residence; his debut as DI Mervin Wilson airs earlier in the week.

The show’s success has led to two spin-offs, with the first run of the Australia-set Return to Paradise concluding tonight at 8pm. It’s followed immediately afterwards by a festive edition of its more established British counterpart Beyond Paradise.

Back in April, it was announced that a third series of the latter would be heading our way, as well as a Christmas special.

“The response to series two has been fantastic,” revealed executive producer Tim Key, back when the weather was better and there wasn’t quite as much tinsel around. “So much love goes into the making of the show and we’re delighted that the audience have enjoyed it so much.

“We can’t wait to get back to Shipton Abbott for another Christmas special and series to continue the story and learn more about our characters and the town they live in – I can promise that we’ll be making the viewers laugh, cry, laugh a bit more and then baffling them with a series of ingenious puzzles. There will also be a duck.”

Well, if you weren’t interested before, the addition of waterfowl should certainly pull you in…

Kris Marshall, now a mainstay of the franchise having also starred in Death in Paradise, will be back as DI Humphrey Goodman, a role he’s proud to play.

“When people have come up to me and said how much they enjoy the show, they’ve often said how much it’s made them bond with members of their own family,” claims the actor.

“Mothers and fathers have said it’s helped them bond with their teenage kids, parents have said they can bond with their parents and grandparents. It’s a family show that you can sit down and watch with everyone. Despite the subject matter, it’s kind of ‘feelgood’.

“With there being many gritty and brilliant cop dramas out there, I think in our kind of show sail down a different path and make it more fun and more tongue-in-cheek. We don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

Having said that, something rather sinister is happening to recently widowed Bob Holland (played by guest star Mark Heap) when we return to Shipton Abbott – he claims a vision of his late wife Linda has told him to leave their home.

Are his visions a manifestation of Bob’s grief, or do his daughter and inventor son-in-law know more than they’re willing to admit? Humphrey decides to investigate, but his involvement with the case leaves Martha to deal with their latest foster child, introverted teen Jaiden, alone.

Meanwhile, on a more light-hearted note, Kelby and Margo tackle the case of the missing Virgin Mary…

Gavin & Stacey, The Hairy Bikers and Strictly Come Dancing at 20: TV this week