The Nutcracker
5pm, CBeebies
Pour yourself a sloe gin and park the children in front of CBeebies’ annual festive offering, as their top characters take on The Nutcracker. The plot is watertight: a pair of kids travel to the Land of Sweets on Christmas Eve and see their toys coming to life. The stars performed the show live at Sheffield’s Crucible theatre, so it is the true entertainers who shine: step forward show-stealing Justin “Mr Tumble” Fletcher, who is a magical choice of storyteller. Hannah Verdier
Vicious
9pm, ITV
Returning for one last hurrah, Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi reprise their roles as sniping septuagenarians Freddie and Stuart in a special that traces a year in the couple’s lives. Sadly, while there are plenty of gags in the Great British Joke Book that bear revisiting, Vicious yet again too often ignores these in favour of gratuitous swearing and one-liners that should have been left in the 1970s. Alternatively, postmodern campery of the very highest order. Jonathan Wright
Rick Stein’s Long Weekends
9pm, BBC2
Last in the series of the chef’s pleasurably self-indulgent mini-breaks. Stein’s strength lies in making any country’s cuisine accessible by approaching it in an unpretentious manner, which is exactly what he does in Palermo. Here, influences from Italy, Spain, France, north Africa and the Middle East melt together in one nutty, sun-ripened pot of flavour. Additionally, Rick gets a cookery lesson from a duchess, and throws together his own masala chicken. Jack Seale
Walliams & Friend
9.30pm, BBC1
This latest comedy vehicle for David Walliams comes complete with a sidecar: each week, a special guest star dives into the dressing-up box for some knockabout sketches and endless spoofs of other TV shows. Tonight’s instalment features Goodness Gracious Me veteran Meera Syal, who shines as both a bossy grandma-turned-unrelenting police interrogator and a recent divorcee tentatively getting to grips with a sexbot. Graeme Virtue
The Gadget Show
7pm, Channel 5
There are two types of techno buff: those who need to have the very latest stuff right now, and retro obsessives who hanker for yesteryear’s gizmos. Journalist Harry Wallop shares tips with Ortis Deley for cash-strapped early adopters, while Jason Bradbury reveals how some of your less-than-current gadgets and hardware may be floggable. Meanwhile, Jon Bentley vets three televisions for value for money, and Amy Williams road-tests TV-streaming services. David Stubbs
Coastal Path
8.30pm, BBC2
Final instalment of Paul Rose’s trudge along all 630 miles of the South West Coast Path, which traces the edges of Britain’s lower left-hand corner. This episode finds Rose in Devon and Dorset, hunting fossils and meeting a swanherd, among other diversions. These are largely incidental, however, to the show’s primary selling point: luxuriant shots of glorious views. It seems reasonable to suppose that the path will be more crowded next spring. Andrew Mueller
The Blacklist
9pm, Sky Living
Who knows how many further names there are on Red’s apparently infinite list of decreasingly probable global villains? Tonight, it’s a particularly fiendish case: a scientist who conducts experiments enabling criminals to alter their identities, with sometimes grisly consequences. Meanwhile, a medical emergency forces Liz to establish for certain if Alexander Kirk is her biological father. James Spader as Red is the series’ redeeming joy. David Stubbs
Film choice
Jackie Brown (Quentin Tarantino, 1997), 11.25pm, ITV4
Based on Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch, this is one of the best screen adaptations of the author’s work. Pam Grier is the not-so-young heroine, trying to make a living – then a killing – in LA gangsterland. The music is soulful, the dialogue crackles and the characters – bail bondsman Robert Forster, Samuel L Jackson’s deadly arms dealer, his stoned girlfriend Bridget Fonda and Robert De Niro’s dim hood – are right on the money. Paul Howlett
The Other Boleyn Girl (Justin Chadwick, 2008), 12.50am, Channel 4
Adapted from Philippa Gregory’s novel, this account of the sisters vying to be Henry VIII’s (Eric Bana) mistress numero uno is a handsomely made, old-fashioned bodice-ripper. Scarlett Johansson is a Snow White-like Mary, while Natalie Portman is sister Anne, whose machinations would make Lucrezia Borgia blush. Paul Howlett
Sport choice
Alpine Skiing: The World Cup From Val d’Isère in France, featuring the first run of the women’s downhill combined. 9.15am, Eurosport 2
Championship Football: Norwich City v Huddersfield Town Canaries meet Terriers. 7pm, Sky Sports 1
Test Cricket: India v England Coverage of the second day from MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. 3.45am, Sky Sports 2
