TV
Sherlock
Finally, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman return for another three movie-length episodes of super sleuthing in questionable hats. Loosely based on Conan Doyle’s The Adventure Of The Six Napoleons, expect action, comedy, superhuman leaps of logic and more twists than a Chubby Checker greatest hits set. And, if it ends on a cliffhanger, there’s only a week until episode two. Indubitably.
New Year’s Day, 9pm, BBC1
Search Party
A word-of-mouth hit in the States, this dark comedy has finally reached our shores courtesy of Channel 4’s on-demand offshoot All 4. It stars Arrested Development’s Alia Shawkat as a directionless twentysomething who decides to try her hand at private eyeing when an old school friend goes missing. It’s silly and surreal: picture Broad City crossed with Raymond Chandler and you’d be in the right ballpark.
Theatre
The Kite Runner
The wildly successful book by Khaled Hosseini about two brothers separated in Afghanistan is now a play, and heads to London’s Wyndham Theatre, WC2, to 11 Mar.
Clubs
New Year’s Eve parties
Or, for the hip cats among you, New Year’s Day, which is apparently now the far superior night to see 2017 in on. Whichever day you choose to celebrate, there are plentiful options that stick two fingers up to the country’s supposed clubs crisis, from Bristol’s Motion (pictured) to Glasgow’s Art School. Then the following weekend, from 6 January, it’s the reopening of London’s Fabric, EC1, after its victorious #SaveOurCulture campaign, which got its recently revoked licence reinstated. The future’s bright, the future’s clubbing!
Podcasting
Crimetown
True-crime podcasts tend to dwell on grisly murders, but there are plenty of other dark activities that deserve exploring. Take this effort from the producers of The Jinx, which looks at corruption in Rhode Island. As gripping as Serial series one, it’s ideal for a bank holiday binge-listen.
Events
Made In Hull
Twelve months of City of Culture celebrations kick off with Made In Hull, a trail of projections on buildings, plus illuminated skylines, soundscapes and live shows. Other highlights for January include the reopening of the city’s Ferens Art Gallery, and a celebration of Hull university graduate Anthony Minghella’s work in film, theatre and TV (Middleton Hall, 21-26 Jan).
Various venues, 1-7Jan
Comedy
Jack Whitehall
Good looks, showbiz family, precocious standup success and an impressive sidestep into acting: perhaps the only thing that hasn’t come easily to Jack Whitehall is the air of relatability that much comedy relies on. Yet that hasn’t got in the way of megastardom, as testified by his huge arena tour.
On tour from 5 Jan; check website for dates
Exhibitions
Sparrow Come Back Home
Calypso is the most versatile of musical forms, as leading Ukip calypsonian Mike Read will testify. For the Trinidadian great Mighty Sparrow, it accommodates anything from lament to celebration to come-on. These myriad themes were reflected in his brilliant album sleeves, which are innovatively presented as ceramics in a new show at London’s ICA, SW1, to 5 Feb.
Film
London Short Film festival
Apparently we once dubbed this celebration of film “the best short film festival in the world” and, scanning the lineup for its 14th edition, it’s no wonder. From 6 Jan there are numerous short films showing with, this year, a focus on subcultures; themes include queer identity, black punk, riot grrrl, youth style and more. The opening night will feature an analogue drone set from Fay Milton and Ayse Hassan of Savages, while other highlights include, on 12 Jan, a Q&A with Vine star Limmy and The Thick Of It creator Armando Iannucci.
Various venues, 6-15 Jan
Endless Poetry
The next film from 87-year-old Alejandro Jodorowsky – who Wikipedia calls everything from a comics writer to a spiritual guru – has been hailed as his most accessible yet. A memoir that follows the Chilean’s formative years on an “endless quest for beauty and inner truth”, it’s out from Friday.
