The Royal Variety Performance 2017
7.30pm, ITV
Viewers may be clamouring for a glimpse of Harry and Meghan in the London Palladium’s prime seats, but for this year Will and Kate are the royal couple clutching the regal bag of Revels Miranda Hart hosts, with fellow mirth merchants Tom Allen and the cast of Benidorm providing added dashes of humour. Musical turns include Michael Ball, Tokio Myers and the cast of West End smash Big Fish, including Kelsey Grammer. Mark Gibbings-Jones
World’s Strongest Man 2017
7pm, Channel 5
Always solid family entertainment, highlights of the British Open of strong-manning come from the Doncaster Dome, where the focus will most certainly be fixed on 29-year-old Eddie “the Beast” Hall from Staffordshire. After beating his previous record with a half-tonne deadlift last year, the question on everyone’s lips this time will be whether he can scoop his fourth British title, thus beating the record set by Geoff Capes. Ben Arnold
Jamie’s Italian Christmas
8pm, Channel 4
Jingle bella, bella! The Oliver family and Jamie’s mentor, Gennaro Contaldo, escape to the winter wonderland of Piedmont to conjure up some Italian spins on the traditional Christmas dinner while sinking shots of sweet sherry. From succulent turkey and porchetta roasts studded with herbs to Maris Pipers shellacked with balsamic vinegar, the results look truly mouthwatering while the snowy backdrop enhances the festive feel. Graeme Virtue
U2 at the BBC
9pm, BBC One
The indefatigable Irish rock brand grace Abbey Road studios to promote Songs of Experience, their latest collection of chugging guitars and tea-towel affirmations. They’ll play hits from the back catalogue as well as tunes from the new album, with Cat Deeley on hand for an accompanying interview. The presenter also takes a backstage look at U2’s regular concert setup, filmed in October as Bono and co prepared to play in São Paulo, Brazil. Jack Seale
Shamed
9pm, Channel 4
Against a backdrop of #MeToo revelations, in which a new advent calendar window of misogyny, harassment and assault is prised open on a seemingly daily basis, this timely one-off drama from Anthony Philipson imagines the revenge kidnapping of two men by 27-year-old Sarah Ivy (Faye Marsay), who says she has unfinished business with them from 10 years previously. What happened back then, to shatter this carefree teenager’s world? Ali Catterall
Broad City
11pm, Comedy Central
The season four finale kicks off with a momentous day for Abbi and Ilana: their friendiversary. But while Ilana has put together a celebratory scavenger hunt and brought a family heirloom as a gift for Abbi, Abbi has forgotten, and tries to palm her BFF off with a face mask (d’oh). It’s all just scene-setting for the Search Party-ish second act, though, when the pair see a woman fall from a balcony during makeshift celebrations atop the Empire State Building. But is it murder? Hannah J Davies
David Jason’s Secret Service
9pm, More4
Ongoing history of Britain’s secret services, presented by David Jason. This episode looks into the often-told and much-mythologised – but nevertheless fascinating – story of how espionage was accelerated during the second world war often by amateur boffins inventing tradecraft as they went. Jason meets veterans of the period, and introduces some of their innovations, including the gobstopper-operated mine. Andrew Mueller
Film choice
Moonstruck (Norman Jewison, 1987) 4.35pm, Sony Movie Channel
A quirky romcom that makes the most of the combustible pairing of Cher and Nicolas Cage. She’s a widow pledged to New York businessman Danny Aiello, but under that blue moon she falls for his gutsier brother (Cage). Olympia Dukakis and Vincent Gardenia are her parents, adding to the noisy Italian-American passion play.
Carol (Todd Haynes, 2015) 9pm, Film4
A sophisticated and superbly designed tale of forbidden love in straitlaced 50s America. Adapted from a Patricia Highsmith novel, it stars Cate Blanchett as Carol, a beautiful married woman attracted to Rooney Mara’s Therese, a young assistant she meets while Christmas shopping in Manhattan. Their subsequent affair plays out elegantly against the jagged pain of Carol’s dying marriage to the angry Harge (Kyle Chandler).
Live sport
League Cup football: Leicester City v Manchester City The quarter-final from the King Power. Might we get a look at Man City prodigy Phil Foden? 7.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event
ODI cricket: New Zealand v West Indies The first of a three-match series from Cobham Oval in Whangarei. 9.55pm, Sky Sports Cricket
Darts: World Championship More magic arrows from Ally Pally in north London. 10pm, Sky Sports Main Event
