The Girl Before
9pm, BBC One
Hundreds of well-off, seemingly smart people are desperate to rent One Folgate Street – a soulless London grand design rented out by a cryptic landlord (David Oyelowo) who has a list of 100 ridiculous stipulations such as “no books”. For Jane (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the house is a place to escape a recent trauma. But this is a thriller series, not an observation on the housing crisis – Jane soon learns the fate of the girl who lived there before (Jessica Plummer). Hollie Richardson
The Royal Variety Performance
7.20pm, ITV
In the second of his Christmas telly specials, Alan Carr hosts a night of performances by stars such as Rod Stewart and Elvis Costello. Then hold on to your hats: the cast of Moulin Rouge perform. HR
Daniel Barenboim: In His Own Words
9pm, BBC Four
From his roots as a piano child prodigy in Buenos Aires to his meteoric rise to fame in classical music, the conductor and pianist speaks candidly about his music and life, as well as his relationship with Jacqueline du Pré. HR
Rob & Romesh vs Christmas
9pm, Sky Max
Having asked the former’s Instagram followers to suggest a Christmas challenge, Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan are training to join the circus ahead of a potentially dangerous gala performance. Acrobatics and knife-throwing are among the skills that do not come easily. Jack Seale
Michael Bublé’s Christmas in the City
10.15pm, ITV
Ladies and gentleman: the Christmas Crooner has arrived, celebrating 10 years since his chart-topping festive album (it feels much, much longer to be honest). Expect an hour of comforting, reliable entertainment. HR
Buried
10pm, Sky Crime
Not-so-festive fun. In 1969, eight-year-old Californian Susan Nason was abducted and murdered while walking to school. The crime remained unsolved for 20 years, until Susan’s childhood friend Eileen Franklin claimed, via a “buried” memory, that her own father George Franklin was the perpetrator. This four-part documentary unpicks the case. Ali Catterall
Film choice
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, 6.45pm, Film4
Despite being separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this terrifically creative animation’s multiverse plot seems to have influenced the direction of the main Avengers series. Taking sustenance from the comics, directorial trio Bob Persicheti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman deliver many dimensions of Spidey, principally Shameik Moore’s Black teenager Miles Morales, but also Spider-Woman, a film noir version and Peter Porker, a web-slinging pig, as evil is vanquished again. Simon Wardell
The Invisible Woman, 11.45pm, BBC Two
A corrective to the seasonal Dickens love-in, this biographical drama directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes is taken from Claire Tomalin’s book about the Victorian author’s lover, teenage actor Ellen Ternan. In the 45-year-old Dickens, whose great novels and compelling theatrical readings have made him a star, Ellen (Felicity Jones) finds a kindred spirit but realises the path she is taking could lead to disgrace. Fiennes portrays Dickens as an emotionally complex figure – egotistical and cruel to his wife, Catherine (Joanna Scanlan), but also with a love of life in his bones. SW
Live sport
Premier League Football: Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool 4.15pm, Sky Sports Main Event. Klopp’s team visit London.
