Searching for Sam: Adrian Dunbar on Samuel Beckett
10pm, BBC Four
Samuel Beckett isn’t the easiest author to form a lasting connection with – his work is often characterised by bleak humour, existentialism and experimentalism. Yet, for Line of Duty actor Adrian Dunbar, the connection is personal, as the two men grew up in County Fermanagh. In this one-off documentary Dunbar travels to the places that inspired Beckett, from Ireland to Paris, speaking to his collaborators along the way. A tasteful primer on the literary giant. Ammar Kalia
Only Connect Travel Special
8pm, BBC Two
Only Connect – the kind of quiz that makes The Chase look like something off CBBC – returns for a special one-off, with two teams linked to travel facing off against one another and Victoria Coren Mitchell’s sarcasm. Who will triumph, and who will be the laughing stock of their PhD-holding pals? Hannah J Davies
World’s Most Scenic Railway Journey: Minute By Minute
8pm, Channel 5
Sometimes all you need in life is to spend two hours watching the most scenic railway journey in Britain (Fort William to Mallaig) in real time. Fans of slow TV rejoice as Channel 5 tries its hand at the genre in this one-off, the perfect background visuals for your new year’s parties. AK
Alan Carr’s Celebrity Re-Play 2019
9pm, ITV
If the inevitable, end-of-year retrospection fills you with cold dread, plump for this, the most gentle option available. The lovable Chatty Man leads six celebrities in a sofa-based games night that focuses on juicy gossip, sporting glory and must-see viral vids. No heavy political postmortems, promise. Ellen E Jones
Frankie Boyle’s 2019 New World Order
10pm, BBC Two
It is hard not to contemplate Boyle’s take on the events of 2019 with a mixture of horror and dark glee. It’s fair to say he’ll have plenty to get his teeth into. Regular guests Sara Pascoe and Miles Jupp will be joining him in a surely doomed attempt to make sense of the last 12 months. Phil Harrison
The Best of 2010-2015 Wipe With Charlie Brooker
10.15pm, BBC Two
As this decade has dragged on, Charlie Brooker’s satirical end-of-the-year show seems to have had to cram in more and more extraordinary material, his comedy takes increasingly reflected in real life. This compilation is a welcome chance to look back. AK
Film choice
Secret in Their Eyes, 10pm, Channel 5
Billy Ray’s Hollywood reworking lacks the heft of the Argentinian Juan José Campanella’s foreign language Oscar-winning original, but an impressive cast bring their A-game to this knotty tale. Chiwetel Ejiofor is ex-FBI agent Ray Kasten, whose 13-year quest to find the killer of a colleague’s daughter takes him back to his unspoken love of that time – Nicole Kidman’s Claire Sloan. Paul Howlett
Live sport
International Cricket: South Africa v England 7.30am, Sky Sports Cricket. The final day of the first Test.
Big Bash Cricket: Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Stars 8am, BT Sport 1. T20 game from University of Tasmania Stadium, Launceston.
Darts World Championship 7pm, Sky Sports Main Event. The semi-finals begin at Ally Pally in north London.
