Prisoner 951: The Hostages’ Story
9pm, BBC Two
“My child was not even two when I left her … She was nearly eight when I came back.” Following the excellent BBC drama about her six-year detention in Iran, Prisoner 951, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe tells her own remarkable story in this feature-length documentary. As well as her personal accounts, and footage filmed during her arrest and imprisonment, the film examines the wider context for what happened and speaks to former hostages and political decision-makers. Hollie Richardson
Grand Designs: House of the Year
8pm, Channel 4
The search for 2025’s most lavishly ambitious new build continues. This week’s dazzling homesteads include a property in Bannau Brycheiniog (formerly known as the Brecon Beacons), constructed entirely from sandstone quarried from the mountain range, and a steel structure in Hertfordshire that looks more like a modernist sculpture than a house. Phil Harrison
Portrait Artist of the Year 2025
8pm, Sky Arts
Brian Cox’s face – described here as “no-nonsense” – has been key to his intense Shakespearean roles and, latterly, his portrayal of Succession’s mercurial Logan Roy. In this year’s portrait contest final three very different artists aim to produce pieces that are not only a good likeness but which convey his many facets. Hannah J Davies
Shetland
9pm, BBC One
It’s the penultimate episode, which means all the suspects and supporting characters see their dark secrets painfully revealed, but only one of them is a potential murderer. While Tosh (Alison O’Donnell) chases after possible corruption on the force, Ruth (Ashley Jensen) enjoys her leisure time a bit too much. Jack Seale
The Sycamore Gap Mystery
9pm, Channel 4
The cruel felling of Northumberland’s most beloved tree sparked outrage in 2023. The anger is still palpable. “It was sickening,” says one local. “Just seeing the tree lying there, dead – it just felt like it was a murder.” This two-parter tells the inside story of what happened and gains access to evidence that led to two arrests. HR
The Hunting Party
9pm, U&Alibi
Dogged profiler Bex (Melissa Roxburgh) and her multi-agency posse set their sights on another fugitive serial killer. The Widower, AKA Mark Marsden (Jesse Bradford), has serious abandonment issues and a nasty habit of murdering women after he weds them. But is there a reason he has targeted a former prison employee? Graeme Virtue
Film choice
Oh. What. Fun. (Michael Showalter, 2025), Prime Video
December means Christmas movies. And while the bulk of these will inevitably be about big city types who return home and fall in love with plaid-wearing tree surgeons, others will push the envelope a little. Oh. What. Fun. is one of these. Michelle Pfeiffer (whose presence is a boon in itself) leads a heaving cast in a relatable story about a family who don’t realise how much work Christmas is until the matriarch goes missing. You could put money on this being the best festive film out this year. Stuart Heritage
The Roses (Jay Roach, 2025), Disney+
Another film that missed the mark theatrically, although you have to assume that a sparky mid-budget character piece like this would find its true home on a streaming platform. Depending on which one you like more, The Roses is either an adaptation of Warren Adler’s 1981 novel or Danny DeVito’s 1989 film. Either way, the story follows Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as spouses who become outrageously cruel to one another. The real draw might be the supporting cast, however, which includes Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Ncuti Gatwa, Allison Janney and Jamie Demetriou. SH
