The countdown to Christmas TV watching is on and we have put together a few highlights for you to watch over the festive period. More programmes will be added to our list in the coming weeks as the broadcasters firm up their Christmas schedules!
Ratburger Sky One Sunday 24th December at 6pm
David Walliams and Sheridan Smith start in Sky One’s adaptation of the children’s book written by Walliams. The story follows a young girl named Zoe who befriends a dancing rat called Armitage and plans to enter him in the school talent show. However, when her stepmother and “shifty burger man” Burt find out about her rodent pal, they decide they’d rather put ratburgers on the menu instead…
Angela’s Christmas RTÉ One Sunday 24th December
A brand new Irish animation from Brown Bag Films. The half hour CG film is based on Frank McCourt’s only children’s book, inspired by a story his mother Angela told him as a child. McCourt won the Pulitzer Prize for his best-selling memoir, Angela’s Ashes. Set in Ireland in the 1910s, Angela’s Christmas is billed as a “funny, heart-warming and poignant story about the power of family and the innocent desire of a child to ensure everyone is safe, warm and loved at Christmas time”.
Bancroft TV3 December 11th-14th at 9pm
Scheduled across four consecutive nights Bancroft is a dark and compelling thriller, starring Sarah Parish as a tortured female detective. Bancroft tells the story of a policewoman of the same name- DCI Elizabeth Bancroft.Dedicated to a fault to her job, the shining star of the force has her eyes on the prize to become Detective Chief Superintendent as soon as possible. And as with all good thrillers, everyone around her is hiding a secret, or unearthing skeletons in other people’s closets.
The Great Christmas Bake Off Channel 4 Monday 25th December at 2:30pm and Tuesday 26th December at 3:05pm
There are two different Bake Off episodes with the returning bakers split into two groups. In each episode four former bakers from previous series will return to the tent to go head to head in three seasonal challenges.
Fairytale of New York RTÉ One, 21 December
Singer Shane MacGowan will help mark the 30th anniversary of his iconic hit song ‘Fairytale of New York’ with a new documentary looking back on the making of the song.As well as the Pogues frontman, who turns 60 on Christmas Day, a number of top musicians will be interviewed for the show including Paul Simon, Christy Moore and Bob Geldof.
Live Sport Various Channels
It wouldn’t feel like Christmas unless there is lashings of live sport available on TV and 2017 is no exception. RTE, TG4, Sky and Eir Sport will all be showing sporting action across the various channels over the festive period.
PRO14 Rugby Live games to be broadcast on TG4 include
- Sat 23 Dec 7.15pm Live Connacht v Ulster
- Tue 26 Dec 2.45pm Live Munster v Leinster
- Mon 1 Jan 2.45pm Live Leinster v Connacht
- Mon 1 Jan 5.30pm Live Ulster v Munster
- Sat 6 Jan 5.20pm Live Leinster v Ulster
- Sat 6 Jan 7.40pm Live Munster v Connacht
Premier League games being broadcast on the Sky Sports Premier League channel over Christmas are:
- Fri 22 Dec Arsenal v Liverpool 19:45
- Sat 23 Dec Everton v Chelsea 12:30
- Sat 23 Dec Man City v Bournemouth 15:00
- Sat 23 Dec Leicester City v Man Utd 19:45
- Tue 26 Dec Spurs v Southampton 12:30
- Tue 26 Dec Liverpool v Swansea City 17:30
- Wed 27 Dec Newcastle Utd v Man City 19:45
- Thur 28 Dec Crystal Palace v Arsenal 20:00