Yahoo News TV tonight: Never Mind the Buzzcocks comes over all festive
Greg Davies plays Santa to guest elves Holly Johnson and Lauren Laverne in this seasonal special. Plus: Christmas at Castle Howard. Here’s what to watch this evening
Never Mind the Buzzcocks Christmas Special
9pm, Sky Max
Presented with infectious relish by the busiest man on television, Greg Davies, this reboot of the pop quiz has just about justified its return. This special sees Holly Johnson and Lauren Laverne join the gang for owl-related Paul McCartney revelations, Davies’s school disco Holly Johnson dance (it didn’t bring the ladies flocking, apparently) and a Grange Hill lineup that will be instantly evocative for viewers of a certain age. Phil Harrison
Between the Covers
7pm, BBC Two
Sara Cox’s cosy book club wraps up its run with a look at Chibundu Onuzo’s third novel, Sankofa, and Sebastian Barry’s 2008 Booker nominee, The Secret Scripture. Actor Imogen Stubbs, DJ Greg James, musician Fleur East and comic Lloyd Griffith also recommend personal favourites. Graeme Virtue
Kirstie and Phil’s Love It Or List It
8pm, Channel 4
The bickering property experts return for series seven of the show in which a couple choose between renovating or moving house. Tonight: a four-bed 1940s bungalow in Poole has been left half finished by its builder owner for more than 20 years. Alexi Duggins
Christmas at Castle Howard
9pm, Channel 4
The national fascination for stately homes goes seasonal in this new series in which country piles are decked out with tinsel and opened to the public. Tonight, Castle Howard; already popular, but now also of interest as a location for Bridgerton. Gratuitous levels of festive lavishness. PH
The Lie: Murder in Suburbia
9pm, Channel 5
This two-part series explores the investigation into the murder of Rachel O’Reilly, who was killed by her husband in 2004 at their home in County Dublin. The story of how Joe O’Reilly was eventually brought to justice is testimony to his brutish arrogance and the persistence of the police. PH
Positive
9pm, Sky Documentaries
The third and final part of this series exploring the history of HIV in the UK. It’s not easy watching – 1980s media coverage is particularly bleak – but personal testimonies keep things engaging, such as the Rev Richard Coles, who compares nightclub Heaven to the Heathrow of London’s gay scene: “Everyone went through.” Henry Wong
Film choice
The Hand of God (Paolo Sorrentino, 2021), Netflix
The arrival of Maradona at Napoli in 1984 is the peg on which writer-director Paolo Sorrentino hangs his zesty, autobiographical coming-of-age tale. Filippo Scotti plays 17-year-old Fabietto who, amid the loves and betrayals, jokes and tragedies of his extended Naples family, tries to figure out his future. Influences include Sorrentino regular Toni Servillo as his flawed father, Ciro Capano’s challenging film-maker and his glamorous Aunt Patrizia (Luisa Ranieri), whose mental health problems add an unsettling note to a mostly sun-soaked dose of adolescent angst. Simon Wardell
