Factual entertainment Christmas 2018 highlights

14 November 2018

The Inbetweeners 10th Birthday Party (w/t) 1x120’

Fudge Park and Monkey Kingdom co-production for Channel 4

The ultimate celebration of everyone’s favourite hapless sixth-formers, as Channel 4 marks a decade since The Inbetweeners hit our screens.

The original gang of four – Simon Bird (Will), James Buckley (Jay), Joe Thomas (Simon) and Blake Harrison (Neil) – will be back together for one night only for a two hour studio show celebrating 10 years of futile teenage crushes, clunge, fwends and a lot of drinking as Channel 4 takes a look back on one of the most iconic sitcoms of recent years.

Featuring behind the scenes VTs, the story behind the show, surprise guests, celebrity fans, unseen footage and plenty of embarrassing stories, The Inbetweeners 10th Birthday Party will be the ultimate treat for fans.

To celebrate those must see moments from Rudge Park and beyond, the show will also be honouring the funniest moments across the three TV series and two films in the coveted Inbetweeners Awards where categories will range from Best Sex Scene and Best Bullshit to Best Ever Moment.

 

 

George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces Snow Special 1x60’

Plum Pictures production for Channel 4

In this special episode of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, George and master-craftsman Will Hardie explore the ingenious small space wonders hidden away amongst the snowy peaks of the Swiss and Italian Alps. Starting their epic road trip from an observation point 4000m above sea level they set out on a mountain range spanning adventure which takes in a secret ski lodge disguised as a boulder, a tree house resembling a giant acorn, a traditional Swiss cabin made almost entirely from concrete, a breathtaking mountaintop hotel which glows in the dark and a star gazing hideaway which rotates with the night sky.

Then on their final stop before heading home George and Will try their hand at making one of Switzerland’s most famous pieces of design, the toboggan. After teaming up with the makers of the original Davos toboggan, the boys take their racing sleds to a 3 km track on what the locals refer to as the magic mountain.

Celebrity LEGO MASTERS at Christmas 1x60’

Tuesday’s Child East production for Channel 4

Mischievous Christmas elf Melvin Odoom hosts the action as the formidable Build Room opens its doors to six talented junior builders from Series 1 and Series 2 of LEGO MASTERS paired up with six celebrity helpers who share their passion for the little plastic brick.

From Series 1 we welcome back cheeky chappie Jack and his celebrity helper, funny man, Rob Beckett, and cute but competitive best mates Guy and Abraham buddy up with King of the Jungle, Joe Swash and comedian Joel Dommett. From series 2; creative builder Izzy is joined by Spencer Matthews; ideas machine Jayden is joined by artistic Tattoo Fixer, Alice Perrin, and finally master planner 9-year-old Harry’s celebrity partner is Harry Potter and Star Wars legend, Warwick Davies.

Together the teams will do battle in the iconic Build Room in a number of festive challenges including individual tests of creativity, head to head challenges and tests of teamwork under the watchful eye of judges, Matthew Ashton and Fran Scott, before one team will win the inaugural LEGO MASTERS Christmas Trophy.

Celebrity Call Centre Christmas Special with Age UK 1x60’

Kerfuffle TV for Channel 4

The Celebrity Call Centre is re-opening its phone lines for the festive season, with eight new stars tackling dilemmas large and small, from Christmas quandaries to troublesome affairs of the heart.  Taking calls from the great British public this time will be Strictly finalist Debbie McGee, Countdown’s Nick Hewer, Goggleboxers Steph & Dom Parker, actress Amanda Barrie, Ackley Bridge star Sunetra Sarker, comedian James Acaster and Radio 1 DJ Gemma Cairney. 

The Undateables at Christmas

betty for Channel 4

The Undateables returns with more yuletide festivities featuring much loved familiar faces as they share their extra special plans for the most magical time of the year.  In this Christmas special, we’ll be catching up with three loved-up couples whose relationships are going from strength to strength since they met on The Undateables as they prepare for the festive season.

In Brighton, rock star Daniel (31) is more in love than ever with girlfriend Lily and this Christmas, he's planning the ultimate surprise.  The big question is...will she accept?  2018 has been a remarkable year for Daniel, who's autistic - this year's also seen him touring the UK with his band playing to sell-out venues.

Also very much in love is 55-year-old charity worker Ray from London. Ray, who has a learning disability, is a big fan of the festive season.  And so is girlfriend Christine.  Christine's never been wined and dined by a boyfriend at Christmas before so Ray's decided to impress her with his culinary skills by rustling up the perfect Christmas dinner.

When Lizzie, 31, from West Sussex, met Joseph it was love at first sight. Lizzie, who has a learning disability and Joseph have been together for for two glorious years. And this year they'll be celebrating the holiday season by organising their first ever party together for family and friends.

But not everyone has found their soulmate to kiss under the mistletoe. In Lincoln, 22-year-old Charlotte is back on the hunt for her perfect match after things didn't go well with her last date, Alex. Charlotte, who has Asperger’s, has finished university and is living back at home. A self-confessed romantic, all Charlotte really wants for Christmas...is a boyfriend.

Not a fan of anything remotely festive is Richard, 44 from Surrey. Richard has Asperger’s and doesn’t believe in the festive season.  He'll be spending Christmas, as always, with his mum, Liz, who’s hoping this year she might just be able to persuade him to finally embrace the festive spirit.

 

The Courtney Act Show (w/t) 1x60’

Monkey Kingdom production for Channel 4

Dubbed the world’s first Dragazine show, where “everyone is welcome” the hour-long The Courtney Act Show will see the glamorous and fabulous pop culture icon author her own Christmas show featuring an array of celebrity guests, studio items and music numbers.

 

The Last Leg Christmas Special

Open Mike production for Channel 4

Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker give out their Dick of the Year award in a festive special. Will Donald Trump triumph for a second year running?

 

Jamie’s Quick and Easy Christmas 1x60’

JO Productions for Channel 4

In this hour-long Christmas special, Jamie applies his quick and easy principles to the festive season. Each recipe will either be quick to cook or easy to remember, focusing on genius combinations of just five ingredients to create the most fabulous Christmas feast. Jamie’s Quick & Easy Christmas is brilliantly simple and delivers utterly delicious results – all of the flavour but none of the fuss. An easy way to an impressive Christmas.

 

Food Unwrapped: Christmas Special

Ricochet production for Channel 4

Food Unwrapped is dusting off its baubles for a seasonal special in which we bring you the delicious facts about your traditional Christmas foodie favourites.  Jimmy Doherty travels to Sri Lanka to find out if there is anything in your yuletide spices which can give you a dose of Christmas cheer.  Matt Tebbutt visits mega mince pie factory and asks what’s the difference between raisins and currants? Helen Lawal investigates whether we should actually be scouring our sprouts and Kate Quilton puts boozy festive foods to the test to see if Jimmy and Matt go over the limit just from eating their Christmas lunch…

 

 

What Britain Bought in 2018

Sundog Pictures production for Channel 4

Mary Portas is back on Channel 4 to investigate What Britain Bought in 2018; using our shopping habits to hold up a cultural mirror to the nation. In a year as turbulent as the weather she reveals our passions, fashions, fads and faux pas from the past 12 months.

She’ll go inside a two billion-pound delivery company to find out how we became a takeaway nation, see how the biggest high street fashion names are trying to go ethical, investigate the war against plastics being fought in our coffee shops and find out how vegans went from marginal to mainstream.

 

 

Escape to the Chateau at Christmas

Kindling Media production for Channel 4

After another very busy year, Dick and Angel prepare for Christmas at Chateau de la Motte-Husson.  This year Dick and Angel are hosting a Christmas party for all the people who help them at the Chateau. There’s an exquisite festive menu, complete with home-made wines & produce harvested from Dick and Angel’s walled garden. And of course Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a Christmas tree.  And, just like the Chateau itself, this one is on a grand scale.

 

 

The Big Narstie Show Christmas Special

Expectation for Channel 4

The multi award-winning Big Narstie Show is back for a Christmas special like no other with hosts like no other. After a series that saw David Schwimmer take part in a UK reversion of Friends, Thandie Newton rap out the end of the show and Ed Sheeran swap bodies with Big Narstie, anything could happen in this festive special packed with big name guests, stacks of fun and some big, narstie Christmas spirit. One thing is guaranteed, musician and national treasure Big Narstie, and the comedian taking over the universe, Mo Gilligan, are sure to give each other the gift of riotous comedy, utterly joyous chaos and hilarious festive put downs.

 

 

The Crystal Maze Christmas Special 1x60’

Fizz production for  Channel 4

In this festive special, a bemused Richard Ayoade guides a celebrity team of haplessly enthusiastic adventurers around a special panto-themed Maze. Captaining the team is Christopher Biggins, leading Deborah Meaden, Jamie Laing, Frankie Bridge and Chris Kamara with some surprising celebrity cameos and a pantomime cow along the way.

 

8 out of Cats Does Countdown Christmas Special

Zeppotron production for  Channel 4

Jimmy Carr hosts a special Christmas edition of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, packed with comic conundrums and festive surprises. Sean Lock and Kathy Burke team up against Jon Richardson and David Mitchell, James Acaster joins Countdown’s resident lexicographer Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner, while maths whizz Rachel Riley and comedian Joe Wilkinson are in charge of the numbers.

 

Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds at Christmas

CPL production for  Channel 4

With social isolation being one of the biggest problems for the elderly, and never more so than during the Christmas period, we make a festive return to the Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds to continue the story of the older residents and their 10 young friends. Series 2 saw strong friendships develop including Ken and Lily ‘Bobtail,’ Beryl and Scarlett and Pauleen and Ismail in the specially built nursery at Lark Hill village near Nottingham, with both groups making significant improvements during the 12 week experiment.

The Christmas special will see the two groups reunited – what has happened to both groups in the sixth months since they last met? Are the older group still showing improvements in mood, memory and mobility? How are the children finding the move to big school? The reunion will task the groups with a project to do together to raise awareness of loneliness at Christmas – can they organise a Christmas themed feast for 10 new friends from Lark Hill and the wider Nottingham community? Invitations will be made, shopping trips will take place and cooking will need to be done! The group will also put on a winter wonderland tea dance and the older adults will reminisce about Christmases past.

 

Extreme Cake Makers Christmas Special

Boomerang production for  Channel 4

Some of our favourite elite cake makers return for a festive special. As ever, the charismatic group are willing to go to great lengths to make the perfect festive pieces. Watch Christmas dreams come true through these edible masterpieces.

 

Child Genius vs Celebrities 1x60’

Wall to Wall production for Channel 4

Quizmaster extraordinaire, Richard Osman, brings us a festive treat as he presides over this special Christmas edition of Child Genius. Four celebrities will pitch themselves against four of the most formidably talented competitors in Child Genius history in a bid to prove who is the brightest.  Stretching their intellects and powers of concentration to the max can Comedian Jimmy Carr, TV Presenter and Author Rick Edwards, Newsreader Charlotte Hawkins and Comedian Shazia Mirza take on the Child Geniuses and win?

The celebrities have the daunting task of taking on 14 year old linguist Mog, who can speak 7 languages; 14 year old Maths prodigy David who thrashed Countdown’s maths queen Rachel Riley in a maths-off when he was just 12 years old; 12 year old maths whizz Aliyah who thinks celebrities’ brains ‘are a bit slow’ and their team captain last year’s Child Genius winner, 13 year old Rahul, who has an IQ higher than Einstein’s.

The Child Geniuses think they have the advantage -  “we’re more sharp than (the celebrities) and we’re cleverer than them” says Rahul. “I think the celebrities are really old and their brains are starting to turn to mush” says Aliyah. But with their reputations at stake, the celebrities are set to put up a fight. 

Only one team can win… which will it be?

 

Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2018

BFQ Ltd for  Channel 4

To celebrate the dawn of another year, Jimmy Carr puts a panel of top celebrity teams to test as he presents his big, fat and fiendishly difficult quiz. As always, Jimmy will be ably assisted by a panel of top celebrity teams and a series of superstar question setters including Mitchell Brook Primary School and Jon Snow

 

 

Rob Rinder’s Good Year, Bad Year 1x60’

Expectation for Channel 4

In this end of year review show, Rob Rinder casts an unflinching eye, razor sharp legal mind and acerbic tongue over the events of 2018 to judge once and for all whether the year will be chalked up as being a 'good' or 'bad' one. With the help of celebrity guests, Rob will delve deep into all the news stories, people and talking points of the year. Uncompromising, perceptive and funny, Rob will make us all reconsider what we previously thought about 2018 with a fresh take on the big issues while also bringing us the hilarious tiny details we’ve already forgotten in our post-Christmas booze haze.

 

 

So This Is Christmas with Alan Carr  
CPL for Channel 4

Pull on your Christmas jumper and pour yourself a large glass of eggnog as Alan Carr hosts a Christmas extravaganza in his own inimitable style from his very own Alpine Log Cabin. So This Is Christmas will be a fabulous mix of top celebrity interviews, comic guests, festive musical performances and most importantly, plenty of fun, frolics and presents!

 

The Great British Bake Off Christmas

Love Productions for  Channel 4

'Tis the season to be jolly. And what better way to celebrate, than with the first of two Yuletide specials of Bake Off? Four merry bakers from Bake Off past join Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding as they do battle in festive-themed challenges. It's down to judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith to decide who wins the festive Star Baker title.

 

 

Travel Man Christmas Special: 96 Hours in Jordan

North One production for Channel 4 

Comedian and Author David Baddiel joins Richard Ayoade for a supersized seasonal minibreak in Jordan.  Over four frenetic days they visit world-class wonders, jaw-dropping deserts and over-salted seas, follow in the footsteps of Prophets and legends, and criss-cross the country by road, rail, rotor and hoof, picking up some special Christmas presents along the way.

After dropping their bags at the amazing W hotel in Amman they explore the city’s ancient citadel, cool down with a custom-made lollipop and chomp some of the best falafel in the world.

Then, in a token nod to seasonality Richard and David attempt to secure a biblical selection box of gold, frankincense and myrrh, starting with a visit to the gold souk.

Fleeing Amman, they take a briny bath in the Dead Sea before following in the footsteps of Moses and scaling Mount Nebo. 

Heading south they take a ride on the Hejaz railway and sleep in pods in the Wadi Rum desert.  Richard and David survey the sand by camel and Gyrocopter.

It’s on to gawp awestruck at the ancient city of Petra before hightailing it back to Amman to learn how to prepare a Jordanian Festive Feast.

 

 

The Last Leg of the Year

Open Mike production for Channel 4

Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker take a look back at the turbulent year that was 2018 and look ahead to 2019.

 

Big Fat Quiz of Everything 2019

BFQ Ltd production for Channel 4

The Big Fat Quiz of Everything is back - letting loose on not just the year-gone-by but well... everything. Quizmaster Jimmy Carr asks the celebrity teams questions from the last 100,000 years of human history giving a unique Big Fat Quiz spin on History, Music, Film, TV and Science from every epoch.

 

 

The Great Festive Bake Off 2018

Love Productions for Channel4

'Tis the season to be jolly. And what better way to celebrate, than with the second of two Yuletide specials of Bake Off? Four merry bakers from Bake Off past join Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding as they compete in festive challenges. It's down to judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith to decide who wins the festive Star Baker title.

 

 

Food Unwrapped New Year Diet Special

Ricochet production for Channel 4

Food Unwrapped is kicking off 2019 with a diet special to bring you the hints and hacks for how to beat that post -Christmas bulge.  Kate Quilton is hitting the surf in Australia to find out if replacing carb and meat classics with popular veg and fruit based alternatives is a good way to cut the calories.  Dr Helen Lawal follows 9 people who have been on three of the Nation’s favourite diets for 9 months to uncover the truth about long term dieting.  Jimmy Doherty examines if the golden hour post work out is a haven in which to eat whatever you like and Matt Tebbutt goes dry for a month to see if ditching the booze can make him look younger.

 

 

Kirstie & Phil’s Love it or List It

Raise the Roof production for Channel 4  

Kirstie and Phil are back in a brand new series of the show where they’re helping couples who’ve fallen out of love with their houses and are reuniting a divided Britain one home at a time.

Each episode will see the nation’s favourite property pairing meet families whose house no longer fits their requirements. After listening to their issues, Kirstie will set about transforming the home using the family’s own savings – she wants to convince them that doing up their home and learning to love it again is the best way forward. Whilst Kirstie is knocking down walls, Phil will tempt them with stunning new houses as he thinks selling up and listing is the best option.

Kirstie extended her lead in the last series, but Mr Spencer has been in training and this year he’s going all out to win. In this fourth series they’re travelling the length and breadth of the UK helping families in Northampton, Northern Ireland, Kent, Cambridge, Croydon, West Yorkshire, Staines and Bury St Edmunds.

But when the dust has settled will Kirstie’s renovations or Phil’s brand new homes prove to be the most persuasive? Will the family choose to Love it or List it?

 

Flirty Dancing 5x60’

Second Star Productions for Channel 4

In days gone by the dancefloor was the ultimate place to meet your other half. Recently, technology has put a dent in old fashioned romance. So now we’re looking to restore the dancefloor desire through one single dance.

Flirty Dancing is a new five part series, which sees self-confessed romantic Ashley Banjo, play cupid using his skills as Britain’s best loved choreographer to bring people together through the art of dance.

Before each unique date, we take two complete strangers and teach them one half of a fully choreographed dance routine which has been cleverly tailored to illustrate their personalities and what they want from a prospective partner. The singles will learn their routine separately so that the first time they meet their match will be a first date like no other. Set on location, as if they’re living in a Hollywood musical, there will be no talking, just a few intense and physical minutes of an ardently choreographed pas de deux. Once our couples have completed their dance date, they will part still not yet having spoken a word to each other. But did sparks fly on the dancefloor? Will they want to see each other again or was that their last dance?

 

How to Lose Weight Well 4x60’

Little Gem for Channel 4

On How to Lose Weight Well Dr Xand van Tulleken and Dr. Helen Lawal ask members of the public to road test the most hyped up and written about diets on the market today. They divide the dieters into three timeframes; Crashers on short term diets, Shape Shifters on six week programmes and Life Changers on three month dieting plans. Café cook Stacie Stewart helps the volunteers to turn their diets into delicious dishes.