What's on TV 17-Dec-22

NEW His Dark Materials Sun, 7pm, BBC1 Fantasy drama (box set, iPlayer) Will (Amir Wilson) and Lyra (Dafne Keen) must come to terms with their destinies as the final series of the epic fantasy drama gets under way. Lyra, however, has been kidnapped by her mother, Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson), who claims she wants to keep her safe. As Will embarks on a quest to find her, he crosses paths once more with imposing polar bear Iorek Byrnison. Meanwhile, James McAvoy is back as Lyra’s single-minded father Lord Asriel, who’s determined to wage war on the ominous Authority at any cost. P9 Strike LAST IN SERIES! Sunday & Monday, 9pm, BBC1 Drama As Robin and Cormoran continue their investigations into what happened to GP Margot Bamborough, who vanished in 1974, Cormoran secures an interview with serial killer Dennis…

NEW PAUL O’GRADY: FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS – A ROYAL SPECIAL Monday, 9pm, ITV1 Factual Q Did you enjoy filming with Camilla, Queen Consort, for this special? A Yes, she’s really funny and we get on well! You don’t feel like you’re on ceremony with her. Camilla is dog mad, and she’s got Battersea dogs of her own – two Jack Russells. She’s genuinely interested in what’s going on at Battersea. Q Why is Battersea Dogs & Cats Home so busy now? A There are a lot of older dogs that are more difficult to home. It’s getting worse due to the cost of living – owners are struggling. If you can’t feed your kids, you can’t feed your dog. Q You joined Camilla for her Clarence House garden party celebrating Battersea. What was that like? A…

Jungle fever! The final of ITV1’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!, which aired on 27 Nov and saw ex-footballer Jill Scott (right) crowned winner, pulled in 10.4m viewers, the best audience for the show for four years. It easily beat BBC1’s SAS Rogue Heroes (2.2m). Slow start The first instalment of BBC2’s three-part series Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen got off to a slow start on 25 Nov, with just 1.4m tuning in. The night’s big ratings winner was the World Cup match between England and the USA on ITV, which attracted 12m!…

Best known for.. Irene played Coco in the 1980 movie Fame (right), for which she sang the title song. The song’s re-release in 1982 made it to No.1 in the UK. Her other famous movie song Flashdance… What a Feeling was also a huge hit and won Irene an Oscar. Other achievements… Irene starred in 1979 miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. She also starred in Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones, Sparkle, Kojak, City Heat and Certain Fury. Tribute… Irene died in her Florida home on 25 November, aged 63. She was divorced with no children. Her Fame co-star Debbie Allen said: ‘My heart is broken… such a gifted, beautiful genius.’…

NEW THE MADAME BLANC MYSTERIES Thursday, 9pm, Channel 5 Drama It’s Christmas in the French town of Sainte Victoire, but peace and goodwill is seriously lacking as a murderer is on the loose! In this Madame Blanc Mysteries holiday special, Jean White (Sally Lindsay) finds the festivities floored when the wife of cop Andre Caron (Alex Gaumond) is murdered. Pickpocket With the finger of blame pointing at Andre, antiques expert Jean tries to prove his innocence, but all is not as it seems… Meanwhile, Dom’s light-fingered uncle, Patrick (Sir Tony Robinson), comes to visit, causing mayhem as the locals’ wallets go missing. And Jeremy (Robin Askwith) and Judith (Sue Holderness) dampen the spirit by staging a disastrous Christmas grotto! ‘It’s got all the things that I love about Christmas,’ explains Sally. ‘There’s a tree, presents, a murder-mystery plot…

NEW RICHES From Thursday 22 December, ITVX Drama Prepare for boardroom battles and sibling rivalry in six-part series Riches, about a family who go to war with each other for control of their multimillion-pound business empire! When patriarch Stephen Richards (Hugh Quarshie) dies unexpectedly, his second wife Claudia (Sarah Niles) expects their three kids, Alesha, Gus and Wanda, to inherit the beauty-and-hair business. Yet she’s stunned when she learns he’s left control of the firm to his kids from his first marriage, Nina and Simon, who live in America, setting the scene for a messy showdown! ‘Stephen’s children from his second marriage have enjoyed a life of privilege, whereas his kids in New York have worked hard for what they have,’ explains Hugh. ‘Stephen hopes that work ethic will rub off on the spoiled brats!’…