BBC DECEMBER PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS, NEW AND RETURNING TITLES REVEALED
The new and returning titles airing on the BBC this December revealed...
STRIKE: THE RUNNING GRAVE
When Sir Colin and Sally Edensor approach Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, they are desperate to reconnect with their estranged son, Will. The Edensors enlist the detectives to gather evidence to discredit the Universal Humanitarian Church, a religious cult who have indoctrinated Will and siphoned off his trust fund.
Led by the charismatic Jonathan Wace, the church is shielded by a charitable façade, celebrity backers and aggressive lawyers who have silenced critics. To investigate allegations of ill-treatment and abuse, Robin goes undercover at the cult’s secluded Norfolk headquarters, Chapman Farm. At the centre of the church’s twisted mythology is the story of the Drowned Prophet, Daiyu, believed to be divinely reincarnated.
SISTERS IN ARMS
In September 1939, Sister Monica Joan is in her prime, Sister Julienne and Sister Evangelina are young and zealous, and Nonnatus House is the beating heart of Poplar. Together with Sister Alice, and local GP Dr Kit, the nuns dedicate their lives to mothers, babies and those in need. But there is no gas and air, no penicillin, no cure for TB, and no welfare state. Then war is declared - and life gets even harder.
The three young secular midwives who complete the team - Sybil, Olive and Marianne - receive a baptism of fire as the blackout and the Blitz take hold. While bombs rain from the sky, women give birth underground, families are shattered, children run wild, and whole streets are reduced to rubble. But courage, compassion and resilience triumph as the community unites in its efforts to survive.
LUDWIG CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
Set in Yorkshire, the Christmas episode (1x60) sees John, Lucy and Henry arrive at a remote Christmas themed hotel for what should have been a much-needed escape, when a sudden blackout turns the festivities into a locked-room murder mystery. Trapped by a blizzard and cut off from the outside world, the guests must spend the night with a killer in their midst. With John reluctantly pulled into one of his strangest puzzles yet, the race is on for the Taylors to solve the crime before Christmas.
THE CLEANER IN ITALY
In the show's first ever hour-long special, Wicky reluctantly joins his girlfriend Ruth (Zita Sattar) and her friends Andrew and Andrea (Robert Webb and Tori Allen-Martin) on a hiking holiday in the Italian Dolomites. When an accident occurs, he's forced to spend the rest of the trip at a remote mountain hotel while Ruth heads off to enjoy the great outdoors. Surrounded by an eccentric hotel manager (Peter Serafinowicz), an array of peculiar guests, and a cast of increasingly suspicious staff, Wicky's boredom soon turns to paranoia...
AMANDALAND CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
Lucy Punch returns as Amanda, the self-appointed queen of So-Ha, and after a chance encounter with an old school friend, Amanda ditches her quiet family Christmas Eve plans and instead decides to throw a massive last-minute party to impress her.
This could be Amanda’s way back into the high-flying circle of her ex-classmates so it has to be perfect - but she soon realises that it’s not easy organising a high-end party in 24 hours; no-one impressive is available at such short notice, so she has to cast her invitation net wider and wider as the hours tick down.
THE OTHER BENNET SISTER
Based on Janice Hadlow’s acclaimed novel, The Other Bennet Sister followed Mary Bennet, the oft-overlooked middle sister in Pride & Prejudice as she navigated the societal pressures of Regency England, where marriage is both aspiration and necessity. The final episode of the series saw Mary agreeing to wed Tom Hayward, but fans will be keen to know what challenges the future holds for the happy couple…
MICHAEL McINTYRE'S THE WHEEL
Series continues
BAFTA award-winning Michael McIntyre is back with his hit Saturday-night gameshow that's packed with huge stars, big laughs, and a colossal spinning wheel! Three contestants hope to answer their way to a fortune, guided by seven celebrities but can they help them to win life-changing cash? That all depends on the spin of The Wheel.
BILL'S INCLUDED
Series continues
Written by Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen and produced by Baby Cow, the show follows Bill Beam (Rob Brydon), a well meaning but over enthusiastic divorcee who rents his spare rooms to students to stay afloat. As Bill tries - and often fails to be both responsible landlord and honorary housemate, he and his mismatched lodgers muddle through chaos, growing pains and unexpected friendships
SHETLAND
Series continues
Originally based on award-winning novels by crime writer Ann Cleeves, the forthcoming new series centres around an historic murder which will forever change the lives of all those connected in the present day. When a car is pulled from the water, a grim discovery is made - crammed in the boot are the decomposed, skeletal remains of an unknown male.
The team’s search to uncover the victim’s identity, begins with a hunt for the vehicle’s owner– a respected, local GP who left the Isles under a cloud of troubled rumours nine years ago. As Calder and Tosh dig deeper into the enigmatic GP's state-of-mind and the lives of the loved ones he left behind, the investigation takes them to dark and dangerous places in their quest for the truth.
HONEY
Series continues
East Berlin, 1982. Marta, 24, is a deep cover agent for MI6. Surrounded by enemies and constantly under threat of her cover being blown, she tries her hardest to avoid detection by Friedrich Bauman, the new Head of Counter Espionage for the Stasi. Finding herself caught between Friedrich and the reckless, arrogant (and incredibly attractive…) CIA operative Aaron Neeland, she is blind-sided by desire in this Cold War menage-a-trois.
The risk of being garrotted or incarcerated is nothing compared to the horrifying ordeal of falling in love. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and bearing your heart and soul? She'd rather have her fingernails ripped off.
MASTERCHEF: THE PROFESSIONALS
Series continues
Judging the TV’s biggest professional cooking competition are culinary legend Marcus Wareing and renowned chef Monica Galetti. The next seven weeks will push each of the 32 chefs to extraordinary lengths. The competition will test their skill, creativity and culinary knowledge, as they take on a series of demanding challenges in the race for one of the most coveted titles in the food world. Only the most talented will be in with a shot of holding aloft the prestigious MasterChef: The Professionals trophy.
CELEBRITY RACE ACROSS THE WORLD
Series continues
The famous faces embarking on the epic 7,500 km journey are: Brit award-winning singer-songwriter Ella Eyre and childhood friend Nana; veteran sports broadcaster Jeff Stelling and his son Matt; influencer Princess Andre with her brother, musician Junior Andre; and acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician Sam Ryder with his best friend and tour manager Kaz.
Setting off from the vibrant city of Kuching, in the Malaysian state of Sarawak in North West Borneo, and the gateway to the island's vast wilderness, these pairs will tackle the most formidable race yet. Traversing prehistoric jungles and the heartlands of Borneo, to reach five check points across three countries and two continents, ultimately aiming for the sunbaked southern tip of Australia and the finish line in Melbourne.
STRICTLY COME DANCING
Series continues
Presenter Emma Willis, professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe preside over the Strictly ballroom in spectacular style this autumn. Back once again for the new series will be the esteemed judging panel of Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas who will be casting a watchful eye over the performances each week, giving their expert view on the dances and delivering their all-important scores.
Transmission details will be announced in due course.
