This week's best telly includes a new drama about the Profumo Affair, a sitcom celebration and the writers of Sherlock bring us the most famous vampire of them all in Dracula.
Here are 7 shows you can’t miss this week...
1. The Trial of Christine Keeler
Sunday 29th and Monday 30th December at 9pm on BBC One
The fallout of the Profumo Affair featured at the end of The Crown season two but now the spotlight is firmly shone on the affair thanks to a new six-part BBC One series, The Trial of Christine Keeler starring Sophie Cookson, James Norton, Ellie Bamber, Ben Miles and Emilia Fox.
Written by Amanda Coe, the series takes a fresh look at one of the most infamous British stories of the 20th century: the chain of events in the 1960s that came to be known as the Profumo Affair.
At the centre of the storm was 19 year-old Christine Keeler, a young woman whom the powerful, male-dominated establishment sought to silence and exploit, but who refused to play by their rules. This six-part drama takes us behind the headlines to tell a human story about the sexual and cultural politics of one of the most revealing and iconic stories of modern times.
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2. Top Gear: Nepal Special
Sunday 29th December at 9pm on BBC Two
The latest Top Gear presenting line-up of Paddy McGuinness, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris just works so it's pleasing to see that they'll be back for one more outing before the end of the year as they set out on perhaps the show's toughest road trip ever.
Setting out on a high-altitude voyage from Kathmandu to the Forbidden City of Lo Manthang, through the highest mountains, deepest gorges and harshest terrain on the planet, Paddy, Freddie and Chris must battle river crossings, mudslides and dizzying mountain passes on a trip that would test even the hardiest new 4x4s on the planet to the limit.
But they aren’t crossing the Himalayas in new 4x4s, they're crossing the Himalayas in a very small old Peugeot, a very small old Renault and Nepal’s first (and only) home-built car.
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3. Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration
New Year's Day at 5.45pm on BBC One
To celebrate 10 years since Miranda first graced our screens and we were introduced to Penny, Stevie, Gary, Tilly and Clive and 5 years since Miranda and Gary married, Miranda Hart will be joined by many of the sitcom’s cast for a 70-minute celebration filmed in front of an audience of fans at the iconic London Palladium.
As the cast reunite, they look back over a decade of fun and friendship and share their fondest and funniest memories from their time on the show and there'll be touching tributes from Miranda fans and stars including Andy Murray, Hugh Bonneville and Carey Mulligan line up to wish the sitcom a happy birthday.
But it wouldn’t be a party without music and surprises, of which there are plenty. McFly kick off the show with a rousing rendition of Don’t Stop Me Now, there'll be music from the Kingdom Choir and the cast of Mamma Mia and in a fitting tribute to the sitcom, Heather Small brings the house down with a performance of Proud.
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4. Doctor Who
New Year's Day at 6.55pm on BBC One
Exactly one year on since we last checked in with The Doctor, Doctor Who returns this New Year's Day with the first of a two-part special, Spyfall, which kicks off the new series, guest starring Stephen Fry and Lenny Henry.
With intelligence agents around the world under attack from alien forces, MI6 turn to the only people who can help, The Doctor and friends - played once again by Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill.
As the team travel the globe looking for answers, attacks come from all sides and Earth’s security rests on the their shoulders. But where will this planet-threatening conspiracy lead them?
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5. Dracula
New Year's Day - Friday 3rd January at 9pm on BBC One
Sherlock writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat are back on BBC One taking on the most famous vampire of them all: the magnificent, brooding, deliciously deadly Count Dracula. The new three-part series of Dracula stars Claes Bang in the lead role and is a co-production between the BBC and Netflix.
In the first episode, set in 1897, English lawyer Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to meet a new client - and a legend is about to get fresh blood... This is the tale of a terrifying, maze-like castle, of undead Brides, and a vampire Count whose ambition is to conquer the new world.
Dracula also stars John Heffernan, Dolly Wells, Joanna Scanlan, Morfydd Clark, Sacha Dhawan, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Jonathan Aris, Lyndsey Marshal, Lydia West and Matthew Beard.
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6. Bancroft
New Year's Day - Friday 3rd January at 9pm on ITV
Originally commissioned for short-lived TV channel ITV Encore, Bancroft found its way onto ITV in December 2017 after Encore closed and became one of ITV’s best performing dramas. Now it's back for a second series across three consecutive nights.
Sarah Parish returns as the newly promoted Detective Chief Superintendent, Elizabeth Bancroft who heads up a new merged police service. Revered by colleagues and delivering impressively low crime figures, Bancroft is riding a professional high. However, this success comes at a great cost as she’s left isolated and estranged from her beloved son Joe and faces increasing pressure from her dangerous pact with crime boss Daanish Kamara.
When a disturbing double murder brings her personal and professional life crashing together, she is forced to confront a chilling new enemy. With threats closing in from all sides, the repercussions of her past actions will come back to haunt her in ways she could never have expected.
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7. Jayde Adams: Serious Black Jumper
Friday 3rd January on Amazon Prime Video
One of TV's fastest rising stars, Jayde Adams has been busy making a name for herself on the comedy circuit but it's her latest show The Ballad of Kylie Jenner's Old Face which gets the stand-up special treatment - renamed Serious Black Jumper for Amazon Prime.
Known for her sequins, glamour and show-stopping musical numbers, Jayde has done away with all of that for this show, reinventing herself as a ‘Successful Independent Woman Person’ and putting away (for now) her customary glitzy costumes.
In the hour-long special, filmed in London's Bloomsbury Theatre, she explores what it means to be a feminist this century, inviting viewers to discover what it takes to be a real role model. All whilst wearing the feminist wardrobe staple attire, the Serious Black Jumper™.
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