As the festive season continues, British television offers a delightful mix of heartwarming tales and gripping drama for your evening entertainment. From abandoned dogs seeking forever homes to a mysterious death after a spiritual retreat, tonight's schedule is packed with must-see programmes.
A Heartwarming Festive Special for Dog Lovers
Channel 4 brings the warmth with a festive special of The Dog House at Christmas, airing at 8pm. This beloved dog matchmaking show continues its wonderful mission of finding permanent homes for rescue dogs, reminding viewers that pets are for life, not just for Christmas.
The episode features several poignant stories, including teenager Kyra, who has spent eight years trying to convince her dad to get a dog. Her hopes rest on lovely Luna the labradoodle. Meanwhile, Chico the American bulldog is on his own search for love, but potential owner Queen must decide if he's too much dog for her. In perhaps the most moving story, Rick, who was left paralysed after an accident, has been feeling a little Scroogey. The question is whether Jenny the terrier can succeed in melting his heart.
Drama and Mystery Across the Channels
Over on BBC One at 8pm, the drama continues with Return to Paradise. This episode takes the staff of a dating app on a spiritual away day that turns out to be more unpleasant than usual. The situation turns deadly when the boss ends up dead, despite having consumed the same hallucinogenic tea as everyone else. Mack, played by Anna Samson, must unravel the team's complicated love lives to solve this apparently impossible crime.
At 9pm on Sky Atlantic, the tense kidnap drama All Her Fault shifts its focus. The story moves away from panicking mother Marissa, portrayed by Sarah Snook, to concentrate on Chicago cop Alcaras, played by Michael Peña, who is leading the hunt for her missing five-year-old. The straight-arrow detective faces additional pressures at home as he grapples with how to get his nonspeaking son into a better school.
Music, Comedy and Celebrity Interviews
Music enthusiasts should tune into Sky Arts at 9pm for the new three-part series Greatest Basslines. The series explores three very different approaches to the low end of music. The first episode features Joy Division and New Order founder member Peter Hook, who recalls the basslines that defined their music. Future episodes will include Foo Fighters' Nate Mendel and Melissa Auf der Maur of Hole and the Smashing Pumpkins.
BBC One offers comedy relief at 9.35pm with another episode from the second season of the charming sitcom Daddy Issues. Starring Aimee Lou Wood and David Morrissey as a warmly shambolic daughter-father parenting team, this episode sees Gemma longing to escape into her 'weapons-grade pulling dress' for a night out. The central question is whether Malcolm can take care of baby Sadie in her absence, with the answer proving less straightforward than viewers might hope.
Later at 10.40pm on BBC One, The Graham Norton Show welcomes an impressive lineup of guests. Glenn Close, who had a thankfully small part in the zero star-rated 'All's Fair' (labelled one of the worst shows in TV history), appears alongside Alexander Skarsgård, Miriam Margolyes and Nicola Coughlan. Close is now part of the third Knives Out film, which promises to be a significant improvement on her previous television outing.
Tonight's Film Choice
For those preferring film entertainment, Netflix offers the utterly beguiling Left-Handed Girl (2025) directed by Shih-Ching Tsou. The film represents Tsou's vibrant debut solo feature, with Sean Baker, the Oscar-winning director of Anora, returning the compliment of their previous collaborations by co-writing and editing. The film combines Baker's interest in society's least privileged members with Tsou's intimate focus on her Taiwanese homeland.
The story follows Janel Tsai as Shu-Fen, a single mother to left-handed five-year-old I-Jing (played by the delightful Nina Ye) and stroppy young adult I-Ann (Shih-Yuan Ma). The family arrives in Taipei to open a noodle stall, but financial and relationship stresses threaten to unravel their lives. Critics have described it as an unforced, perceptive and completely captivating drama.
