What to watch (December 30, 2023 – January 5, 2024)

The Traitors

by Elaine Penn |
Updated on

SATURDAY

The Masked Singer

ITV1, 7pm

The Masked Singer

What’s this? A singing cup of Bubble Tea? It can only mean one thing – Joel Dommett is back with the whackiest show on telly. A fresh line-up of 12 secret celebrities transform themselves into all sorts – including Air Fryer, Owl, Dippy Egg and Big Foot – so that returning judges Jonathan Ross, Rita Ora, Davina McCall and Mo Gilligan, along with viewers at home, can decipher the clues to work out: who’s that behind the mask?

NEW YEAR'S EVE (SUNDAY)

The National Lottery’s New Year’s Eve Big Bash

ITV1, 6pm

The National Lottery's New Year's Eve Big Bash

Take That top the bill of this star-studded spectacular, hosted by Jason Manford and Alesha Dixon. The entertainment show, recorded earlier this month at the OVO Wembley Arena, promises fun for all the family with additional acts including Busted, Paloma Faith and Becky Hill. This end-of-year party also celebrates memorable moments from 2023 and shows the difference National Lottery funds have made to people across the UK.

NEW YEAR'S DAY (MONDAY)

The Tourist

BBC1, 9pm

The Tourist

If you loved series one in 2022, don’t even think about going out tonight! Two years on, amnesiac Elliot (Jamie Dornan) and ex-cop Helen (Danielle Macdonald) are very much an item and, after Elliot receives a letter from a man in Ireland claiming to be his brother, Helen convinces him they should visit the Emerald Isle to learn more about his past. But things quickly unravel when Elliot is kidnapped by a gun-wielding gang...

TUESDAY

Mr Bates Vs The Post Office

Mr Bates Vs The Post Office

ITV1, 9pm

This is the second episode but you can watch the first on catch-up. Julie Hesmondhalgh, Toby Jones and Monica Dolan star in this real-life drama about one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in UK history – when some 700-plus sub-postmasters were wrongly accused of fraud. In reality, a new IT system was to blame – and the whole sorry affair was covered up by the Post Office, the government and computer company Fujitsu.

WEDNESDAY

The Traitors

BBC1, 9pm

The Traitors
The Traitors ©The Traitors

It. Is. Back! Claudia Winkleman’s back-stabbing reality show proved the British public has an appetite for treachery – and now it returns for another run-out. Twenty-two strangers arrive at that imposing Scottish castle, as Traitors and Faithful prepare to do battle once more. But this is the second series, and so the new intake are walking in a little wiser than before to the show’s manipulations. Or are they?

THURSDAY

Dragons’ Den

BBC1, 8pm

Dragons' Den

We still love this show. And in its 21st series, the current line-up of fire-breathers – Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Sara Davies, Touker Suleyman and Steven Bartlett – is the best it’s ever had. Some of tonight’s proposed businesses seem particularly suited to some of the Dragons, specifically novelty socks (Peter) and a range of fun, cheap glasses made in record time (Touker). Welcome back, everyone! We’re very much in!

FRIDAY

Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job

BBC1, 8.30pm

Amanda & Alan's Italian Job

Having already done up two dilapidated apartments in Sicily, this time Amanda Holden and Alan Carr are packing their boiler suits and heading to northern Tuscany after buying another ‘one Euro’ house. Now they’ve got their hands full with a run-down, 17th-century property comprising a medieval watchtower! ‘This was so much bigger a project than we ever thought it would be,’ admits Amanda.

Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website - read why you should trust us