Pick of the day: BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023
7pm, BBC One
After so nearly ending England’s 57 years of hurt in last summer’s World Cup final, expect the Lionesses to feature, as Alex Scott, Gabby Logan, Gary Lineker and Clare Balding hand out the annual sporting trophies at Salford MediaCity. Also falling just short were Ireland and England’s rugby union World Cup teams and England’s Ashes cricketers. There are eight gongs up for the public vote, although Frankie Dettori’s early exit from I’m A Celebrity doesn’t bode well for the jockey. Others up for the main prize include cricketer Stuart Broad, after his England retirement, and athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
Dickens in Italy with David Harewood
8pm, Sky Arts
Scrooge and A Christmas Carol has made Charles Dickens indelibly associated with this time of year, but apparently he gave the first public reading of his novel while on a tour of Italy in 1844. David Harewood, hitherto resistant to the author, has his opinions upturned in this documentary in which he uncovers Italy’s influence on the author’s writing style and political beliefs.
Vigil
9pm, BBC One
For those who haven’t binged this crime-drama sequel series on iPlayer, it concludes with the full scale of the conspiracy being discovered by Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) as she scrambles for answers with one person dead and another injured on board her flight home. Colleague and love interest Kirsten (Rose Leslie), meanwhile, puts herself in greater danger when she agrees to meet with Sutherland (David Elliot).
The Hairy Bikers: Coming Home for Christmas
9pm, BBC Two
Following his cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment, Dave Myers lost his sense of taste, appetite and balance – cruel deprivations for a motorbike riding foodie. In this seasonal special, Dave and Si King search for ingredients to create a festive banquet to thank all the NHS staff who have helped and supported Dave. Also attending the banquet are the various producers who helped him fall back in love with food.
Christmas On the Farm
9pm, Channel 5
Helen Skelton and Jules Hudson are back at Cannon Hall Farm for Christmas, joined by Rob and Dave Nicholson, pop star-turned-farmer JB Gill and Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley.
Never Mind The Buzzcocks Christmas Special
9pm, Sky Max
Another Christmas special, almost needless to say. Regulars Daisy May Cooper, Noel Fielding and Jamali Maddix are joined by Harry Hill, Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson. Host Greg Davies can also be seen later this week as a guest on the Brassic Christmas special – airing on Sky Max on Thursday.
Gregory Porter: Live From Cheltenham 2023
10pm, BBC Four
The Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter is recorded at this year’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Alongside versions of his favourite hits such as “Revival”, “Take Me To The Alley” and “Liquid Spirit”, Porter and his band were joined on stage by two special guests: acclaimed American vocalist Lizz Wright and Italian-born New Yorker Giacomo Smith, the latter on clarinet.