christmas schedules

6:00am: Breakfast. (Digital Widescreen) (T)

9:10 Around the World in 80 Days. A Close Shave. Michael Palin and the crew arrive in Bombay one week behind schedule. They move quickly through India to Madras, aiming to catch a ship heading for Singapore, but only two ships are docked - one is leaving too late, and the other is not taking passengers, so Michael signs himself on as a deckhand. (R) (T)

10:00 The Simpsons. You Only Move Twice. Cult cartoon comedy action revolving around the Simpson family. In this episode, they relocate to another community after Homer unwittingly takes a job with a company controlled by a super-villain. (T)

10:20 Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Whoops, There It Is. With Will Smith, James Avery, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Karyn Parsons. An episode showcasing outtakes from the series and featuring some of the stars who have appeared. (R) (T)

10:45 FILM: The Red Shoes. (1948) A magnificent fairy tale about a young ballerina torn between two creative but possessive men - one a struggling composer, the other an autocratic impresario. Forced to choose between her career and a happy marriage, she is persuaded to do one last performance of the role that made her famous, with tragic results. Starring Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann, Leonide Massine, Albert Basserman. Dir: Emeric Pressburger. (T)

12:55pm: The Royal Ballet in The Nutcracker. (Digital Widescreen) Deborah Bull introduces a magnificent production of Tchaikovsky's magical ballet, with choreography by Lev Ivanov and Sir Peter Wright, in which a girl is caught up in a magical adventure with the toy Nutcracker Prince. With Anthony Dowell, Miyako Yoshida and Jonathan Cope, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Evgeni Svetlanov. (R) (T)

2:45 The Simpsons. Miracle on Evergreen Terrace. Cartoon comedy. People throughout Springfield open their hearts and wallets after Bart claims the family's Christmas presents were stolen. Featuring the guest voice of Alex Trebek. (R) (T)

3:10 The Royal Ballet in Rudolf Nureyev's Production of Don Quixote. (Digital Widescreen) Rudolf Nureyev's feted arrangement of `Don Quixote', performed by the Royal Ballet in the first season for new director Ross Stretton. William Tuckett (Don Quixote), Philip Mosley (Sancho Panza), David Drew (Lorenzo), Tamara Rojo (Kitri/Dulcinea), Orchestra of the Royal Opera House/Charles Barker. (T)

5:05 The Weakest Link: First Round Failures. (Digital Widescreen) Anne Robinson presents the quick-fire general knowledge quiz in which contestants must decide at the end of each round which of their number should be eliminated. Undeterred, nine people voted off in their first round return for another try. (T)

5:50 FILM: White Christmas. (Digital Widescreen) (1954) Two army buddies who have become entertainers travel to a Vermont ski resort for a well-earned rest. But on arrival, they find the resort - run by their old army commander - in need of a helping hand. And there's only one answer - put on a show! Memorable score by Irving Berlin. Starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger, Mary Wickes. Dir: Michael Curtiz. (T)

7:45 The Queen's Christmas Message 2001. (Digital Widescreen) The Queen delivers her traditional Christmas Day message to the
nation and the Commonwealth. (T) (Signed)

7:55 Arena: Night of Entertainers: Eric Sykes - Sykes and a Day. (Digital Widescreen) A profile of the writer, performer and director Eric Sykes, tracing his career from being the country's highest-paid comedy writer and `Goons' contributor in the 60s, via his eponymous sitcom vehicle in the 70s, to his recent appearance alongside Nicole Kidman in ghost film `The Others'. (T)

9:05 Charlie Drake - Drake's Progress. (Digital Widescreen) British entertainer Charlie Drake looks back over a glittering career in showbusiness, remembering a time when he regularly headed the line-up at the London Palladium, was frequently top of television ratings, and could afford to lose vast sums of money in an evening's gambling. (T)

10:05 Drake 1812 Overture. Vintage comedy in which Charlie Drake plays not only the conductor but all of the musicians in the orchestra in his rendition of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. First broadcast in 1967, the performance won the Golden Rose of Montreux. (T)

10:15 Max Bygraves - I Wanna Tell You A Story. (Digital Widescreen) A profile of the British entertainer Max Bygraves. First appearing on radio's `Educating Archie' with Tony Hancock and Frankie Howerd in 1951, he charmed the public with his easy manner, and made stand up comedy - a notoriously difficult genre - appear effortless. He now lives in a clifftop house in Bournemouth, performs when and where he likes, and divides his time between the UK and a second home in Australia. (T)

11:15 Porridge. The Desperate Hours. With Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale, Fulton Mackay. Classic sitcom. Fletcher plans to add a bit of Christmas spirit to the festive season at Slade Prison in the form of his very own home-made liquor. But when prison officers Mackay and Barraclough uncover the stash of `Chateau Slade', Fletcher seems in danger of spending Christmas in solitary. (R) (T)

12:00am: I Love 1973. (Digital Widescreen) Series celebrating 70s pop culture. Noddy Holder presents a look back at 1973, the year the 70s really began to take shape. Featuring snorkel parkas, the Mastermind game, the advent of Bruce Lee and kung fu in the West, and a strangely cool, bald, lollipop-loving cop. (R) (T)

1:00 FILM: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. (1956) Suspense drama about a writer who agrees to implicate himself in a murder to highlight the fact that innocent people can be convicted on circumstantial evidence. Following his conviction, however, his plan to duck out of the proceedings at a prearranged point collapses when his only confidant, a newspaper publisher, is killed. Starring Dana Andrews, Joan Fontaine, Sidney Blackmer, Philip Bourneuf, Barbara Nichols. Dir: Fritz Lang. (B/W) (T)

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