Here are our top five TV picks for Saturday - Tommy Tiernan is back!
The Tommy Tiernan Show, RTÉ One, 9:30pm
Tommy's back with a brand new series of his chat-show and it is sure to offer some welcome relief from the cabin fever of lockdown.
A master of improvisation, Tiernan has said he thrives on the adrenaline of no preparation or information on his guests. For new viewers, it sounds like it should be a complete mess, but trust us, it makes for some quality TV.
Tiernan is inquisitive, articulate and has a great instinct for the hidden depths in everyday life - plus he is cheeky enough to ask the questions we really want to know the answers to.
Amazing Grace, BBC 2, 8:30pm
Music fans are in for a treat tonight with this never-before-seen movie featuring Aretha Franklin recording the most successful gospel album of all time, Amazing Grace.
Crafted from footage originally captured in 1972, it is directed by Sydney Pollack and co-stars James Cleveland, C. L. Franklin, Bernard Purdie, Chuck Rainey, Clara Ward, with cameos by Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts.
The film was not released in 1972 due to difficulty in synchronizing the audio tracks. In 2007 producer Alan Elliott unearthed it from the Warner Bros vault and prepared it for a 2011 release.
However Franklin sued Elliott for appropriating her likeness without permission and the release date passed.
Elliott made another attempt in 2015 to release the film but Franklin sued him again for unpublished reasons.
After Franklin's death in 2018, her family made an arrangement to release the film, which premiered at the Doc NYC in 2018, before being released worldwide on 5 April 2019. The film has received critical acclaim.
The Voice UK, ITV and Virgin Media One, 8.30pm
If you are craving a dose of reality TV, then The Voice UK will sort you out this evening. Hosted by Emma Willis, with returning coaches Olly Murs, Tom Jones and will.i.am. Taking up the vacant red seat is popstar Anne-Marie.
Hopeful singers will take to the stage in a bid to secure a place in the next round, taking a step towards the prize of a record contract.
Expect some spine-tingling performances as well as nervous singers who struggle to hit the right note.
Coming up next week on #Casualty.
— BBC Casualty (@BBCCasualty) December 27, 2020
Saturday 2nd January 7.35pm on BBC One. pic.twitter.com/WtpOhM209y
Casualty, BBC One, 7:35pm
The long-running medical drama returns to screens tonight after it went on hiatus last August due to the coronavirus restrictions.
As COVID 19 reaches the hospital, Connie will be forced to battle her personal demons to lead the department, with the support of Charlie and Jacob.
A pregnant Fenisha faces a dilemma of her own, when she realises she needs to do everything she can to care for her unborn baby.
And Will will also be left angry and frustrated as the hospital struggles to cope with the mounting pressure.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, RTÉ One, 6:35pm
In this second instalment of the Fantastic Beasts series, fans will delight at the Harry Potter Easter eggs, shocking reveals and cinematic magic in this family-friendly film.
Following on from the events in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is in custody in MACUSA and the film kicks off with him showing the extent of his powers of magic and persuasion as he sets his escape plan in motion.
From scenes in Hogwarts, to delving into some Lestrange family drama, gaining insight into a young Dumbledore and Nagini's beginnings, this really is one for the fans and as each bit of information is dropped, the sense of wonder grows.
