CRITICS’ CHOICE
Meet the neighbours
Six Nations Rugby (BBC1, from 1.45pm)
The Ashes are over and the Premier League is a one-horse race; so, although the Winter Olympics are only a week away, the sporting highlight of the season is surely the return of the Six Nations, which may be one of the most open in years, with England, Ireland and Scotland all looking strong. Wales v Scotland kicks off at 2.15pm; France v Ireland follows at 4.45pm. England, chasing their third consecutive championship, are in Italy tomorrow.
Despite Andy Murray’s absence, day two of Great Britain’s Davis Cup meeting with Spain (BBC2, 1pm) is guaranteed sizeable viewing figures, as Kyle Edmund looks to build on his unforgettable Australian Open.
Memories of Saturday- morning children’s TV and picture shows will come flooding back to those of a certain vintage as Talking Pictures TV screens a collection of Laurel and Hardy shorts: today’s is the perfectly seasonal Below Zero (5.35pm).
David Hutcheon
FILM CHOICE
The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)
BBC2, 10.30pm
Starring Matt Damon as the ruthless masquerader of Patricia Highsmith’s novel, Anthony Minghella’s thriller knows all about dressing up. It adorns its simple plot with 1950s jet-set glamour and the suntanned beauty of Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow.
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Suffragette (2015)
C4, 9pm
Sarah Gavron’s drama about the Edwardian rebels is a vibrant film with barely more subtlety than a campaign rally. The excellent Carey Mulligan is the main speaker; Meryl Streep and Helena Bonham Carter swell the ranks.
Albatross (2011)
BBC2, 12.40am
A patchy British drama about a reckless teenager who befriends a quieter girl and convulses her family, Niall MacCormick’s film is boosted by the sparkiness of two successful young actresses, Jessica Brown Findlay and Felicity Jones.
Edward Porter
Radio pick of the day
Music Matters (Radio 3, 12.15pm)
Tom Service visits Reykjavik to ask why Iceland, with its tiny population of just 350,000, is the most musical country in the world. There will be tracks from Björk, pictured, and Sigur Ros, plus a preview of the Dark Music Days festival, which can be heard in full on Hear And Now (R3, 10pm). In The Death Of Illegitimacy (R4, 8pm) MP Caroline Flint asks if the stigma of unmarried parents is a thing of the past.
Andrew Male
Top TV programmes
BBC1
1 McMafia (Mon) 8.51
2 Death In Paradise 8.17
3 EastEnders (Mon) 7.68
4 Mrs Brown’s Boys 7.45
5 FA Cup Liverpool v Everton 6.02
6 BBC News (Mon, 6.30pm) 5.95
7 Countryfile 5.93
8 Grandpa’s Great Escape 5.78
9 Still Open All Hours 4.94
10 Attenborough/Sea Dragon 4.86
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BBC2
1 Lose Weight For Good 3.52
2 Inside The Factory 2.94
3 A House Through Time 2.90
4 Trust Me I’m A Doctor 2.70
5 University Challenge 2.60
6 Off The Beaten Track 2.14
7 Only Connect 2.06
8 Dragons’ Den 2.03
9 Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean 1.99
10 The Real T-Rex 1.83
ITV
1 Vera 8.39
2 Coronation Street (Wed) 8.29
3 Dancing On Ice 8.09
4 Emmerdale (Fri) 7.15
5 Girlfriends 6.47
6 The Voice 6.12
7 Spectre 4.96
8 Catchphrase 4.46
9 The Chase (Wed) 4.28
10 ITV News (Wed, 6.30pm) 4.23
C4
1 Great Festive Bake Off 3.46
2 Derry Girls 2.61
3 SAS: Who Dares Wins 2.53
4 24 Hours In A&E 2.24
5 Biggest Little Railway 2.24
C5
1 Celebrity Big Brother (Tue) 2.20
2 Will & Grace 1.86
3 World’s Strongest Man 1.66
4 Diet Secrets/Lose Weight 1.60
5 The Hundred Foot Journey 1.06
AND THE REST
1 Kong — Skull Island 1.34
2 Everton v Manchester Utd 1.09
3 Spiral 1.05
4 Hollyoaks 0.91
5 The Good Doctor 0.90
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Week ending January 7. For multiple editions or repeated programmes, ratings for the highest single showing only are included. Source: Barb
Channel numbers
BBC4 Sky 116 Freeview 9 Freesat 107 Virgin 107/163
ITV2 Sky 118 Freeview 6 Freesat 113 Virgin 115/176
ITV3 Sky 119 Freeview 10 Freesat 115 Virgin 117/178
ITV4 Sky 120 Freeview 24 Freesat 117 Virgin 118/178
E4 Sky 136 Freeview 28 Freesat 122 Virgin 144/145
More 4 Sky 138 Freeview 14 Freesat 124 Virgin 147/203
Drama Sky 158 Freeview 20 Freesat 158 Virgin 128
SCP Sky 301 Virgin 401/431
SCT Sky 309 Virgin 409/439
SCG Sky 304 Virgin 404/434
SCS Sky 312 Virgin 412/442
Film 4 Sky 315 Freeview 15 Freesat 300 Virgin 428/429
TCM Sky 317 Virgin 415/416
Gold Sky 110 Virgin 124
Universal Sky 113 Virgin 137
Sky Living Sky 107 Virgin 111/112
W Sky 109 Virgin 125
5 Star Sky 176 Freeview 30 Freesat 131 Virgin 151
5 USA Sky 174 Freeview 21 Freesat 129 Virgin 153
Dave Sky 111 Freeview 12 Freesat 157 Virgin 127
Fox Sky 124 Virgin 157/158
Comedy Central Sky 112 Virgin 132
Yesterday Sky 537 Freeview 19 Freesat 159 Virgin 245
Nat Geo Sky 526 Virgin 266/268
Discovery Sky 520 Virgin 250/251
Sky Arts Sky 121 Virgin 122/206
PBS America Sky 534 Freeview 94 Freesat 155 Virgin 276