Five Wishes (BBC1, 7pm)
DOCUMENTARY Five Wishes charts the inspiring stories behind an project launched by Scottish Ballet as part of their 50th anniversary year. For 50 years, Scottish Ballet has been crafted by Scotland – by the people, the tradition, the sense of humour, the generosity and the spirit.
As a way of saying thank you, Scottish Ballet launched Five Wishes and invited people to make a wish that the company would help come true. Over 400 were submitted, with over 100,000 votes cast by the general public. The top 50 were presented to an esteemed judging panel which included Dame Darcey Bussell, Susan Calman, Fred MacAulay, Janice Forsyth, Christopher Hampson and Principal Dancer Christopher Harrison, before the final five were selected.
The Secret World of Toys at Christmas (C4, 7pm)
A LOOK at toy-makers around the world, revealing how they work hard year-round to ensure their product makes it onto countless children’s Christmas lists each December. Cameras visit the colourful creations of Crayola in Pennsylvania, the charming home of Steiff teddy bears in Germany and the fun-filled world of Top Trumps in the UK. Plus, there’s a tour of FAO Schwarz, New York’s biggest and most famous toy store, which is behind a proud new addition to Selfridges in London’s Oxford Street, its first UK outlet.
What We Were Watching: Christmas 1979 (BBC4, 8pm)
HOW different it all was 40 years ago. Three TV channels, no satellite telly, DVDs or Blu-rays, and recording shows was still still a marvel. Little wonder Christmas shows in 1979 had such a magnetic appeal. Here acid-tongued critic Grace Dent reflects on the sights, sounds and schedules of TV from that era.
Still Open All Hours (BBC1, 8.30pm)
GRANVILLE tries to put the magic back into the festive season by practising a few conjuring tricks – but things do not always go according to plan and people keep disappearing.
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