The documentary will also bring us back into all the drama from the presidential election, from the shock exit of Fianna F\u00e1il\u2019s candidate, Jim Gavin, which turned the election into a two-horse race, to the intense debates on TV and radio and the many viral moments through the campaign. Will the politicians watch this programme closely, notebooks in hand, so they can learn from the mistakes and missteps? Don\u2019t hold your breath. <\/p>\n
HighlightsThe War Between the Land and the SeaSunday, BBC One, 8.30pm![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/KALZ7HEZYRG5XPHEDNUCMGTMKM.jpg\")
The War Between the Land and the Sea. Photograph: James Pardon\/Bad Wolf\/BBC Studios <\/p>\n
We\u2019ve heard all the dire warnings about what will happen if humanity does not halt the destruction of the world\u2019s oceans, but no one anticipated this: an ancient species rising from the depths seeking revenge on all landlubbers for the environmental damage they\u2019ve done. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Russell Tovey and Jemma Redgrave star in this five-part sci-fi drama from Dr Who showrunner Russell T Davies, and set in the Whoniverse, but why couldn\u2019t Davies come up with a snappier title \u2013 while the title may be as clunky as an old fishing boat, at least it does exactly what it says on the rusty tin. Tovey stars as Barclay, a low-level grunt working for UNIT, which Whovians will know is United Intelligence Taskforce, led by Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Redgrave). But never mind Daleks and Weeping Angels \u2013 a new threat has emerged from the ocean\u2019s depths, and Barclay finds himself plunged into the centre of a huge conflict between homo sapiens and homo aqua \u2013 who look like humans, but a bit more scaly, and a lot more powerful. Mbatha-Raw stars as the ocean dwellers\u2019 envoy Salt, who for some reason chooses the low-ranking Barclay to represent the surface dwellers in tricky negotiations. Could there be some inter-species attraction bubbling under? Calm down \u2013 this is the Whoniverse, so we\u2019re not likely to see anyone exchanging fluids. But as tensions rise and the power of the sea is unleashed, it quickly becomes apparent that the Doctor is not coming to save the day, so Barclay will have save the world without the help of a sonic screwdriver. <\/p>\n
Apollo 1: Destination MoonSunday, Channel 4, 9.30pm![\"Gus](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BM34JTBIRFCBHP3IX4EABZENYY.jpg\")
Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee in front of Launch Complex 34, housing the Saturn 1 launch vehicle. Photograph: Nasa <\/p>\n
In July 1969, Apollo 11 became the first space flight to land humans on the moon, but before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their historic walk on the surface of the moon, there were 10 previous Apollo missions leading up to that moment. This documentary tells the story of the first Apollo mission, in 1967, which was to be flown by three of Nasa\u2019s finest astronauts \u2013 Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. They were preparing to test the command and service module in low earth orbit, but what they didn\u2019t realise was that the Saturn 1B craft that was to take them out of the atmosphere had some fatal design and manufacturing flaws, and the inevitable catastrophe put a cloud over the entire Apollo space programme. This documentary uses previously unseen archive material to tell a gripping story of first faltering steps in the race to the moon. <\/p>\n
Jamie\u2019s Cook-Ahead ChristmasMonday, Channel 4, 8pm![\"Jamie's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7PZ7G22GJ5CJVDGHZPS4O6WUWI.jpg\")
Jamie’s Cook-Ahead Christmas. Photograph: Channel 4 <\/p>\n
You\u2019ve been looking forward to Christmas: a bit of a break, spend some quality time with the family, enjoy a few Christmas specials on the telly. But the reality is you\u2019re in the kitchen, stressed out to the max, trying to prepare all the elements of the Christmas dinner at the last minute. Well, stress ye out no more, because Jamie Oliver<\/a> is here to show you how to prepare for Christmas dinner weeks in advance, getting lots of the fiddly stuff out of the way well in advance, and leaving you with a hassle free December 25th. Imagine having loads of festive delights already prepared and in your freezer, ready to be taken out in time for the festivities. In the first of two episodes, Oliver makes up a vegan and gluten-free gravy, packed with flavour, which can be combined with juices from the turkey. He also prepares stuffing both meat-based and vegetarian, and a selection of freezable flavoured butters that will put some vim into your vegetable dishes. There are also lots of advance dessert ideas, including an Arctic roll with home-made ice cream. By the time Christmas Day comes, you\u2019ll be so laid back your family won\u2019t know you. <\/p>\n Neven\u2019s Christmas in LimerickThursday, RT\u00c9 One, 8pm<\/p>\n It\u2019s all getting very real now, as we tumble headlong into the festive season, and we haven\u2019t even ordered the turkey or taken the decorations out of the attic. Meanwhile, Neven Maguire<\/a> has been very busy, going around Limerick meeting some of the city\u2019s finest chefs and food producers, and getting the lowdown on what to cook for Christmas no matter what part of the country you live in. This is the second programme in a two-parter, and it finds Maguire looking out over the river Shannon from his seat at the popular French Table restaurant, eagerly anticipating a festive meal of goose breast with chestnuts cooked up by chef Thomas Fialon. Maguire also goes for a nice cuppa at the historic Cahill\u2019s Tea shop, where he samples a selection of Christmas blends chosen by the owner, Eleanor Purcell. He also does cooks up his own seasonal food blends, including saffron orzo with mussels nduja and shoulder of lamb with bulgur wheat. <\/p>\n The Prince v the Paper: Harry, Hacking & the Mail: DispatchesThursday, Channel 4, 8pm<\/p>\n It promises to be a gripping, high-profile court case, and it\u2019s due to open early in the new year. Prince Harry<\/a> is suing Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publishers of the Daily Mail, over allegations of \u201cgross breaches of privacy\u201d including phone hacking, bugging cars and homes, and a whole range of illegal information gathering practices. Harry is joined in the lawsuit by six other famous people, including Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost and Elton John. This documentary, part of Channel 4\u2019s Dispatches strand, looks at the background to this latest celebrity hacking scandal, and examines how Harry has made it his mission to make Britain\u2019s tabloid press accountable for their actions. Harry\u2019s crusade against the unchecked power of the press is no surprise, as he and his wife, Meghan, have been hounded by the press, and he has blamed the press for the death of his mother, Diana Princess of Wales. <\/p>\n An Post Irish Book Awards 2025Thursday, RT\u00c9 One, 10.15pm<\/p>\n The An Post Irish Book Awards were announced at a gala ceremony at Dublin\u2019s Convention Centre on November 27th, and among the winners<\/a> were (turn away now if you don\u2019t want to know) Manch\u00e1n Magan, Rois\u00edn O\u2019Donnell, Joseph O\u2019Connor, Elaine Feeney, Andrew Porter, Sarah Corbett Lynch, Sophie Morris and Cecelia Ahern. But even if you already know the results, the televised ceremony will be well worth watching, just to see the breadth of Irish writing talent. \u201cThis year brought an impressive range of Irish books to the shelves, celebrating the work of established authors while also shining a light on remarkable new voices who are adding fresh depth to our literary heritage,\u201d says the awards\u2019 chairperson Larry MacHale. <\/p>\n Streaming Percy Jackson and the OlympiansDisney+, from Wednesday, December 10th The success of Harry Potter spawned many an epic novel series featuring ordinary kids in extraordinarily mythical circumstances, all seeking the golden fleece of megamillion book sales. One of the most successful is Percy Jackson, created by Rick Riordan<\/a>, in which the teen hero finds himself caught up in a world of Greek gods and demons in the 21st century. Percy is not a wizard but a demigod, and in this second series, based on the book The Sea of Monsters, he\u2019s on a perilous odyssey into the titular sea to find his best friend, Grover, and, with luck, the legendary Golden Fleece that will save Camp Half-Blood from Luke Castellan, who has been possessed by the Titan Kronos.<\/p>\n Man vs BabyNetflix, from Thursday, December 11th<\/p>\n![\"Percy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/CE6MKMT4F5G4ZIFANNHLD5TWKU.jpg\")
Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Photograph: Disney+ <\/p>\n