The Lost Secrets of Jesus
Channel: HISTORY (DStv 186)
TX Time: 21h05
Genre: Documentary, History, Religion, Docu-Drama
The Lost Secrets of Jesus takes you back two millennia to explore the history, context, and character of one of the most famous men of all time.
The Lost Secrets of Jesus is a documentary that peels back the layers of centuries-old tradition and artistic interpretation to reveal the real historical and archaeological evidence behind the life of Jesus.
Taking you on a captivating journey from the ruins of Bethlehem to the heart of Roman politics, this special uncovers the lost cities, astonishing discoveries and hidden truths that shaped the world of Jesus.
This is not a religious documentary; it's a deep dive into the historical context and tangible evidence of Jesus' time.
Through expert insights and new findings, The Lost Secrets of Jesus challenges what we think we know, offering a fresh perspective on the man who changed the course of history.
By exploring the past, we gain a richer understanding of Jesus and the world he lived in, making this special an unforgettable exploration of one of history's most influential figures.
A Merry Tudor Christmas with Lucy Worsley
Channel: S3
TX Time: 22h00
Genre: Special
Lucy Worsley recreates how Christmas was celebrated during the age of Henry VIII – eating, drinking, singing, dancing and partying like people did 500 years ago.
She is getting into Tudor clothes and inside Tudor minds - discovering the forerunners of some of the Christmas customs we still enjoy today and exploring why other festive traditions fell out of favour.
With the help of food historian Annie Gray, she prepares two royal feasts in the kitchens of Hampton Court Palace.
For the king's Christmas dinner, Lucy - in full royal costume as Henry - tucks into stuffed boar's head, served to her by a choir singing its praises.
She also tastes Tudor versions of the mince pies and Christmas cakes we still enjoy today - and munches on a marzipan chess set and some 16th-century sweets.
Lucy joins Tudor carol singers to perform a festive hit penned by Henry VIII himself, and watches a forerunner of the Royal Variety Show, complete with dancing stags and swordplay.
She immerses herself in the rabble-rousing fun created by the Lord of Misrule, an anarchic ancestor of our Father Christmas.
Lucy also explores how ordinary Tudors liked to enjoy themselves - and why the holidays were such a welcome break.
She discovers how many people relied on charity to see them through the winter - and why Christmas was the only time it was legal to play most games and sports.
Lucy decks her Tudor hall with traditional decorations, tastes the ale and mead which were popular Christmas drinks for humble folk, and brings back to life a strange and spooky Christmas custom which is a prototype of Halloween trick or treating.
Lucy is also thrilled to encounter priceless records in the National Archives, which show exactly how much Henry VIII's lavish Christmas celebrations cost.
She discovers that the Tudor version of Christmas gift-giving was an occasion for very big spending.
She even receives some of the presents that were offered to Henry VIII in 1532 - which ranged from money and bling to a brace of greyhounds and a six foot boar spear from Anne Boleyn.
Alongside all the partying, Tudor Christmas was more focused on religion than it is for many people today.
Lucy reminds us how the celebrations followed a month's fasting during Advent and visits one of the ornate royal chapels where Henry himself worshipped, exploring how the religious Reformation he unleashed would change Christmas forever.
Across the programme, she traces Henry's evolution from handsome prince to ill-tempered old man - but reveals that two of his queens nonetheless found a way of enjoying Christmas together.
This Yuletide treat was filmed at some of the UK's most historic and beautiful locations, including Hever Castle, Ingatestone Hall, Penshurst Place and the centuries-old farm buildings of the Weald and Downland Museum.
Contributors include historic performance specialist Charlotte Ewart, early music specialists Passamezzo, Professors Maria Hayward and Meg Twycross, and the chaplain to Her Majesty's Chapel Royal at Hampton Court, Father Anthony Howe.
On each of the traditional 12 days of Christmas, Lucy explores a different aspect of the season, uncovering fresh insights into the Tudor mind and casting a captivating new light on Christmas itself.
All Creatures Great and Small 5
Channel: BBC Brit (DStv 120)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Drama, Comedy-Drama, Period Drama
An adaptation of best-selling author James Herriot's cherished collection of stories.
Fresh out of Glasgow Veterinary College, James Herriot follows his dream to become a vet in the magnificent Yorkshire Dales.
He soon discovers that treating the animals is as much about treating their owners, and the Dales' famers are a tough crowd to please.
At Skeldale House, James gets to know his newly formed dysfunctional family: his chaotic and erratic boss Siegfried Farnon, his wayward brother Tristan and the shrewd Mrs Hall, who is endlessly steering the ship.
When local beauty Helen Alderson attracts James's attention, he finds another reason to stay in the Dales.
Nicholas Ralph returns for Season 5 as vet James Herriot, and Samuel West as his mercurial mentor Siegfried Farnon.
Callum Woodhouse returns to his role as Tristan Farnon, Siegfried's mischievous brother who has been serving in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.
Anna Madeley returns as the matriarch of Skeldale House Mrs. Hall, along with Rachel Shenton as the charismatic Helen Herriot.
James Anthony-Rose also reappears as Richard Carmody. Also returning is Patricia Hodge as Mrs Pumphrey, and her pampered Pekingese Tricki.
In the Season 5 premiere, "To All Our Boys": A medical scare keeps James' feet firmly on the ground and Siegfried and Carmody get their wires crossed over an animal.
Meanwhile, Helen steps in to help an old family friend and Mrs. Hall has a spot of bother when she decides to help with the war effort.
Come Dine With Me South Africa 10
Channel: BBC UKTV (DStv 134)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Reality, Food
Come Dine With Me South Africa returns, featuring extrovert and eccentric contestants.
The show, featuring "the good, the bad and the hungry" will continue to be narrated by the voiceover legend Dave Lamb.
The format follows four amateur chefs as they each host a three-course dinner party for the other contestants at their own home.
Competitors then rate the host's food and hosting skills at the end of each evening, with the highest-scoring chef winning R10,000 cash.
TVSA Show Page: Come Dine with Me South Africa 10
The Festive Pottery Throw Down 2024
Channel: BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174)
TX Time: 20h00
Genre: Reality Competition, Special
Siobhán McSweeney hosts a fabulously festive dollop of Christmas clay, as four celebs roll up their sleeves and take on two yuletide challenges set by judges Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller.
Babátúndé Aléshé, Martin Kemp, Rachel Riley and Tom Rosenthal take on some festive firing as they hand-build a winter wonderland and let it throw, let it throw, let it throw - wine coolers aplenty.
This year, the line-up will have to make a Winter Wonderland through a technique called "hand building".
They will then have to make as many wine coolers as possible within a time limit.
Carspotting
Channel: Discovery Family (DStv 136)
TX Time: 17h35
Genre: Reality Makeover, Reality, Motoring
A scrappy team of friends and relic-hunting rookies tries to break out among seasoned pros and establish a car-flipping business in a remote region of the Pacific Northwest.
Joined by best friend Niko Weaver, entrepreneurial brothers Carlos and Pedro Becerra scour the mountains, forests and farmlands of Northwest Washington for the holy grails of American muscle cars that have been left for dead.
Once the hidden gems are recovered, the team transports them back to their shop to access the damage before the down-and-dirty revitalisation work begins.
In the series premiere, "Woulda, Shoulda, 'Cuda": Carlos and his crew use a drone to locate a treasure trove of classic vehicles in a remote wooded area.
Also, Carlos has five weeks to turn a 1970 'Cuda into a $65,000 real-life Hot Wheels car.
Elway
Channel: Netflix South Africa
TX Time: 10h00
Genre: Documentary, Sport
Told in his own words, the definitive story of Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway goes deep on his NFL dreams, heartbreaks and Super Bowl redemption.
The film chronicles his early collegiate career success at Stanford through his 16 seasons as the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback.
Revisit "The Drive", early Super Bowl heartbreaks, and the ultimate redemption of back-to-back Super Bowls in this in-depth portrait of the defining moments and lasting legacy of the Hall of Fame quarterback.
Pilgrimage: The Road Through Portugal
Channel: BBC UKTV (DStv 134)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: Travel, Docu-Reality, Religion
Seven celebrities of differing faiths and beliefs set out on a modern-day pilgrimage in Portugal in celebration of reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary over 100 years ago.
Known as the Northern Way, their destination is the famous Sanctuary in the city of Fatima, where in 1917, three local shepherd children reported seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary.
Word of the apparent sightings soon spread and on the date of the Virgin's last apparition, tens of thousands of people were drawn to the site.
What they saw that day became known as the Miracle of the Sun, and the story made the international press.
Fatima, once a small village, is now one of the biggest Catholic pilgrimage destinations in the world.
Travelling by foot, road and train, are the following:
Actor
Su Pollard, who was raised in the Church of England;
Jewish actress
Rita Simons;
Pentecostal born again Christian,
Shane Lynch of Boyzone fame;
Reality TV star and influencer,
Vicky Pattison, who is agnostic;
Bobby Seagull, a practising Catholic, maths whizz and TV personality;
Nabil Abdulrashid, a comedian and practising Muslim;
and Paralympian skier
Millie Knight, who is non-practising Church of England.
Living as pilgrims, they begin their adventure in the border town of Valenca and over 14 days the celebrity pilgrims will follow the 364-kilometre path.