Christmas TV preview: a host of great shows to watch over the holidays

Evicted At Christmas
Monday, TV3, 9pm
Losing your home is traumatic at any time of the year, but being put out on the street during the festive season seems crueler still. Evicted At Christmas follows three families who are desperately trying to keep a roof over their heads so Santa will have somewhere to land his sleigh. Ciara O'Reilly is a separated mother of one who has been left with an unsustainable mortgage and a bank that's more like a brick wall. Meanwhile, in Cork, "Jillian", also separated, is due in court over her mortgage arrears, and is terrified she and her five children will be homeless at Christmas.

A Simply Delicious Christmas with Darina Allen and Rory O'Connell
Tuesday, RTÉ One, 8pm; Wednesday, RTÉ One, 7.30pm
Only a few days left till Christmas, and you still haven't sorted out the blimmin' festive food. Don't panic – help is at hand from two old hands at the Christmas cooking game. A Simply Delicious Christmas with Darina Allen and Rory O'Connell was such a big hit when it aired last year, the sibling chefs have decided to do it again this year, with two consecutive programmes just to get you well prepared for entertaining this Christmas. Darina and Rory will show you in their no-nonsense style (and with just a little sibling rivalry) how to make turkey liver pate, onion marmalade, chocolate yule log, prawns mayonnaise, roast duck with orange and traditional sherry trifle.

Red Rock
Wednesday, TV3, 8.30pm
In January, a gritty new Irish soap crashed onto our screens and smashed the ratings. Now, as it approaches its first birthday, Red Rock is moving inexorably towards an explosive climax and a shocking death to close the year. The Kielys are facing their first Christmas without Darren, and Vincent, angry at the justice system, plans revenge. The tension is going to be unbearable this Christmas – brilliant!

Higher Hopes
Wednesday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm
In 2014, RTÉ chronicled the fortunes of the High Hopes Choir, a Dublin choir whose members consisted of homeless people, or people affected by homelessness. Having set up a Waterford branch of the choir, renowned director David Brophy is now setting up a Cork ensemble, and RTÉ's cameras are back to document the new adventure in Higher Hopes. Brophy's super-choir, an amalgam of the Dublin, Waterford and Cork choirs, performs at Áras an Uachtaráin in front of President Michael D Higgins, takes the stage at Electric Picnic, and teams up with Christy Moore to record a new version of Fairytale of New York. At this time of the year, when homeless figures are rising by the hour, this is a timely reality check.

Carols from Áras an Uachtaráin
Christmas Eve, RTÉ One, 6.15pm
President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina won't mind a few carol singers at the door of their Phoenix Park home, especially when they include Imelda May, Iarla Ó Lionáird and Mick Flannery. Carols from Áras an Uachtaráin does exactly what it says on the tin: Mary Kennedy presents a star-studded evening of song, laughter and good cheer (here's hoping Imelda sits on Michael D's knee and does Santa Baby). Throw in the kids from Rutland Street National School and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and it sounds a lot like Christmas.

Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas Specials
Christmas Eve, RTÉ One, 9pm; New Year's Eve, RTÉ One, 10.15pm
Christmas is that wonderful time of the year when we can put aside highbrow programmes and binge on good, old-fashioned Crimbo telly. And it doesn't get more old-fashioned than the Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas Specials. In the first, Agnes wants one thing for Christmas – not peace on earth, but peace at home. But her dream is shattered by carol singers on her doorstep. This is comedy as broad as the Phoenix Park, but it's so much more fun than watching Alan Yentob banging on.

The Al Porter Show
Christmas Eve, RTÉ2, 9.45pm
There's more old-school entertainment in store from Ireland's youngest new comedy star. The Al Porter Show is a variety show in the old tradition, filmed at Dublin's Olympia Theatre, and featuring singing, dancing, comedy sketches, gags and special guests. Time-warp telly indeed.

Doctor Who
Christmas Day, BBC One, 5.15pm
Agnes Brown isn't the only one driven demented by carol singers. But at least Doctor Who can jump into his Tardis and put several light years between him and the Christmas tat, though not even he can escape the gravitational pull of the season. In his 11th Christmas special since the series was revived in 2005, the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is reunited with River Song (Alex Kingston) and has his holiday plans threatened by a giant robot and a starliner full of galactic villains. A funny old man in a long coat zooming around space-time in a police phone box – we believe.

Queen of Ireland's Christmas Message
Christmas Day, TV3, 3pm
Forget the Queen's speech, Panti Bliss delivers the Queen of Ireland's Christmas Message, reflecting on the social changes of the past year and looking forward to a fabulous 2016. Then she's joined by celebrity guests for Panti Does 2015 (St Stephen's Day, RTÉ Two, 10.55pm) for a trawl through the year's highlights and low points.

Stick Man
Christmas Day, BBC One, 4.45pm
Two favourite children's book characters come to life this Christmas: one is a sticklike tree-dweller and the other is a slimy subterranean creature (Fungus the Bogeyman, December 27th, see below). Stick Man is created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler, the writer and illustrator who brought us The Gruffalo. Stick Man (voiced by Martin Freeman) is lost and finds himself in some sticky situations. Can he get back to his pining stick family in time for Christmas? Help may come from above.

U2: Innocence + Experience Live in Paris
Christmas Day, RTÉ Two, 11.10pm
On November 14th, U2 were due to perform in Paris, but the concert was postponed in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the French capital the night before. U2: Innocence + Experience Live in Paris (Christmas Day, RTÉ Two, 11.10pm) captures the Dublin foursome's rescheduled show, in the round, with a 118ft walkway and a 100ft LED screen. Tracks from their acclaimed album Songs of Innocence (they've been forgiven for dropping it into our iTunes) blend with classics from their 35-year recording career.

And Then There Were None
St Stephen's Day, BBC One, 9pm
Fancy a good murder mystery? And Then There Were None remains Agatha Christie's most successful crime novel. This three-part adaptation pulls out all the stops and ratchets up the suspense as, one by one, 10 guests on a remote island retreat are picked off. The cast includes Sam Neill, Charles Dance, Douglas Booth, Miranda Richardson and Aidan Turner. Parts two and three are on December 27th and 28th.

Downton Abbey – The Finale
St Stephen's Day, TV3, 9pm
The long-running TV smash reaches its finally conclusion, and hopefully, a few loose ends will be sewn up along the way, including the fate of Lady Edith's love life, as the Crawley family and their staff celebrate Christmas 1925.

Fab! The Night The Beatles Came to Dublin
Sunday, December 27th, RTÉ One,8pm
In early November 1963, John, Paul, George and Ringo arrived in Dublin for two concerts at Dublin's Adelphi Cinema. Those who were there share their memories of these unforgettable nights.

Fungus the Bogeyman
Sunday, December 27th, Sky One, 6pm
Fungus the Bogeyman is the smelly creation of Raymond Briggs, the man behind The Snowman, and features an all-star cast led by Timothy Spall, with narration by Andy Serkis.

Harry Price: Ghost Hunter
Sunday, December 27th, UTV Ireland, 8.30pm
Inspired by a real-life psychical investigator, this feature-length tale stars Rafe Spall as Price, whose ailing career receives a much-needed shot in the arm when a politician asks him to look into a suspected haunting at his home.

Luke Kelly: Prince of the City
Tuesday, December 29th, RTÉ One, 9.30pm
Luke Kelly of The Dubliners was one of Ireland's finest folk singers, a one-man musical archive who performed with passion and power, but died before he could reap the rewards of greatness. This film looks at Kelly's enormous musical legacy, with contributions and music from fellow Dubliner John Sheahan, along with Imelda May, Glen Hansard, Declan O'Rourke and Damien Dempsey.

Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough
Wednesday, December 30th, BBC One, 9pm
The broadcaster first visited Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 1957, fliming everything in black-and-white; in this three-part series, the intrepid wildlife adventurer returns to use the latest techniques to get a closer look at the natural wonder.

NewYear's Eve Live
New Year's Eve, RTÉ One, 11pm
Kathryn Thomas and Keith Walsh are at the 3Arena in Dublin for this year's bash, featuring The Coronas, Fatboy Slim and Ryan Sheridan and more. And if you don't like the sound of the The Rubberbandits are over on the other State channel (The Rubberbandits Guide To 1916, RTÉ 2, 11pm) offering their own perspective on the key moments in Ireland's history. And for those who prefer the music to the blather, Jool's Annual Hootananny (BBC Two, 11,10pm) will feature Jess Glynne, Paul Weller and a host of others singing in the NewYear.

Sherlock
New Year's Day, BBC One, 9pm
Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman return to their period roots for his latest case, which is set in Victorian London. Holmes and Watson are on the trail of a menace from beyond the grave – but is everything as it seems? Well, no, obviously.