Vera Virgin Media One, 9pm
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end – including hit crime dramas. Yes, after more than 13 years on our screens, Vera has reached the end of the road; the 14th series will be its last. After this, we will no longer be venturing to Northumberland in the north east of England to watch grisly murders being solved. If this was real life, DCI Vera Stanhope would have retired years ago – Brenda Blethyn, who has breathed life into the character created by bestselling novelist Ann Cleeves, will turn 79 in February. In the end, it was the Oscar-nominated star who called time on the series.
“Working on Vera has been a joy from beginning to end and I’m sad to be saying ‘cheerio’,” says Blethyn. “But I am so proud of our achievements over the last 14 years. “I’ll be forever grateful to the wonderful Ann Cleeves who created Vera, and to (producer) Elaine Collins who saw fit to cast me in the role. The producers, dream cast and crew have been fabulous and I’m going to miss them, but I won’t forget their huge talent, the camaraderie, laughter or kindness we shared, nor the friendship of the people of the north east and our fans worldwide.”
Kevin Whately, Shobna Gulati, Cathy Tyson and Amanda Root are among the guest stars in the opening episode, which sees Vera distracted from a life-changing decision by the murder of an ex-con found in the River Tyne.
The Great New Year Bake Off 2024/25
The Great New Year Bake Off 2024/25 Channel 4, 7.40pm
Bakers from previous series re-enter the tent to do battle once more in a seasonal special. Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond host, while Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood are the judges.
The Claremont Murders RTÉ2, 9.40
New two-part Australian crime drama based on a true story, charting the 25-year hunt for a serial killer. Ryan Johnson and Catherine Van-Davies star.
Jack the Ripper: Lucy Worsley Investigates
Jack the Ripper: Lucy Worsley Investigates BBC Two, 9pm
In her new series, the historian doesn’t re-investigate the murderer’s crimes in an attempt to identify him, but focuses on how newspaper coverage of the killings changed reporting forever.
The African Queen TG4, 10am
Wonderful romantic adventure based on CS Forester’s novel, featuring an Oscar-winning performance from Humphrey Bogart. He plays a drunken boat captain who dices with death during a dangerous journey, spurred on by a prim missionary (Katharine Hepburn).
Michael Collins
Michael Collins RTÉ2, 9.35pm
Director Neil Jordan’s drama focuses on Collins’s real-life rise to prominence during the 1916 Easter Rising, as well as his eventual fall from grace. Liam Neeson plays him, while Julia Roberts, Alan Rickman and Aidan Quinn also appear.
RuPaul’s Drag Race WOW Presents Plus, streaming now Did you know that WOW Presents Plus is the only streaming service with ALL of Drag Race? Season 17 lands with 14 new contestants, including Hormona Lisa, Lana Ja’Rae and Onya Nurve.
Selling the City
Selling the City Netflix, streaming now
If you’re looking for a bit of property-related dramarama to counteract the relative grittiness of Missing You, behold the new NYC-based spin-off in Netflix’s Selling… franchise!
The Rig Prime Video, streaming now
Season two kicks off with helicopters taking the surviving crew of the Kinloch Bravo to a bold new location — where new supernatural dangers await them.
Don’t Die
Don’t Die Netflix, streaming now
Meet tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, a man who’s determined not to die any time soon. In fact, he’s dedicated his life to defying the ageing process. So extreme are his practices that filmmaker Chris Smith (the man responsible for giving us Fyre and 100 Foot Wave) has made this documentary following Johnson’s controversial wellness practices. Between necking a reported 100 pills per day, not consuming any food after 11am and denying himself a drop of alcohol or anything resembling a social life… one could wonder if Johnson is living at all. Moreover, what impact does Bryan’s all-consuming, alleged $2m-a-year quest for immortality have on those around him? For instance, his teenage son, whose plasma he’s siphoned…
