Telly highlights: From quiz shows to war history

Telly Today choices for December 4th…

BBC One

The road to the Glitterball begins in earnest this Saturday night, as the remaining couples take to the ballroom floor live for the Quarter Final. The show opens with a dazzling group number from our Strictly professionals before the celebs and their pro dance partner make their bid for another week in the competition with some first-class performances.

This week AJ & Kai will Salsa to Rhythm Is Gonna Get You/Get On Your Feet by Gloria Estefan while Rose & Giovanni do an American Smooth to This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole.

It’s a Tango for Dan & Nadiya who perform it to Santa Maria by Gotan Project, John & Johannes will Salsa to the Sister Sledge hit We Are Family while Rhys & Nancy offer up an Argentine Tango performed to In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins.

Strictly Come Dancing, 6.40 pm

Sky Cinema

Neil Patrick Harris stars in a humorous and heartfelt look back at the adventures of childhood. It’s 1980-something and all nine-year-old Jake Doyle wants for Christmas is a Nintendo Entertainment System.

No Jose Canseco rookie card, no GI Joe hovercraft, no Teddy friggin’ Ruxpin—just Nintendo. But when a hyperactive Shih Tzu is accidentally crushed to death by a forty-two-inch television set and every parent in town blames Nintendo, it’s up to Jake to take matters into his own hands.

Also starring Steve Zahn, Winslow Fegley, June Diane Raphael, Cyrus Arnold, and Sophia Reid-Gantzert.

8-Bit Christmas available from today

Channel 4

In every battle of every war there’s a defining time when victory is seized. In this series, military history enthusiast Dermot O’Leary is joined by ex-Royal Marine Arthur Williams, and historian and battlefield guide Lucy Betteridge-Dyson. Together they unpick the two crucial days that secured victory in some of Britain’s most important battles.

In the first episode, they tackle Dunkirk and two key days during the evacuation of British soldiers that prevented a German triumph. The heroic actions of one ship, HMS Worcester, act as a window into the wider story of the safe retreat of thousands of men. Dermot meets a survivor of Dunkirk – 91-year-old Regine Grey, who was one of the tiny number of civilians who escaped.

Lucy follows in the footsteps of soldiers, visiting the Mole (sea defences) where men were rescued; exploring a bombed ship; and unearthing the story of Captain Ervine Andrews, whose men kept the Germans at bay for 10 hours.

48 Hours to Victory, 7.40 pm

Channel 5

Gold: this expensive precious metal has seduced humans since the dawn of time.

For thousands of years, it has set the standard for luxury, power and success. This series takes viewers inside the wonderful world of gold, from the mines to the marketplace. It uncovers the secrets of luxury designers, the world’s most expensive shops and discovers the truth about Britain’s billion-pound bullion.

This second episode uncovers the secrets of Britain’s elite jewellery shops, goes behind the scenes in the UK’s most prestigious gold institutions and discovers the truth behind Britain’s biggest gold heists.

The Wonderful World of Gold, 6.40 pm

ITV

At the moment you can’t escape I’m A Celebrity, and if you like your ‘say what you see’ game show free from it, then this week you’ll be greatly disappointed as Stephen Mulhern hosts an ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’ special of the classic game show.

Former jungle contestants include Sair Khan, Jordan North and Lisa Snowdon.

All three will be thankfully they have no bush tucker trials to deal with and instead its as simple as trying to guess the well-known phrases from the animated clues. If they can ‘say what they see’ they could get the chance to win a £50,000 jackpot for their chosen charity.

Catchphrase, 7.15 pm