The Olympic cyclist puts together an inspirational plan to raise funds for cancer sufferers. Plus: Monica Dolan reads Jane Austen. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, BBC One
This inspiring film follows Chris Hoy as he formulates a constructive and defiant response to his terminal cancer diagnosis. Glasgow: the Tour de Four is a bike ride that smashed its fundraising target of £1m for charity and proves that a medical prognosis doesn’t need to be the end. Famous friends, including Andy Murray and Jason Kenny, are around to lend a hand. Phil Harrison

This precision-crafted Belfast police drama is a tense, thrilling watch that’s rich with detail. Has there ever been a more terrifying cliffhanger than it served up this season?

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There haven’t been many police dramas quite like Blue Lights. While it might feel as if you’re simply watching a superior spin on a generic format – the gritty, urban cop show – Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson’s Belfast-set thriller is actually an outlier. Paradoxically, police procedurals usually work as entertainment because the police defy the procedures. The rule-breaking maverick cop is among the sturdiest of all TV archetypes. Blue Lights is the opposite. It works so brilliantly because it’s a stickler for the rules. It has to be.

Rule-breaking mavericks generally come a cropper in Blue Lights. Shane (Frank Blake) nearly loses his career because of some shady evidence-gathering via a mobile phone. When Aisling (Dearbháile McKinney) pays an after-hours visit to a domestic violence suspect, catches him abusing his wife and arrests him, she doesn’t get a pat on the back; she is suspended for behaving like a vigilante.

Colin the Caterpillar gets a tasty revamp. Plus: Romesh Ranganathan raps in New York City’s Union Square. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, ITV1
Marks & Spencer’s product development team are nothing short of miraculous, especially when it comes to party food. This year’s festive treats include fish-and-chip-inspired canapes and a “Christmas cracker” Colin the Caterpillar (think the classic Colin, just jazzier). Plus, the bestselling classic panettone gets a fresh update. Hollie Richardson

Chloe Hadjimatheou, who broke the story about the bestselling memoir, continues her investigation. Plus: a silly thriller romp with a fun cast. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Sky Documentaries
It was the literary scandal of the year: the Observer alleged that the author of the bestselling memoir The Salt Path, Raynor Winn, hadn’t been entirely truthful in telling the tale – which was made into a film – of financial ruin, her husband, Moth’s, terminal illness and natural healing. Since then, more people have come forward with their version of events. Reporter Chloe Hadjimatheou continues to piece together the exposé that shocked and saddened a nation. Hollie Richardson

The Clueless icon plays an aggressive lawyer in sinister series Irish Blood. Plus: Ant and Dec’s ridiculous new challenge show. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Sky Witness

From Judi Dench’s very naughty tea with Kenneth Branagh to the Peep Show Bake Off special – including Olivia Colman! – here’s your definitive guide to the best holiday viewing. Bring it on

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The smash hit sci-fi nostalgia-fest reaches the end game on Boxing Day – so brace yourself for blockbuster whoppers. Plus: Ethan Hawke is a dirt-digging ‘truthstorian’ in a quirky drama full of heart – and more Emily in Paris!

The concluding episodes of the Duffer brothers’ smash-hit coming-of-age, sci-fi nostalgia-fest (maybe the secret of the show’s success is how many genres it manages to incorporate?) will be dropping all over the festive season – and they are blockbuster whoppers. Devotees will be up bright and early on Boxing Day for episodes five to seven (the finale airs on New Year’s Day). Events are dominated by Will’s new powers, which present a massive threat to Vecna. But why is Vecna so wary of the cave in which Max is hiding? As the finale looms, the past and present are set to fall into place – and the now visibly twentysomething cast will be able to move on with their lives.
Netflix, from Boxing Day

Amber, George, Balvinder and Karen battle it out for a chance at the glitterball trophy. Plus: get in the spirit with some festive bangers. Here’s what to watch this evening

6.35pm, BBC One

Stand Up to Cancer kicks off with unexpected Hollywood stars … and the beloved ‘hundys’ from The Celebrity Traitors. Plus: all-out luxury (and the best cheeses) at a Mayfair hotel. Here’s what to watch this evening

7.30pm, Channel 4
Davina McCall launches a run of programmes with the fight against cancer at their heart – including a Gogglebox special at 9.10pm with Kieran Culkin and Jazz Charton, Josh Hartnett and Tamsin Egerton, and Nick Mohammed and Joe Marler. Before that, there’s a documentary at 8pm from inside a cancer clinic at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge, following patients and their families on their journeys through testing, diagnosis and treatment. It aims to offer an insight into the clinical and emotional experience of this disease. Phil Harrison

Harry and six other public figures will have their day in court in January. Plus: Celia Imrie investigates Hitchcock’s Psycho. Here’s what to watch this evening

8pm, Channel 4
Expect legal fireworks in January as the case launched by Prince Harry (along with six other public figures including Doreen Lawrence and Elton John) against Associated Newspapers gets under way. This documentary presented by Cathy Newman offers a primer to the case – which involves accusations of phone hacking and bugging. Phil Harrison

A documentary about the cover-up of barrister John Smyth, who subjected more than 100 boys to abuse. Plus: Ellie Taylor’s standup special. Here’s what to watch this evening

9pm, Channel 4
This devastating two-part documentary details the crimes of John Smyth, a barrister involved in conservative evangelical Christian camps. Over the course of four decades, Smyth subjected more than 100 boys to horrific sexual and physical abuse. Why wasn’t he stopped? Witnesses, including his victims and his own children, speak about life in close proximity to this monstrous man – and about the cover-up that meant he never faced justice. Phil Harrison

The big-name US talkshow host goes all Fab Four superfan in this historical take on the lives of John, Paul, George and Ringo. Plus, Naomi Fry delivers a rich deep dive into The Doors’ legacy

The popular show’s two-part special on the Fab Four has, bizarrely, prompted its Beatles sceptic co-host Dominic Sandbrook to refuse to appear. But his mega-starry replacement is Conan O’Brien, in for an engaging chat with Tom Holland through the career of John, Paul, George and Ringo. Their USP? Says Holland: “We’re a history podcast rather than a music podcast so we need to make the case that the Beatles are significant historically.” Alexi Duggins
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