What's On TV Tonight: Sunday 7th December 2025
Sunday night's offering the lot tonight: a Doctor Who spin-off that's been brewing for years, the I'm a Celeb finale, and Tom Daley judging people's knitwear. Quite the spread for a December evening.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks: Tonight's Best
- The War Between the Land and the Sea - Russell T Davies' Doctor Who spin-off brings back the Sea Devils (8:30pm, BBC One) ⭐
- I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Final - The jungle crowns its 2025 King or Queen (9pm, ITV1)
- Apollo 1: Destination Moon - Gripping doc about the astronauts who never made it (9:30pm, Channel 4)
- Game of Wool: Britain's Best Knitter - Quarter-final lace lampshade chaos (8:30pm, Channel 4)
Early Evening: Family Viewing (6pm - 8pm)
Kingdom - BBC One, 6:55pm
The real-life animal drama reaches its penultimate episode, and things are getting emotional. The lion pride's stronger than ever while the hyenas dwindle under new leadership. Meanwhile, ageing leopard Olimba's wounded and facing what looks like one final, difficult challenge.
David Attenborough's done his thing narrating nature docs for decades, but there's something about following the same animals week after week that hits different. You actually care about these creatures now.
A Warwick Castle Christmas - ITV1, 7pm
Feeling stressed about your own Christmas prep? Watch the Warwick Castle staff attempt to build an ice rink at medieval scale. Mel Giedroyc handles voiceover duties, which means plenty of gentle mickey-taking as the good-natured team scramble to get everything festive sorted.
It's exactly the kind of light-hearted behind-the-scenes stuff that works on a Sunday evening. No drama, just nice people trying not to mess up their ice rink.
The Great Escapers - ITV1, 6:05pm
How do The Chase's most intimidating quizzers spend their downtime? Mark Labbett, Jenny Ryan, and Shaun Wallace are in sun-drenched Rhodes trying to curate the perfect holiday. Despite their competitive instincts, it ends up being surprisingly heartwarming. The Beast building sandcastles wasn't on my 2025 bingo card, but here we are.
Prime Time: Sci-Fi and Reality (8pm onwards)
The War Between the Land and the Sea - BBC One, 8:30pm ⭐
Russell T Davies has finally delivered what Whovians have wanted for years: a proper spin-off with real stakes. The Sea Devils - last seen during Jodie Whittaker's run - have emerged from the ocean, and they're absolutely furious about what humanity's done to their home with our oil addiction.
UNIT's got a big job on their hands. Russell Tovey plays Barclay, a clerk who's somehow ended up on a diplomatic mission to meet the creatures through what sounds like spectacular administrative cock-up. It's equal parts environmental warning and invasion epic, which is very RTD.
The Sea Devils always looked brilliant - those stringy heads and unblinking eyes - and from what's been teased, they've had a visual upgrade. Expect plenty of Easter eggs pointing to Doctor Who's next phase, but this stands on its own two webbed feet.
Game of Wool: Britain's Best Knitter - Channel 4, 8:30pm
Quarter-final time, and Tom Daley's putting his contestants through the wringer. The team challenge involves creating lace lampshades, which sounds innocuous until you realise every single imperfection gets exposed the moment someone flicks the switch on.
There's something genuinely tense about watching talented crafters face that "light test moment of truth." You can hide dodgy stitching in a jumper. You cannot hide anything in a lampshade.
I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Final - ITV1, 9pm
The jungle madness comes to an end as someone gets crowned. Ant and Dec will milk every dramatic pause, someone will cry, and millions will debate whether the right person won. Same ritual, different year.
If you've made it this far with the series, you're committed now. Grab snacks. It's going to be a long one.
Late Night: For the Night Owls (9:30pm onwards)
Apollo 1: Destination Moon - Channel 4, 9:30pm
This one's heavy. The story of Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee - three astronauts who should've walked on the moon but lost their lives in 1967 during an ill-fated launch rehearsal. The Saturn 1B spacecraft was, by multiple accounts, a disaster waiting to happen.
The doc examines how the accident occurred and what ripple effects it had on later space exploration. If you're into space history, it's essential viewing. Just don't expect to feel uplifted afterwards.
Strictly Come Dancing: The Results - BBC One, 7:45pm
Week 11 results mean we're getting close to the finals now. Someone's going home, and if last night's dancing was any indication, it could be anyone. The tension's ramping up as the remaining celebs get more desperate and the judges get pickier.
If You're Not Into Sci-Fi Invasions
Doctor Who: The Sea Devils - BBC Four, 7pm
Classic Who fans get a treat: the original 1972 Sea Devils serial that inspired tonight's spin-off. Jon Pertwee's Doctor faces off against the creatures for the first time. Dated effects, brilliant dialogue, and Roger Delgado's Master at his scheming finest.
Live Snooker: UK Championship - BBC Two, 7pm
The final's second session from York. If the first session was close, this could go deep into the night. Dedicated snooker fans know what they're in for.
What's on Streaming
Prime Video - Under the Stars dropped recently if you fancy a Puglia-set rom-com with Toni Collette stealing every scene from the actual leads.
Sky Cinema Premiere - The Alto Knights at 9:45pm has Robert De Niro playing two different mob bosses. Barry Levinson directing, Nicholas Pileggi writing. You know what you're getting.
Sky Arts - My Fair Lady at 4pm for Audrey Hepburn in George Cukor's Lerner and Loewe musical. Classic Sunday afternoon fare.
The Viewing Schedule Table
| Time | Channel | Programme | What It Is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:05pm | ITV1 | The Great Escapers | Chasers on holiday |
| 6:55pm | BBC One | Kingdom | Wildlife drama |
| 7:00pm | ITV1 | A Warwick Castle Christmas | Festive behind-scenes |
| 7:00pm | BBC Four | Doctor Who: The Sea Devils | Classic Who |
| 7:00pm | BBC Two | Live Snooker | UK Championship Final |
| 7:45pm | BBC One | Strictly Results | Week 11 elimination |
| 8:30pm | BBC One | The War Between the Land and the Sea | Doctor Who spin-off |
| 8:30pm | Channel 4 | Game of Wool | Knitting quarter-final |
| 9:00pm | ITV1 | I'm a Celebrity Final | Jungle finale |
| 9:30pm | Channel 4 | Apollo 1 | Space tragedy doc |
Final Verdict
Sunday's a treat if you're a sci-fi fan. The War Between the Land and the Sea is the main event - RTD bringing back the Sea Devils with Russell Tovey and an environmental message feels bang on for where Doctor Who's heading. But there's depth beyond the headline: Apollo 1's tragic story deserves attention, and if you've been following Kingdom's lion pride all series, tonight's penultimate episode might get emotional. The I'm a Celeb finale will dominate social media whether you watch it or not. Solid Sunday all round.
Nick Bain writes about television for TVGuide1.co.uk