Apparitions

BBC One, 9pm

Apparitions has had a hard time of it. It got off to a promising start, when more than 4.5 million people tuned in to watch Father Martin Shaw do battle with the Devil. But the critics — an evil and ungodly lot at the best of times — laid into it. By the time it came to the second episode, viewers had decided that the Devil was having a lot more fun over on ITV1 in I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. This, then, is your last chance to join in before good finally triumphs. So, vestments on, crucifixes at the ready. Altogether now, on the count of three; one. two. three. “THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!”

Fat Teens in Love

ITV1, 9pm

Whichever way you try to look at it, it is no fun being a fat teenager. One 17-year-old girl in the programme describes herself as “big and ugly . . . I don’t think boys see me at all”. Another sees herself as “a massive pumpkin”. Instead of succumbing to adolescent despair and self-hatred, a group of overweight teenagers go to a weight-loss camp where therapy plays an important role. Ian Carter, the director of the camp, says: “One of the things that happens during camp is they suddenly start to develop that confidence about themselves and the way they look.

They start to develop friendships with each other.” It’s a righteous circle — the more weight they lose, the more self-assured they become and the more their health improves.

Jamie Cooks Christmas

Channel 4, 9pm

Forget all the other cookery programmes. This is the one to watch. Jamie makes the definitive mulled wine with the usual clobber — cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, lemon and lime zest. He uses the same spices to cook a ham, which gets finished in the oven with marmalade. He demonstrates a straightforward turkey recipe, and with the leftover meat he knocks up a turkey-and- leek pie. He deconstructs truffles, flavours popcorn with spices, and assembles a Christmas sundae. The food looked so stunning that, at the end of each day’s filming, the crew would go off and cook the recipes for themselves. Now that’s a result.

Lead Balloon

BBC Two, 10pm

One of the many pleasures of Lead Balloon is the strength and diversity of the ensemble cast. Although the series revolves around the childish egotism of Rick (Jack Dee), everyone else — including the children — behave like grown-ups dealing with a fractious child. His wife reasons with Rick. His writing partner mocks him. Magda suffers him. His daughter and her boyfriend exploit or ignore him. Rick’s behaviour, on its own, would be ridiculous and self-defeating. Surrounded by the eccentric sanity of a superb supporting cast, it is funny and vulnerable and endearing.

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