BBC Wales unwraps treats for Christmas from all over Wales

Published: 30 November 2016

For viewers stuck in a rut with Christmas cooking Michela Chiappa’s Welsh-Italian Christmas is sure to provide culinary inspiration. Starting with her own traditional family Christmases in Merthyr Tydfil, Michela travels across Wales to find the very best dishes for the ultimate Welsh-Italian feast. She also invites all her fellow Welsh-Italians to enjoy a festive meal inspired by their own recipes but with her own twist.

In an innovative digital extra the first programme will be followed by a Facebook Live Cook-a-long with Michela herself where viewers can have a go at a simple Christmas dish.

Hollywood actor Ioan Gruffudd comes back to Wales and uncovers emotional family secrets and ancient royal connections in Ioan Gruffudd: Coming Home.

Katherine Jenkins returns for Katherine Jenkins: Home For Christmas. The programme will feature highlights from her December performance at Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall, with a few surprises in store for some of her biggest Welsh fans.

On Christmas Eve, Nicola Heywood Thomas presents the Wales Arts Review 2016 and looks back at an ambitious year in Welsh arts, including Roald Dahl’s City of The Unexpected, a summer of art inspired by Wales’ success at the Euros, and contributions from Wales’ most exciting writers and artists.

With world-class dramas made in Wales at the centre of the BBC One Christmas schedule there are two big hitters to look out for. The much anticipated return of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in Sherlock sees the nation’s favourite detective return to television screens.

The Doctor Who Christmas Special, also filmed and produced in Wales, is now a festive tradition for many fans. The Doctor is back on screen for the first time in a year, as Peter Capaldi joins forces with an investigative journalist and a superhero in a bid to save New York in brand new Doctor Who, The Return Of Doctor Mysterio.

Boxing Day is a treat for sport fans on BBC Two Wales. Ross Harries presents live coverage of the season’s first Pro12 festive derby on Scrum V Live: Blues v Dragons. Sean Holley and Martyn Williams will join Ross in studio with commentary from Gareth Charles and Jonathan Davies.

Following the rugby action Wales On Top Of The World takes a look back at a magnificent year for Welsh sport. Narrated by Eddie Butler and with exclusive interviews from Neil Taylor, Hal Robson-Kanu, Aled Siôn Davies, Robert Davies, Jazz Carlin, Becky James and Jade Jones, the programme tells the very personal stories behind these extraordinary achievements.

SJ3