TV tonight: relive the thrilling drama of the Paris 2024 Olympics


The Heart of the Paris Games

10pm, BBC Four

Céline Dion’s triumphant return on the Eiffel Tower. The super-swimmer Léon Marchand’s four gold medals. Raygun’s zero-point-scoring but internet-winning breakdancing. The equestrianism enthusiasts Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart hanging out. The Olympics provided the most thrilling TV event of the summer. This two-part documentary (shown back to back) by the film-makers Jules and Gédéon Naudet invites us to relive the high drama, with behind-the-scenes footage showing what went into making the 2024 games so special. Hollie Richardson

Sports Personality of the Year

7pm, BBC One

To Salford, where the BBC’s annual celebration of sport will be devoid of Gary Lineker for the first time in years. Instead, Gabby Logan, Clare Balding and Alex Scott will do the honours, handing the award to one of the stars on the shortlist of six that includes the runner Keely Hodgkinson, the darts prodigy Luke Littler and England’s leading Test run-scorer, Joe Root. Phil Harrison

Martin Lewis: How to Win at Board Games

8pm, ITV1

Martin Lewis, the MoneySavingExpert in a park in London near his home

Not satisfied with making the country more financially savvy, the personal-finance whiz is now showing us all the ways to master family games night. A self-confessed board-game obsessive, Lewis will outline the crucial tactics required to win classics such as Connect 4 and Monopoly – with money lessons weaved in, of course. Nicole Vassell

Hotel Chocolat at Christmas

9pm, Channel 4

There is no such thing as “winding down for Christmas” for this confectioner. Instead, as this documentary details, the seasonal aim is to sell 50m individual chocolate products. This endeavour is most enchantingly Wonka-esque in the “inventing room”, where an alcoholic mint-chocolate drink and a three-layered cranberry treat are among the temptations. Ellen E Jones

Christmas on the Farm

9pm, Channel 5

Helen Skelton, JB Gill and Jules Hudson are back in South Yorkshire to shine a light on local festive traditions in food, crafts music and more. Their Cannon Hall Farm hosts, Rob and Dave Nicholson, return from a trip to Finland and decide to give the family tractor a seasonal glow-up. Graeme Virtue

Live at the Apollo: Christmas Special

9.45pm, BBC Two

More standup fun as this late-evening perennial continues. Dan Tiernan makes bracing comedy out of his sexuality and dyspraxia, while John Kearns mines the everyday for humour and wonder, touching on everything from daytime TV to boiled potatoes. Judi Love is our compere for the night. PH


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