BOXING DAY: 9 festive treats to watch on television today

Today is the day for eating turkey sandwiches and finishing off the last of the mince pies in front of the box. 

Here are 11 programmes and films to watch today in between naps on the sofa. 

Boxing Day

West Side Stories - The Making of a Classic (BBC2, 5.20pm)

West Side Story is one of the best-loved musicals of all time, with its timeless story (based on Romeo and Juliet) and exhilarating dance and music continuing to excite audiences around the globe. Songs such as Maria, Somewhere, Tonight and America have become some of the biggest hits in showbusiness and yet the musical had an uneasy birth and was even turned away by producers when it was first put together in the 1950s. In this documentary, Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli and Radio 3 presenter Suzy Klein examine the origins of West Side Story, which brought together the talents of Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Jerome Robbins.

Revolting Rhymes (BBC1, 6.30pm)

It's been a year of celebration for Roald Dahl fans. Various events have taken place to mark the centenary of his birth, including a variety of TV tributes. While he certainly lived a remarkable life full of adventure, drama and tragedy, it's his work for children keeping him in the public eye. Now the BBC has breathed new life into his much-loved 1982 poetry collection Revolting Rhymes. What's more, it's rather brilliantly used Quentin Blake's original illustrations as its inspiration. This two-part animation throws together the age-old fairy tales Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs, gives them a mischievous twist and comes up with something that the entire family will love. Dominic West, David Walliams, Rob Brydon and Tamsin Greig are among the vocal cast.

Still Open All Hours (BBC1, 8.30pm)

Granville and Gastric find themselves playing marriage counsellors, while Leroy adopts a festive disguise to avoid relationship trouble of a different kind. Meanwhile, Mrs Featherstone struggles to get into the Christmas spirit and Kath attempts to bring the street together as one harmonious choir of carollers to beat Finkle Street once and for all - but does Granville have a trick up his sleeve to help them out? David Jason, Tim Healy, James Baxter and Stephanie Cole star in a festive instalment of the shopkeeping comedy.

The Witness for the Prosecution (BBC1, 9pm)

To say it originates from an oh-so-brief 23-page short story by Agatha Christie, this tale really has got legs. It's been turned into a film by none other than Billy Wilder and adapted for TV many times, most famously in a 1982 version starring Ralph Richardson. Now it's back on the small screen this Christmas, with a script penned by Sarah Phelps, who wrote last year's festive Christie drama, And Then There Were None. The plot focuses on Leonard Vole, a young chancer accused of murdering the enormously wealthy Emily French; as she has left her fortune to Vole, he certainly had a motive. He believes his lover, chorus girl Romaine, will get him off the hook, but he's in for a terrible surprise... Toby Jones, Andrea Riseborough, Kim Cattrall and David Haig take lead roles.

The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2016 (Channel 4, 9pm)

Richard Ayoade, Rob Delaney, Mel Giedroyc, Sarah Millican, David Mitchell and Romesh Ranganathan battle it out as Jimmy Carr hosts the annual comedy quiz to determine which of his guests has their finger firmly on the pulse of modern life. The host receives help from the likes of Jon Snow, Charles Dance, the children of Mitchell Brook Primary School, a host of celebrity question-setters and some surprise guests as they take in everything from the US presidential election to Boaty McBoatface.

Captain Phillips (ITV, 9.00pm) Premiere

Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) kisses his wife Andrea (Catherine Keener) goodbye and takes charge of his cargo vessel, the Maersk Alabama, bound for Mombasa, Kenya. Somali pirates led by Muse (Barkhad Abdi) board the vessel and Phillips conceals his crew below deck in the engine room while he takes charge of the situation. Faced with threats of violence from Muse, Phillips puts himself in harm's way to ensure the safety of every man on board, but the stand-off spirals out of control. Based on the book by Richard Phillips and Stephan Talty, Captain Phillips is a nerve-racking thriller that fully deserved its six Oscar nominations. Hanks is flawless and Abdi delivers a striking supporting performance, adding depth and complexity to a role that could easily have been a caricature.

The Entire Universe (BBC2, 9.30pm)

Professor Brian Cox and Eric Idle star in this comedy musical telling the story of the creation of all things in just one hour. Physicist Brian arrives at a TV studio with the impression he is going to be giving a lecture on the birth of the universe, only to find that Eric has reinvented it as an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza with Noel Fielding, Warwick Davis, Hannah Waddingham and Robin Ince on hand to tell the story of the cosmos, with guest appearances by astronaut Tim Peake and Professor Stephen Hawking.

Outnumbered (BBC1, 10pm)

The Brockmans return to the small screen after almost three years away for this festive catch-up. It's Boxing Day and the family have to carry out a special mission for Grandad. However, as usual things don't go their way as they are beset by car problems, child problems, parent problems, emotional problems and the Second World War. It's up to Pete and Sue to put things right - but if they cannot do it, then it seems the kids will just have to sort things out instead. Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner star, with Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche and Ramona Marquez.

Pride (BBC2, 10.30pm) Premiere

During the miners' strike, Mark Ashton (Ben Schnetzer), the charismatic leader of the young, impassioned campaigners who operate out of the Gay's The Word bookshop in London, convinces his coterie they should rattle their tins for a randomly selected Welsh community. Mining representative Dai (Paddy Considine) invites Mark and co to the Dulais Valley where committee members Hefina (Imelda Staunton), Cliff (Bill Nighy) and Sian (Jessica Gunning) embrace the fundraisers with open arms. However, some of the locals are less impressed... Based on an inspirational true story, Pride is a barnstorming culture-clash comedy drama that lives up to its title. Performances are exemplary, ignoring a few wobbles with the Welsh accents, including a fiery turn from Schnetzer as a fresh-faced trailblazer.