Geek shows and movies on UK TV in the coming week

This week, our TV highlights and recommendations take you only through the middle of the week and no further. But, please don't feel shortchanged, as we'll have a special Christmas holiday edition of Geek UK TV on Wednesday, to bring you through the holiday in telly style.

So, don't fret at the brevity of shows and films that follow, because a lorryload of great programming is winging it's way to us as we write this, and it's a heavy, heavy consignment, indeed, with more treats than coal, we hope, in store for us to enjoy.

So, here's the abbreviated version of new shows and specials arriving before the holiday dash...

Finding shared interests with children gets harder as we, and they, get older. So, now's the time for any Who devotees to instil the passion in the little ones' hearts early on, with the Channel 5 series premiere of K-9. The first of twenty-six episodes airs Saturday, December 18th at 10:00am and is entitled Regeneration, in which children discover the Time Lord's trusty-never-rusty companion and start on adventures just right for the newest Who inductees. If you hope to watch old or new Who with the tiny ones when they're teens, this may be the way.

A Christmas series starts on Sunday, December 19th on Sky1. These brief 15 minute vignettes are written, directed and star some of the best UK comedic talent, portraying Christmases past from their own unique and comical perspectives. The first two short Little Crackers films start at 9:00pm Sunday, and your enjoyment is likely to vary depending on your particular fondness for each comedian and artist in front of and behind the cameras. Participants include Julia Davis, Chris Dowd, Catherine Tate, Julian Barratt, Stephen Fry, and Dawn French, so the odds are in your favour across the twelve yuletide treats.

This may be the most unlikely show to have a Christmas special, especially following the series finale by just one week, but any excuse to extend Misfits' too short six-episode run is okay in our book. The Misfits Christmas Special airs on Sunday, December 19th at 10:00pm (and repeats on Christmas Eve, Friday, December 24th) on E4. The ASBO Five follow signs of offers of money for powers, leading them to what may be one of the most interesting powers yet. But safety's never guaranteed, and with that lot, you just know, if anyone can find the most f-ed up activity for the festive season, it's the Five. Befitting the season, it's sure to be a cracker.

Check back on Wednesday, December 22nd, for an updated TV week, with all the specials and films you can cram into a Christmas telly marathon, and then some!

Now, on to the films showing through the weekend and a bit beyond. As always, if we missed anything interesting, have a shout in the comments, with our thanks.

Please also note: the ordinal numbers for dates will help you scan through this simple list with your browser's search function. Enter '18th' in your browser's Find box or window to highlight and/or tab through all movies shown on Saturday. Enjoy!

30 Days Of Night
On: Film4
Date: Tuesday 21st December
Time: 11:15pm (and 00:15am 22nd Dec Film4+1)

A Christmas Carol (1999)
On: Five
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 7:05pm

Armageddon
On: BBC 3
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 8:00pm

Batman Begins
On: ITV1
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 10:35pm

Big Fish
On: FIVER
Date: Saturday 18th December
Time: 4:20pm (and 5:20pm Fiver+1, 2/3:00pm 19th Dec)

Black Book
On: Film4
Date: Friday 17th December
Time: 11:10pm (and 00:10am 18th Dec Film4+1)

Blade: Trinity
On: Film4
Date: Friday 17th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
On: Film4
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 6:50pm (and 7:50pm Film4+1)

Canadian Bacon
On: TCM
Date: Saturday 18th December
Time: 1:05pm (and 5:00am 19th Dec)

Catch Me If You Can
On: BBC 3
Date: Saturday 18th December
Time: 7:50pm

Crank
On: ITV4
Date: Thursday 16th December
Time: 11:35pm (and 00:35am 17th Dec ITV4+1, 00:55/1:55am 19th Dec)

Die Hard
On: Film4
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who
On: Channel 4
Date: Saturday 18th December
Time: 4:30pm (and 5:30pm 4+1)

Fist Of Fury
On: SyFy
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 11:50pm (and 00:50am 20th Dec Syfy+1)

From Hell
On: Five USA
Date: Saturday 18th December
Time: 10:20pm (and 11:20pm Five USA+1)

George Of The Jungle
On: BBC 1
Date: Tuesday 21st December
Time: 3:45pm

Ghostbusters II
On: FIVER
Date: Friday 17th December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:pm Fiver+1, 7:50/8:50pm 18th Dec)

Green Street
On: ITV4
Date: Tuesday 21st December
Time: 11:45pm (and 00:45am 22nd Dec ITV4+1)

Gremlins
On: ITV2
Date: Monday 20th December
Time: 8:30pm (and 9:30pm ITV2+1)

Hairspray (1988)
On: TCM
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 5:15pm

Harry And The Hendersons
On: Channel 4
Date: Monday 20th December
Time: 2:05pm (and 3:05pm 4+1)

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
On: ITV1
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 6:30pm

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids
On: Channel 4
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 2:25pm (and 3:25pm 4+1)

Jackie Chan's Police Story
On: SyFy
Date: Monday 20th December
Time: 11:00pm (and midnight Syfy+1)

Jackie Chan's Police Story 2
On: SyFy
Date: Tuesday 21st December
Time: 01:00am (and 2:00am Syfy+1, 9:50/10:50pm 22nd Dec)

Kindergarten Cop
On: ITV2
Date: Saturday 18th December
Time: 1:25pm (and 2:35pm ITV2+1, 9:25/10:25am 19th Dec)

Mad Max
On: ITV4
Date: Saturday 18th December
Time: 11:00pm (and midnight ITV4+1)

Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome
On: ITV1
Date: Friday 17th December
Time: 11:05pm

Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World
On: Film4
Date: Friday 17th December
Time: 6:25pm (and 7:25pm Film4+1)

Memoirs Of An Invisible Man
On: Film4
Date: Saturday 18th December
Time: 1:00pm (and 2:00pm Film4+1, 5:10/6:10pm 22nd Dec)

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
On: ITV1
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 2:00pm

North By Northwest
On: TCM
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 9:00pm

Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)
On: BBC 2
Date: Monday 20th December
Time: 01:50am

Project A
On: SyFy
Date: Friday 17th December
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Syfy+1, 1:50/2:50am 20th Dec)

Rambo III
On: ITV4
Date: Friday 17th December
Time: 11:00pm (and midnight ITV4+1, 11:00pm/midnight 20th Dec)

Spirited Away
On: BBC 2
Date: Tuesday 21st December
Time: 10:40am

The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen
On: FIVER
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 3:00pm (and 4:00pm Fiver+1)

The Descent: Part 2
On: Sky Movies Premiere
Date: Friday 17th December
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Premiere+1, then daily at similar times through 23rd Dec)

The Game
On: Universal Channel
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 10:00pm (and 11:00pm Univeral+1)

The Gigolos
On: BBC 2
Date: Saturday 18th December
Time: 00:05am

The Illusionist
On: ITV2
Date: Friday 17th December
Time: 10:05pm (and 11:05pm ITV2+1, 9/10:00pm 22nd Dec)

The Fugitive
On: ITV2
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 11:15pm (and 00:15am 23rd Dec ITV2+1)

The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane
On: TCM
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 01:00am

The Mummy
On: ITV1
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 3:50pm

The Nightmare Before Christmas
On: BBC 2
Date: Tuesday 21st December
Time: 12:40pm

The Others
On: Film4
Date: Wednesday 22nd December
Time: 9:00pm (and 10:00pm Film4+1)

The Truman Show
On: more4
Date: Monday 20th December
Time: 10:00pm (and 1:05am 21st Dec)

Trading Places
On: Sky Movies Christmas
Date: Saturday 18th December
Time: 11:45pm

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
On: horror channel
Date: Saturday 18th December
Time: 00:50am

Way Of The Dragon
On: SyFy
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 01:40am (and 2:40am Syfy+1)

X-Men
On: E4
Date: Sunday 19th December
Time: 8:00pm (and 9:00pm E4+1, 9/10:00pm 21st Dec)

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