What's on TV: Friday, December 25 to Thursday, December 31
What's on TV: Friday, December 25 to Thursday, December 31
By Craig Mathieson and Debbie Enker
Updated
December 19, 2020 — 6.30pm
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The inaugural
Royal Command Performance was held in 1912, with King George V and Queen Mary rocking up for a charitable benefit that was not without controversy: music-hall star Marie Lloyd was reportedly not invited because her act was considered risque and she'd been married three times. This year's event, hosted by Jason Manford, had to contend with somewhat different issues. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Blackpool Opera House was full of television monitors, providing a virtual audience for the pre-recorded performances. Those facing the sea of screens include Take That's Gary Barlow, robotic pop act Steps, and West End star Samantha Barks, although the real showstopper may be centenarian Sir Thomas Moore, the World War II veteran whose lockdown garden walks for charity raised necessary millions for Britain's National Health Service.