Tonight TV: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe tells the story of her ordeal in Iranian prison | television

Prisoner 951: The Story of the Hostages

9pm on BBC Two
“My child was not even two years old when I left her…and she was almost eight when I came back.” Following the excellent BBC drama about her six-year detention in Iran, prisoner 951, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, tells her remarkable story in this feature-length documentary. In addition to her personal accounts and footage filmed during her arrest and imprisonment, the film examines the broader context of what happened and speaks to former hostages and political decision-makers. Holly Richardson

Grand Designs: House of the Year

8pm on Channel 4
The hunt continues for the most lavishly ambitious new build of 2025. This week’s dazzling homes include an estate in Bannau Brycheiniog (formerly the Brecon Beacons), built entirely from sandstone quarried from the mountain range, and a steel structure in Hertfordshire that looks more like a modern sculpture than a house. Phil Harrison

Portrait Artist of 2025

8 p.m., Sky Arts
Brian Cox’s face – described here as “no-nonsense” – has been key to his intensely Shakespearean roles and, more recently, his portrayal of the mercurial Logan Roy in Succession. In this year’s portrait competition, three very different artists aim to produce pieces that not only represent a good likeness, but convey its many facets. Hannah J. Davis

Shetland

9pm, BBC One

It’s the penultimate episode, meaning all the suspects and supporting characters see their dark secrets painfully exposed, but only one of them turns out to be a potential killer. While Tosh (Alison O’Donnell) pursues possible corruption in the police, Ruth (Ashley Jensen) is having a lot of fun with her free time. Jack Seale

Sycamore Gap Mystery

9pm on Channel 4
The ruthless felling of Northumberland’s beloved tree sparked outrage in 2023. The outrage is still palpable. “It was disgusting,” says one local resident. “Just seeing the tree dead there — it felt like it was murder.” This two-parter tells the inside story of what happened and gets to the evidence that led to the arrest of two people. Human resources

Hunting party

9pm, U&Alibi
Hard-working analyst Bex (Melissa Roxburgh) and her multi-agency team set their sights on another escaped serial killer. The widower, also known as Mark Marsden (Jesse Bradford), has serious abandonment issues and a bad habit of killing women after he marries them. But is there a reason to target a former prison employee? Graeme Virtue

Choose a movie

Oh. What. Hazar. (Michael Showalter, 2025), Prime Video
December means Christmas movies. While the bulk of these stories will inevitably be about big-city types who return home and fall in love with plaid-clad tree surgeons, others will push the envelope a bit. Oh. What. Hazar. He is one of those. Michelle Pfeiffer (whose presence is a blessing in itself) leads a cast of lively characters in a relatable story about a family who doesn’t realize how much work Christmas requires until the matriarch disappears. You can put money on this as the best festive film of the year. Stuart Heritage

Roses (Jay Roach, 2025), Disney+

Another film that missed the mark on a theatrical level, though you have to assume that a slick, mid-budget character piece like this would find its true home on a streaming platform. Depending on which you like better, The Roses will either be an adaptation of Warren Adler’s 1981 novel or Danny DeVito’s 1989 film. Either way, the story follows Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as a married couple who become hideously cruel to each other. The real draw may be the supporting cast, which includes Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Ncuti Gatwa, Allison Janney and Jamie Demetriou. Sh