With Simon Parkin, Philippa Forrester and Esther McVey.

7.25 Tales of a Wise King and the Devil
Last in the animation series based on King Solomon's fables

7.30 Hallo Spencer

7.55 Playdays: The Christmas Tree Stop

8.15 Two by Two: Children's nature programme

8.30 Telling Tales: Ancient stories with a modern message (Stereo)

8.45 Babar: Animation

9.10 Blood and Honey: Stories from the Old Testament (Stereo)

9.30 Defenders of the Earth: Cartoon (Rpt. Teletext)

9.50 Jacks and the Beanstalk

10.15 Thundercats

10.40 Strangers: Children's drama

11.05 Boxpops

11.45 The O Zone: Chart news (Stereo)

The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer
Between 1940 and 1944 writer/director Preston Sturges made eight films of stunning originality such as Sullivan's Travels and The Palm Beach Story. This documentary uses film clips and interviews with friends and colleagues to paint the portrait of this Hollywood enigma. Director Kenneth Bowser

followed at 1.15pm by:
Hail the Conquering Hero
Continuing the season of classic comedies written and directed by Preston Sturges. An army reject is mistaken for a hero. With Eddie Bracken and Ella Raines.
FILMS: pages 41-67

Time Out. A cat becomes obsessed with time keeping.

A spectacular musical drama version of the Faust legend by Arrigo Boito , now best remembered as the librettist of Verdi's masterpieces Otello and Falstaff, with American bass Samuel Ramey suitably saturnine in the title role.
With the Orchestra and Chorus of San Francisco Opera conducted by Maurizio Arena Director Brian Large ● STEREO
* SIMULTANEOUS BROADCAST: Radio 3

Featuring
Leicester v Barbarians
This traditional Christmas feast of running rugby promises more than usual this year.
International stars Campese, Lafond, Sella, Mesnel and Blanco have all been invited to join this great party.
Commentary by Nigel Starmer-Smith . Introduced by Chris Rea.
Executive producer Johnnie Watherston

An "animal drama" from John and Simon King which tells the story of one of Britain's best-loved yet most persecuted creatures. Dusk, a male badger, lives a contented life in his woodland estate - until humans intrude.
"The drama is filmed in natural settings, except where we have re-created scenes of violence using camera tricks and a tame badger stand-in," says
John King , who produced and narrates the film. "No animal has been subjected to stress in the making." Directed and photographed by Simon King ● NATURE: page 18

A gala evening to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Metropolitan Opera, New
York. This was the first time that superstars
Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo appeared on the same bill in an American opera house, the Italian as the Duke of Mantua in Act 3 of Verdi's Rigoletto with Cheryl Studer as Gilda and Leo Nucci as Rigoletto, the Spaniard as the Moor in Act 3 of Verdi's Otello with Mirella
Freni as Desdemona and Justino Diaz as lago.
Both Pavarotti and Domingo made their Met debuts in 1968 though Domingo has been by far the most consistent performer there, singing in every season since - 325 performances of 32 different roles. Also on the bill is the Party Scene from
Johann Strauss 's Die Flederrnauswith Hermann Prey and Frederica von Stade among the guests. Director Brian Large
Executive producer PeterGelb ● STEREO
● MUSIC AND ARTS over Christmas and the New Year: page 11

First showing on network television of this drama based on true events in Kenya. Starring Charles Dance
Greta Scacchi
Untouched by the Second World War the British aristocrats in Happy Valley are continuing their life of decadence, drugs and sexual intrigue. Sir "Jock" Delves Broughton enters into this highly charged atmosphere with his beautiful young wife Diana and the stage is set for tragedy. Diana soon falls in love with Josslyn Hay , Earl of Erroll - an affair destined to rock society and lead to murder.
Director Michael Radford
● STEREO; TELETEXT SUBTITLES: p 888 ● FILMS: pages 41-67

Pet Shop Boys
The 1991 Pet Shop Boys world tour combined theatre and drama in an inspired musical spectacle, directed by David Alden , who works extensively with the English National
Opera. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe perform classics like It's a Sin, Being Boring and Suburbia in a series of specially choreographed dance routines. Producer Dickie Jeffares
Director Eric Watson
● STEREO