The resurrection of Christ aside, the Easter holidays are the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with your sofa and a similarly sized chocolate egg.
If youâre unlucky â and most of you probably will be – family friends will be dropping round for âcatch-upsâ? throughout the day. Make sure you are armed with our guide to top TV treats this Easter in order to surreptitiously slam up the volume at appropriate intervals.
The Preston Passion â Good Friday, 12 noon, BBC1
In all seriousness, it is important to recognise the reason we all get two days off work at this time of year. This live spectacle, filmed right in the heart of colourful Preston, attempts to play out the real story behind Easter weekend. Expect choirs, Christ and a crucifix.
Marrying Prince Harry â Good Friday, 7.35pm, Channel 4
Enough with Wills â heâs off the market thanks to the spectacular nuptials of yesteryear. Thereâs only one eligible Prince up for grabs now and Emily Cutâs insightful First Cut film follows the young fillies who fancy their chances.
Juno (FILM) â Good Friday, 9pm, More 4
For anyone who has just returned from a voyage to the deepest, darkest reaches of outer space, I am here to tell you to watch this Oscar-winning, coming-of-age comedy about a very young mother. If you havenât been in space and havenât seen it yet â you will have been meaning to. Itâs touching, itâs funny and itâs the perfect start to your Easter weekend.
Rowing: The Boat Race â Saturday 7th April, 1pm, BBC1
There really is nothing more rewarding than watching a bunch of posh boys sweat it out while you munch Mini Eggs. This is the 158th year of the race which pits the landâs most prestigious universities against one another, and Oxford will be striving to fend off the Cambridge crew for the second year running. The main event starts at 2:15pm with presenter Clare Balding anchoring the action.
Easter from King’s 2012: Passiontide to Easter â Saturday 7th April, 5pm, BBC2
Who doesnât love an Easter sing-along? Break out your most virtuous festering outfit and tune into live coverage of a service at Kingâs College Cambridge; the fabulous choir are sure to put more hairs on your neck than all the contestants of The Voice UK put together. Donât let the chocolate take away from the real meaning of this celebration, gang. Here’s an uplifting excerpt from last year…
The Voice UK â Saturday 7th April, 7pm BBC1 / Britainâs Got Talent â 8pm, ITV1
A duo of talent show tawdriness awaits you on Easter Saturday (is that a thing?) evening. Kick off the proceedings with some quality performances over on BBC1 – Tom Jones wonât let any crap past those swivel chairs. But Simon Cowell will let pretty much anything past his panel.â¦so flick over to ITV1 to catch the latest BGT auditions and actually have a bit of a laugh.
Lawrence of Arabia (FILM) â Easter Sunday, 1pm, Channel 5
This Easter weekendâs epic film award goes to badlibadlibBUM â Richard Desmond and the team at Channel 5 for delivering us this three hour epic! Peter O’Toole + Alec Guinness + Anthony Quinn = afternoon bliss. After finally escaping his grim desk job in military intelligence, Lawrence is appointed British liaison officer to the Arab Revolt against the Turks and gets some action. Watch the enigmatic Lieutenant Lawrence galloping about the desert and sink into oblivion as the all-consuming action takes hold.
Golf: The Masters â Easter Sunday, 7pm, BBC2
Another nod to the inclinations of sportier folk amongst youâ¦but this is only really being recommended because it is the last day of the tournament. By this point we will know whether the final leg is worth watching and will have some idea of whether McIlroy is likely to keep his nerves steady for the crucial final nine. And if all else fails, ogle at the pretty course which is being brought to us courtesy of Georgia, USA.
Silent Witness â Easter Sunday, 9pm, BBC1
More gore and guts as Emilia Fox attempts to solve crimes using rubber gloves and a Sneaking Suspicionâ¢. This week, a barefoot girl is knocked over by a car; an event which ends up leading the team into the world of teenage prostitution. Obviously.
Crucifixion â Easter Sunday, 10pm, Channel 4
A touch on the sinister side for Easter Sunday vibe, but this C4 documentary promises to be a fascinating insight into the historical and contemporary depictions of the Crucifixion of Christ. Centred around a rather gruesome exploration of Gunther von Hagens’ six-year project to produce his own interpretation of the icon with donated body parts and mounted in his back garden. Probably due to raise a few heckles if you ask usâ¦
