Liberty of London (9pm, Channel 4)

What sort of person would spend £1995 on a large toy  grizzly bear to be the centrepiece of their Christmas decorations?  The sort of person who’d shop at Liberty’s that who – or at least that’s what the staff are hoping.

“People who shop here think they’ve got eclectic taste,” explains cross-dressing potter Grayson Perry who is a typically, untypical customer.  “Oh, save me from being eclectic!”

Nearly 150 years ago, Arthur Liberty and his wife Emma travelled the world to bring back exotic pieces to sell in a mock Tudor emporium constructed partly from the timber of old ships.

In this new series we go behind the scenes to discover how London’s loveliest department store is adapting to stay afloat on the choppy retail seas of the 21st century, with impeccably groomed American managing director Ed Burstell at the helm.

If you’re a fan of shopping programmes, you might have seen Ed before on the BBC Two series Britain’s Next Big Thing in 2011 in which he auditioned locally made goods to see if they’d fit into the Liberty ethos.  Now, as he prepares the store for Christmas, he’s trying to see how much retail space he can fit into a listed building which is basically a series of impractical corridors built around an atrium.

Highlights tonight include a visit to the studio of shoe-God  Manolo Blahnik and the revelation that Michelle Pfeiffer is a big fan of Liberty’s knitting department.   We’re sold.

Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves (10pm, BBC 4)

Yesterday was World AIDS day, and the opening scenes of this award-winning Swedish mini-series make for distressing viewing as we see a young man dying from the disease.

Based on the books by Jonas Gardell, this is the love story of Benjamin and Rasmus,  (Adam Lundgren and Adam Pålsson) who chose perhaps the worst possible moment in history to launch themselves on Stockholm’s gay scene.

It’s the early 1980s when AIDS is claiming its first victims, but nobody yet knows why.  And Sweden’s legendary open-mindedness about sex doesn’t extend to the gay community.

Clockwise from left: JP (Jack Whitehall), Josie (Kimberley Nixon), Kingsley (Joe Thomas), Vod (Zawe Thomas), Oregon (Charlotte Ritchie), and Howard (Greg McHugh) return for a third series of Fresh Meat
Clockwise from left: JP (Jack Whitehall), Josie (Kimberley Nixon), Kingsley (Joe Thomas), Vod (Zawe Thomas), Oregon (Charlotte Ritchie), and Howard (Greg McHugh) return for a third series of Fresh Meat

Fresh Meat (10pm, Channel 4)

There’ll be mixed reactions to tonight’s episode which sees Vod nervously preparing for the arrival of her mother.  “My mum is young and hot,” she warns JP, as she bans him from trying it on with her.

The scene should be all set for some great comedy but it turns out that Fresh Meat has other ideas this week, because Vod’s mum Chris (played by Juliet Cowan) is just horrible, and not in an amusing way.

Some fans will appreciate seeing yet another, vulnerable side to Vod, but in an episode where even the unshakeable JP is depressed, others will be unsettled by this loss of mojo.

Elsewhere, Howard becomes a feminist and Oregon goes in search of the only theatre critic to give her ridiculous play a glowing review.

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Emmerdale (7pm, ITV)

“Please don’t go to jail, mummy,” little Arthur pleads with Laurel.

Alas, the court’s decision will be totally beyond Laurel’s control as she’s on trial for confronting her car-jacker, Ross with a pair of scissors.

Cutting him out of her life completely will be an even bigger challenge as he turns up again tonight, still as horrible as ever.

Coronation Street (7.30pm, ITV)

The fact Simon no longer wants to be his dad’s best man and that the musicians have cancelled will be the least of the headaches for Carla, on the eve of her wedding.

But to put all these trifling problems  into perspective, while Hayley is having her latest session of chemotherapy,  Fiz is rattled to finally meet her none-too-charming son Christian.

If you’re wondering where tonight’s second episode is, it’s been moved to tomorrow.

Eastenders (8pm, BBC1)

Peter Beale goes all caveman in tonight’s hour-long episode, chucking Lola over his shoulder before telling her how much he likes her. 

Could this be the first real success for Poppy and Fats’ matchmaking service? Meanwhile, Bianca’s house is already standing room only and it’s about to get even more crowded with the arrival of Terry’s former wife.