Inspector George Gently (BBC1, 8pm)

CHRISTMAS Eve and skinheads are an unlikely combination as we reach the end of George Gently's tour of duty in the North-East. The celebrations are interrupted by news of a bank raid carried out by a masked gang brandishing machine guns.

Soon, Martin Shaw's Gently and Lee Ingleby's Inspector John Bacchus are eyeball to eyeball with unsavoury ringleader Jonjo Burdon (played by Jody Latham of Shameless fame) and the police boss requires his hardest Paddington stare.

"JonJo, in short, is a psychopath who gets kicks and thrives on his victims' fear," says Latham.

He's also a skinhead, so you may not recognise the actor when he first appears on screen.

"It was interesting playing a skinhead from the late 1960s," says Latham. "This was the first wave of skinhead who were largely about arrogance and a fool attitude and not specifically racists. "Getting my head shaved was quite exhilarating, almost like wiping the slate clean."

Latham was also excited at getting the chance to work with two of his acting heroes.

"To work alongside Martin Shaw was an honour and a pleasure because he's a legend and also a gents. To finally do a scene with Lee Ingleby after all these years of being a fan – and him being one of the actors who have inspired me. We grew up in the same small town. I loved him in Nature Boy, and it confirmed to me that I should pursue this acting malarkey. We both worked on The Street, but never actually filmed together."

It's Rachel (Lisa McGrillis) who finds the bank raiders' getaway car and the dead body of its female driver, who was called Lexie. She was a member of a local skinhead gang, so Gently and Bacchus visit their hangout, a club run by JonJo.

Gently is convinced he is responsible for the robbery, but the police uncover nothing to link him or his friends to the crime. So it's up to Rachel - who has just been promoted to sergeant - to go undercover to find the evidence needed to make an arrest.

Will Gently return? Ingleby is keen for more North-East adventures and says: "This season I’ve got the John Lennon hair cut and sideburns, and slightly fatter ties – but not kipper yet. If we were lucky enough to go again I would demand a different hairstyle. If it’s going to be in the 1970s I’d like a Dustin Hoffman cut from All The President’s Men.

"Bacchus has his same blue Triumph car again – my car is always reliable. I’ve had two cars in this show and never had a problem. Martin, however, I don’t think any of his cars in any year have ever worked. I think he’d probably change his mind now and say 'I think I’ll have a bike'."

Peter Kay's Car Share (BBC1, 9.30pm)

IT'S John's grandmother's birthday, but he has completely forgotten to post her card. Will he be able to put things right on the journey to work? Comedy about the daily commute of supermarket employees John Redmond and Kayleigh Kitson, who have been thrown together in a company car share scheme, with each trip bringing fresh insight into their lives, as well as twists and turns in their unlikely relationship. Co-written by and starring Peter Kay and Sian Gibson, with Danny Swarsbrick. The next episode is on Friday at 9.30pm.

The Job Centre (Channel 4, 10pm)

THIS new documentary series follows Jane Vincent, the larger-than-life boss of Bradford recruitment agency, Candelisa People, her straight-talking team and the sometimes colourful characters who walk through their doors in search of employment. In the first episode, the pressure is on for Jane's newest recruit Phil as he handled a job that would allow him to hit his monthly target in one fell swoop, while his colleague Carlos discovers that one of the agency's largest clients needs 60 workers – in three hours.