Bear essentials; Paddington Bear: The Early Years BBC1, 7.10pm.

UNDER the direction of Paddington Bear's creator, Michael Bond, Stephen Fry travels in darkest Peru to uncover the origins of the much-loved aristocrat of the Ursinae family.

On the journey, he saves one of Paddington's real-life relations, the extremely rare South American Spectacled Bear, from the unimaginable fate of being eaten by the locals.

The journey begins in the ancient Inca capital, Cusco, one of the world's highest cities.

On the edge of the Andes, 12,000 feet above sea level, is the farm where Paddington spent his early years with his Aunt Lucy.

Her maternal influence extended to cooking tips and she taught Paddington how to make the Peruvian orange marmalade for his favourite sandwiches.

This Omnibus Special makes the long journey by road and rail, through the Andes to the town of Aguas Calientes.

It is here that Stephen meets the Spectacled Bear, and a rescue mission gets underway.

Hard currency is of little use to the local people, so Stephen has to barter for the bear's life with shovels, corn, flour and corrugated iron. Once the deal is complete, a local veterinary team restore the bear's health.

Stephen befriends the village elders and children, and with their help, the bear is transported to an old Russian Sikorski helicopter and away from the remote community to a new jungle sanctuary.

It's then on to the Bolivian Border, to Lake Titikaka, and by steam boat to an abandoned mining town, once the home of Paddington's Uncle Pastuso.

Here Pastuso sold his over-priced Inca cola to the miners. But, when the gold ran out, so did he.

Lima, the capital, is the final destination in Peru, where Stephen seeks out the Home for Retired Bears, where Aunt Lucy lived after she sent Paddington to London. Omnibus learns how she found Paddington's trademark duffle-coat and hat.

From Lima, Stephen recreates the hazardous journey as a stowaway aboard a packet ship to England. Surviving on marmalade he reaches the station that gave Paddington his name and waiting for him is Michael Bond.

Chewin' The Fat 

BBC1, 11.45pm

FORD KIERNAN, Greg Hemphill and Karen Dunbar bring in the New Year.

Foul-mouthed pensioner Betty is entered by the spirit of her late husband, hopeless actor Ronald Villiers shares the limelight with Hollywood star Bobby Carlyle and the over enthusiastic Electrical Boys guarantee a January sales hoot for all the family.

As well as all the old favourites, there's a few new faces to entertain and amuse. Hootsy Coochie stars Greg as a Scottish Elvis, Karen as the local lovely and Ford as her father.

Smallville

Ch4, 4.45pm

THIS is the pilot for a new series charting the early years of Superman legend Clark Kent.

The idyllic town of Smallville, Kansas, has never seemed the same after the meteor shower that rained down 12 years ago bringing young Clark to Earth.

Now Clark (Tom Welling) is a teenager, and his growing pains are amplified by the burden of his emerging superpowers, his love for beautiful Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) and his relationship with the charismatic Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum).