Your essential guide to the best TV over the Christmas period from thrilling dramas to blockbuster films and comedies
CHRISTMAS is coming early in TV land – with all the big channels and streamers airing their festive offerings throughout December.
An Audience With Kylie Minogue will get us warmed up early in the month.
Then stars including Michelle Keegan will inject us with more Christmas spirit through comedy shows including Brassic.
There will also be loads of children’s favourites, fascinating documentaries, thrilling dramas and blockbuster films to keep viewers entertained right through to New Year.
Here we take a look through the schedules to pick out the festive entertainment gems this festive season.
Entertainment
AN AUDIENCE WITH KYLIE MINOGUE, ITV, Dec 10
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THE Santa Baby singer will get the festive season warmed up with her special gig at the Albert Hall featuring all her hits plus one or two festive covers from her back catalogue.
She will also be taking questions from an audience filled with celebrity friends, sports stars, singers and comedians.
STRICTLY COME DANCING CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, BBC One, Christmas Day
TESS DALY and Claudia Winkleman will host this Christmas cracker.
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This year’s one-off line-up will include historian Dan Snow, BBC Breakfast host Sally Nugent, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, act-ress and presenter Tillie Amartey, ex-rugby union hunk Danny Cipriani and Sugababes singer Keisha Buchanan.
THE MASKED SINGER CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, ITV
THE I’m A Celebrity special version of The Masked Singer recently proved a ratings hit, and the Christmas version of it looks just as promising.
Host Joel Dommett returns to oversee things with Mo Gilligan, Rita Ora, Davina McCall and Jonathan Ross back on the panel desperately trying to guess the identities of the mystery performers.
BAKE OFF SPECIALS Channel 4
JUDGES Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, and show hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, welcome back a selection of contestants from series eight to 13 to compete.
Then the New Year special features familiar faces from the past three years’ shows, who will battle it out to become star baker.
Drama
THE HEIST BEFORE CHRISTMAS Sky
JAMES NESBITT and Timothy Spall head the cast of this comedy drama which, as the name suggests, is all about a robbery carried out around Christmas.
James plays a villain who has used a Santa outfit to carry out the heist while Timothy features as a Father Christmas who claims to have fallen out of his sleigh.
DEATH IN PARADISE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL BBC One
PATSY KENSIT guest-stars in this trip back to sun-drenched Saint Marie as the police team investigate a mystery.
Patsy play a mum whose entrepreneur husband is found dead.
DI Neville Parker, played by Ralf Little, must establish a motive and pin down the culprit in this feature-length episode.
MURDER IS EASY BBC One
ONE of Agatha Christie’s less well-known crime novels gets new life breathed into it by the same team who gave us recent versions of And Then There Were None and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?
The two-parter centres on a man, played by David Jonsson, who is told of two murders by a fellow train passenger.
THE WINTER KING ITVX, Dec 21
BASED on writer Bernard Cornwell’s The Warlord Chronicles, this historical drama is an epic series that dips into Arthurian legends.
It stars Iain De Caestecker as central character Arthur Pendragon, the illegitimate son of a king and an exiled warlord who returns to Britain as Saxons threaten to overwhelm the land.
Kids
MOG’S CHRISTMAS Channel 4
THERE’S a Crimbo catfight as both the Beeb and C4 are showing feline animated offerings.
This adaptation of Judith Kerr’s children’s book might win if it’s just based on the starry line-up of voices.
They include Claire Foy, Benedict Cumberbatch and Miriam Margolyes.
TABBY McTAT BBC One
CHRISTMAS wouldn’t be complete without an adaptation of one of Julia Donaldson’s books with illustrations by Axel Scheffler.
This heartwarming story, narrated by former Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker, is about a musical cat and a talented busker called Fred living in London.
PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS, Disney+, Dec 20
AIMED at viewers aged nine and over comes this live-action adaptation of the hit fantasy novels by American author Rick Riordan.
The stories are set in the moden world but revolve around the adventures of a 12-year-old boy who learns he is the son of the god Poseidon.
CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET, Netflix, Dec 15
THE voices of Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey and Imelda Staunton lend themselves to this feature-length adventure from Wallace and Gromit animator Nick Park.
It focuses on a band of fearless chickens who combat a new threat – a nearby farm where something foul is afoot.
Comedy
A VERY BRASSIC CHRISTMAS Sky, Dec 21
THE festive special of this perennial comedy is an auspicious affair, featuring two major stars – comedian Greg Davies as Dick Dolphin and The Crown actress Imelda Staunton as Aunt Edie.
The show’s usual leading lady, Michelle Keegan, takes second billing for a change.
MRS BROWN’S BOYS CHRISTMAS SPECIALS, BBC One
MRS BROWN is back to turn the air blue with her twin annual festive specials.
Mammy will be seen attempting a peaceful holiday while everyone around her tries to involve her in a New Year’s health and fitness regime, which doesn’t go down too well with the single-minded Irish matriarch.
GHOSTS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL BBC One
FANS of this unique comedy were devastated when it aired its fifth and final season, so this last helping of the spectral sitcom is a real Christmas treat.
It will be their fourth festive special.
Last year’s was so popular its ratings made it the most successful comedy of the year.
THE KEMPS: ALL GOLD BBC Two
IN this sequel to their 2020 mockumentary, The Kemps: All True.
Spandau Ballet legends Martin and Gary are back at their self-lampooing best.
The brothers are joined by a star-studded cast including Adil Ray, Christopher Eccleston, Tamzin Outhwaite and Status Quo’s Francis Rossi.
Films
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY Disney+, Dec 15
THE fifth Indie movie sees an 80-year-old Harrison Ford reprise the role of relic hunter Dr Jones travelling the world in search of priceless and supernatural artefacts.
He co-stars with Phoebe Waller-Bridge on a mission to seek out a piece of ancient machinery that can facilitate time travel.
TOY STORY 4 BBC One, Christmas Day
THE big family movie – set to air after the King’s Speech – reunites us with our favourite gang of toys.
This adventure from the brilliant Pixar animators sees Tom Hanks once more voice cowboy Woody, Tim Allen is Buzz Lightyear and Keanu Reeves is the voice of Duke Caboom.
HOUSE OF GUCCI BBC Two
LADY GAGA heads the cast of this thriller drawing on the true story of the Italian family behind the Gucci fashion empire.
The singer plays Patrizia Reggiani, a humble outsider who marries into the dynasty only for her ambition to unravel their legacy and spark a chain reaction of revenge, bitter- ness and murder.
GENIE Sky Cinema, Dec 1
AMERICAN queen of comedy Melissa McCarthy stars as genie Flora.
She is freed by Bernard, played by British rising star Paapa Essiedu, whose life is in disarray.
This magical festive journey of love, friendship and holiday miracles will have viewers in tears one minute and fits of giggles the next.
Factual
STACEY SOLOMON’S CRAFTY CHRISTMAS, BBC One
STACEY and husband Joe Swash invite friends and family to join them to create a new batch of ingenious home-made gifts and decorations on a budget.
Stacey also throws a special Christmas party to say thank you to the volunteers in her local area who have been working through the year to help those in need.
MARRY BERRY’S HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS BBC One
THE veteran cookery queen heads north of the border to celebrate all things Scottish – including her own roots.
Mary samples local cuisine and she will also be joined by a line-up of celebrity natives including tennis legend Sir Andy Murray, singer-songwriter Emeli Sande and Love Island narrator Iain Stirling.
ATTENBOROUGH AND THE GIANT SEA MONSTER, BBC One
AS you’re picking over the bones of your turkey, national treasure Sir David Attenborough will be pondering the skull of a giant Pliosaur, a recent discovery that sheds light on one of the most terrifying dinosaurs that ever lived.
This one-off documentary sees top experts examining the ferocious predator to find out more about it.
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COMEDIANS Paul Chowdhry and Chris Ramsey delve into the most sensational moments in one of the most festive action movies of all time.
The duo both channel the franchise’s star Bruce Willis as they set about discovering whether some of the incredible stunts that feature in the films are actually possible in real life.