If the prospect of festive small talk fills you with dread, Britain's broadcasters are coming to the rescue with a bumper line-up of Christmas television designed to keep the whole family entertained. While last year's Gavin and Stacey special set a high bar, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 have prepared a veritable feast of programmes to dive into after the turkey roast.
Festive Drama and Cosy Crime
The Christmas schedule is packed with returning drama favourites and specials. The Death in Paradise franchise expands with a Beyond Paradise Christmas Special on 21 December at 9pm on BBC1. DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi) finds an amnesiac man on the police station steps clutching a photo of DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall). Adrian Edmondson guest stars.
For cosier crime, The Madame Blanc Mysteries delivers a feature-length special on 23 December at 8pm on Channel 5. Antiques dealer Jean White (Sally Lindsay) faces her most perilous case yet when a museum event turns deadly, trapping guests with a ticking bomb.
On Christmas Eve at 9pm, Channel 5 airs the All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special, set in the first post-war Christmas. James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) takes charge of the Nativity play, while Siegfried (Samuel West) tends to an ailing goat and matters of the heart. A behind-the-scenes documentary airs at 8pm on the same channel.
Don't miss the Call the Midwife Christmas Special, a double bill on Christmas Day at 8.15pm and Boxing Day at 8.30pm on BBC1. In 1970, Sister Julienne and the Turners head to Hong Kong, while Trixie and the others enjoy a looser rein back at Nonnatus House.
Comedy and Entertainment Highlights
Comedy fans are in for a treat with a long-awaited reunion. Amandaland on Christmas Day at 9.15pm on BBC1 sees Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley together on screen for the first time since Absolutely Fabulous. Saunders plays Joan, who invites Amanda (Lucy Punch) to the family mansion, much to the chagrin of her catty sister Felicity (Lumley).
The Strictly Come Dancing final on 20 December at 7pm on BBC1 marks Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's last finale, adding a bittersweet note to the glitterball trophy contest. They return for one last hurrah hosting the Strictly Christmas Special on Christmas Day at 5.30pm, featuring six celebrity contestants.
In entertainment, The Great Christmas Bake Off on Christmas Day at 8pm on Channel 4 hosts a major Peep Show reunion, with Olivia Colman, David Mitchell, Isy Suttie, Matt King, and Sophie Winkleman competing. Meanwhile, The Repair Shop at Christmas on Boxing Day at 7.30pm on BBC1 welcomes Dame Helen Mirren with a poignant, broken cello with a history from Nazi Germany.
Family Favourites and Factual Festivities
For younger viewers, a new Magic Light animation, The Scarecrows' Wedding (voiced by Jessie Buckley and Domhnall Gleeson), airs on Christmas Day at 3.10pm on BBC1. Shaun the Sheep returns in Fleece Navidad at 4.35pm on the same day.
Factual programming offers seasonal insights. Inside the Christmas Factory with Paddy and Cherry on 23 December at 8pm on BBC1 uncovers the secrets of mass-producing gingerbread. For history buffs, Judi Dench: Shakespeare, My Family and Me on 27 December at 9pm on Channel 4 sees the actress investigate a potential ancestral link to the Bard himself.
From the horror of Mark Gatiss's A Ghost Story for Christmas (Christmas Eve, 10pm, BBC2) to the carols at Westminster Abbey for the Princess of Wales's Together At Christmas (Christmas Eve, 7.25pm, ITV1), there is truly something for everyone to escape into this festive season.
