These are the programmes and festive specials on TV over Christmas and Boxing Day

One of the highlights of the Christmas season is festive television.

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Even though everything this year has been different due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are still plenty of Christmas TV specials coming straight to our screens over the holidays.

All the main channels - BBC One, BBC Two, ITV and Channel 4 - have pulled it out the bag so we can sit down and enjoy ourselves at home while our social lives are on hold. 

From Mrs Brown’s Boys to Call the Midwife, there will be something on to please even the fussiest of the family. 

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Here’s every festive programme showing on the main TV channels at Christmas time so far - all you need to do is supply the snacks. 

The dates and times of some programmes are still to be announced, so check back here for further updates and announcements.

What’s on TV over Christmas?

BBC One

BBC One is your one-stop shop for everything Christmassy this year. There’s a mixture of some festive specials of classic programmes and some new offerings:

The Wall vs Celebrities 6:55pm, Christmas Eve
EastEnders Christmas Special 8:15pm Christmas Eve, 9:10pm Christmas
Worzel Gummidge: Saucy Nancy 5pm, Christmas Eve
Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special 8:40pm, Christmas Eve
Would I Lie To You? At Christmas 7:45pm, Christmas Eve
Miranda’s Games with Showbiz names 9:45pm, Christmas Eve
Have I Got 30 Years for You 22:15pm, Christmas Eve
Mrs. Brown’s Boys Christmas Special 10:05pm, Christmas Day
Call the Midwife Christmas Special 7:40pm, Christmas Day
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 4:45pm, Christmas Day
Michael McIntyre’s Christmas Wheel 6pm, Christmas Day
Blankety Blank 7pm, Christmas Day
Zog and the Flying Doctors 2:35pm, Christmas Day
Top of the Pops Christmas Special 11.55am, Christmas Day
The Great British Sewing Bee 7:45pm, Boxing Day

BBC Two

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BBC Two has smashed it with its festive line-up this time round. We’re particularly looking forward to Nigella Lawson’s Christmas special and the QI Christmas Quiz hosted by Sandi Toksvig:

Upstart Crow Christmas Special 9pm, 21 Dec
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing 6:30pm, 23 Dec
Victoria Wood: The Secret List 9:10pm, Christmas Day
The Morecambe and Wise Show 5:30pm, Boxing Day
Being Bridget (Bridget Jones retrospective)
QI Christmas Quiz with Sandi Toksvig
Nigella Lawson’s Cook, Eat, Repeat Christmas special

ITV

ITV hasn’t published their full schedule yet, but what has been released so far is looking promising, especially the Birds of a Feather festive special and the Christmas rendition of Britain’s Got Talent:

Billy Connolly: It’s Been a Pleasure 9:30pm, 28 Dec
Birds of a Feather Christmas Special 9:15pm, Christmas Eve
Britain’s Got Talent at Christmas 8pm, Christmas Day
The Story of SM:TV Live 9:25am, Boxing Day

Channel 4

Channel 4 has a huge television schedule this Christmas season, from the Big Fat Quiz of the Year to First Dates Christmas and the best of Gogglebox’s 2020 shows. We can’t wait:

The Great Christmas Bake Off 7:40pm, Christmas Eve
Reindeer’s First Christmas 6:40pm, Christmas Eve
Quentin Blake’s Clown 7:45pm, Christmas Day
Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2020 9:05pm, Boxing Day
Chitty Flies Again 7:30pm, New Year’s Day
Taskmaster Christmas Special 9pm, New Year’s Day
First Dates Christmas
Inside KFC at Christmas
The Last Leg of the Year
Gogglebox: Best of 2020
Celebrity Gogglebox: Best of 2020
Gogglebox Festive Special
Jamie & Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast
Big Fat Quiz of Everything
One Night in… Hamleys
8 out of 10 Cats Christmas Special
Jamie: Keep Cooking at Christmas
The Supervet at Christmas
Snackmasters Christmas Special