Bake Off, Strictly or Amandaland? The TV highlights over Christmas
With Mariah Carey fully defrosted and mince pies disappearing at an alarming rate, families everywhere are poring over surely the most important item in any household – the Christmas TV listings guide.
We won’t sugarcoat things – this year’s offering isn’t as strong as 2024’s, when new material from Gavin, Stacey, Wallace and Gromit sleighed the schedule.
Nonetheless, there is plenty to look forward to as many of our favourite shows get a festive makeover, while some major new releases launch on streaming.
Here’s a selection of highlights to help tide you over until series four of The Traitors launches on 1 January, when O Come All Ye Faithful will take on a whole new meaning.
Christmas Eve
Two Doors Down
Two Doors Down, the delightful comedy about a group of eccentric neighbours, is back for a Christmas special ahead of what we hope will be a full series return (the show took a break in 2023 following the death of co-creator Simon Carlyle).
In a new episode by co-writer Gregor Sharp, Michelle and Alan prepare for the arrival of their first child, while Beth and Eric inadvertently kick off the Christmas celebrations early on Latimer Crescent when they put their tree up in November.
Finding Father Christmas
One of the many new festive films being screened this year is Finding Father Christmas, which follows 16-year-old Chris (played by Lenny Rush) who still believes in Santa.
When his dad (Inbetweeners star James Buckley) tries to tell him his bearded hero doesn’t exist, Chris and his cousin set out to prove him wrong. Also starring Stephen Fry, Hannah Fry and Maggie Aderin-Pocock.
Royal Carols: Together at Christmas
The Princess of Wales hosts her fifth annual carol service at Westminster Abbey, which champions individuals and organisations in the UK who have provided support to local communities.
The programme promises “some of the nation’s most beloved carols” (they rolled out some proper bangers last year such as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) as well as readings from special guests including Katie Melua and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Goodbye June
Two decades after Kate Winslet starred in Christmas staple The Holiday, she is now directing and appearing in a brand new festive film.
Goodbye June, written by her son Joe Anders, follows siblings trying to put their disputes aside to unite for the sake of their mother (played by Dame Helen Mirren), who is undergoing palliative care at Christmas.
Christmas Day
Amandaland
Motherland spin-off Amandaland was a roaring success when it arrived in February, and its Christmas makeover will see guest actress Jennifer Saunders reunite with her former Absolutely Fabulous co-star Joanna Lumley.
Saunders plays Aunt Joan, who is hosting Christmas at her country house for the family. But she and her sister Felicity (Lumley) have never got on, and resurfaced family drama threatens to throw a spanner in the works.
Strictly Come Dancing
The Strictly festive special might take place every year, but 2025’s is particularly significant, for one very obvious reason: the celebrity line-up includes All Saints legend Melanie Blatt.
That aside, it also happens to be the last show featuring presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who announced their exit in October. Expect a lot of smudged mascara as the pair receive a send-off to remember.
The Scarecrows’ Wedding (and other animated delights)
Julia Donaldson’s book The Scarecrows’ Wedding, about two devoted scarecrows planning their big day, has been a firm favourite with children since its publication in 2016. Rob Brydon and Jessie Buckley voice characters in the TV adaptation.
Meanwhile, Shaun the Sheep: Fleece Navidad is a 10-minute treat which sees the flock help the farmer produce a better Christmas card than his selfie-obsessed neighbours.
Other animated highlights include repeats of the delightful screen adaptation of The Tiger Who Came To Tea, and Christmas classic The Snowman.
The Great Christmas Bake Off
It’s a Peep Show special in the tent this year, with Olivia Colman and David Mitchell competing for the Star Baker title alongside co-stars Sophie Winkleman, Isy Suttie and Matt King.
The stars will attempt hangable festive biscuit decorations, a Christmas pie technical challenge, and a showstopper round that sees the bakers recreate their favourite Peep Show moments in cake form.
Boxing Day
Stranger Things (season five, volume two)
The fictional US town of Hawkins, Indiana has been turned into a military zone, with Eleven being hunted as she and her friends continue to try and find the powerful Vecna. But he has vanished, and his whereabouts and plans are unknown.
The next three episodes of season five are technically released on Christmas Day in the US, but the timezone difference means it will be Boxing Day for UK fans.
The Repair Shop at Christmas
While Olivia Colman is in the Bake Off tent, another Oscar-winning actress is in the Repair Shop barn.
Dame Helen Mirren hopes to repair a broken cello that belongs to a care home she supports, while author Julia Donaldson seeks to restore a a battered toy farmhouse that inspired her books.
The End of an Era
Your bank account might still be recovering from Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras tour, but Disney+ are now letting fans relive it with a six-part docuseries.
The End of an Era launched earlier this month with new episodes weekly, offering behind-the-scenes insight and interviews with family members and friends including Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran and Gracie Abrams.
Other highlights
Lives well lived
Kirsty Wark will also be remembering some of the celebrities who died this year, including Beach Boys star Brian Wilson, singer Dame Cleo Lane and actress Diane Keaton, in documentary Lives Well Lived (BBC Two, 19:40).
It’s part of an entire evening of programming on the channel dedicated to celebrating those we lost in 2025.
The Celebrity Apprentice
A new festive edition of The Apprentice, which will air over two nights ahead of a full-length celebrity series next year, will see a group of stars make and market gingerbread biscuits.
The line-up includes Rob Rinder, AJ Odudu, JB Gill and returning contestant Thomas Skinner, who first appeared on the 2019 series.
Festive favourites
Elsewhere, many staples of the terrestrial TV schedules receive the Christmas treatment over the holiday period.
ITV has festive specials of The Chase (Christmas Eve, 17:55), Bullseye (Christmas Day, 20:15), The 1% Club (21:15), The Masked Singer (Boxing Day, 19:30) and Wheel of Fortune (27 Dec, 19:30).
BBC One’s offerings include The Great British Sewing Bee (Christmas Eve, 19:25), The Wheel (Christmas Day, 18:45), Would I Lie To You? (Boxing Day, 19:00), and dramas including Call The Midwife (Christmas Day, 20:15, and Boxing Day, 20:30).
BBC Two will broadcast Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing (Christmas Eve, 21:00), while Boxing Day sees Christmas editions of Richard Osman’s House of Games (19:30), Celebrity Mastermind (20:00), Only Connect (20:30) and University Challenge (21:00).
Channel 4 air a Gogglebox compilation (Christmas Day, 21:15) and The Festive Pottery Throwdown (Boxing Day 19:45) while Channel 5 has The Yorkshire Vet (Christmas Eve, 19:00) and All Creatures Great and Small (21:00).
