Your Christmas TV Crackers! Doctor Who turns into 007, a very creepy new Dracula and Gavin and Stacey’s outrageous party... your guide to the best festive shows starts here
DRAMA
A Christmas Carol
BBC1, 9pm, December 22
Guy Pearce is Scrooge in a moody take on the Dickens tale. Continues on December 23 and Christmas Eve.
Martin’s close
BBC4, 10pm, Christmas Eve
Peter Capaldi stars in a spooky tale of ghosts and murder.
Jodie Whittaker’s time lady regenerates into James Bond in a thrilling two-part tale entitled Spyfall (it concludes on January 4). Lenny Henry and Stephen Fry guest star
Call the Midwife Christmas Special
BBC1, 7pm, Christmas Day
The midwives journey to the Outer Hebrides to set up a new branch house.
Susan Hill ’s Ghost Story
Channel 5, 9pm, Boxing Day
The ghost of a boy haunts a book dealer in this feature-length adaptation of a chiller by the writer of The Woman In Black.
The Trial Of Christine Keeler
BBC1, 9pm, December 29
Sophie Cookson takes on the role of Christine Keeler in this retelling of infamous Sixties sex scandal, the Profumo Affair.
Call The Midwife. The midwives journey to the Outer Hebrides to set up a new branch house
Doctor Who
BBC1, 6.55pm, New Year ’s Day
Jodie Whittaker’s time lady regenerates into James Bond in a thrilling two-part tale entitled Spyfall (it concludes on January 4). Lenny Henry and Stephen Fry guest star.
Dracula
BBC1, 9pm, New Year’s Day
Danish actor Claes Bang brings brooding menace to the role of the vampire king as the team behind Sherlock sink their teeth into another classic. Parts two and three air on January 2 and 3.
Sophie Cookson takes on the role of Christine Keeler in this retelling of infamous Sixties sex scandal, the Profumo Affair
Danish actor Claes Bang brings brooding menace to the role of the vampire king Dracula as the team behind Sherlock sink their teeth into another classic
Bancroft
ITV, 9pm, New Year’s Day
Sarah Parish returns as duplicitous and dangerous copper DCS Bancroft. She’s been promoted since the first series, but are the many sins of her past about to catch up with her?
COMEDY
A League Of Their Own Christmas Special
Sky One, 9pm, December 19
Winter sports and lederhosen await as Jamie Redknapp, Andrew Flintoff and Romesh Ranganathan head to Austria.
In The Long Run: Christmas Special
Sky One, 9pm, December 20
Idris Elba and Bill Bailey return for a chunk of nostalgic Christmas comedy as the Easmon family prepare to host a gigantic family bash. Don’t expect the party to go well…
Sharon Osbourne, Judge Rinder and Nile Rodgers join Dame Edna Everage on her luxury yacht for New Year's Eve
The Goes Wrong Show
BBC1, 7.30pm, December 23
The crew behind the West End hit The Play That Goes Wrong return with a hilariously catastrophic festive fable featuring a drunken Santa, an imprisoned elf and a murderous toy machine.
Live At The Apollo
BBC2, 10pm, December 23
Sara Pascoe hosts the Christmas special as comic Chris McCausland and sisterly double act Flo & Joan hit the stage.
Cinderella: After ever After
Sky One, 5pm, Christmas Eve
What happens when the fairy tale ends? Sian Gibson and David Walliams star in an over-the-top follow-up.
Not Going Out Christmas Special
BBC1, 10pm, Christmas Eve
Lee and Lucy head off on a mission to find an inflatable Santa as Lee Mack’s sitcom returns for a festive road trip.
After a ten-year break it’s time to catch up with the Shipmans and the Wests as we head to Barry Island for Christmas
Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show
BBC1, 6pm, Christmas Day
Festive laughs and music from the London Palladium.
Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special
BBC1, 8.30pm, Christmas Day
After a ten-year break it’s time to catch up with the Shipmans and the Wests as we head to Barry Island for Christmas. Can Uncle Bryn handle cooking for both families, though?
Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas Special
BBC1, 10.30pm, Christmas Day
Another brace of comic escapades for the Irish mammy. This episode shows us what life would be like if Agnes had never existed. Then, on New Year’s Day (10.30pm), Mrs Brown comes face to face with a killer.
Dame Edna Rules The Waves
BBC1, 9.05pm, New Year ’s Eve
Sharon Osbourne, Judge Rinder and Nile Rodgers join Dame Edna Everage on her luxury yacht.
Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration
BBC1, 5.45pm, New Year ’s Day
To mark ten years since the gangly comedian first bumbled onto our TV screens, Miranda Hart and the cast reunite at the London Palladium for behind-the-scenes gossip, poignant memories and some rather daft dancing.
A Year In The Life Of A Year 2019
BBC2, 11pm, New Year ’s Day
Film-maker Rhys Thomas juggles, shuffles and just plain invents key moments from 2019 for a surreal, strange and very funny slice of make-believe mockumentary.
ENTERTAINMENT
Sports personality of The Year
BBC1, 7pm, December 15
The Beeb’s annual sports jamboree goes north of the border as Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Gary Lineker head for Aberdeen to pay tribute to the past 12 months of athletic achievement.
Prepare for more waggy-tailed sweetness as Paul O’Grady returns to Battersea Dogs Home and heads out onto the streets of London to show a little love to the city’s homeless and their dogs
The Undateables At Christmas
Channel 4, 9pm, December 17
It’s time to find out what the unlikely couples who met on the show have planned for the festive season.
The Apprentice
BBC1, 9pm, December 18
The 15 candidates have been whittled down to just two as Lord Sugar sets one final business challenge.
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special. Strictly stars Debbie McGee, Chizzy Akudolu, Gemma Atkinson, Joe Sugg, Mark Wright and Richard Arnold return to the dance floor
The Big Soap Quiz: Coronation Street vs Emmerdale
ITV, 9pm, December 19
Jack P Shepherd and Mark Charnock captain the two teams as Coronation Street stars and Emmerdale actors battle to see who knows their soap the best.
I'll Get This Christmas Special
BBC2, 10pm, December 19
Comedians Joel Dommett and Les Dennis compete with Love Island’s Maura Higgins, Strictly’s Shirley Ballas and MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace to see who ends up paying the tab for a festive feast.
Bradley Walsh and Holly Willoughby give audience members the chance to win a holiday to Lapland
Celebrity Flirty Dancing For Stand Up To Cancer
Channel 4, 8pm, December 20
Loose Women presenter Coleen Nolan looks for love as Ashley Banjo teaches her and a prospective partner a romantic routine.
Dancing On Ice At Christmas
ITV, 7pm, December 22
John Barrowman joins the judges as the new series of the ice-dance extravaganza begins.
Christmas University Challenge
BBC2, 7.30pm, December 23
Teams of celebrity alumni compete for the honour of their old colleges in the festive edition of the student quiz. It runs all this week and next.
Celebrity Crystal Maze: Christmas Special
Channel 4, 10pm, December 23
Shirley Ballas, Gareth Malone, Scarlett Moffatt and Nish Kumar join captain Catherine Tyldesley as Richard Ayoade leads them through Christmassy challenges.
Take off With Bradley And Holly
BBC1, 8pm, Christmas Eve
Bradley Walsh and Holly Willoughby give audience members the chance to win a holiday to Lapland.
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
BBC1, 4.40pm, Christmas Day
Former Strictly stars Debbie McGee, Chizzy Akudolu, Gemma Atkinson, Joe Sugg, Mark Wright and Richard Arnold return to the dance floor.
Kylie ’s Secret Night
Channel 4, 9pm, Christmas Day
Kylie Minogue stuns an unsuspecting studio audience (who are expecting to just see a film about her) by turning up in person to chat to Alan Carr.
First Dates At Christmas
Channel 4, 9.30pm, Christmas Day
Fred Sirieix and his team head to a cosy country pub to meet new dates and revisit old couples.
Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of Dogs At Christmas
ITV, 6pm, Boxing Day
Prepare for more waggy-tailed sweetness as Paul O’Grady returns to Battersea Dogs Home and heads out onto the streets of London to show a little love to the city’s homeless and their dogs.
Big Fat Quiz Of The Year
Channel 4, 9pm, Boxing Day
Jimmy Carr prepares to quiz top celebrity teams about the events of the past year. The questions this year are set by the likes of Charles Dance, Jon Snow and the pupils of Mitchell Brook Primary School.
Richard Osman's Comedy World Cup Of The Decade
Channel 4, 9pm, December 27
Just what were the best films, TV shows and songs of the past ten years? The towering Pointless presenter lets the public vote on these and numerous other categories in a fun and flippant look back at the past decade.
The Repair Shop At Christmas
BBC1, 7pm, December 29
Treasured old Christmas gifts from a rocking horse to a vintage Chopper bicycle get a loving makeover at the hands of the restoration experts.
Top Gear Nepal Special
BBC2, 9pm, December 29
Paddy McGuinness, Andrew Flintoff and Chris Harris set out across the Himalayas in a trio of battered old cars on a mission to reach the Forbidden City of Lo Manthang in Tibet. Cue mountain passes, a mudslide of banter and challenges arranged by the Top Gear producers.
FAMILY
Moominvalley
Sky One, 2pm, December 21
Can Moomintroll win back the affections of Snorkmaiden when a charismatic winter sports champion comes to the valley. Tove Jansson’s sweet children’s characters return for a second series of family-friendly adventures.
The Christmas Letter
Sky One, 7.30pm, December 23
Kate Winslet narrates the heartwarming animated story of a Christmas-obsessed young boy out to bring a little festive joy into the life of a cranky old lady who lives in his neighbourhood.
Worzel Gummidge. Mackenzie Crook writes, directs and stars as the scarecrow who comes to life in this updated adventure
The Tiger who came To Tea
Channel 4, 7.30pm, Christmas Eve
Judith Kerr’s picture book about a girl and the big stripy cat who eats up all the food in her house comes to the screen courtesy of the team behind 2016’s hit adaptation We’re Going On A Bear Hunt. David Walliams narrates, while David Oyelowo gives voice to the tiger.
The Snail And The Whale
BBC1, 2.30pm, Christmas Day
After the success of The Gruffalo and Room On The Broom, another of Julia Donaldson’s children’s fables becomes a lovely animated tale. Sally Hawkins voices the sea snail dreaming of distant lands, while Rob Brydon plays the kindly whale who makes her wish come true.
Mimi And The Mountain Dragon
BBC1, 3.20pm, Boxing Day
Can a young girl return a lost baby dragon to its mother? Oscar-winning composer Rachel Portman wrote the score to this enchanting adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s children’s book.
The Tiger Who Came To Tea. Judith Kerr’s picture book about a girl and the big stripy cat who eats up all the food in her house comes to the screen
Worzel Gummidge
BBC1, 6.20pm, Boxing Day
Mackenzie Crook writes, directs and stars as the scarecrow who comes to life in this updated adventure. Crook is joined by a fantastic cast, including Michael Palin and Zoë Wanamaker. The second instalment follows on December 27.
MUSIC
The X Factor: The Band – Live Final
ITV, 8pm, December 15
Which of the remaining wannabe singing stars will become the next pop act championed by Simon Cowell?
Kylie’s Golden Tour. The first TV showing of Kylie Minogue’s hit Golden Tour from 2018
Ball & Boe: A Very Merry Christmas
ITV, 9.30pm, December 20
Michael Ball and Alfie Boe present a rollicking night of music as they sing alongside special guests including Dame Shirley Bassey, Luke Evans and Gregory Porter.
Carols From King’s
BBC2, 5pm, Christmas Eve
Christmas isn’t Christmas until the choristers begin their annual service of carols old and new from the stunning chapel of King’s College, Cambridge.
Gareth Malone's
BBC2, 9pm, Christmas Eve
The inspirational choirmaster heads to Watford General Hospital to raise the spirits of staff by involving them in an extra-special Christmas concert.
Top Of The Pops
BBC1, 11.35am, Christmas Day
Clara Amfo and Fearne Cotton host as the pop show returns for the first of two one-hour specials. The second bash follows on December 30 at 4.45pm.
The Magic Flute
BBC4, 7pm, Christmas Day
A brilliant stage production of Mozart’s opera recorded at this year’s Glyndebourne Festival.
Kylie’s Golden Tour
Channel 4, Midnight, Christmas Day
The first TV showing of Kylie Minogue’s hit Golden Tour from 2018.
INXS : Live Baby Live
BBC2, 11pm, December 28
The Australian band and their late frontman Michael Hutchence rock Wembley Stadium in this remastered concert movie from July 1991.
Jools' Annual Hootenanny 2019
BBC2, 11.15pm, New Year’s Eve
Stormzy, Stereophonics, Rick Astley and Eddi Reader are among those joining Jools Holland for the latest of his annual New Year’s Eve party.
Craig David Rocks Big Ben Live
BBC1, 11.25pm, New Year’s Eve
The 7 Days singer/songwriter is the latest big name to welcome in the New Year from the stage of Westminster Hall in central London. With a break at midnight to enjoy the fireworks, obviously.
The New Year’s Day Concert Live From Vienna 2020
BBC2, 10.15am, New Year’s Day
Petroc Trelawny hosts the traditional start to the year with classical music from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna.
FOOD
Jamie's Christmas Countdown
Channel 4, 8pm, December 15
Make Christmas cooking a stress-free experience as Jamie Oliver charts exactly what, when and how to cook the right items in order to create the perfect festive feast when the big day rolls around.
The queen of cooking travels the country to explore the work of various charities supported by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and rustles up a festive charity feast hosted by the royal pair
A Berry Royal Christmas
BBC1, 8.30pm, December 16
The queen of cooking travels the country to explore the work of various charities supported by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and rustles up a festive charity feast hosted by the royal pair.
Heston's Fantastic Feast: Back To The Noughties
BBC2, 9pm, December 19
As food critic Giles Coren assembles period celebrity guests and decor, Heston Blumenthal sets out to recreate the legendary tasting menu that he first served at his Fat Duck restaurant in 2001.
Gordon, Gino And Fred: Christmas Road trip
ITV, 9pm, December 23
Morocco is the destination for Gordon Ramsay, Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix as they head off on a culinary desert adventure.
The Great Christmas Bake-off
Channel 4, 7.10pm, Christmas Day
The spirits of bakers past – or Tom and Yan from 2017 and Briony and Terry from 2018 as they’re also known – return to the tent for the Christmas Day special. Then, on New Year’s Day at 7.40pm, the cast of the sitcom Derry Girls show off their baking skills (or lack thereof) in a second special edition.
Jamie & Jimmy's Friday Night Feast
Channel 4, 8.30pm, Christmas Day
Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty open up their bistro for Taron Egerton as the Rocketman star cooks his family Christmas dinner for the first time.
FACTUAL
Secrets of the Christmas Factory
Channel 5, 8pm, December 20
From tinsel to crackers, the truth about producing festive treats.
Coronation Street At Christmas
ITV, 8.30pm, December 20
Looking at 60 years of Christmas on the cobbles.
A Merry Tudor Christmas with Lucy Worsley. Historian Lucy Worsley dives into the festive culture of 16th-century Britain
A Merry Tudor Christmas with Lucy Worsley
BBC2, 9pm, December 20
Historian Lucy Worsley dives into the festive culture of 16th-century Britain.
Hugh Grant: A Life On Screen
BBC2, 9pm, December 23
The actor talks about the highs and lows of his career, from Four Weddings And A Funeral to Paddington 2 and beyond.
Gogglebox 2019
Channel 4, 9pm, Christmas Eve
Whether it’s Game Of Thrones or The Great British Bake Off, the TV-watching terrors unleash their opinions on the year’s biggest shows.
The Queen’s Christmas Broadcast
BBC/ITV, 3pm, Christmas Day
Her Majesty looks back on a turbulent year as she delivers her annual Christmas message to the nation.
Dolly Parton: Here I Am
BBC2, 8.30pm, Christmas Day
Discover what makes the legendary singer of hits such as Jolene and 9 To 5 tick in this feature-length documentary from award-winning music film-maker Francis Whately.
Paddington: The Man Behind The Bear. Stephen Fry is among the celebrity fans paying homage to the creator of the marmalade-loving bear in this revealing profile of writer Michael Bond
Paddington: The Man Behind The Bear
BBC2, 9pm, Boxing Day
Stephen Fry is among the celebrity fans paying homage to the creator of the marmalade-loving bear in this revealing profile of writer Michael Bond.
A Question Of Sport at 50
BBC1, 8.30pm, December 27
Launched in January 1970, the veteran sports quiz celebrates its birthday with this look back at half a century of hosts, team captains and guests.
Christmas Sales: Supershoppers Special
Channel 4, 8pm, December 30
Helen Skelton and Sabrina Grant discover just how retailers convince us to part with our cash and offer advice on the best ways to secure the biggest savings in the sales
NATURE
The Last Igloo
BBC4, 7.30pm, Christmas Eve
This documentary follows an Inuit hunter in the wilds of Greenland as he uses ancient skills to build that traditional frozen dwelling, an igloo.
From chipmunks stockpiling food to caribou making epic journeys, Liz Bonnin reveals the clever strategies animals employ to survive and thrive in the coldest conditions
Snow Cats And Me
BBC2, 8pm, December 29
Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan journeys to Russia to help a feline expert return a pair of gorgeous lynx back to the wild. Part two follows on December 30 (9pm).
Snow Animals
BBC1, 7pm, December 30
From chipmunks stockpiling food to caribou making epic journeys, Liz Bonnin reveals the clever strategies animals employ to survive and thrive in the coldest conditions.
Seven Worlds, One Planet: Continents of Wonder
BBC1, 1.05pm, New Year’s Day
This compilation picks the most spectacular bits from David Attenborough’s wildlife series.
Earth’s Tropical Islands
BBC2, 9pm, New Year’s Day
David Harewood narrates the first of three films looking at the wildlife of the planet’s most exotic islands. This first part tackles Madagascar, with films about Borneo and Hawaii following on January 2 and 3.
FILM
Borg Vs McEnroe
BBC2, 9pm, December 15
Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf serve up an impressive slice of sporting biopic in this account of the rivalry between Björn Borg and John McEnroe.
Office Christmas Party
Channel 4, 10pm, December 22
Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston star in a raucous festive farce.
Alice Through The Looking Glass. Johnny Depp is back as The Mad Hatter in a follow-up to 2010’s Alice In Wonderland. It bears very little resemblance to Lewis Carroll’s book but it’s still an enjoyable multi-coloured fantasy
Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf serve up an impressive slice of sporting biopic in an account of the rivalry between Björn Borg and John McEnroe
White Christmas
Channel 4, 1.35pm, December 23
Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye play the entertainers staging a show at a rural hotel to help out an old army buddy in one of the great Christmas movies.
ELF
ITV, 5.15pm, Christmas Eve
Buddy The Elf hunts for his real human father in this heartwarming festive favourite.
Beauty And The Beast
BBC1, 5.30pm, Christmas Eve
Emma Watson dons Belle’s yellow dress in a live-action version of the Disney cartoon. Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens transforms into the Beast.
Home Alone
Channel 4, 5.30pm, Christmas Eve
Macaulay Culkin’s indomitable young boy fights off burglars in this hilarious Christmas romp.
Moana
BBC1, 12.55pm, Christmas Day
Animated adventuring as Dwayne Johnson voices a boisterous Polynesian demi-god helping a young girl to save her island people.
Finding Dory
BBC1, 3.10pm, Christmas Day
Ellen DeGeneres returns to voice forgetful fish Dory in a likeable sequel to 2003’s Finding Nemo.
The Boss Baby
BBC1, 1.50pm, Boxing Day
Alec Baldwin provides the voice of the tycoon in a baby’s body in this enjoyably daft animated adventure.
Shazam! The brightest DC Comic book movie yet sees a boy having the time of his life when a magic word transforms him into a musclebound action hero (Zachary Levi)
Paddington 2
BBC1, 7.20pm, Boxing Day
The bear from Peru returns in a sequel that’s even better than the original. Hugh Grant steals every scene he’s in as a villainous actor.
Alice Through The Looking Glass
BBC1, 6pm, December 28
Johnny Depp is back as The Mad Hatter in a follow-up to 2010’s Alice In Wonderland. It bears very little resemblance to Lewis Carroll’s book but it’s still an enjoyable multi-coloured fantasy.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2
ITV, 8.30pm, December 28
The second instalment of Marvel’s light-hearted galactic adventures sees the team battling against a living planet.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Channel 4, 9pm, New Year ’s Day
Tom Cruise returns in the sixth and arguably best movie in the action-adventure franchise.
FILMS ON DEMAND
The Muppet Christmas Carol
NOW TV/Sky On Demand, available now
Michael Caine plays Scrooge, as Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang give Charles Dickens’s tale the Muppet treatment.
The Two Popes
Netflix, from December 20
Acting titans Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce go head to head as Pope Benedict XVI and his eventual successor Cardinal Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis, in this drama based on real life.
Mary Queen Of Scots. Saoirse Ronan stars as the 16th-century queen in this taut drama. Margot Robbie excels as Elizabeth I of England
Bumblebee
NOW TV/ Sky On Demand, from December 20
Hailee Steinfeld stars as the girl whose old car turns out to be a robot in disguise in the best of the Transformer films.
Mary Queen Of Scots
NOW TV/Sky On Demand, from December 22
Saoirse Ronan stars as the 16th-century queen in this taut drama. Margot Robbie excels as Elizabeth I of England.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
NOW TV/Sky On Demand, from Christmas Eve
It’s not quite as awesome as the first movie, but this second outing for brick-based hero Emmett is still stacks of fun.
Mary Poppins Returns
NOW TV/Sky On Demand, from Christmas Day
Emily Blunt does a practically perfect job as the magical nanny who returns to help the grown-up Banks children.
The Muppet Christmas Carol. Michael Caine plays Scrooge, as Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang give Charles Dickens’s tale the Muppet treatment
Avengers: Endgame
NOW TV/Sky On Demand, from Boxing Day
Iron Man and co face their biggest threat yet as a superhero epic 22 films in the making reaches its time-travelling finish.
The Kid Who Would Be King
NOW TV/ Sky On Demand, from December 27
A schoolboy finds King Arthur’s legendary sword Excalibur and sets out to save the world from an evil sorceress.
It: Chapter Two
Sky Store, from December 30
Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy lead the battle against evil clown Pennywise in this chilling follow-up to the 2017 horror film.
The Aftermath
NOW TV/ Sky On Demand, from New Year’s Eve
Keira Knightley is the British army wife starting an illfated affair with a German architect in post-war Hamburg.
SHAZAM!
NOW TV/Sky On Demand, from New Year’s Day
The brightest DC Comic book movie yet sees a boy having the time of his life when a magic word transforms him into a musclebound action hero (Zachary Levi).
ON DEMAND
DRAMA
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS
If ET invaded Edwardian England...
This CGI-laden take on the HG Wells classic stars Rafe Spall and Eleanor Tomlinson as survivors battling alien invaders.
iPlayer, available now
Good Omens. As a demon and an angel team up to avert the apocalypse, David Tennant and Michael Sheen lead an all-star cast in this hit adaptation of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s 1990 novel
His Dark Materials. Every episode in the first run of this beautiful adaptation of Philip Pullman’s fantasy drama is now available
DOWNTON ABBEY
Abbey days are here again
You’ve seen the movie, now go back and watch every episode of Julian Fellowes’ drama.
Britbox, available now
CRACKER
A feast of Fitz
Jimmy McGovern’s superb series stars Robbie Coltrane as crime-solving psychologist Fitz. All 25 episodes are online.
Britbox, available now
You’ve seen the movie, now go back and watch every episode of Julian Fellowes’ drama
THE GRAND TOUR: SEAMEN
Clarkson and co are all at sea
In the first of a series of feature-length specials, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take a madcap tour of Vietnam and Cambodia... by boat.
Amazon Prime, available now
LIVING WITH YOURSELF BRAND
Compelling clone comedy
Paul Rudd stars as jaded ad man Miles in this smart comedy drama about cloning. Netflix, available now
DOCTOR WHO ~ CLASSIC EPISODES
Take a Tardis trip back in time Before the 2005 reboot, Doctor Who had enjoyed a 26-year run through time and space from 1963 to 1989. All the (still surviving) episodes are now available to download.
Britbox, from Boxing Day
Take a Tardis trip back in time Before the 2005 reboot, Doctor Who had enjoyed a 26-year run through time and space from 1963 to 1989
MR ROBOT
The hacker drama prepares to hit the delete button
Shocking twists abound in the final 13 gripping episodes of the hi-tech drama starring Rami Malek and Christian Slater.
Amazon Prime, available now
THE WITCHER
Here be monsters!
Former Superman Henry Cavill plays the monsterhunting lead in this epic eightpart fantasy series.
Netflix, from December 20
HIS DARK MATERIALS
Head north for a fantastic adventure
Every episode in the first run of this beautiful adaptation of Philip Pullman’s fantasy drama is now available. Dafne Keen excels as Lyra, with great support from James McAvoy and Ruth Wilson.
iPlayer, from December 22
GOOD OMENS
Devilishly enjoyable fantasy television
As a demon and an angel team up to avert the apocalypse, David Tennant and Michael Sheen lead an all-star cast in this hit adaptation of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s 1990 novel. Funny, clever and touching in equal dollops, it’s one of the undeniable On Demand highlights of 2019. It’s scheduled to turn up on the BBC early in 2020, but there is still plenty of time left for you to steal a march on terrestrial telly by bingeing it over the holiday season.
Amazon Prime, available now
FAMILY
THE DEMON HEADMASTER
All rise for the hypnotically fiendish head
The children who watched the original Nineties series are probably now the parents of the new generation being thrilled by Nicholas Gleaves’s reinterpretation of the chilling title character.
iPlayer, available now
FAST AND FURIOUS: SPY RACERS
The action movie franchise gets a spin-off
Far less violent than the Fast & Furious film series that spawned it, this animated series follows Tony, Dominic Toretto’s young cousin, as he and his friends go undercover to infiltrate an elite racing league with links to organised crime.
Netflix, from Boxing Day
ALEXA & KATIE
Heartwarming school friends sitcom
The show about two teenage best pals – one of whom is undergoing treatment for cancer – is back for a third run. Can the girls enjoy their schooldays despite everything that is going on around them?
Netflix, from December 30
GO! GO! CORY CARSON
Cute cartoon car capers
Based on a toy car line, this charming cartoon series centres around Cory, a surprisingly cute little animated automobile who embarks on a variety of family-friendly adventures in the always sunny town of Bumperton Hills.
Netflix, from NEW YEAR’S EVE
COMEDY
GRACE AND FRANKIE
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are a very modern Odd Couple
Fonda and Tomlin play women of a certain age whose husbands announce they’ve fallen in love with each other and are leaving them. With nowhere else to go, the ladies reluctantly move in with each other.
Netflix, available now
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are a very modern Odd Couple in Grace & Frankie
CATASTROPHE
No-holds-barred sitcom laughs
Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s acclaimed sitcom about a mismatched couple thrown together by an unexpected pregnancy. Every episode is now ready for binge-watching.
Amazon Prime, available now
JACK WHITEHALL: CHRISTMAS WITH MY FATHER
Seasonal stage show with Grumpy Dad
Will Michael Whitehall finally crack a smile when he joins his comedian son on stage at the London Palladium?
Netflix, from December 12
SHRILL
Sharp comedy with a big message
A six-part series stars Aidy Bryant as an overweight young woman who’s happy with her body, but the rest of her life isn’t to her liking.
BBC3, from December 15
JOHN MULANEY & THE SACK LUNCH BUNCH
Rib-tickling variety with magical guests
David Byrne and Jake Gyllenhaal join Mulaney’s oneoff children’s special.
Netflix, from Christmas EVE
SPORT
Matchday: Inside FC Barcelona
Behind the scenes of one of the world’s great football clubs
Actor John Malkovich narrates this eight-part warts-and-all look at life for Lionel Messi and his team-mates inside the Camp Nou during the 2018/19 season.
Rakuten TV, available now
Premier League
Festive Football comes to Amazon
Amazon is showing all this year’s Premier League fixtures on Boxing Day and December 27. The highlights of the programme include Newcastle’s trip to Manchester United and a top-of-the-table clash between Leicester and Liverpool at the King Power Stadium, both on Boxing Day. Then, on December 27, Wolves host Manchester City in a must-win match for the visitors.
Amazon Prime, Boxing Day and December 27
RADIO
JO WHILEY'S ROCKSTARS AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE
Radio 2, 7pm, December 17
Jamie Cullum, Will Young and Kate Tempest are among the big musical names joining Jo for music and chat.
AUSTENTATIOUS
Radio 4, 11.30am, December 20
The UK’s best improv troupe sets out to reveal an unwritten Jane Austen novel – invented on the spot and based on a title picked by the studio audience.
The choir of King’s College, Cambridge performs carols interspersed with Bible readings on Christmas Eve
THE SHUTTLEWORTHS
Radio 4, 7.15pm, December 22
Graham Fellows’ comic creation returns, as nerdy singer-songwriter John Shuttleworth faces a Christmas without his family.
BEYOND BELIEF: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
Radio 4, 4.30pm, December 23
Is CS Lewis’s Narnia novel a family fantasy or a religious allegory? Experts discuss the 70-year-old favourite, alongside extracts read by actor Julie Hesmondhalgh.
A FESTIVAL OF NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS
Radio 4, 3pm, Christmas Eve
The choir of King’s College, Cambridge performs carols interspersed with Bible readings.
COUNT ARTHUR STRONG’S RADIO SHOW CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!
Radio 4, 11.30am, Christmas Day
Over-the-hill comic star Arthur returns for more misadventures in this festive edition of the sitcom.
KERMODE AND MAYO’S END OF YEAR REVIEW: BEST OF 2019
Radio 5 Live, 3pm, Christmas Day
Mark and Simon look back over the year’s biggest and best movies, pointing out the greats you should have seen and the turkeys you were lucky to avoid.
RADIO 3 IN THE DARK – PLAYING IN THE DARK
Radio 3, 7.30pm, Christmas Day
Accompanied by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, author Neil Gaiman reads from his work. He’s joined by David Tennant, who Deborah Ross Britain’s best TV critic performs a snippet from Good Omens, written by Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Listen out, too, for Neil Gaiman’s Chivalry on Christmas Day (Radio 4 at 4pm), starring Glenda Jackson in an adaptation of a magical short story.
TODAY GUEST EDITORS
Radio 4, 6.15pm, from December 30
The annual tradition of handing Radio 4’s flagship news show over to a rotating cast of guest editors between Christmas and the New Year continues. This year Greta Thunberg, Baroness Hale of Richmond, Grayson Perry, Charles Moore and George the Poet each take the editor’s chair for a day.
Jamie Cullum, Will Young and Kate Tempest are among the big musical names joining Jo Whiley for music and chat
GHOST STORIES FROM AMBRIDGE
Radio 4, 6.15pm, December 30
The folk of Ambridge gather to hear Jim Lloyd tell a trio of ghost stories in this enjoyably dark Archers spin-off.
