It’s Christmas time, so what else ya gonna do but curl up in front of the telly with a tin of Quality Streets and a good old brew, eh? To help you navigate the Christmas specials and alternative Soap times (can’t miss Emmerdale now, can we!), we’ve rounded up the best things on TV this Christmas 2025 for that all-important scheduled sofa time.
The presents have been opened, the Christmas dinner cooked, eaten, and now you are all sat feeling sleepy. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with our choices of things to watch over the festive period, as you move from one food coma to another.
All Creatures Great and Small – Christmas Special
Channel 5 – Christmas Eve, 9pm
Yes, one last visit to Skeldale for this series with its sought-after Christmas special. James Herriot and the rest of the gang will be in the festive mood as we see the first peacetime festivities since the Second World War began, picking up the series from Christmas 1945. Expect a forgetful Tristan, a poorly Helen and James out of his depth as he attempts to organise the Nativity play.
The Yorkshire Vet – Christmas Special
Channel 5 – Monday 22nd December, 8pm
Everyone’s favourite vets are back for a festive special. Yorkshire vet, Peter Wright, attends to a poorly turkey at a time of year that isn’t great for a turkey. Julian is out searching for a lost parrot before meeting up with Peter to turn on the market town of Thirsk’s Christmas lights.
All Creatures Great and Small: Behind the Magic
Channel 5 – Boxing Day, 8pm
The Dog Father Graeme Hall, star of Dogs Behaving Badly is travelling to the All Creatures set to go behind the scenes for the latest series(we can’t have been the only ones that noticed his appearance). He takes a look at how they get the animals to behave and looks at who’s eating all the food that Mrs Hall has been cooking.
Call the Midwife – Christmas Special
BBC One – Christmas day, 8:15pm/ Boxing Day, 8:30pm
A Christmas staple, Call the Midwife, has been split into two episodes once again this year. One episode is set in Hong Kong. The midwives of Nonnatus House have to help displaced orphans and mothers after the ground underneath the mission collapses. And back in Poplar, the Christmas parade sees Trixie and the rest dressed up as angels on a float.
Amandaland – Christmas Special
BBC One – Christmas Day, 9:15pm
The must-watch comedy of the year is Amandaland’s Christmas special. The hit comedy is not only a newcomer but also a smash hit. Spinoff of Motherland, the festive special is extra exciting as Amanda’s mum, played by Joanna Lumley, is set to have her sister visit in the form of Jennifer Saunders, which is extra exciting for fans of Absolutely Fabulous with a lovely reunion for the first time since the Ab Fab movie.
Mandy – Christmas Special
BBC Two – Monday 22nd December, 10:25pm
Diane Morgan’s hilarious creation, Mandy, is back with a Christmas special. Sure to leave you feeling warm and tearing. Mandy has been pulled into some global diplomacy – a job she was made for – she thinks. What could possibly go wrong?
The Masked Singer – Christmas Special
ITV – Boxing Day, 7:30pm
Join judges Mo Gilligan, Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall and Maya Jama, plus presenter Joel Domet, as they try and guess which celebrities are taking part in this unique singing contest. They’ll have to listen carefully to their singing voice, plus look for clues dropped to find out which celeb is behind the mask. We can’t wait to scream ‘”take it off!” at the screen during the festive period.
Death in Paradise – Christmas Special
BBC One – Sunday 28th December, 9pm
Next, to warmer climbs, as Death in Paradise has a festive case to solve. A Christmas party homicide leads to a joint investigation in both Saint Marie and Swindon.
The Great Christmas Bake Off
Channel 4 – Christmas Day, 8pm/ New Year’s Day, 6:40pm
A Peep Show reunion minus Robert Webb wasn’t on my bingo card this Christmas. Especially one involving baking. Yet, David Mitchell, Olivia Colman, Isy Suttie, Matt King and Sophie Winkleman are all heading to the tent to be judged by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith’s bakes. Then, past contestants will also be returning to prove their baking skills once more with a twist this year, as they will be competing in pairs.
Stranger Things
Netflix – Boxing Day/ New Year’s Eve
The first instalment of the final season has had viewers gripped, and thankfully, the second instalment isn’t far behind. We are expecting nail-biting action over the Christmas period in Hawkins with the hope that the gang can defeat Vecna and rid the world of the Upside Down.
Beyond Paradise
BBC One – Sunday 21st December, 9pm
Christmas is bringing unexpected visitors and festive cases in Beyond Paradise. DI Humphrey Goodman and the detectives at Shipton Abbot have a tough case to crack. A man who seems to have lost his memory steps into the station with a picture of Humphreys. What could it mean? In lighter news, Martha is on with a secret plan, and Hartford is helping someone stuck in a snowman costume.
Taskmaster Champions of Champions
Channel 4 – Monday 22nd December, 9pm/ Friday 2nd January
The channel’s top show is back for a festive special as previous Taskmaster winners return to compete in the Champions of Champions. Winners include Sam Campbell, John Robins, Andy Zaltzman, Mathew Baynton and Maisie Adam, all competing for the title. And, that’s not all, we’ve a New Year’s Treat with a second episode featuring Big Zuu, Jill Scott, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Sam Ryder and Susie Dent who are set to take the Taskmaster challenges.
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing
BBC Two – Christmas Eve, 9pm
We can’t get enough of Bob and Paul and their fishing show that hits all the right notes. Comedy, thoughtful moments of reflection on life and the fishing, of course. The Christmas show is back in Yorkshire, along with Ted, the boys are heading to Devon and Cornwall for a festive fish. Arriving by old steam train, they’re fishing the rivers Lyd and Camel in Devon before heading out to sea in Cornwall. Expect some famous faces, with Dawn French making an appearance alongside Dr Anand Patel, and chef Paul Ainsworth is welcoming them to No6 restaurant.
Finding Father Christmas
Channel 4 – Christmas Eve, 7:30pm
Lenny Rush plays 16-year-old Chris, who still believes in Father Christmas, to his father’s, played by James Buckley, dismay, who wants to help him grow up. Chris sets out to prove that Santa really does exist and ends up discovering something else instead. It looks like it’ll be a proper bit of fun at Christmas.
The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year
Channel 4 – Boxing Day, 9pm
A highlight of Christmas for years, The Big Fat Quiz is back with Jimmy Carr hosting a range of celebrities as they answer questions on the biggest stories of 2025. This year’s guests are Harry Hill, David Mitchell, Roisin Conaty, Sophie Willan, Josh Pugh and Fatiha El-Ghorri.
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
BBC One – Christmas Day, 5:30pm
The 24th series of the dance competition has its Christmas special coming this Christmas Day. The festive episode is set to air in a matter of days. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman may have handed in their notice on their tenure on the show, but they will return for the Christmas special with judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke as the judges. Celebs taking place include Scarlett Moffatt, singer Melanie Blatt, Gladiators star Fury (Jodie Ounsley), actor Nicholas Bailey, comedian Babtunde Aléshé and ex-Westlife singer Brian McFadden.
The Traitors
BBC One – New Year’s Day, 8pm/ Friday 2nd January, 8pm
Claudia Winkleman is back for series four of The Traitors, ringing in the new year with deceit and trickery as 22 people from across the UK descend on a Scottish Castle to try and win up to £120k. After the explosive celeb edition, which crowned Alan Carr victor, you can expect even more twists, turns, secrets, epic missions, deception, banishments and, of course, murders aplenty.
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Feature Image Credit: BBC
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