If we’re all being honest as much as we love to see our family and friends on Christmas Day, the highlight can often be a top-notch bit of festive telly.
We love exchanging presents, eating a delicious Christmas Lunch and more mince pies than we care to admit publicly. But after all that feasting, there’s something relaxing about settling down on the sofa with a glass of something tasty in hand and enjoying the best entertainment the year has to offer.
If that sounds like you, then good news, the 2024 line-up is shaping up to be an absolute cracker. We’re talking new Wallace and Gromit, an allegedly final ever episode for Gavin and Stacey. Outnumbered.
And let’s not forget festive staples like Doctor Who and Strictly Come Dancing. That’s enough viewing to keep anyone busy for a few days and we’ve not even got past the BBC’s Christmas Day schedule. Now, you don’t need us to tell you how great those shows will be, so instead we’ve pulled out a couple of other shows we think are worth your attention this Christmas.
Bullseye
The much-loved and long-missed gameshow is back on our screens for a festive special and we couldn’t be more excited. While sadly Jim Bowen is no longer with us, we think ITV have found a top-notch replacement in the form of Freddie Flintoff. We’ve always been fans of his hosting style and think Bully’s gentle blend of Darts and quizzing is perfect for him. It’s been 18 long years since the last revival, and we can’t wait. Because as Jim would say - ‘You can’t beat a bit of Bully’.
ITV 1, Sunday December 22nd, 6pm
Death in Paradise
Murder at Christmas? Doesn’t sound very relaxing. But with a new detective taking up residence on the island ‘paradise’ we will surely be tuning in. Featuring the brilliant Don Gilet and a murder case involving Santa suits, this is sure to be an absolute cracker. Or if you prefer your crime shows to be set a bit closer to home, there’s also a festive special of the spinoff Beyond Paradise - featuring Kris Marshall investigating a church break-in and helping a lonely widower face up to his first Christmas alone.
Death in Paradise: BBC One, Sunday December 22nd, 8pm
Beyond Paradise BBC One, Friday 27th December, 9pm
My Life at Christmas with Anita Rani
Call us nosy, but we can’t help but love hearing about how other families celebrate Christmas. So this festive treat is right up our street. Starting with Dame Shelia Hancock, Anita finds out about their routines and foibles, along with a broader discussion of the role Christmas has played in their personal and professional lives. It’s the perfect show to get you in the mood for the big day itself - and best of all you can already find the first episode on iPlayer.
Our Christmas Day TV schedule
So that’s the highlights, now for the self-indulgent bit; our viewing schedule for Christmas Day.We’re not ashamed to say we’ve opted for the festive specials, mixed in with some nostalgia - we can’t imagine starting our Christmas Day viewing with anything but The Snowman - even if it is on a at the surprisingly late time of 11.50am this year.
- The Snowman, Channel 4, 11.50AM
- Lunch break - 12.30-3pm. We won’t have the telly on, but we’ll have Buble playing through the speakers.
- King’s Speech, BBC or ITV, 3pm
- Doctor Who, BBC One, 5.10pm
- Wallace and Gromit, BBC One, 6.10pm
- Quick break for cheese and crackers - we’ll definitely need something after Wallace’s latest adventures.
- Coronation Street - ITV, 7pm (but we’ll cheat and use Live Pause on our Manhattan T4-R to save it for after our cheese and crackers)
- Gavin and Stacey, BBC One, 9pm
Not a bad line up right? In fact, we’d go so far as to say it’s the best Christmas Day telly of the last decade or so - especially considering all the shows we haven’t found a way to fit in - like the Chase’s Christmas Special or the return of Call the Midwife.
None of these grabbed your attention? Well, maybe it's time to treat yourself to an early present in the form of a Manhattan T4•R - the easiest, fastest way to access catch up services and create your own Christmas telly schedule.