Here's EVERYTHING you need to know about what the BBC are showing this Christmas!
The BBC has revealed their festive line-up of all the new telly we've got to look forward to this Christmas, promising a feast of programmes to entertain all the family over the festive fortnight.
From a range of specials, blockbuster movies, thrilling drama and hilarious comedy alongside the very best arts, documentary, music and religious programming the BBC hopes their schedules will bring people together this Christmas in a way that only the BBC can.
Speaking about this year's line-up, Charlotte Moore, BBC’s Chief Content Officer said "No one does Christmas quite like the BBC, and this year we have raised the bar even higher with a cracking line-up that will bring people together across the UK."
"I’m incredibly excited to be showcasing the finest British creativity and welcoming back some of the nation’s favourite characters in the last ever episode of Gavin and Stacey and the premiere of Wallace & Gromit’s new feature length adventure. Alongside a magical mix of new festive shows from the world of comedy, drama, entertainment and factual across the holiday season that viewers can rejoice in. Join us live or on iPlayer - there really is something for everyone!"
At the heart of this year’s BBC Christmas schedule are some of the most hotly anticipated programmes of the year including Vengeance Most Fowl, Wallace & Gromit’s first new film since 2008's A Matter of Loaf and Death from Aardman.
Making their long-awaited return with a brand new feature-length adventure, after a recent crime wave of stolen garden goods from across the region, Wallace and his pre-programmed smart gnome, Norbot, are the main suspects. While Wallace proclaims his innocence, it’s up to Gromit once again to battle sinister forces, or Wallace will never invent again!
It’s been five years since we left Nessa down on one knee declaring her love for Smithy and asking him to marry her. And a lot has happened in those five years. What will Gavin & Stacey: The Finale bring? Ruth Jones and James Corden have reunited the cast for this unmissable event! Read the full synopsis here.
And if the finale leaves you wanting more, then there’s a special, uplifting and touching documentary which tells the story of one of Britain’s best loved sitcoms as it comes to an end after 17 years.
The Brockmans are back! The Outnumbered Christmas Special will follow the chaos in the downsized home of Pete and Sue Brockman, as they grapple with the challenges of parenting kids who are now adults, with their own lives to lead.
Elsewhere, the BBC's comedy offering this Christmas sees Mrs Brown’s Boys return for two news and The Young Offenders returns with a brand new Christmas special on BBC One.
The door may have closed on Inside No.9, but there’s still time to venture behind the scenes with Inside No.9 The Party's Over.
And following the global success of Cunk on Earth, pioneering documentary-maker Philomena Cunk, played by Diane Morgan, returns with her most ambitious quest to date; venturing right up the universe and everything, to examine life itself in Cunk on Life.
Did someone call the Doctor? Doctor Who returns this Christmas with Joy To The World, a time-hopping trip through the history of Earth written by Steven Moffat and starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Nicola Coughlan as Joy.
Adapted for the BBC from the hugely successful picture book by ulia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, Tiddler is the story of a little fish with a big imagination who gets lost in the deep wide ocean until he’s saved by his own storytelling.
It'll be voiced by an all-star cast including, Hannah Waddingham as the narrator, Lolly Adefope as Miss Skate, Jayde Adams as Plaice and other characters, plus Rob Brydon.
This year's drama offering includes the return of Tom Burke and Holiday Grainger in Strike - The Ink Black Heart and for the first time ever, Call the Midwife will deliver not one but two Christmas specials, complete with a Christmas cliffhanger!
Also returning are Abi Morgan's hit legal drama The Split for a two-part special set over one sun-soaked weekend in Barcelona and Steven Knight’s SAS Rogue Heroes returns for a second series
Elsewhere, the BBC are returning to Shipton Abbott for two festive cases in Beyond Paradise and we're also returning to a sun-drenched Saint Marie, joining the police team and a new Detective Inspector for a new festive feature-length Death in Paradise Christmas special.
On Christmas Day in EastEnders, secrets and lies are set to throw a wrecking ball into the Beale family festivities this year as the shocking truth about Cindy is revealed in spectacular fashion!
Elsewhere, Casualty fans are in for a treat with what promises to be a thrilling new special.
And it wouldn’t be Christmas without some celebrities trying their hands…and feet at something different as the Ballroom will once again be transformed into a magical winter wonderland for this year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.
Taking part this Christmas asre comedian Josh Widdicombe, Drag superstar Tayce, presenter and podcaster Vogue Williams, Gladiator Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, actress Tamzin Outhwaite and racing driver Billy Monger. Find out who they'll be dancing with and what they'll be dancing to, here.
One of the biggest shows of 2024, the BBC's revival of Gladiators, is back for its first Christmas special as four famous faces nervously lace up their trainers as they compete in one of the toughest gameshows on Earth.
How will Rob Beckett, Louise Minchin, Joel Dommet and Ellie Taylor fair… Celebrities ready?
The Great Christmas Sewing Bee is back for another festive special as Esme Young and Patrick Grant put four celebrities’ sewing skills to the test.
Host Sara Pascoe will be joined in Yorkshire by singer and actor Ian ‘H’ Watkins, EastEnders' actor Kellie Bright, comedian Fatiha El Ghorri and TV personality and businesswoman, Charlotte Crosby, as they put their twist on a pattern for an advent calendar.
Also back is MasterChef, which will be serving up two specials, a celebrity Cook Off and a Strictly Festive Extravaganza.
And if the family games have been causing havoc at home, then take a break and play along with the nation as there’s a plethora of festive quiz specials for all including, University Challenge, The Weakest Link, Would I Lie To you, Blankety Blank, Only Connect, Richard Osman’s Festive House of Games and Celebrity Mastermind to name a few.
There is also a one-off special, Have I Got Sport for You?, hosted by Jason Manford which will look back at a spectacular year of sport as the team captains will be joined by a gaggle of panellists including top comedians and sporting stars as they reflect on 2024.
Also celebrating a fantastic year of sport, will be BBC’s Sport’s Personality of the Year awards show.
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a touch of cinematic sparkle to the schedules and this year's network film premieres indlude Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, Black Panther, Minions: Rise of Gru, Incredibles 2 and King Richard.
If you’re still seeking inspiration for food over the holidays, then Dame Mary Berry has you covered as she heads to the scenic Kent Coast to inspire us with beautiful, tasty treats that are perfect for gifting in Mary Makes Christmas. And if you're after some last minute gift ideas, then Stacey Solomon has your back, with Stacey’s Crafty Christmas.
If you're still feeling crafty, join the experts at The Repair Shop at Christmas, which this year sees the team of experts back, spreading joy and creating more Christmas magic.
And if you’re interested in how things are made then look no further as Inside the Factory also returns for series nine. Paddy McGuinness gets well and truly in the festive spirit in a factory in Belgium that makes four million chocolate seashells every day.
For music fans, there's a whole host of programming across the BBC including Country Music Christmas which brings Country Music’s biggest stars together for a night full of festive classics, celebrating the joy of the holidays in true Nashville style and in a world exclusive special for BBC Two, Mariah Meets Rylan.
Elsewhere, viewers can take a nostalgic look back at some of the UK’s biggest bands with specials like WHAM!: Last Christmas Unwrapped, The Making of Do They Know It’s Christmas? and Eurythmics at the BBC.
If classical music is more of your thing, there's Doctor Who at the Proms 2024, hosted by Doctor Who fan favourite Catherine Tate. This concert of music, monsters and mayhem features soundtracks from the iconic series, a brand new, specially shot feature for the new Doctor and a host of scary aliens as they thrill a packed audience at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
On BBC Two, Swan Lake from English National Ballet sees more than one hundred dancers take part in this spellbinding production of Swan Lake, filmed on a grand scale at London’s Royal Albert Hall in front of a packed audience.
BBC Four features Hallelujah: The Gospel Messiah with world-renowned conductor Marin Alsop as he leads the BBC Concert Orchestra in an uplifting reinterpretation of this seasonal favourite, as Handel’s masterpiece is infused with gospel, jazz and R&B.
There is also The Merry Widow from Glyndebourne which is Franz Lehár’s laugh-out-loud operetta, a work of pure theatrical pleasure, a cocktail of ravishing music, touching romance and madcap comedy, and not to be missed A Christmas Carol: The Read with Anne Marie Duff.
There's also a range of religious programming this Christmas on the BBC, including Midnight Mass, broadcast live from St Mary’s Church, Warwick, Christmas Morning from Halifax Minster, and the candlelit splendour of Carols From King's.
If you’re staying in this New Year’s eve then why not celebrate with Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s New Year’s Eve Disco, which see’s the Queen of the dancefloor herself bringing all the disco fun and energy to New Year’s Eve as the nation gets ready to welcome in 2025.
The Graham Norton Show returns for its traditional New Year’s Eve edition on BBC One, with sparkling chat, jokes and music as Graham and a sofa of star guests take a look back at the events of 2024. And the Top of The Pops: Review of The Year 2024 takes us back through this year’s music hits.
And of course, Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra will be welcoming in the New Year with Jools’ Annual Hootenanny.
Other festive highlights include Morning Live at Christmas which will bring together the BBC’s most trusted experts to serve up the best money, health, food and time saving tips and advice to help get you through the festive season and The One Show which will be pulling out all the stops with a festive ‘One Big Thank You’ special, a whole show dedicated to shining a light on the incredible people who make a real difference at Christmas.
Ben Fogle and Kate Humble will be racing back to Longleat Safari Park for a magical series of Animal Park at Christmas and for the first time ever, the Coronation Pavilion at Highgrove is being turned into a festive Christmas grotto, so don’t miss A Countryfile Christmas at Highgrove, as the presenters join in the festivities.
The Antiques Roadshow team will be looking back at some of the most memorable items from recent shows and find out what happened next, Gardener’s World has a series of festive specials including guest, comedian Tom Allen who joins Arit Anderson talking about his ‘mini farm’ and how he even makes his own garlic cordial to keep slugs at bay, and the man himself, Father Christmas joins Eric Knowles for two fun-filled festive episodes of Bargain Hunt.
Celebrity Escape to the Country returns for second series with Olympic champion Linford Christie OBE, musical legend Alfie Boe OBE, broadcaster & author Anita Rani, pop sensation H from Steps, renowned journalist Kaye Adams and The Apprentice winner & entrepreneur Tim Campbell MBE, all in search of their perfect country homes.
If further escapism is what you need, then Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti visit an adventure hotel above the Arctic Circle in Lapland in a festive edition of Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby.
And of course you can tune into the laughter and tranquil sounds of Gone Christmas Fishing, as Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer travel to Cahors in the South-West of France where they celebrate another eventful year of fishing together.
My Life At Christmas with Anita Rani sees her speak to Dame Sheila Hancock, Rudolph Walker and Spencer Matthews, in a three-part special, to discover what makes Christmas special for them and how it’s been a marker for memorable moments in their careers, family life and faith.
There are also some heart-warming documentaries and biopics this Christmas on the BBC including a special one-off documentary with Si King as he celebrates the life of fellow Hairy Biker and best friend Dave Myers.
As well as My Epic Camel Adventure with Gordon Buchanan, Expedition Killer Whale, Lucy Worsley Investigates, The 2024 Christmas Lectures from The Royal Institution with Dr Chris van Tulleken, Strictly at 20, Renaissance: The Blood and The Beauty, Alan Bennett: 90 Years On and From Roger Moore, With Love.
Want to know how to keep the little ones and tweens distracted this festive season? Then there's a new adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson’s, The Primrose Railway Children to enjoy as well as the return of The Famous Five and Blue Peter's Christmas Spectacular sees Abby, Joel, Shini and Henry the dog take part in an all-singing, all-dancing Christmas party to get you in the festive spirit!
They'll also be going behind the scenes on the exciting new Wallace and Gromit Christmas adventure and Shini stars in the CBeebies Christmas panto; plus there’s a show stopping performance in the Blue Peter studio.
Elsewhere, My Life: The Snowman and Me follows two boys as they are cast to perform the lead role in Birmingham Rep’s The Snowman for its 27th year at Sadler’s Wells’ home in the West End, the Peacock Theatre. Quentin Blake’s Box of Treasures will also showcase some special festive episodes: Angel Pavement and Loveykins. And there's a new holiday adventure in Nikhil & Jay and the Christmas Wish.
For the little ones, CBeebies Presents: Beauty and the Beast, filmed in Edinburgh at the Festival Theatre, will take the well-known story and bring it to life for a CBeebies audience with a toe-tapping soundtrack from Banks & Wag.
If the little ones insist on helping out in the kitchen this year, then make sure they’ve watched Cooking Buddies Christmas special, as Buddy Oliver returns and is joined by two-times world champion street dancer Meesha Garbett, also known as the famous ‘Red Beret girl’ in the film Matilda.
And to get them ready for bed, children and their grown-ups are invited to snuggle up together to enjoy the magic of storytelling with a week of brand new CBeebies Bedtime Stories from some amazing readers in the run up to Christmas.
Comments