If you plan on spending the Christmas season staying cosy indoors with copious amounts of food, you’ll need some seriously good shows to keep you entertained inbetween the classic tunes and numerous glasses of bucks fizz.
However, not all festive TV is worth your time (ITV’s disappointing line-up being a prime example), so we’ve rounded up the best shows to look out for.
Whether you’re looking for comforting staples or a thrilling drama, we’ve got something for you – no streaming subscriptions required. Plus, this article covers from the run-up to the big day, all the way to New Year’s.
Taskmaster’s Champions of Champions
Channel 4/Channel 4 website – Monday 22 December – 9:00pm
Greg Davies and Little Alex Horne will return to help you start off your Christmas in style by bringing back some of the most iconic winners from previous seasons. This one-off episode will feature Andy Zaltzman, John Robins, Maisie Adam, Mathew Baynton, and Sam Campbell all battling it out in the familiar quirky house to discover who is truly the best of the best.
If that’s not enough Taskmaster for you, then there’s an extra helping with New Year Treat, which airs on 2 and 3 January 2026 at 9pm, featuring Big Zuu, Jill Scott, Sam Ryder, Susie Dent, and Rose Ayling-Ellis. Plus, each episode will drop on the Taskmaster YouTube channel for international fans at 5pm EST/2pm PST, just after airing in the UK.
The Scarecrow’s Wedding
BBC One/BBC iPlayer – Thursday 25 December/Christmas Day – 3:10pm
If you’re looking for a family favourite this Christmas, then another one of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s novels has been adapted on the BBC. This short and sweet film follows scarecrows Betty O’Barley (voiced by Jessie Buckley) and Harry O’Hay (Domhnall Gleeson), who are preparing to tie the knot. However, things begin to unravel thanks to the unwelcome arrival of Reginald Rake (Rob Bydron).
The story will be narrated by Slow Horses star, Sophie Okonedo.
Gladiators Celebrity Special
BBC One/BBC iPlayer – Thursday 25 December/Christmas Day – 3:35pm
The Gladiators revival continued to prove to be popular this year, and this Christmas Day you can see some of your favourite celebrities take on the elite athletes in a series of gruelling challenges, including the infamous Duel. The contestants this year are Joe Wicks, Sam Thompson, Nicola Adams and Vogue Williams.
BBC / Nick Eagle / © Hungry Bear Media Ltd
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
BBC One/BBC iPlayer – Thursday 25 December/Christmas Day – 5:30pm
Strictly will be back for its annual festive episode. Typically, the contestants dance to Christmas classics, and we see the 10 paddle come out more than usual thanks to the cheerful atmosphere. The contestants this year are Scarlett Moffatt (with Vito Coppola), Melanie Blatt (with Kai Widdrington), Jodie Ounsley (with Neil Jones), Nicholas Bailey (with Luba Mushtuk), Babtunde Aléshé (with Nancy Xiu) and Brian McFadden (with Michelle Tsiakkas).
BBC
The Great Festive Bake Off
Channel 4/Channel 4 website – Thursday 25 December/Christmas Day – 8pm
The Bake Off double bill trend continues, and the first episode is bound to be popular – as it’s a Peep Show special, with David Mitchell, Olivia Colman, Isy Suttie, Matt King and Sophie Winkleman all entering the tent.
Then, on Thursday 1 January/New Year’s Day at 6:40pm, past contestants Andy, Nelly, Briony, Selasi, Tasha, Rahul, Val and Giuseppe will return to show off their baking skills once again. The usual judges and presenters, Prue, Paul, Allison and Noel, will be overseeing all of it.
Call the Midwife
BBC One/BBC iPlayer – Thursday 25 December/Christmas Day – 8:15pm
It wouldn’t be Christmas without Call the Midwife, and this two-part festival special has plenty of drama in store. Violet and Fred will make the journey to Hong Kong to visit family, only to have to deal with a tragedy. Meanwhile, an unexpected request keeps Cyril on his toes, while Rosalind and Joyce host a Christmas gathering.
Amandaland Christmas Special
BBC One/BBC iPlayer – Thursday 25 December/Christmas Day – 9:15pm
Motherland’s spin-off Amandaland is getting its own Christmas Special, with an Absolutely Fabulous reunion with Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders. The latter will play Amanda’s Aunt Joan – the country-loving sister of Felicity. Expect plenty of squabbles and cringe-inducing moments.
The Celebrity Apprentice
BBC One/BBC iPlayer – Monday 29 December – 9pm
The period between Christmas and New Year is always a strange limbo, but you can pass the time by watching a bunch of celebrities be shipped off to Lapland to create their own unique gingerbread biscuits. This will all be sprinkled with some classic roasting from Lord Alan Sugar, some cringy TV adverts and plenty of festive fun – all in the name of charity, of course.
The Traitors series 4
BBC One/BBC iPlayer – Thursday 1 January/New Year’s Day – 8pm
While this isn’t strictly a ‘festive’ programme, you’d be absolutely bonkers to miss the opening of The Traitors season 4, which kicks off on New Year’s Day. The first episode will introduce who has been chosen by Claudia to play a wicked game, and will no doubt start the beginning of many, many memes (though Alan Carr has set the bar high).
Episodes two and three will air on 2 and 3 January respectively.
BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/Matt Burlem
The Night Manager series 2
BBC One/BBC iPlayer – Thursday 1 January/New Year’s Day – 9:05pm (expected, time TBC)
Eight years after storming the BBC, Tom Hiddleston returns as MI6 officer Jonathan Pine in a second series of The Night Manager. Pine thought he’d left his old life behind for good, but when he clashes with a Colombian businessman called Teddy Dos Santos, he is thrown into a conspiracy designed to destablise the nation. He has no choice but to act… but who can he trust?
The Night Manager series 2 will be syndicated on Amazon Prime Video for international audiences on 11 January 2026.
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