BBC has announced this year’s festive lineup and it looks like it’s going to be a real cracker! Here are the highlights below:
Available to watch on BBC and BBC iPlayer, there will be lots of drama, comedy, entertainment, factual programmes, arts, music and religious programming.
Charlotte Moore, BBC’s Chief Content Officer says: “Nothing brings people across the UK together like Christmas on the BBC and this year we’ve got a world-class line-up like no other. Get ready to escape and be entertained with an incredible range of new festive shows across every genre, live or on demand, there’s something for everyone.”
There is a story of kindness, friendship, courage and hope for viewers of all ages in a heart-warming, film based on Charlie Mackesy’s best-selling book, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse, and there are more animated adventures with this year’s Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler intergalactic adaptation, The Smeds and The Smoos.
Get ready to escape into other worlds over the season with a selection of gripping new dramas. We head to a small Scottish town in the life-affirming Mayflies starring Martin Compston, Tony Curran and Ashley Jensen. Sally Wainwright’s multi-BAFTA award winning hit Happy Valley returns to the BBC for its much-anticipated third and final series.
The Call The Midwife Christmas Special sees a talent show and a fresh start for the midwives and over on the Island of Saint Marie, Commissioner Patterson (Don Warrington) is left haunted by memories of the past in a festive, feature-length episode of Death In Paradise. The residents of Walford get set to celebrate Christmas in EastEnders; while new drama boxsets to binge over the festive season include the final chapter of the epic trilogy His Dark Materials, and Strike: Troubled Blood, which sees Cormoran Strike (Tom Burke) visit family in Cornwall when he’s called on to solve a mysterious cold case.
Michael McIntyre will be spinning his enormous yuletide wheel when he is joined by Gino D’Acampo, Alesha Dixon and Bear Grylls all attempting to win money for their favourite charities plus Bradley Walsh returns with a festive special of the legendary Blankety Blank, Romesh Ranganathan’s The Weakest Link and Mo Gilligan debuts TV’s newest and biggest music game show, That’s My Jam.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to the Ballroom for an all-star Christmas special, plus there is other entertainment highlights including festive episodes of The Hit List, Question of Sport, Pointless, University Challenge, Would I Lie To You and QI plus Richard Osman will open the doors to brand new episodes of his Festive House of Games and The Graham Norton Show will return for its traditional New Year’s Eve edition.
For fans of Mrs Brown’s Boys, there are two visits to Finglas this festive season and as the snow begins to fall, it’s a welcome break at the coffee shop after a spot of Christmas shopping in Two Doors Down. Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith present a special festive film from their award-winning anthology series Inside No. 9 and Detectorists, the multi award winning comedy series about metal detecting enthusiasts Andy (Mackenzie Crook) and Lance (Toby Jones), returns for a feature length special plus there will be even more laughs to come in Live at The Apollo and Frankie Boyle’s 2022 New World Order.
It’s holiday season at The Repair Shop, where the dedicated team of craftspeople are ready to lovingly restore some treasured Christmas keepsakes; and Antiques Roadshow hosts a Special Episode about toys and games and how they have shaped our childhoods.
Count Magnus is the latest ghost story for Christmas from Mark Gatiss coming to the BBC and Gatiss also stars as Jacob Marley in a stage production of A Christmas Carol in his own retelling of Dickens’ classic winter ghost story.
These are just some of the highlights that BBC has to offer this Christmas and we can’t wait to watch them all!
