by What do we think of when we think of Christmas? Michael Bublé, maybe. Parsnips, maybe. Television that goes from delightful to absurd – sure. Christmas TV is a constant but whether it’s any good is another matter entirely.
We’ve got our mitts on a selection of some of the biggest shows on the way, so we can help you decide what to prioritize when Christmas is too busy to think.
From Ncuti Gatwa the first full Doctor Who upcoming episodes of new dramas True love and The Blackbirds, Here’s what you can expect on your screens this festive season, and our verdict on what’s worth watching…
A Ghost Story for Christmas: Lot No 249
BBC Two, Christmas Eve
Get out the Baileys because you’ll probably enjoy Mark Gatiss’ adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story more if you’re a little drunk. Here you have Kit Harington and Freddie Fox, all cut glass vowels and waistcoats, punching each other in the face. Why? Because Oxford has bought a grandmother for Edward Bellingham, played by Fox, who may or may not be possessed, and everyone is a little unmotivated. There’s not a woman in sight – well, it was Oxford in 1881 – but there’s plenty of high-camp, candlelit gothic atmosphere. Short and sweet at 30 minutes, the story isn’t a spooky Christmas tale of classic proportions, but it’s good old fashioned fun. Jessie Thompson
The Heist Before Christmas
Sky Max, Christmas Eve
The pyromania, vandalism and armed robbery of Santa Claus in the first 10 minutes doesn’t exactly scream “family Christmas show”. But this one-off adventure featuring James Nesbitt and Timothy Spall as two Father Christmases certainly has its sights set. Beyond the wonderful opening hours is the heartbreaking story of a single mother, who wishes she could make Christmas special for her two young children. Bamber Todd’s eldest, Mikey, won’t take off his jacket, even in his sleep, portraying a working-class family struggling amid a cost-of-living crisis in cold, snowy Northern Ireland. The Heist before Christmas it deals with the brutal reality that many families will suffer this Christmas, and that many people will feel grateful for what they could have at Christmas. Finn Cliff Hodges
Mrs. Brown’s boys
BBC One, Christmas Day
Christmas TV turkey giblets, in that it should be quickly removed and disposed of in your nearest waste disposal bin, the Mrs. Brown’s boys A special Festival is back with trademark recognition. Lurking between mugging hacky humor and near-hallucinatory amounts of schmaltz, the first of two episodes sees Brendan O’Carroll as a malignant grandmother pine for her lost rocking horse, sheltering an old Alzheimer’s woman, and pulling whiskey from under her – clothes. More than a decade on, this show is now firmly established as its own kind of white noise – an homage to the old tat sitcom era, and a prehistoric era of entertainment where a live studio audience claps to the muffled sound of jokes. In 2023, though? Pass the sherry. Adam White
Doctor Who: “Church of Ruby Rose”
BBC One, Christmas Day
Traditional Christmas day Doctor Who lost in time and space for several years, and instead the Tardis entered living rooms on January 1st. But showrunner Russell T Davies has gone to school in 2023, with the Doctor confirmed for his first appearance on December 25, 2017. It looks like “Ruby Rose Church” will be something old and new. Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa will embark on his “epic first adventure” – after being introduced in David Tennant’s final installments which celebrated the character’s 60th anniversary. He will be joined by his new companion Ruby Sunday, played by Coronation Streetand Millie Gibson. There will also be a cameo from Davina McCall, who previously won the series in 2005. Hold on to your sonic screws – it’s going to be special. Ed Power
Special Ghosts of Christmas
BBC One, Christmas Day
Pass the tissue. Everyone’s favorite paranormal sitcom Ghosts is coming to an end after five seasons – although not before giving us a special Christmas parting gift. Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) are sending one more resident to Button House with their newborn baby Mia, home from the hospital and ready to meet her spectral roommates. Might I suggest to anyone hosting annoying in-laws this holiday season that they invite them to watch, too, as Mike’s busy body mother (Sutara Gayle) interrupts the celebration – I hope she gets they the clue. Annabel Nugent
Tabby McTat
BBC One, Christmas Day
The annual adaptation of one of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s picture books is now a Christmas TV tradition (and a savior for frazzled parents in need of an inhaler). This year, Jodie Whittaker is on duty as the narrator for this sweet half-hour bus, telling the story of a musically inclined cat (ṢỠpáº¹Ì Dírìsù) who keeps the crowds of people traveling overseas entertained when he duets with his friend Fred (Rob Brydon). When the two are separated, Tabby McTat starts a new life with another neighborhood pet Sock (Susan Wokoma) but they can’t help the old days. This is real talk with really expressive animation. Katie Rossinsky
The Fishermen
Paramount+, Boxing Day
A word of warning: if you’re a nervous traveler looking for warmer weather this Christmas, you might want to swing by The Fishermenfeaturing some of the most stressful in-air sequences we’ve seen since Idris Elba was caught on a plane in Kidnapping earlier this year. British TV icon Sheridan Smith stars as Lori, whose holiday in Fiji goes awry when her flight goes missing en route to her destination. Céline Buckens meets her younger sister Erin, who should be on the same plane; driven by a lingering sense of guilt, she seeks to find a solution to exactly what happened to Lori and her fellow passengers. Katie Rossinsky
Murder is Easy
BBC One, 27 December
Murder can be easy, but to adapt Agatha Christie, it turns out, is not. Screenwriter Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre and director Meenu Gaur have teamed up for this TV version of the 1939 novel but the drama seems confused as to whether it is a good old-fashioned murder mystery, funny comedy, or strange and surreal. Twin-Beaks– esque thriller. Industry and Rye Lane Star David Jonsson – in the role of an ex-policeman who investigates a series of murders in a small village – is a very attractive presence on the screen, as ever. And he is the first ever Black hero in a Christie adaptation. It’s a shame it’s let down a bit with an on-the-nose script and odd stylistic choices. That said, it’s an undeniably enjoyable watch, which may be just what the doctor ordered after overindulging on sausage rolls. EH
Mr. Bates v. Post Office
ITV, New Year’s Day
This drama about one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history will leave you heartbroken. A reliably ruffled Toby Jones leads an exceptional cast as Alan Bates, who, along with his postmasters and postmasters, fought for years to clear their names after being accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to faulty Fujitsu IT system. The charges have torn their lives apart, with many forced to pay thousands of pounds out of their own pockets, losing their jobs and homes in the process. There was at least one suicide. To date, not a single Post Office or Fujitsu employee has been held accountable for the scandal, much less faced a criminal investigation. This show, acting as proper, powerful campaign television, could make a big difference. EH
The Tourist
BBC One, New Year’s Day
Warm, cuddly feelings are overrated. If you prefer your festive period chaotic and tense, listen up The Tourist, which returns for its second season on New Year’s Day. Jamie Dornan is back as Elliot, a rugged amnesiac running away from a dark past he couldn’t remember if his life depended on it – which it does. Round two and it’s business as usual (except for the setting, which shifted to Dornan’s native Ireland after the season ended in Australia): Elliot is kidnapped by a group of sinister characters in response to some terrible but forgotten sins – at leaving his girlfriend Helen (Danielle MacDonald) trying to piece together the mystery. A perfect look for your first hangover of the year. THE
Men Up
BBC One, 29 December
A long-running drama about one of the first clinical trials for Viagra might not immediately strike you as “festive viewing” but Men Up ended up being one of those funny but thoughtful stories that British television does so well. Based on a true 1994 trial at Swansea’s Morriston Hospital, it features an all-star British cast (including Gavin & Stacey a reunion for Joanna Page and Steffan “Dave Coaches” Rhodri) and imagines the stories of five participants. Each of them hopes that this new drug will be a magic bullet for their relationship woes but that is not the case. KR
True love
Channel 4, 3 January
Agatha Christie is an annual Christmas tradition but this year’s new drama is like an evil twin And Then There Was None, in which guests gradually meet on an island. Here, a group of old friends, who are entering their dark years, meet at a funeral and decide to help each other together. “Truelove” is their agreed-upon code for when the time is coming (as well as their reason for doing it for each other). Lindsay Duncan and Clarke Peters lead the cast, and while it might be a little bleak for January, the first episode hints that it’s going to be unlike anything on TV in a while: a dark and relentless take on a mortality full of very black regret. JT
