A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Room in the Tower
10pm, BBC Two
Delightfully sinister fare for the night before Christmas; this creepy tale from Mark Gatiss is an adaptation of a short story by EF Benson. Tobias Menzies stars as Roger Winstanley, haunted since childhood by a peculiar dream. As he crouches in an air raid shelter (the story is set during the blitz, with flashbacks to an earlier era), he shares his vision with a sympathetic stranger. But as the ground shakes with bombs, too much imagination is a dangerous thing. Phil Harrison
The Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas Special
7.25pm, BBC One
Delicious chaos as more hapless celebrities pick up needles and thread. Lucy Beaumont, Susan Wokoma and new host Sophie Willan bring Taskmaster vibes, while Strictly judge Anton Du Beke and Gladiator Tom Wilson also step out of their comfort zone. PH
Finding Father Christmas
7.30pm, Channel 4
Chris (Lenny Rush) is 16 and too old to believe in Father Christmas. But despite home truths from his dad (James Buckley), he refuses to let the dream die. A voyage of discovery begins, involving the big-brained likes of Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Prof Hannah Fry and special forces veteran Jason Fox. Charming stuff. PH
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing
9pm, BBC Two
It’s hard to think of a more wholesome way to spend Christmas Eve than in the company of Bob, Paul and Ted the dog. This time, they’re in Devon and Cornwall and heading out to sea – which is often a recipe for disaster. Back on land, they’re joined by Dawn French and Dr Anand Patel. PH
Two Doors Down Christmas Special
10pm, BBC One
In a welcome return for the slow-burn Scottish sitcom, the slightly early unveiling of the Bairds’ Christmas tree sends off a smoke signal declaring the start of the festive season. Much to the disdain of Beth (Arabella Weir), the house is soon filled with friendly neighbourhood faces, requesting mince pies and debating Fairytale of New York. Nicole Vassell
Midnight Mass From Our Lady of the English Martyrs, Cambridge
11.50pm, BBC One
The traditional first mass of the nativity is a reflective way to usher in Christmas Day. Live from one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in the UK, the celebration includes Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Francis Poulenc’s choral piece O Magnum Mysterium, as well as readings, carols and the blessing of the crib. Graeme Virtue
Film choice
Goodbye June (Kate Winslet, 2025), Netflix
For her directorial debut, a tear-stained tale of family and fatality in the lead-up to Christmas, Kate Winslet has wisely stuffed it with quality actors. So we have Helen Mirren as the titular, terminally ill mum and Timothy Spall as the slightly feckless father. And their four grownup kids are played by Toni Collette, Johnny Flynn, Andrea Riseborough and Winslet herself. Joe “son of Kate” Anders’s script keeps the schmaltz to a minimum (despite the presence of small children), with most of the action set in the far-from-festive environs of a hospital. Simon Wardell
Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941), 9am, BBC Two
Widely cited as the greatest film ever, Orson Welles’s meditation on power and loneliness has a reputation you can see from space. Bulldozing convention with its cavalier approach to staging and structure, its ambition is evident from the very first scene. True, in the decades since it was released, its power has been diluted by parodies and copyists, but that only makes it more ripe to revisit. And what could be more Christmassy than the tragic tale of a man who has everything except the thing he really wants? Stuart Heritage
ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982), 1.35pm, ITV1
A raft of billboards recently suggested that Steven Spielberg is about six months away from releasing another movie about aliens. But it would be a miracle if his new endeavour contained even a 10th of the heart of ET. Equal parts sci-fi adventure and childhood fever dream, this is the tale of a lonely boy, Elliott (Henry Thomas), who befriends a stranded being from another world and learns about connection, wonder and the importance of home. ET is now 43 years old, and the fact that it can still reduce people to puddles is proof that it is a stone-cold classic. SH
