Christmas is fast approaching and as the nights get colder, more of us will be looking to stay at home and cosy up in front of the telly. Fortunately, there are plenty of shows to choose from this year if you enjoy watching some festive cheer on your screen.
The latest TV schedule shows there is something for all the family, including animated adaptations, festive films and Christmas specials. Here are some of the highlights - from BBC, ITV and Channel 5 to Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky Max - as reported by The Mirror.
Call the Midwife, BBC1:
It’s a very snowy one in 1967 Poplar and one hard-up mum-to-be has been abandoned by her fiancé and chucked out by a heartless landlady. But there’s plenty of festive cheer in the form of Matthew finally popping the question to Trixie and Fred Buckle’s fun talent contest.
READ MORE: Review - White Christmas the Musical at Nottingham Theatre Royal
The Great Festive Bake Off - Channel 4:
Five Channel 4 stars from yesteryear join judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith along with hosts Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas are in the Bake Off tent for festive fun and to celebrate Channel 4's 40th anniversary. The Big Breakfast’s Gaby Roslin, Time Team’s Sir Tony Robinson, Pop World’s Miquita Oliver, The Word’s Terry Christian and Brookside’s Claire Sweeney will be hoping to be crowned Christmas Star Baker.
Britain Get Singing - ITV:
In a one-off festive extravaganza, stars of five of ITV's biggest shows will be competing against each other, karaoke style. Groups consisting of regulars from Love Island, The Chase, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Loose Women will be aiming to impress judges Will.iam, Alesha Dixon, Adam Lambert and Jason Manford - and the studio audience, who will be voting.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse - BBC1:
This animated short film, which adapts Charlie Mackesy’s bestselling novel, features the voices of Idris Elba, Tom Hollander, Gabriel Byrne and others. It follows the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse as they journey together in the boy’s search for home.
All Creatures Great and Small - Channel 5:
It’s Christmas in Darrowby as everyone tries to make the most of things while the world is at war. Mrs. Pumphrey heralds the arrival of a kitten in need of special care, while elsewhere, Siegfried risks compromising everything he stands for over a horse and Mrs Hall gets ready to reveal to Gerald how she really feels about him.
Ghosts - BBC1:
The Ghosts in Button House are touched by Alison’s thoughtful generosity and are desperate to give her a special Christmas present in return - but what? Mike's loaded Tupperware comes in handy when their journey hits a bump in the road and Kitty gets her moment in the spotlight thanks to a much-needed pep talk from someone unexpected.
Doc Martin - ITV:
Christmas is coming to Portwenn as Martin Clunes returns for the very last time as Doc Martin and all the regular cast reprise their roles for this final outing. The seaside town is full of festive fun, until the grumpy Doc has the grotto closed down because he fears Santa has something contagious.
This upsets the children, including his own son James, who decides to run away to find Santa himself. A plan to stage a lantern parade then goes awry and somewhere along the line the Doc hallucinates about his mother.
Detectorists - BBC2:
It's been five years since we've seen Andy, Lance and the crew but they’re back for this feature-length special. Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones reprise their roles as the metal detector enthusiasts, who were last seen finding some actual gold coins (thanks to the magpies).
Half a decade later, the Danebury Metal Detecting Club (DMDC) is under threat from developers who want to close the hall. Lance manages to secure a permission to search 10 acres of prime, undetected land - but then he breaks protocol and puts the whole future of the DMDC in jeopardy.
The Santa Clauses - Disney Plus:
This spin-off series stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin who fancies giving up his job - then changes his mind.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special - Disney Plus:
This special sees the Guardians on a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Quill as they head to Earth in search of the perfect present - which seems to be Kevin Bacon.
A Christmas Carole - Sky Max:
This comedic take on the Dickens Christmas classic, with a modern twist, stars Suranne Jones as greedy online businesswoman Carole Mackay, who has made her fortune selling all things festive. Her success hasn’t exactly made her a better human being though. Just like Scrooge, she's no fan of Christmas, but this year Carole’s past, present and future are about to collide.
Motherland: Last Christmas - BBC1:
School is out for the festive season, so the mums are busy prepping for blended celebrations. At Julia's, the grandparents are proving as demanding as ever and Kevin is there, because it's better than eating turkey crisps from the vending machine with other divorced dads.
Then Liz turns up after her ex lets her down on his first ever offer to host. Meanwhile, neighbour Meg gets really drunk, which means she’s not much use when something shocking happens over the road at Julia’s.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan - Amazon Prime:
The much-anticipated third season of action-packed series starring John Krasinski will drop on Prime Video on December 21, with all eight episodes available. Jack, on the run having been wrongly implicated in a huge conspiracy, is wanted by both the CIA and an international rogue faction he’s uncovered.
Gone Fishing - BBC2:
The angling duo of Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse leave the riverbanks of Britain behind and head off on a dream trip to Norway, where cod is God. Neither has visited the Arctic Circle before.
Avid fisherman Paul is like a kid at Christmas and is keen to try their luck at catching halibut, pollock, ling, trout, char and the hard-fighting coalfish. Check out the pair as they hunker down in some of the most remote locations they have ever visited.
Happy Valley, BBC1:
Sarah Lancashire stars as Sergeant Catherine Cawood as Happy Valley returns for its third - and final - series. She discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim that leads her straight back to James Norton’s character Tommy Lee Royce. Meanwhile, her grandson, Ryan, is now 16. He has ideas of his own about the kind of relationship he wants to have with the man Catherine refuses to acknowledge as his father.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol - Netflix:
From December 2, Charles Dickens' classic tale is reborn in a supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of Scrooge: A Christmas Carol. This animated version features the voices of stars including Luke Evans and Olivia Colman.
The Smoos and the Smeds, BBC1:
In this adaptation of the Julia Donaldson tale, brought to life by Axel Scheffler, the red Smeds and the blue Smoos must learn to overcome their differences and work together. Of course, Rob Brydon’s in there again as the voice of Uncle Smoo, with Sally Hawkins as narrator and Bill Bailey as grandfather Smed.
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