Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Learn more.
Best Christmas TV guide: Can’t miss festive telly on BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Sky
In This Article
Best Christmas TV and Movies 2021: The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky have packed Christmas schedules. Here’s how to watch the best Christmas week telly
Whether it’s festive Top of the Pops, an emotional rollercoaster with Call The Midwife or seeing in the New Year with Jools, we’ve got a guide to some of the must-see Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve television.
Seeing as we’re all probably going to be spending a little bit more time indoors than many of us had hoped, a packed TV schedule is no bad thing at all.
Best Christmas week TV
Hansel and Gretel: After Ever AfterThursday 23 December, 8pm, Sky Max
David Walliams and Sheridan Smith star in the latest of Sky’s traditional After Ever After fairytale movies. As usual, it’s the traditional “what happened after” the well-known Grimm Brothers tale ended. You can see the trailer below.
Sex And The City And Just Like ThatSky Comedy, Thursday 23 December
Carrie and co. are back on our television sets, thanks to a reboot of the classic HBO sit-com. Season one, episode 4 of the reboot airs on the 23rd December on Sky Comedy.
Best Christmas Eve TV
The Amazing Mr BlundenChristmas Eve, 7pm, Sky Max
Sky Max is where it’s at for this show based on Antonia Baber’s novel. The family-friendly special starring Tamsin Greig and Simon Callow brings “adventure arrives for London teenagers Jamie and Lucy Allen in the form of a mysterious old man, Mr Blunden, who offers their mum the opportunity to become the caretaker of a ruined country house – one that’s said to be haunted.”
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before ChristmasChristmas Eve, 6pm, BBC One(and 11:25am Christmas Day)
What’s Christmas without a little festive comfort from Aardman Animations, eh? Shaun the Sheep is back in action with The Flight Before Christmas. “Shaun’s seasonal excitement turns to dismay when a farmhouse raid to get bigger stockings for the Flock inadvertently leads to Timmy going missing. Can Shaun get Timmy back before he becomes someone else’s present,” the official synopsis means.
Best Christmas Day TV
The Queen’s Christmas BroadcastChristmas Day, 3pm, BBC One
Her Maj’ is back again for her annual Christmas address. We can’t imagine it’s going to be very cheerful considering how crap her and everyone else’s year has been. Still, you’ve gotta watch haven’t you? It’s like national service.
You might like…
Call The MidwifeChristmas Day, 8pm, BBC One
Another Christmas tearjerker is in store at the delivery unit. It’s 1966 Nonnatus House and there’s a bunch of Christmas babies on the way. As you’d expect.
Terry Pratchett’s The Abominable Snow BabyChristmas Day, 7:30pm, Channel 4
An animated adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s short story stars Julie Walters as a grandmother who, along with her grandson set out to rescue a furry, but friendly snow baby. It’s what Christmas telly is all about, isn’t it?
The Larkins at ChristmasChristmas Day, 9pm, ITV
Bradley Walsh takes on the strides of David Jason in this Darling Buds Of May reboot. The first series was well received and that’s been rewarded with the Christmas Day Prime Time slot on ITV. In this feature-length episode, the village is dealing with a spate of festive burglaries.
Best Boxing Day TV
A Very British scandalBoxing Day, BBC One, 9pm
The BBC is bringing out the big guns on Boxing Day with a star-studded cast bringing the events surrounding the controversial divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll in the 1960s. Paul Bettany and Clare Foy star in this period drama.
Bit Fat Quiz of the YearBoxing Day, 9pm, Channel 4
Jimmy Carr is back for this traditional festive quiz. This year he’ll be joined in the merriment by Sarah Millican, James Acaster, Jonathan Ross, Judi Love and Guz Khan. Carr also hosts an 8 Out of 10 Cars Does Countdown on Christmas Eve on Channel 4.
Best New Year’s Eve TV
Top of the Tops New Year SpecialNew Year’s Eve, 4:15pm, BBC One
Alright, pop pickers? No longer a Christmas Day special, TOTP rounds out 2021 with a round up of the year’s biggest hits.Jools’ Annual HootenannyNew Year’s Eve, 11:25pm BBC 2
This doesn’t need an introduction. See in the New Year with Jools Holland and a little Auld Lang Syne. Let’s hope for a better 2022, eh?
Best Christmas Movies on TV
Christmas telly is also about settling in for some good flicks, old and new. Here’s some of our favourites you should definitely be tuning into over the course of the season.
MoanaDecember 20, 3.05pm, BBC One
Saving Mr BanksDecember 21, 2.45pm, BBC One
FrozenChristmas Eve, 1.30pm, BBC OneMary Poppins ReturnsChristmas Day, 3.10pm, BBC One
The Suicide SquadBoxing Day, December 26, Sky Cinema
E.T.: The Extra-TerrestrialBoxing Day, 3:50pm, ITV2
Blade Runner 2049December 27, 9pm, BBC 2
Wonder WomanDecember 27, 6.15pm, ITV 2
A Star is Born (2018)December 29, 9pm, BBC One
Absolutely Fabulous: The MovieDecember 29, 12.55am, BBC Two
JudyDecember 30, 9pm, BBC 2
Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He’s based in South Florida, USA. …
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
