All The Best Christmas TV To Plan Your Festive Schedule Around

From the beloved Motherland Christmas special to the final instalment of His Dark Materials, we've got you covered...

Motherland

by Daisy Hall |
Updated on

The hin­ter­land be­tween Christ­mas Day and 31st De­cem­ber is the one time of year when it’s en­tirely ac­cept­able to forgo all so­cial in­ter­ac­tion in favour of loung­ing in front of the TV - in fact, it’s ac­tively en­cour­aged, ide­ally with a tin of choco­lates close to hand.

To make the most of your screen time - and avoid drift­ing off in front of yet another Bond film in a post-turkey stupour, or worse yet, accidentally trapping yourself in a Netflix loop that consists solely of The Princess Switch 3 or classic Home Alone (you can even rentthe house now thanks to AirBnb) - we’ve con­sulted the TV sched­ule to bring you an edit of the shows and Christmas specials that every­one will be talk­ing about over the fes­tive pe­riod. As ever, it's a mix of the obligatory big-budget period dramas, some family friendly options and a sprinkling of reality TV. Pass the Cel­e­bra­tions…

What to watch this Christmas...

Gallery

The Best Christmas TV 2022

Call The Midwife Christmas Special1 of 14
CREDIT: BBC

Call The Midwife Christmas Special

It's one of the nation's favourite Christmas specials, raking in the views every year and it's likely that 2022 will be no exception. Lucille (Leonie Elliot), Trixie (Helen George) and Nancy (Megan Cusak) are all back and better than ever for the festive season. WATCH BBC One, 25 December

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special2 of 14
CREDIT: BBC

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special

Of course, we couldn't compile this list without including the Christmas dose of Strictly. Six new famous faces will be paired up with pro's – including pop star Nicola Roberts and Gavin and Stacey's Larry Lamb – will battle on the dance floor in the hope of being crowned Christmas champions. Keeeeep dancing! (Even if you are stuffed full of Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes.) WATCH BBC One, 25 December

Emily In Paris3 of 14
CREDIT: Netflix

Emily In Paris

Although this isn't strictly Christmas TV, it definitely still counts. With the new official trailer for series three having just dropped, Emily In Paris is set to be the binge-worthy Netflix drama we all need to lose ourselves in after a week of Christmas celebrations. The highly anticipated third series promises complicated romances for Emily, glamorous fashion and did we mention it's set in Paris? What's not to love? WATCH Netflix, 21 December

Christmas Carole4 of 14
CREDIT: Sky

Christmas Carole

Another year, another reinvention of the Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol. However, this one brings you Suranne Jones as an unashamedly wealthy entrepreneur who needs to learn the magic of Christmas before it's too late. WATCH Sky, 24 December

The Confessions of Frannie Langton5 of 14
CREDIT: ITV

The Confessions of Frannie Langton

Based on the novel of the same name by Sara Collins, The Confessions of Frannie Langton tells the story of Frannie's journey from a Jamaican plantation to the grand Mayfair mansion of celebrated scientist George Benham and his wife. WATCH ITVX, 8 December

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse,6 of 14
CREDIT: BBC1

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse

An animated version of the heartwarming book of friendship and family by Charlie Macksey, the movie version of _The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Hors_e features the voices of Idris Elba and Tom Hollander. WATCH BBC One, 24 December

Motherland: Last Christmas7 of 14
CREDIT: BBC1

Motherland: Last Christmas

Everyone's favourite sitcom is back with another one-off Christmas special. Julia (Anna Maxwell Martin) is facing a huge amount of stress over the Christmas holidays when she has to deal with various grandparents demanding endless cups of tea, while the kids play with a VR headset bought by husband Paul. That should strike a chord with quite a few viewers... WATCH BBC One, 23 December

I Hate Suzie Too8 of 14
CREDIT: Sky

I Hate Suzie Too

The hit Billie Piper series is back for a second serving and whilst it may not be especially Christmassy, you won't want to miss it. Billie’s character Suzie Pickles is now taking part in a celeb dance-based talent show and she’s got a new agent and publicist, having taken the decision to focus on her friendship with former rep, Naomi. She’s also negotiating her split from annoying ex-husband Cob (Daniel Ings) while trying to be there for her young son Frank. WATCH Sky, 20 December

Happy Valley9 of 14
CREDIT: BBC1

Happy Valley

It was last on TV back in 2016 - which seems like a lifetime away now - but Happy Valley is back for its third and final season. In this series, Sarah Lancashire's Catherine discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir which sparks a chain of events that unwittingly leads her straight back to Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton). WATCH BBC One, 1 January

His Dark Materials10 of 14
CREDIT: BBC1

His Dark Materials

Another incredible series coming to an end along with 2022 is His Dark Materials. The show based on Philip Pullman’s trilogy of novels of the same name returns for its third and final run. When we rejoin Lyra, who’s still being held captive by Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson). Meanwhile, Will continues with his quest to find Lyra and Asriel travels through various worlds to recruit people for war. WATCH BBC One, 18 December

Riches11 of 14
CREDIT: ITV

Riches

This new drama is bringing all the glitz, glamour and of course drama that we need this Christmas. When hair and beauty mogul Stephen Richards (Hugh Quarshie) suddenly dies, his family struggle to cope with their grief and the business, especially when his estranged American daughter Nina (Deborah Ayorinde) and son Simon (Emmanuel Imani) arrive from New York. WATCH ITVX, 22 December

Royal Carols: Together at Christmas12 of 14
CREDIT: ITV

Royal Carols: Together at Christmas

They constantly dominate the headlines, but if you want a chance to see the royal family in a different light this Christmas, we suggest checking out Royal Carols: Together at Christmas. The Princess of Wales will return to Westminster Abbey to host a special Christmas carol service that will definitely leave you feeling festive. WATCH ITV, 15 December

Strike: Troubled Blood13 of 14
CREDIT: BBC1

Strike: Troubled Blood

The fearless duo of Cormoran Strike (Tom Burke) and Robin Elliott (Holliday Grainger) are back solving another mystery. This time they're helping a woman find her mother who went missing in 1974. WATCH BBC One, 11 December

Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois14 of 14

Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois

For a festive special, Olympic diver Tom Daley who’ll be swapping the diving pool and knitting needles for the open rails as he joins Francis for a heart-warming Christmas expedition. The pair will adventure across London, spreading joy with railway inspired gifts with a festive finale at Waterloo Station, resulting in one of the most embarrassing moments of Tom Daley’s life so far. Streaming from 3pm on Christmas Day on Channel 4's YouTube channel.

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