From special Royal treat to Gavin and Stacey finale & A-list star’s first ever telly show – our guide to best Xmas TV
WITH just 21 days to go until Christmas, here’s our festive guide to the top telly to see you through until the big day.
Starting from tomorrow, right up to December 25, there’s plenty of series, specials and movies to keep everyone entertained for the next three weeks.
From documentaries and comedy to family shows and dramas, the big home-grown channels and streamers have delivered a sensational line-up.
To save you wading through all the festive shows, here Felicity Cross and Rod McPhee pick out the best on the box.
ENTERTAINMENT
An Evening with Dua Lipa, ITV1, Dec 8
POP star du jour Dua follows in Kylie Minogue’s merry footsteps for this year’s festive ITV pop showstopper, and the Houdini singer has taken the brief and run with it.
Special guests include Sir Elton John as Dua is joined by a live orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall for an epic concert.
Bullseye Christmas Special, ITV1, Dec 22
THE beloved darts game show is back after nearly 30 years off air, with former England cricket ace Freddie Flintoff at the helm for a one-off special — which could lead to a full series.
A pair, made up of “a knower and a thrower”, will answer questions and step up to the oche to try to win big prizes.
Gladiators Celebrity Special, BBC1, New Year’s Day
AFTER 25 years, the Beeb’s revival of the Nineties favourite got off to a storming start.
Titans including Fire, Legend and Diamond kick off the second series with what will almost certainly be a hilarious celebrity special starring Rob Beckett, Joel Dommett, Louise Minchin and Ellie Taylor.
Miracles, Sky, Dec 19
THE magician formerly known as Dynamo, Steven Frayne, returns with an epic show taking his magic back to the streets, where he stuns huge crowds and celebrates local heroes.
The one-off special builds to breathtaking climax which sees him delivering a death-defying, near- miraculous finale.
DRAMA
Death In Paradise, BBC1, Dec 22
A FESTIVE trip to Saint Marie will be a thrilling ride for new Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson as actor Don Gilet joins the island’s police force.
He lands just in time to grapple with the team’s most puzzling case yet as three men, all unconnected apart from the fact they’re dressed as Santa Claus, are seemingly shot with the same gun at the exact same time. Tis the season!
Squid Game, Netflix, Boxing Day
AFTER the first run of this South Korean dystopian thriller captivated the world, star Lee Jung-jae has returned for series two.
It picks up the action three years after our hero, Gi-hun, won the survival game show, when he has given up on his dream to move to the US.
Binge it in one go when it lands on December 26.
Black Doves, Netflix, tomorrow
IT’S hard to believe but this is Keira Knightley’s first ever TV show — but it’s easy to see why she signed up.
The high-octane thriller, with hints of humour, is all about spies and sees the leading lady team up with 007 star Ben Whishaw, who plays the man charged with protecting her.
That said, her character Helen can certainly look after herself most of the time, as many a baddie discovers when they try to mess with her.
One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Netflix, Dec 11
THE TV adaptation of the 1967 novel tells the multi-generational story of the Buendia family, whose patriarch, Jose Arcadio, founded the fictional town of Macondo.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest pieces of literature of the 20th Century, this series has been lauded for faithfully capturing the spirit of the book by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
FAMILY
Tiddler, BBC1, TBC
JULIA DONALDSON and Axel Scheffler’s heartwarming animations are now a staple of the Beeb’s Christmas schedule and this year’s is set to be another corker.
Hannah Waddingham and Rob Brydon star in Tiddler, an underwater adventure about how to be content as a little fish in a big ocean.
Richard Curtis’s That Christmas, Netflix, today
A NEW gorgeous animated film from the king of festive movies, That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love and loneliness as Santa Claus makes a big mistake. It lands today, with an Ed Sheeran soundtrack.
Harry Potter Wizards Of Baking, Dec 17 (corr), Prime Video
IT’S already been a huge hit in the US, now the cookery contest based on JK Rowling’s books is being brought to Blighty for the first time.
The show is hosted by James and Oliver Phelps, who starred in the movie adaptations of the Potter books, and sees creatives serve up baking based on everyone’s favourite wizard.
The Night Before Christmas In Wonderland, Sky, Dec 13
FEATURING the voices of Game Of Thrones star Emilia Clarke and movie action man Gerard Butler, this is a star-studded animation based on Alice in Wonderland.
It revolves around the Queen of Hearts, who has outlawed Christmas because she didn’t get a gift as a child, so Santa teams up with Alice to try and rescue the festive season.
COMEDY
Bad Tidings, Sky, TBC
STRICTLY Come Dancing star Chris McCausland didn’t just write this comedy film — he also takes a leading role, opposite Lee Mack.
The two comics play rival neighbours Neil and Scott, who get into such a lather over who should take control of the Neighbourhood Watch in the area, they somehow end up blowing the power for the whole street on Christmas Eve — and chaos ensues.
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale, BBC1, TBC
THE star at the top of the Christmas TV tree will undoubtedly be the return of James Corden and Ruth Jones’ sitcom, for one last hurrah.
Rumours have swirled we’ll finally learn if Smithy accepted Nessa’s proposal, in 2019’s cliffhanger — when 18.5million viewers made it the most-watched non-sporting event of the decade.
Jack In Time For Christmas, Prime Video
FUNNYMAN Jack Whitehall blends travelogue and comedy in this one-off special as he finds himself stranded in the US with just four days to make it back to the UK for Christmas.
But Michael Buble, Rebel Wilson and Jimmy Fallon are on hand to help.
Outnumbered Xmas Special, BBC1, TBC
THE BBC is revisiting much-loved family the Brockmans, after eight years, one last time.
Hugh Dennis is back to lead this special, as mum Sue and dad Pete gather all their offspring to try and celebrate a traditional family Christmas.
But fate, neighbours, hyenas and bus-replacement services get in their way.
FACTUAL
Gino & Fred: Emission Impossible, ITV1, Dec 16
IT may sound like another travelogue, but given that this is Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix, it probably won’t be like any other travelogue you have seen before.
For starters they’re also trying to make their trip eco-friendly as they explore the cuisine and culture of Austria and Croatia.
They’ll do everything from exploring green alternatives to meat to examining the melting glaciers of the Alps.
Together At Christmas, ITV1, Christmas Eve
THE Princess of Wales will host her fourth carol service with a focus on the importance of love, empathy and support in difficult times.
Kate wanted to celebrate those caring for others, taking inspiration from her own struggles this year and the ancient Christmas story of the birth of Christ.
Some 1,600 community heroes will fill Westminster Abbey alongside members of the Royal Family.
The Story Of Panto With Gyles Brandreth, Sky, TBC
GYLES dives into the unlikely origins of the distinctly British form of stagecraft.
From its roots in commedia dell’arte and Victorian music halls to scene painting, slapstick and the making of a pantomime dame.
A string of pantomime experts including comedian Julian Clary and West End veteran Gary Wilmot will provide an insight into the festive tradition.
Lewis: How To Win At Board Games, ITV1, TBC
HIS money-saving expertise has helped Martin become one of Britain’s most trusted men but now his devoted followers have a whole new arena in which to worship their god.
The self-confessed board game buff will share how to win at games like Scrabble, Connect 4 and Monopoly by testing tactics on the toughest of competitors.
MOVIES
Downton Abbey: A New Era, ITV, TBC
THE second Downton movie sees the action move from rural England to the warmer climes of the South of France after a family member gets some surprising news.
Be warned: this is bound to be a tearjerker as it sees the death of the Dowager Countess of Grantham, played by Dame Maggie Smith, who passed away this year.
Carry On, Netflix, December 13
ROCKETMAN actor Taron Egerton plays the lead role of airport worker Ethan, who gets blackmailed by a strange traveller, played by Jason Bateman, into letting an ominous package through security on to a flight on Christmas Day.
Expect a quality production as this is the first link-up between Netflix and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners.
Wonka, Sky
THE prequel to Charlie And The Chocolate Factory stars Timothee Chalamet as the eccentric Willy Wonka in this Technicolor trip into the world of Roald Dahl.
It sees the youngster try to open up a shop in a city and in the chocolate- making industry where everything is controlled by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.
Jurassic World: Dominion, ITV, TBC
THE third and final instalment in the Jurassic World franchise will be one of ITV’s biggest film offerings this Christmas.
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard resume their roles as leading man and lady, only this time humans everywhere exist alongside dinosaurs, but naturally as you’d expect, not in harmony.