The BBC has announced its Christmas TV lineup for 2025, featuring familiar sitcoms and popular shows. Wondering what else will be on TV over the holidays on Netflix, ITV, Channel 4, and other channels? We’ve got you covered.
Digital Spy has created a guide to the best Christmas TV shows, including all the special holiday episodes and new dramas you won’t want to miss. Save this page – it’s your go-to resource for planning your Christmas TV viewing in 2025.
Amandaland Christmas Special
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BBC One, Christmas Day, 25 December, 9.15pm
A special Christmas episode of the Motherland spin-off, starring Lucy Punch as recently divorced Amanda Hughes, will air before the show’s second season. The spin-off is often described as a ‘genius’ addition to the original British sitcom.
There’s more exciting news about the Christmas special! Jennifer Saunders will be joining Joanna Lumley for a mini-Absolutely Fabulous reunion. Saunders will play Aunt Joan, the sister of Joanna Lumley’s character Felicity, and Amanda’s aunt.
Strictly Christmas Special
BBC One and BBC iPlayer, Christmas Day, 25 December, 5.30pm
Watching the Strictly Christmas special with family doesn’t feel particularly special this year, especially knowing it’s the last episode Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will host, making it an emotional occasion.
The 2025 season of the show will feature a new group of celebrity contestants, including comedian Babatunde Aléshé, known from I’m a Celebrity and Gogglebox, and Melanie Blatt, a member of the popular ’90s girl group All Saints. They’ll be dressing up and competing in ballroom dancing, all hoping to win the Christmas special.
Call the Midwife Christmas Special
BBC One and BBC iPlayer, Christmas Day, 25 December, 8.15pm
Fans can once again spend Christmas with the characters of Call the Midwife, and creator Heidi Thomas promises a festive special brimming with 1970s Christmas memories (according to Radio Times).
Thomas highlighted the show’s diverse nature, describing it as a blend of different communities. He explained that it’s about people uniting during the harsh winter to create something positive and hopeful, which he found particularly heartwarming.
Death in Paradise Christmas Special
BBC One, Sunday 28 December, 8.30pm
The popular crime drama Death in Paradise will feature a Christmas episode in 2025 with a deadly surprise: a murder at an office Christmas party.
Don Gilet will reprise his role as DI Mervin Wilson in the upcoming special. The guest cast includes Pearl Mackie, known for her work on Doctor Who, Billy Harris from Ted Lasso, and Kate Ashfield, who recently appeared in Lazarus and is also famous for Shaun of the Dead.
Stranger Things
Netflix, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day
Netflix is ending the popular series Stranger Things with a big Christmas event. The final episodes will be released in the UK in two parts: the first on Boxing Day, and the very last episode on New Year’s Day.
The creators of the show have hinted at a very intense and dramatic final episode, leaving viewers concerned about what will happen to the characters they love. We’ll all have to watch and see how this incredible story ends.
Red Eye, season 2
ITV and ITVX, New Year’s Day, 1 January 2026, 9pm
The thriller series launched with Richard Armitage, known from Missing You, in the main role and quickly became a hit, ranking among ITV’s ten most popular dramas that year. For the second season, Martin Compston, famous for Line of Duty, joins the cast alongside Jing Lusi, who reprises her role as DC Hana Li.
In season two, Detective Constable Li finds herself caught in a complex political and legal mess. She’ll have to work with a former colleague – the Head of Embassy Security, played by Compston – who previously betrayed her.
The Night Manager
BBC iPlayer, New Year’s Day, 1 January 2026, 9.05pm
The second season of The Night Manager is coming soon, bringing back Tom Hiddleston as agent Jonathan Pine. This season will center around a plot to create chaos and disrupt a country.
BBC has hinted that the new season of Pine will be full of betrayals, forcing the main character to figure out who he can trust and how much he’s willing to risk before it’s too late.
Olivia Colman returns as Angela Burr, and Camila Morrone, known for her role in Daisy Jones and The Six, joins the cast.
Masked Singer Christmas Special
ITV and ITVX, Boxing Day, 26 December, 7.30pm
Four famous faces will be disguised in impressive costumes and perform for the judging panel of Maya Jama, Davina McCall, Mo Gilligan, and Jonathan Ross. But can the judges guess who’s hiding underneath?
I always grab my notepad – or fire up my group chat – because I love trying to solve the mystery along with everyone on TV! It’s so fun to guess what’s going to happen next and share clues with my friends.
Taskmaster’s New Year Treat
Channel 4, Friday 2 January 2026, 9pm
This year, Taskmaster is doing something special: two New Year’s Treat episodes! Plus, fans can also look forward to another Champion of Champions episode. That’s a lot to celebrate this Christmas!
Greg Davies and Alex Horne will be back to challenge a new group of celebrities in the 2025 holiday special. This year’s lineup includes TV chef Big Zuu, known from Big Zuu’s Big Eats, footballer and reality TV star Jill Scott, actor Rose Ayling-Ellis (famous for Strictly Come Dancing), singer and Eurovision alum Sam Ryder, and lexicographer Susie Dent from Countdown.
Bake Off Christmas Special
Channel 4, Christmas Day, 25 December, 8pm
Olivia Colman in the Bake Off tent? Yes, you read that right.
Olivia Colman and David Mitchell, stars of the comedy show Peep Show, will reunite for the 2025 Great British Bake Off Christmas special. Joining them will be fellow Peep Show cast members Isy Suttie, Matt King, and Sophie Winkleman. The bakers will compete in challenges inspired by the popular sitcom.
All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special
Channel 5, Christmas Eve, 24 December, 9pm
The Christmas special of All Creatures Great and Small, a beloved show described by the broadcaster as one of their best dramas, is expected to be a must-watch for its many fans.
The upcoming episode of All Creatures Great and Small is set in 1945, the first Christmas after the end of the war. In an interview with Radio Times (reported by Yorkshire Live), star Nicholas Ralph, who plays James Herriot, explained that the impact of the war won’t simply disappear, and things won’t immediately return to joyful celebration.
The Traitors
BBC One and BBC iPlayer, New Year’s Day, 1 January, 8pm
Following the huge success of The Celebrity Traitors with Alan Carr and Celia Imrie earlier this year, a new version featuring regular people is on its way – and it promises to be just as entertaining.
Claudia Winkleman is returning to host the show at the well-known Scottish castle, and viewers can expect some exciting new surprises this season.
Midsomer Murders, series 24
ITV1, Monday 29 December, 8.30pm
Fans of the popular detective series can finally watch the new season in the UK this Christmas. The first episode, called “The Devil’s Work,” will air between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
The box set will also drop on ITVX, for anyone that prefers a binge-watch.
Enjoy the holidays with the Good Housekeeping Christmas TV Guide! It’s packed with 14 days of listings to help you plan your festive viewing, and it’s available now for just £4.75 at all good magazine shops.
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2025-12-09 16:54