What’s on UK TV this Christmas? Your 2019 catch-up guide
David Farnor | On 01, Jan 2020
Christmas is here – and, put aside the presents, the turkey and the board games, and we all know it’s really about what’s on the telly. Fortunately, the age-old battle for the remote control in the living room is over, as we use catch-up services to keep up-to-date with dramas, festive specials and more.
7 in 10 adults use free catch-up services to watch Christmas TV on-demand, says Ofcom, which means that more people can fit their festive TV viewing around opening presents and carving the turkey. Or, you know, just watching Love Actually with Amazon Prime on repeat.
One thing is for sure: with BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, My5 and All 4, it’s never been easier to stream something you missed the following day for free. So, before you work out when to sit down with your family this holiday – and when to hide in the bathroom and get out your iPad – read on for our highlights of the 2019 UK Christmas TV line-up. Bookmark this page: it will be updated with new highlights and films on TV as they’re confirmed, and links will be added to each programme on VOD, so it’s easy to stay up-to-date without having to take off your pyjamas. Nothing on the schedule you like? Click here for Christmas movies on streaming services and other festive recommendations, or click here for our guide to what movies are on UK TV for free this Christmas.
22nd December
A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens’ festive classic gets a bold reinvention with this dark adaptation that sees Guy Pearce play Ebenezer Scrooge, who is haunted by three spirits in the course of one night – including Andy Serkis as the Ghost of Christmas Past. With Stephen Graham also bringing new life to Marley from beyond the grave, and with Nick “The Awakening” Murphy directing from a script by Steven “Peaky Blinders” Knight, this grippingly bleak three-parter is a wintry bedtime story for adults only. (Episode 2 and 3 air nightly until Christmas Eve.)
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: November 2020
Other TV highlights
Nadia’s Family Feasts Christmas Special
Watch on ITV Hub until: 21st January 2020
Dancing on Ice at Christmas
Watch on ITV Hub until: 21st January 2020
The Christmas Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 5th January 2020
23rd December
The Goes Wrong Show: The Spirit of Christmas
Santa is coming to town with his elves to solve a little girl’s Christmas woes in this new comedy from the team behind The Play That Goes Wrong. Expect slapstick ingenuity aplenty.
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: December 2020
Other TV highlights
Still Open All Hours Christmas Special
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: November 2020
Eight Out of Ten Cats Does Countdown Christmas Special
Watch on All 4 until: 23rd January 2020
Celebrity Crystal Maze
Watch on All 4 until: 23rd January 2020
Christmas Eve
Cinderella: After Ever After
David Walliams and Sian Gibson star in a Sky original comedy that brings a brand-new twist to the classic fairy-tale. What does it mean to live ‘happily ever after’? Cinderella soon discovers that married life with a narcissistic Prince Charming isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and embarks on a journey to save The King (Sir Tom Courtenay) from the clutches of her wicked Stepmother Madame Blackheart (Celia Imrie).
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Once there was a little girl called Sophie, and she was having tea with her mummy in the kitchen. Suddenly there was a ring at the door. Sophie’s mummy said, “I wonder who that can be…?”
The opening of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, written by Judith Kerr OBE who sadly passed away earlier this year, will be known well by parents and children across the nation. Channel 4’s new hand-drawn animated special, produced by Lupus Films and HarperCollins, brings to the screen the story of a tea-guzzling tiger, who turns up unannounced and eats and drinks Sophie and mummy out of house, home and bathwater before disappearing into the night.
Watch on All 4 until: 24th January 2020
Other TV highlights
The Snowman
Watch on All 4 until: 7th January 2020
The Snowman and the Snowdog
Watch on All 4 until: 7th January 2020
Take Off with Bradley and Holly
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 22nd January 2020
Child Genius vs Celebrities
Watch on All 4 until: 23rd January 2020
Gareth Malone’s Christmas Concert
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 22nd January 2020
The Jonathan Ross Christmas Show
Watch on ITV Hub until: 22nd January 2020
Gogglebox 2019
Watch on All 4 until: 23rd January 2020
A Christmas Carol: Episode 3
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: December 2020
QI: Christmas Special
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 22nd January 2020
Not Going Out: Christmas Special
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 22nd January 2020
Martin’s Close
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 22nd January 2020
Not the Robbie Williams Christmas Special
Watch on ITV Hub until: 7th January 2020
Christmas Day
Gavin & Stacey
It’s been ten years since we last went to Billericay to spend Christmas with the Shipmans and the Wests.
This year we’re off to Wales for the festivities, where Bryn is cooking dinner for 13 people. Understandably he’s tense. Pam would secretly prefer to spend Christmas in Essex as she finds Gwen’s house a bit lacking, but the deal has always been that they alternate every year, and this time it’s the turn of the Wests to host Christmas with everyone under one small roof.
For Gavin and Stacey, parenthood continues to present them with several challenges, their ‘baby’ now being ten. Smithy, too, continues to commit to his fatherly role, making the journey to Barry at weekends and every second Wednesday to see 12 year-old Neil the Baby.
Nessa on the other hand adopts her own brand of Nessa-style mothering, whilst Pam, Mick and Gwen have become the epitome of doting grandparents. On Christmas Eve, Dawn makes a shocking discovery about Pete that jeopardizes their marriage (again) and a visit to the pub that night is an eye opener in more ways than one.
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: December 2020
The Snail and the Whale
The Snail And The Whale follows the amazing journey of a tiny snail who longs to see the world and manages to hitch a ride on the tail of a huge humpback whale. This half-hour adaptation is a beautiful account of an unlikely friendship, and is voiced by stellar British acting talent, including Rob Brydon as the whale, Sally Hawkins as the snail, Cariad Lloyd as the teacher and Dame Diana Rigg as the narrator.
Written in 2003 by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, creators of the modern classic The Gruffalo, this marks the seventh BBC One adaptation by Magic Light Pictures of a Donaldson/Scheffler children’s book.
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 23rd January 2020
Other TV highlights
Strictly Come Dancing: Christmas Special
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 23rd January 2020
Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 23rd January 2020
Call the Midwife: Season 9
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: November 2020
The Great Christmas Bake Off
Watch on All 4 until: 1st February 2020
Jamie and Jimmy’s Festive Feast
Watch on All 4 until: 2nd March 2020
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Christmas Special
Watch on ITV Hub until: 23rd January 2020
First Dates at Christmas
Watch on All 4 until: 24th January 2020
Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: December 2020
Kylie’s Secret Night
Watch on All 4 until: 24th January 2020
Boxing Day
Mimi and the Mountain Dragon
A special animated adaptation of Sir Michael Morpurgo’s children’s book Mimi And The Mountain Dragon.
Mimi And The Mountain Dragon is the story about a village that quakes in feature of the mighty Mountain Dragon. One winter, a shy little girl called Mimi finds a baby dragon asleep in her family woodshed. Mimi takes the perilous journey through the blizzard and darkness to return the baby dragon to her mother, whom all the villagers fear.
Following an introduction by Morpurgo, the film is narrated throughout by an original score by Oscar-winning composer Rachel Portman.
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 24th January 2020
Susan Hill’s Ghost Story (The Small Hand)
When an antique book dealer finds himself haunted by the ghost of a young boy, he decides to investigate the strange occurrences within his life. That’s the starting point for Channel 5’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s ghost story, starring Douglas Henshall.
Watch on My5 until: 25th January 2020
Other TV highlights
Worzel Gummidge
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: November 2020
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 24th January 2020
Big Fat Quiz of the Year
Watch on All 4 until: 25th January 2020
27th December
Worzel Gummidge
The BBC’s two-part adaptation of the classic books by Barbara Euphan Todd concludes. Mackenzie Crook has taken Scatterbrook farm and the infamous characters of this well-loved tale and injected them with a tender and authentic charm. This is the perfect family adventure, packed with a fun, mischievous spirit and delivered with an environmental message. Crook (Pirates Of The Caribbean, Detectorists) stars as well as writing and directing.
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: November 2020
Other TV highlights
Richard Osman’s World Cup of the Decade
Watch on All 4 until: 26th January 2020
29th December
The Trial of Christine Keeler
The Trial Of Christine Keeler takes a fresh look at one of the most infamous British stories of the 20th century: the chain of events in the 1960s that came to be known as the Profumo Affair.
At the centre of the storm was 19 year-old Christine Keeler, a young woman whom the powerful, male-dominated establishment sought to silence and exploit, but who refused to play by their rules. This six-part drama takes us behind the headlines to tell a human story about the sexual and cultural politics of one of the most revealing and iconic stories of modern times.
Sophie Cookson, James Norton, Ellie Bamber, Ben Miles and Emilia Fox lead a stellar cast, with a script from BAFTA winner Amanda Coe.
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: December 2020
Other TV highlights
Nadia’s Family Feasts New Year Special
Watch on ITV Hub until: 27th January 2020
Top Gear Nepal Special
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: November 2020
30th December
Frankie Boyle’s 2019 New World Order
The look back at 2019 that we all deserve.
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 28th January 2020
Other TV highlights
Alan Carr’s Celebrity Re-Play 2019
Watch on ITV Hub until: 28th January 2020
Top of the Pops New Year
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 28th January 2020
The Trial of Christine Keeler
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: December 2020
Charlie Brooker’s The Best of 2010-2015 Wipe
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 29th January 2020
New Year’s Eve
Craig David Rocks Big Ben
Presenter, radio DJ and I’m a Celebrity 2019 finalist, Roman Kemp will join none other than Craig David for BBC One’s New Year’s special. Craig will be brightening up New Year’s Eve on BBC One in a very special live concert as the multiple award-winning and critically acclaimed singer songwriter performs a selection of his smash hits and much more besides to welcome in 2020.
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 30th January 2020
Other TV highlights
The Last Leg of the Year
The Graham Norton Show: New Year’s Eve Show
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 30th January 2020
Jools’ Annual Hootenanny
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 30th January 2020
New Year’s Day
Doctor Who: Season 12
The Thirteenth Doctor is well and truly back with a bang. As Jodie Whittaker takes charge of the TARDIS once again, the Doctor will be joined once again by her friends Tosin Cole (Ryan), Mandip Gill (Yaz) and Bradley Walsh (Graham). The twelfth season will also welcome a host of famous faces including Stephen Fry, Sir Lenny Henry CBE, Robert Glenister and Goran Višnjić to name just a few.
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 31st January 2020
The Great Christmas Bake Off
The Derry Girls themselves enter the Great British Bake Off tent this New Year for the second of two fesive specials. Noel, Sandi, Prue and Paul will welcome the cast of the hit comedy, with Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Nicola Coughlan, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, Dylan Llewellyn and Siobhan McSweeney competing for the Star Baker prize.
Watch on All 4 until: 31st January 2020
Dracula
Claes Bang plays Dracula in BBC One’s new series inspired by Bram Stoker’s classic novel. Written by Sherlock’s Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, the three-parter follows Dracula from his origins in Eastern Europe to his battles with Van Helsing’s descendent and beyond. Episodes will air nightly.
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 31st January 2020
Other TV highlights
Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration
Watch on BBC iPlayer until: 31st January 2020
Bancroft
Watch on ITV Hub until: 1st February 2020
Mrs Brown’s Boys New Year Special