The top TV picks for you to enjoy over the Christmas season

Christmas week is almost upon us! As much as we love reuniting with our loved ones, gobbling down lots of delicious food, and delivering thoughtful presents, one of our favourite parts of Christmas has to be the TV schedule.

At this time of year, broadcasters truly go all out to give us the most incredible entertainment! With the amount of new and returning favourites, it can be overwhelming to look at the TV guide as you try to prioritise what to watch over the holidays. So, that is why we’re here to help!

We have scoured through the channels and streaming services, and have come up with a comprehensive list of the best TV picks this Christmas has to offer. Whether it’s festive specials, returning comedies or new dramas, there is plenty to watch from Christmas Eve, right up until New Year’s Day:

Christmas Eve

The Great Christmas Bake Off

Channel 4, 8pm

For this festive season, the Bake Off tent has undergone a soap takeover! This year, five of the biggest names from the world of soaps are battling it out to become 2024’s Christmas Bake Off champion. Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will be keeping a watchful eye on EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy and Dean Gaffney, Emmerdale’s Chris Bisson and Sheree Murphy, and Corrie’s Shobna Gulati, as they create three bakes in a bid to be crowned Star Baker.

Christmas Day

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

BBC One, 6:10pm

If you’re looking for something for all the family to enjoy this Christmas Day, Wallace & Gromit are here to save the day! This time around, Vengeance Most Fowl sees Gromit grow concerned that Wallace has become too reliant on his inventions. It doesn’t take long for the pup’s worries to become true, when Wallace invents a smart gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. Not only is Vengeance Most Fowl the first full-length Wallace & Gromit film in 17 years, but it also marks the first project since the death of Wallace's original voice actor, Peter Sallis, who sadly passed away in 2017.

NFL Christmas Gameday

Netflix, from 6pm

Thanks to the love story between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, interest in the NFL has skyrocketed globally in the last year. So, it’s no wonder that Netflix has decided to join in on the fun! This Christmas Day, the streamer will be broadcasting two games live from the States. First up, at 6pm GMT, the Super Bowl LVII-winning Kansas City Chiefs will face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Later, at 9:30pm GMT, the Baltimore Ravens will take on the Houston Texans. For those who aren’t a huge fan of sports, superstar Beyoncé will also be taking to the field to perform an exclusive halftime show during the Texans v Ravens game! This will mark the first public performance of her record-breaking album, Cowboy Carter.

Call The Midwife Christmas Special

BBC One, 7:55pm 

It has become an annual tradition now for the BBC to produce a festive episode of Call The Midwife, and this year is no different! This time, the special has been split into two parts, with the second airing on Boxing Day at 7:30pm. Picking up in Christmas 1969, the community of Poplar has welcomed a funfair for the festive season, bringing some much-needed joy to the residents. However, their happiness is threatened by a bout of influenza and the Hong Kong flu, as well as the news of an escaped prisoner hiding in Poplar.

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale

BBC One, 9pm

Five years after Nessa spontaneously proposed to Smithy, viewers will finally be able to catch up with the Barry and Billericay gang this Christmas – for one last time! Gavin & Stacey: The Finale will see all of your beloved characters reunited as they travel to Essex for a family celebration. With appearances from minor characters such as Dave Coaches, Pete, and Dawn, Gavin & Stacey viewers will be treated to a trip down memory lane, and hopefully, a finale to be treasured forever. Just one lingering question remains – will we finally find out what happened on Bryn and Jason’s fishing trip?

Boxing Day

Squid Game Season 2

Netflix

Fans of Squid Game have been patiently waiting for its return, and on December 26, it will be back on our screens! One year after winning the Squid Game, Gi-hun returns and joins the game again to carry out his revenge on the Front Man and end the game for good. In his quest, Gi-Hun is joined by police officer Jun-ho, the Front Man's brother, who has vowed to destroy the game and put a stop to his brother – but will they succeed?

The Masked Singer Christmas Special

ITV1, 7:30pm

The Masked Singer is getting another festive twist this season! This Chrismas, four famous faces will take on the disguises of Nutcracker, Turkey Crown, Star and Cracker, and will be belting out some beloved tunes. It is up to the task of the judges, including guest judges Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, to then crown their winner and successfully guess who the celebrities are. Presented by Joel Dommett, the whole family will have a lot of fun trying to decipher who is behind the mask!

Outnumbered Christmas Special

BBC One, 9:15pm

It’s been eight years since the Brockman clan last reunited on our screens, and this Christmas, they’re back – and with a new member of the family! This Outnumbered festive special will rejoin viewers with Pete and Sue, as they prepare to welcome their three children – Jake, Ben and Karen, who are now all grown up – home for Christmas. However, with the new addition of Jake’s young daughter, it’s safe to say that the chaos in the Brockman household is only going to get worse!

December 29

The Split: Barcelona

BBC One, 9pm

The Defoe sisters are back! Set two years after the events of series three, The Split: Barcelona sees Hannah, Nina, Rose and the rest of the family travelling to Spain to attend a wedding at a lavish vineyard. The BBC have kept the plot of The Split: Barcelona under wraps, but have teased that it will “encompass break-ups, reunions and like all good weddings, plenty of romance.” The second episode of The Split’s two-part special will later air on December 30.

New Year’s Eve

The Graham Norton Show

BBC One, 10:25pm

It wouldn’t be New Year’s Eve without a trip to Graham Norton’s red sofa! This time, singer Robbie Williams will be joining Graham to discuss his new biopic, Better Man, which will be hitting cinemas on December 26. Oscar winner Rami Malek will be chatting all about his leading role in the West End production of Oedipus. Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse will be promoting the upcoming Strictly tour and will reflect on the recent grand final, which saw blind comedian Chris McCausland lifting the glitterball trophy. Lastly, funny man John Bishop will be detailing his new tour, which is celebrating 25 years of his career. There will also be a few surprise guests, and Robbie will be treating viewers to a live performance. 

New Year’s Day

Missing You

Netflix

On New Year’s Day in 2024, Harlan Coben fans were treated to Netflix’s adaptation of Fool Me Once, and for this upcoming New Year’s Day, the crime novelist and streaming service have teamed up once again for another adaptation! This time, Coben’s 2014 book Missing You has been translated onto the small screen. The story follows Detective Kat Donovan, who is shocked when she matches on a dating app with her fiancé who mysteriously disappeared years ago. As she unravels some closely-guarded secrets, Kat also begins to reexamine her father’s unsolved murder. 

The Traitors

BBC One, 8pm

The Traitors is back! Now in its third series, Claudia Winkleman will be returning to the Scottish Highlands castle on New Year’s Day, with a fresh batch of 22 contestants vying to win up to £120,000. The group will be split into ‘Traitors’ and ‘Faithfuls’, and it’s the latter’s job to try and expose the identities of each Traitor. By the final episode, if there are only Faithfuls remaining, they can split the prize pot amongst themselves – but if there is one or more Traitors left, they will steal everything. Expect plenty of twists and turns along the way!