An Ab Fab reunion in Amandaland, Helen Mirren popping into the Repair Shop and the Call The Midwife gang heading off to Hong Kong… it’s all in our comprehensive guide to Christmas telly.

If you find making small talk with your in-laws agonising then you’ll be pleased to know that there are plenty of options on the box to keep everyone entertained.

Admittedly last year’s Gavin And Stacey Christmas special has left some big shoes to fill, but the likes of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 have laid on a feast of festive options ripe to dive into after your turkey roast.

TV DRAMA  

BEYOND PARADISE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 

21 December, 9pm, BBC1 

The Paradise murder-mystery empire is huge again this Christmas. 

There’s a new festive episode of the Caribbean original Death In Paradise on Boxing Day, but first this spin-off special sees DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi) finding a man on the steps of the Shipton Abbott police station with a photo of DI Humphrey Goodman in his hand. 

He has no memory of who he is or how he got there, let alone what his connection is to the officer played by Kris Marshall. Adrian Edmondson guest stars.

There’s a new festive episode of the Caribbean original Death In Paradise on Boxing Day, but first this spin-off special sees DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi) finding a man on the steps of the Shipton Abbott police station with a photo of DI Humphrey Goodman in his hand

THE MADAME BLANC MYSTERIES: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 

23 December, 8pm, Ch5

Crime doesn’t get much cosier as we head to the South of France (in reality Malta) to join sleuthing antiques dealer Jean White (Sally Lindsay) as she uncovers a new mystery in this feature-length episode. 

Jean is plunged into her most perilous adventure yet when, at a Christmas Eve museum event where she’s meant to be authenticating a treasure that once belonged to Marie Antoinette, she discovers a ticking time bomb. 

Guests find the museum has been sealed shut, and the security guard is dead. Jean and her fellow sleuths must crack the code and defuse the bomb – in 90 minutes.

Crime doesn’t get much cosier as we head to the South of France (in reality Malta) to join sleuthing antiques dealer Jean White (Sally Lindsay) as she uncovers a new mystery in this feature-length episode

STUFFED 

23 December, 9pm, BBC1

When office worker Arslan Farooqi (Man Like Mobeen’s Guz Khan) receives an unexpected £8,000 Christmas bonus from his work, wife Hannah (Morgana Robinson) convinces him to take her, their two daughters and her brother all the way to Lapland for a festive treat. 

It’s only when they’ve already flown out there that he learns the bonus was a mistake – and must be repaid immediately. 

Chaos ensues as the family try to save their Christmas while working out how to repay the money.

When office worker Arslan Farooqi (Man Like Mobeen’s Guz Khan) receives an unexpected £8,000 Christmas bonus from his work, wife Hannah (Morgana Robinson) convinces him to take her, their two daughters and her brother all the way to Lapland for a festive treat

FINDING FATHER CHRISTMAS 

Christmas Eve, 7.30pm, Channel 4

Charming feature-length film with a starry cast for all those who really want to believe in Father Christmas. 

Chris (Lenny Rush) might be 16 but he still believes in Santa, even though his dad (Inbetweeners star James Buckley) has given him ‘the talk’. 

Chris, whose late mother loved Christmas, isn’t put off and instead embarks on a mission to prove his dad wrong. Along the way he meets a succession of thinkers – including Stephen Fry and astronomer Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock – to crack the science of how Father Christmas manages to do it all.

Charming feature-length film with a starry cast for all those who really want to believe in Father Christmas. Chris (Lenny Rush) might be 16 but he still believes in Santa, even though his dad (Inbetweeners star James Buckley) has given him ‘the talk’

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 

Christmas Eve, 9pm, Ch5

It’s the first Christmas since the war and the vets are looking forward to a peaceful time in this charming special. 

Gentle upheaval arrives when James (Nicholas Ralph) takes over the Nativity play from his sick wife Helen (Rachel Shenton), while Siegfried (Samuel West) tends to an unwell goat as well as to matters of love. 

This will go down easier than a chocolate liqueur, and if you want more, there’s a documentary on before the main event… 

All Creatures Great And Small: Behind The Scenes, Christmas Eve, 8pm, Ch5. 

It’s the first Christmas since the war and the vets are looking forward to a peaceful time in this charming special – gentle upheaval arrives when James (Nicholas Ralph) takes over the Nativity play from his sick wife Helen (Rachel Shenton), while Siegfried (Samuel West) tends to an unwell goat as well as to matters of love

A GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS: THE ROOM IN THE TOWER

Christmas Eve, 10pm, BBC2

Mark Gatiss delivers his eighth annual holiday horror story for BBC2. 

The Crown’s Tobias Menzies plays a troubled man trapped with a stranger during an air raid in the war. 

He tells her about a terrible recurring dream he has – that while visiting an old school friend with a creepy mother (Joanna Lumley), he’s invited to sleep in their tower room where unexplained things happen. A delicious half hour of horror.

Mark Gatiss delivers his eighth annual holiday horror story for BBC2 – The Crown’s Tobias Menzies plays a troubled man trapped with a stranger during an air raid in the war

CALL THE MIDWIFE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 

Christmas Day, 8.15pm; Boxing Day, 8.30pm, BBC1

A double dose of Christmas midwifery is delivered in this last festive special before the team take a break. 

It’s Christmas in 1970 and Sister Julienne and the Turners head to Hong Kong to help fellow nuns whose house has collapsed. 

The midwives left at Nonnatus House, including Trixie, enjoy being let off the leash… perhaps a little too much.

A double dose of Christmas midwifery is delivered in this last festive special before the team take a break. It’s Christmas in 1970 and Sister Julienne and the Turners head to Hong Kong to help fellow nuns whose house has collapsed

THE GOOD SHIP MURDER CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 

27 December, 9.30pm, Ch5 

Hop aboard for a third run of this crime drama set on a cruise ship that’s cosier than a cup of mulled wine. 

Series three sets sail with a deadly festive special as First Officer Kate (Catherine Tyldesley) investigates a passenger’s murder while the ship is docked in Alicante for Christmas, with help from her ex-paramour Jack (Shayne Ward, above, with Tyldesley),the sacked ship’s singer. But can Jack get back onboard in Kate’s affections?

Series three sets sail with a deadly festive special as First Officer Kate (Catherine Tyldesley) investigates a passenger’s murder while the ship is docked in Alicante for Christmas

DEATH IN PARADISE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

28 December, 8.30pm, BBC1 

Staff at a British company are enjoying a work jolly on the Caribbean island of Saint Marie when a stranger is found murdered in this charming 90-minute dose of escapism. 

Back in Blighty, an old friend searches for clues at the company’s offices to help DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet, above, with Shantol Jackson as DS Thomas) with his investigation. 

But alongside the festive celebrations and the murder case, Mervin is quietly pondering his future on the island.

Staff at a British company are enjoying a work jolly on the Caribbean island of Saint Marie when a stranger is found murdered in this charming 90-minute dose of escapism

COMEDY 

MAMMOTH CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

22 December, 10pm, BBC2

A well-deserved holiday episode for this comedy about a man revived after being frozen since 1979. 

Unreconstructed PE teacher Tony Mammoth (Mike Bubbins, who also created the show) celebrates his first Christmas since waking up. 

After getting fired from his teaching job for inappropriate behaviour and then getting the sack as a store Santa, Tony gets a wake-up call after a visit from an old friend.

A well-deserved holiday episode for this comedy about a man revived after being frozen since 1979 – unreconstructed PE teacher Tony Mammoth (Mike Bubbins, who also created the show) celebrates his first Christmas since waking up

TWO DOORS DOWN CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Christmas Eve, 10pm, BBC1

Share the pain with Beth and Eric (Arabella Weir and Alex Norton) as they deal with unwanted guests at Christmas in this Scottish gem. 

The neighbours descend on the Bairds as usual for front-room chat full of astute observations and smart gags. Christine (the magnificent Elaine C Smith) won’t shut up about her special Christmas trip, while Cathy (Doon Mackichan) spews venom and vape fumes.

Share the pain with Beth and Eric (Arabella Weir and Alex Norton) as they deal with unwanted guests at Christmas in this Scottish gem

AMANDALAND CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Christmas Day, 9.15pm, BBC1

An Absolutely Fabulous treat awaits when Jennifer Saunders reunites with Joanna Lumley for the first time since Ab Fab ended. 

Jennifer plays bubbly Joan, sister to Joanna’s catty Felicity, who invites Amanda (Lucy Punch) and her gang to the family mansion for Christmas. 

But Felicity’s Grinch-like behaviour casts a pall over proceedings and a secret is revealed that could change Amanda’s destiny.

An Absolutely Fabulous treat awaits when Jennifer Saunders reunites with Joanna Lumley for the first time since Ab Fab ended – Jennifer plays bubbly Joan, sister to Joanna’s catty Felicity, who invites Amanda (Lucy Punch) and her gang to the family mansion for Christmas

MRS BROWN’S BOYS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Christmas Day, 10.15pm, BBC1

Although it’s most definitely Marmite, this show still attracts a big audience that enjoys the bawdy comedy of Brendan O’Carroll’s meddling matriarch Agnes Brown. 

This special delivers slapstick galore as Mrs Brown gathers her loved ones for a festive photo and Buster (Danny O’Carroll) unveils another signature Christmas tree.

The New Year Special (New Year’s Day, 10.05pm, BBC1) sees the clan hunkering down for an incoming storm.

This special delivers slapstick galore as Mrs Brown gathers her loved ones for a festive photo and Buster (Danny O’Carroll) unveils another signature Christmas tree

ENTERTAINMENT STRICTLY COME DANCING: THE FINAL

20 December, 7pm, BBC1

Not even a tsunami of sequins can overshadow the fact that this is Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s last Strictly final, which makes the climax of this 23rd series a tad bittersweet, even though we’ll see them again soon in the Christmas special. 

The months-long competition will shove aside the injuries and scandals to bring us a scintillating finale, with the last three contestants performing three times before one waltzes off with the glitterball trophy.

The months-long competition will shove aside the injuries and scandals to bring us a scintillating finale, with the last three contestants performing three times before one waltzes off with the glitterball trophy

CELEBRITY ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY 

21 December, 6.05pm, BBC1

A new batch of stars have decided it’s time to quit the urban jungle for country life in the third celebrity run of this property-hunting series. 

And viewers get the chance to follow them around some posh properties that befit their star status, so it’s a win-win. 

Janet Street Porter, choirmaster Gareth Malone and singer Chesney Hawkes are among those sizing up possible new homes and sharing what’s inspired their rural dreams.

A new batch of stars have decided it’s time to quit the urban jungle for country life in the third celebrity run of this property-hunting series

THE YORKSHIRE VET AT CHRISTMAS

22 December, 8pm, Ch5

The vets decide it’s better to give than to receive, and set about raising money for the Dogs Trust with festive events to get viewers in the mood. 

Peter Wight and Julian Norton head teams in a Christmas jumper design contest, while Matt and Nurse Lucy ride the world’s fastest zip line dressed as reindeer, hitting speeds of over 100mph. 

Festive fun for a good cause that ends in a party at Cannon Hall Farm.

The vets decide it’s better to give than to receive, and set about raising money for the Dogs Trust with festive events to get viewers in the mood

THE GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE CELEBRITY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 

Christmas Eve, 7.25pm, BBC1 

Sophie Willan, star of Alma’s Not Normal, debuts as permanent host in this festive special. 

Sophie brings an office party vibe, teaching contestant Anton Du Beke to twerk. Comedian Lucy Beaumont, Tom Wilson (aka Gladiator Hammer) and actress Susan Wokoma are the other celebs knocking up a gift sack and party wear.

Sophie brings an office party vibe, teaching contestant Anton Du Beke to twerk. Comedian Lucy Beaumont, Tom Wilson (aka Gladiator Hammer) and actress Susan Wokoma are the other celebs knocking up a gift sack and party wear

ROYAL CAROLS: TOGETHER AT CHRISTMAS

Christmas Eve, 7.25pm, ITV1

It’s been a busy year for the Princess of Wales as she returned to royal duties following cancer treatment. 

Her fifth annual carol service, entitled Together At Christmas and held at Westminster Abbey earlier this month, welcomed celebrities, royals and those doing good to fill the abbey’s 1,600 seats. 

Hannah Waddingham and Kate Winslet are among the stars giving musical performances and readings, and the Westminster Abbey choir will fill the church with song.

The Princess of Wales’s fifth annual carol service, entitled Together At Christmas and held at Westminster Abbey earlier this month, welcomed celebrities, royals and those doing good to fill the abbey’s 1,600 seats

MORTIMER & WHITEHOUSE: GONE CHRISTMAS FISHING

Christmas Eve, 9pm, BBC2

The OAP anglers’ festive fishing expedition takes them to the southwest, where Bob and Paul cast their rods in the rivers Lyd and Camel in Devon while enjoying the droll riverbank banter that is the cornerstone of the series. 

They join chef Paul Ainsworth to whip up a fish feast alongside their mates Dawn French and Dr Anand Patel.

The OAP anglers’ festive fishing expedition takes them to the southwest, where Bob and Paul cast their rods in the rivers Lyd and Camel in Devon while enjoying the droll riverbank banter that is the cornerstone of the series

GLADIATORS: CELEBRITY SPECIAL

Christmas Day, 3.35pm, BBC1

Vogue Williams leaps straight from the Australian jungle to the Gladiators’ arena in this celebrity version of the toughest game show on telly, held in front of a frenzied audience. 

The superfit stars competing in feats of strength along with Vogue are boxing icon Nicola Adams, fitness guru Joe Wicks and Made In Chelsea’s Sam Thompson. Bradley and Barney Walsh host.

Vogue Williams leaps straight from the Australian jungle to the Gladiators’ arena in this celebrity version of the toughest game show on telly, held in front of a frenzied audience

STRICTLY COME DANCING CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Christmas Day, 5.30pm, BBC1

With scandals, injuries and the announcement that its two hosts are leaving, it has been another challenging year for Strictly. 

But the show must go on, and this Christmas special will see Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosting together for the last time before waltzing off to pastures new.

They’ll be hoping to go out with a bang as six celebrities take to the floor – singers Melanie Blatt from All Saints and Brian McFadden from Westlife, reality star Scarlett Moffatt, Gladiator Jodie Ounsley, EastEnders’ Nicholas Bailey and comedian Babatunde Aleshe.

This Christmas special will see Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosting together for the last time before waltzing off to pastures new – they’ll be hoping to go out with a bang as six celebrities take to the floor

THE GREAT CHRISTMAS BAKE OFF

Christmas Day, 8pm, Channel 4

This festive edition features a reunion you didn’t know you were waiting for: five stars of the hit sitcom Peep Show are all together again for the first time since the show ended in 2015, taking their places in the tent to show off their baking skills. 

Olivia Colman, David Mitchell, Isy Suttie, Matt King and Sophie Winkleman don their aprons and set to work, hoping to impress Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. 

Their challenges are to make biscuit decorations to hang on the tree and a turkey pie for Boxing Day. 

And, for the showstopper, they must portray their favourite Peep Show moments… in cake. 

Hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond offer their own brand of support.

This festive edition features a reunion you didn’t know you were waiting for: five stars of the hit sitcom Peep Show are all together again for the first time since the show ended in 2015, taking their places in the tent to show off their baking skills

INSIDE CLASSICAL: A CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS

Christmas Day, 8pm, BBC4

The roving concert series comes from Snape Maltings Concert Hall in Suffolk this year for a Christmas-themed show hosted by Petroc Trelawny. 

Audiences will be transported by seasonal tunes such as Leontovych’s The Carol Of The Bells, Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride and Journey To Lapland by Adam Saunders, performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, which will also accompany singer Tony Momrelle in performances of White Christmas and The Christmas Song. 

Go on, let yourself sing along!

Audiences will be transported by seasonal tunes such as Leontovych’s The Carol Of The Bells, Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride and Journey To Lapland by Adam Saunders, performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, which will also accompany singer Tony Momrelle in performances of White Christmas and The Christmas Song

THE MASKED SINGER: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Boxing Day, 7.30pm, ITV1

Four stars in disguise battle it out in this seasonal episode of the singing competition, hoping to be the last one unmasked as judges Jonathan Ross, Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall and Maya Jama attempt to work out who they are. 

A new series of the BAFTA-winning show starts in January. Joel Dommett is your host.

Four stars in disguise battle it out in this seasonal episode of the singing competition, hoping to be the last one unmasked as judges Jonathan Ross, Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall and Maya Jama attempt to work out who they are

THE REPAIR SHOP AT CHRISTMAS

Boxing Day, 7.30pm, BBC1

The Barn welcomes some special guests with items for the show’s ingenious elves to fix. 

Dame Helen Mirren arrives with a broken cello that once belonged to theatre director Martin Landau, who fled to the UK from Nazi Germany with the instrument on his back. It was damaged by Nazi guards but Martin kept it and gave it to Denville Hall, a care home for retired showbiz professionals. 

Dame Helen wants to see it mended and played for the first time in 80 years.

Children’s author Julia Donaldson has brought in the toy farmhouse that fired up her imagination when she played with it at her grandmother’s house, and a life-sized Rudolph belonging to the Leicestershire Fire Service needs some urgent repairs before he’s rolled out to entertain locals.

The Barn welcomes some special guests with items for the show’s ingenious elves to fix – Dame Helen Mirren arrives with a broken cello that once belonged to theatre director Martin Landau

FACTUAL

WILD HORSES, THE ROCKIES AND ME

21 December, 7pm, BBC2

Last Christmas Scottish filmmaker Gordon Buchanan headed east to find out more about camels in Mongolia; this year he goes west to learn the secrets of wild horses.

Gordon ventures deep into the Rocky Mountains of Canada and attempts to befriend a family of two stallions, two mares and two foals, who face danger from grizzly bears in search of food and people who want to control their numbers by culling them. 

Gordon himself must be careful too – a well-placed kick from these graceful creatures could prove fatal.

Gordon ventures deep into the Rocky Mountains of Canada and attempts to befriend a family of two stallions, two mares and two foals, who face danger from grizzly bears in search of food and people who want to control their numbers by culling them

HAMLEYS: TOP 100 TOYS OF ALL TIME

22 December, 7.30pm, Ch4

A select group of stars, including Jonathan Ross and Alison Hammond and their children, are treated to after-hours access to the 265-year-old London store. 

It’s a chance to experience iconic toys and games from the past, such as Hungry Hippos, Lego, Operation, Cabbage Patch Kids, KerPlunk and Tracy Island, while toy buyers and experts explore the biggest toy crazes of the past 200 years.

A select group of stars, including Jonathan Ross and Alison Hammond and their children, are treated to after-hours access to the 265-year-old London store as they explore popular Christmas toys from the past

CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM

22 December, 9pm, Ch5

Festive fun at Cannon Hall Farm in South Yorkshire, with guest appearances from Nicholas Ralph, who plays vet James Herriot in Channel 5’s All Creatures Great And Small, and Reuben Owen from Life In The Dales. 

Nicholas checks out some cheeky pygmy goats, while Reuben services the farm’s trusty tractor in readiness for the Yorkshire winter. 

Hosted by Helen Skelton, JB Gill and Jules Hudson, the 90-minute special also features the Skipton Brass Band playing Christmas tunes and charming Cannon Hall farmers Rob and Dave Nicholson, who unveil a new woodland retreat for their reindeer.

Festive fun at Cannon Hall Farm in South Yorkshire, with guest appearances from Nicholas Ralph, who plays vet James Herriot in Channel 5’s All Creatures Great And Small, and Reuben Owen from Life In The Dales

A VERY BRITISH CHRISTMAS: KENSINGTON PALACE

23 December, 8pm, Ch4

The future Queen Victoria spent Christmas 1835 in Ramsgate, and designers Adrian Lillie and Charlotte Lloyd Webber are replicating that visit at Kensington Palace in London. 

Decorations, floristry and a dolls’ house have all been hand-crafted in an attempt to re-imagine the young princess’s festive experience on the Kent coast. 

The documentary also focuses on Lillie and Lloyd Webber’s work at Chiswick House in west London, where they’re putting the finishing touches to an installation inspired by The Twelve Days Of Christmas.

The future Queen Victoria spent Christmas 1835 in Ramsgate, and designers Adrian Lillie and Charlotte Lloyd Webber are replicating that visit at Kensington Palace in London

INSIDE THE CHRISTMAS FACTORY WITH PADDY AND CHERRY

23 December, 8pm, BBC1

Hosts Paddy McGuinness and Cherry Healey unwrap the mysteries around producing 100,000 gingerbread biscuits a week at a Shropshire factory, including how to mix dough and decorate with icing. 

Cherry also investigates the maths behind perfect gift-wrapping and Ruth Goodman explores the notion of Christmas in space with astronaut Helen Sharman.

Hosts Paddy McGuinness and Cherry Healey unwrap the mysteries around producing 100,000 gingerbread biscuits a week at a Shropshire factory, including how to mix dough and decorate with icing

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL: BEHIND THE SCENES

Christmas Eve, 8pm, Ch5

It’s access all areas for Graeme Hall, as the host of Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly discovers the secrets behind the making of the popular Channel 5 drama. 

A confessed super-fan, the Dogfather lands himself a small part in the show, as well as learning what happens to all that lovely food housekeeper Mrs Hall prepares, what’s really contained in the medicine bottles at Skeldale Surgery and how the complicated animal sequences are filmed.

It’s access all areas for Graeme Hall, as the host of Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly discovers the secrets behind the making of the popular Channel 5 drama – All Creatures Great And Small

THE CHRISTMAS TREATS WE LOVED AND LOST

Christmas Eve, 10.15pm, Ch5

From Soap On A Rope to the Paul Daniels Magic Set, Christmases past featured memorable gifts that linger long in the memory. 

This light-hearted nostalgia fest invites celebrities to recall their favourite vintage holiday treats, with comedian Lucy Porter talking about sampling her first Snowball, Susan Calman recalling the time Santa gave her a school jumper, and Cheryl Baker reliving the pleasure of a Slinky.

This light-hearted nostalgia fest invites celebrities to recall their favourite vintage holiday treats, with comedian Lucy Porter talking about sampling her first Snowball, Susan Calman recalling the time Santa gave her a school jumper, and Cheryl Baker reliving the pleasure of a Slinky

JUDI DENCH: SHAKESPEARE, MY FAMILY AND ME

27 December, 9pm Ch 4

Judi Dench is renowned for her Shakespearean roles, but does she really have a family tie to the Bard? 

In this delightful investigation, Judi turns history detective to solve a great mystery in her family’s distant past as she explores astonishing new evidence that suggests her eight-times great-grandfather met William Shakespeare in 1606. 

Judi turns history detective to solve a great mystery in her family’s distant past as she explores astonishing new evidence that suggests her eight-times great-grandfather met William Shakespeare in 1606

FAMILY

THE SCARECROWS’ WEDDING

Christmas Day, 3.10pm, BBC1

An altogether charming addition to the long line of Magic Light animations based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s children’s books. 

It’s essentially a romance about two scarecrows – Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay (voiced by Jessie Buckley and Domhnall Gleeson) – who want to get married, and spend most of the story preparing to stage the best wedding ever. 

Things get in the way, of course, including a scarecrow love rival called Reginald Rake (Rob Brydon, who clearly relishes playing such a cad). 

Sophie Okonedo delivers the narration.

An altogether charming addition to the long line of Magic Light animations based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s children’s books – it’s essentially a romance about two scarecrows

SHAUN THE SHEEP: FLEECE NAVIDAD

Christmas Day, 4.35pm, BBC1

This final episode of the show’s seventh series follows the nation’s favourite sheep as he hatches a plan to improve on the Instagram perfection of Farmer Ben’s Christmas card. 

Shaun gets the flock knitting Christmas jumpers and decorating the tree in deliciously twinkly scenes.

This final episode of the show’s seventh series follows the nation’s favourite sheep as he hatches a plan to improve on the Instagram perfection of Farmer Ben’s Christmas card

PUDSEY AND THE THREAD OF HOPE

Christmas Eve, 10.20am, BBC1

Jessica Gunning, the actress who found fame as the Baby Reindeer stalker, is among a starry cast providing voices for the first cartoon starring Children In Need icon Pudsey Bear. 

In this sweet story, created by McFly musician and children’s author Tom Fletcher, Jai (voiced by Daya Singh Athwal) is a young boy who embarks on a journey with Pudsey after his father dies, meeting other children who have been empowered by kindness and love along the way.

In this sweet story, created by McFly musician and children’s author Tom Fletcher, Jai (voiced by Daya Singh Athwal) is a young boy who embarks on a journey with Pudsey after his father dies, meeting other children who have been empowered by kindness and love along the way

DEXTER PROCTER: THE 10-YEAR-OLD DOCTOR

Sunday, 10am, CBBC, Christmas Day, 5.30pm, CBBC, 28 December, 11.35am, BBC1

It isn’t easy trying to solve confounding and occasionally disgusting medical mysteries while also fighting off jealous colleagues, especially when you’re only ten years old. 

Cian Eagle-Service makes his screen debut as young genius Dexter, who was able to speak at birth and is now the world’s youngest-ever doctor. 

Created and written by award-winning former gynaecologist Adam Kay, this first of two episodes also stars Jameela Jamil, Harry Enfield and Sue Johnston. 

Cian Eagle-Service makes his screen debut as young genius Dexter, who was able to speak at birth and is now the world’s youngest-ever doctor