Families across the UK are preparing for the festive season, and the Christmas 2025 TV schedule promises a packed slate of specials, reunions and seasonal launches. While broadcasters admit the lineup may not match last year’s strength, viewers will still find plenty to unwrap across BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Netflix and Disney+.
Classic favourites return with festive twists
On Christmas Eve, BBC One revives Two Doors Down for a seasonal special, featuring Beth and Eric kicking off Christmas early. The episode arrives ahead of a potential full series return. Channel 4’s new festive film Finding Father Christmas stars Lenny Rush as a teen determined to prove Santa exists, supported by James Buckley, Stephen Fry and Hannah Fry.
ITV will broadcast the Princess of Wales’s fifth annual Royal Carols: Together at Christmas from Westminster Abbey, spotlighting community heroes across the UK. Netflix launches Goodbye June at midnight, a film directed by Kate Winslet, who stars alongside Dame Helen Mirren in an emotional story built around family reconciliation.
Christmas Day brings major reunions and emotional finales
BBC One’s Amandaland headlines Christmas Day with Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley reuniting, promising a dramatic clash between sisters amid country-house celebrations. The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special holds added emotional weight this year, marking the final appearance of long-running hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Expect heartfelt tributes and celebratory routines before the duo take their final bow.
Families can also gather for The Scarecrows’ Wedding, Shaun the Sheep: Fleece Navidad, and much-loved repeats including The Tiger Who Came To Tea and The Snowman. Channel 4 airs The Great Christmas Bake Off, reuniting Peep Show stars Olivia Colman and David Mitchell as contestants attempt biscuit ornaments, Christmas pies and nostalgic cake recreations.
Boxing Day and beyond keep the holiday spirit alive
Netflix drops Stranger Things Season 5, Volume Two, continuing the search for Vecna as Hawkins becomes a militarised zone. BBC One’s The Repair Shop at Christmas features Dame Helen Mirren restoring a cello from a care home, and author Julia Donaldson helps repair the toy farmhouse that inspired her stories.
Disney+ continues releasing episodes of The End of an Era, its docuseries chronicling Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour. Audiences can also look forward to festive editions of The Apprentice, Gone Fishing, The Wheel, Gogglebox, The Masked Singer, and Call The Midwife across various channels through 30 December.
Seasonal nostalgia and remembrance
BBC Two dedicates 27 December to Lives Well Lived, honouring celebrities lost in 2025. The tribute continues with classic episodes of Keeping Up Appearances, Fawlty Towers and film favourites including Unforgiven and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. As families gather this festive period, Christmas 2025 TV schedules offer comfort, celebration and emotional goodbyes—ensuring the remote will be just as busy as the stockings beside the fire.
