One of the most underrated perks of December aka the festive season? The TV and film schedule, of course!
There's nothing we like more than cuddling up in front of the telly in our Xmas jumpers, sipping a cup of tea and making our way through a tin of Quality Street.
This year, we're in luck! The Christmas 2025 TV schedule is packed with gold: from one-off comedy specials on the BBC, an Absolutely Fabulous reunion (kind of), and even the second drop of Stranger Things season 5.
Below, we round up the best Christmas TV shows and films to crack into this 2025 festive season, across Netflix, Disney+, the BBC and more.
2025 Christmas TV guide
Stranger Things Season 5 Part 2
What is it? Netflix's extremely popular fantasy/sci-fi hit is back for its final series. After dropping four episodes in late November, three more episodes are being released ahead of the finale.
Who's in it? Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, and more.
Where can you watch it? Netflix.
What day can you watch it? Friday 26th December at 1am Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in the UK.
Amandaland Christmas special
What is it? Amandaland Christmas Special spreads the festive cheer and welcomes the absolutely fabulous Jennifer Saunders who plays Joanna Lumley’s on-screen sister in a cracker set to guarantee the laughs.
Who's in it? Lucy Punch, Joanna Lumley, Jennifer Saunders.
Where can you watch it? BBC One and iPlayer.
What day can you watch it? Christmas Day.
Two Doors Down Christmas Special
What is it? When Eric and Beth put their tree up earlier than usual, they unwittingly kick off the Christmas season in Latimer Crescent. What starts as a labour-saving convenience quickly turns into a flurry of festive activity, as neighbours start to gear up for the holidays in their own unique ways.
Who's in it? Elaine C Smith, Arabella Weir, Alex Norton and more.
Where can you watch it? BBC One and iPlayer.
What day can you watch it? 22 December.
The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas Special
What is it? This festive season, a host of famous faces are stepping into the boardroom as The Apprentice returns with two celebrity Christmas specials in aid of BBC Children in Need.
Who's in it? Lord Sugar, AJ Odudu, Angela Scanlon, Charlie Hedges, Eddie Kadi, Jake Wood, JB Gill, Kadeena Cox, Matt Morsia, Rob Rinder, Sarah Hadland, Shazia Mirza and Tom Skinner.
Where can you watch it? BBC One and iPlayer.
What day can you watch it? The two-part show will air on 29 and 30 December.
The Traitors
What is it? Claudia Winkleman hosts the ultimate reality game of trust and treachery with new twists and new players. Time to take to the edge of your seat once more as 22 people from across the UK descend on a Scottish castle to win up to £120k. Let the mind games begin.
Who's in it? Claudia Winkleman returns as host.
Where can you watch it? BBC One and iPlayer.
What day can you watch it? 1 January 2026, onwards.
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
What is it? This year’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special will see six couples battle it out under the glitterball to be crowned the Strictly Christmas Champion.
Who's in it? Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will host, and celebrities Melanie Blatt, Scarlett Moffatt, Babatunde Aléshé, Nicholas Bailey, Jodie Ounsley aka Fury and Brian McFadden will compete.
Where can you watch it? BBC One and iPlayer.
What day can you watch it? 25 December.
Death in Paradise Christmas Special
What is it? The office Christmas party of a lifetime takes a dark turn when four co-workers wake up to find a stranger dead in the pool of their villa. DI Mervin Wilson and the team identify the murder weapon, but they’re left baffled when they find that it was locked in a drawer when the murder took place... thousands of miles away from the crime scene, in Swindon!
Who's in it? Don Gilet, Shantol Jackson, Ginny Holder, Shaquille Ali-Yebuah and more.
Where can you watch it? BBC One and iPlayer.
What day can you watch it? 28 December.
Beyond Paradise Christmas Special
What is it? Humphrey has his hands full with a flurry of festive cases, while Martha is busy with a task of her own. Enlisting the help of Anne, Zoe and a special guest she races to pull off her secret plan. But with an influx of unexpected visitors, a slew of holiday crimes to crack, and a heartwarming reunion on the line, can the team juggle it all and still be ready for a life-changing reveal?
Who's in it? Kris Marshall, Sally Bretton, Zahra Ahmadi, Dylan Llewellyn and more.
Where can you watch it? BBC One and iPlayer.
What day can you watch it? 21 December.
The Hunting Wives
What is it? Sophie O’Neil had an idyllic life in Boston, Massachusetts with her son and loving husband, Graham, until a traumatic event shook their family’s foundation. Certain a fresh start to be the cure; her husband uproots them from the East Coast to East Texas. There, Sophie grapples with her spiralling anxiety and jarring new surroundings.
Who's in it? Brittany Snow and Malin Åkerman.
Where can you watch it? ITVX.
What day can you watch it? From 27 December.
2025 Christmas film guide
A Merry Little Ex-Mas
What is it? All Kate and Everett want for Christmas is an amicable divorce and one last holiday as a family, but new flames and old feelings complicate their plans.
Who's in it? Alicia Silverstone, Oliver Hudson, Jameela Jamil and Melissa Joan Hart.
Where can you watch it? Netflix.
What day can you watch it? 12 November onwards.
A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
What is it? The Jonas Brothers finish their tour in London, and all they want is to get back home to spend Christmas with their families. Kevin, Joe, and Nick are all grappling with their roles in the band, and their brotherly bond is tested as they encounter a series of escalating obstacles in this family holiday movie, featuring new original songs and special celebrity guests.
Who's in it? Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, KJ Apa, and Will Ferrell.
Where can you watch it? Disney+.
What day can you watch it? 14 November onwards.
Champagne Problems
What is it? A driven American exec heads to Paris determined to acquire a champagne brand by Christmas — and accidentally falls for the heir to the bubbly empire.
Who's in it? Minka Kelly, Tom Wozniczka, Sean Amsing
Where can you watch it? Netflix.
What day can you watch it? 19 November onwards.
The Family Plan 2
What is it? Now that Dan's assassin days are behind him, all he wants for Christmas is quality time with his kids. But when he learns his daughter has plans of her own, he books a family trip to London that puts them in the crosshairs of an unexpected enemy.
Who's in it? Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan and Kit Harington.
Where can you watch it? Apple TV.
What day can you watch it? 21 November onwards.
Jingle Bell Heist
What is it? Two down-on-their-luck, hourly workers team up to rob a posh London department store on Christmas Eve. Will they steal each other's hearts along the way?
Who's in it? Olivia Holt, Connor Swindells and Lucy Punch.
Where can you watch it? Netflix.
What day can you watch it? 26 November onwards.
Tyler Perry's Finding Joy
What is it? Stranded in Colorado after a devastating holiday revelation, a talented but overlooked NYC designer finds unexpected love, transforming her life and career path.
Who's in it? Shannon Thornton, Tosin Morohunfola, Brittany S. Hall, Inayah, and Aaron O'Connell.
Where can you watch it? Amazon Prime Video.
What day can you watch it? 5 November onwards.
Joy to the World
What is it? When a lifestyle guru’s carefully crafted, fictional "perfect family" is suddenly expected to appear on a live Christmas Eve special, she recruits friends and neighbours to pose as her family — including her best friend, who still has feelings for her.
Who's in it? Emmanuelle Chriqui, Chad Michael Murray and Ayesha Curry.
Where can you watch it? Disney +.
What day can you watch it? 1 November onwards.
