Lots of festive programming, ranging from human stories in So This Is Christmas to The Dog House at Christmas, Mary Berry's Mary Makes Christmas to Stacey Solomon’s Crafty Christmas, and on to Inside M&S at Christmas . . .
This programme shares the heartfelt journeys of five ordinary people navigating personal challenges during the festive season.
Through their stories, viewers witness the familiar joys and struggles of the holidays. The documentary invites audiences to reflect on what Christmas truly means, while celebrating the spirit of the season.
The Dog House at Christmas, 9.00pm, Channel 4
The Christmas specials are coming thick and fast, but this one is guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings.
The team at Woodgreen animal charity hope to find their abandoned dogs new homes before Christmas.
Gigi the Labrador cross meets the Griffiths family who are hoping she can get dad Dave into the festive spirit and Mona the Lurcher is introduced to Georgia the Saluki cross.
Then Lady the Cocker Spaniel has to overcome her shyness when she meets Elizabeth, her sister Sarah and her Afghan Hound Florence.
Stacey Solomon’s Crafty Christmas, 9.00pm, BBC One
Stacey Solomon (below) throws a special Christmas party at her Grandma Gwen's residential home, to give all the residents and their carers a magical evening to remember.
Together with husband Joe and their children, her sister Jemma and Sort Your Life Out co-star Dilly Carter, Stacey puts everyone to work to transform a space inside the home into a Christmas wonderland.
All the pressure is then on Joe to get all Stacey's decorations delivered on time and unscathed.
Meanwhile, the host crafts a range of money-saving makes, from angel tree-toppers and a space saving Christmas tree to personalised presents.
Mary Makes Christmas, 8.00pm, BBC One
Mary Berry is joined by Amanda Holden, Oti Mabuse and Nick Grimshaw as she shares her favourite recipes for delicious gifts to give family and friends at Christmas time.
They include the likes of mini Christmas cakes, Almond Snowballs and a Spicy Christmas Chutney.
I've put on half a kilo just thinking about watching this programme!
Inside M&S at Christmas, 9.00pm, UTV
Cameras are invited inside every corner of British high street giant Marks & Spencer – they've a few shops here as well - during its busiest time of year.
In Bristol, staff prepare to open a brand new store and there's a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of this year's experimental Christmas sandwich and the world's first snowing chocolate box.
Never Mind the Buzzcocks Christmas Special, 9.00pm, Sky Max
Streaming on NOW
Having taken time off to celebrate a nativity of her own, the immaculate Daisy May Cooper (below) makes her triumphant return to Buzzcocks for what promises to be a raucous Christmas special.
Joining her, host Greg Davies, team captain Noel Fielding and series regular Jamali Maddix will be comedian Chris Ramsey, singer songwriter Ella Henderson and Capital Breakfast host Jordan North.
Blackadder’s Christmas Carol, BBC Four
Comic Blackadder take on the classic Dickens tale, starring Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Robbie Coltrane and Miranda Richardson.
It’s Christmas Eve 1850, and the kindly Ebenezer Blackadder spends the festive season being taken advantage of by his relatives, his neighbours and even Queen Victoria.
When he is visited by the Spirit of Christmas, he gains an insight into the dastardly deeds of his ancestors, and starts to wonder if he would be better off following in their footsteps.
Later at 9.30pm there’s Victoria Wood With All the Trimmings, where the comedian sends up Christmas TV in a festive special from 2000.
Guest stars including Julie Walters, Alan Rickman, Pete Postlethwaite, Celia Imrie, James Bolam, Delia Smith, Richard E Grant, Derek Jacobi, Alan Titchmarsh, Michael Parkinson and Imelda Staunton.
The Secret Lives of Animals, Apple TV+
This 10-part series features never-before-seen footage of rare and remarkable animal behaviour, narrated by Hugh Bonneville.
It highlights 77 unique species in 24 countries over three years, highlighting the remarkable intelligence of the natural world.
Each episode delves into pivotal moments in the life cycles of various animals - from birth and leaving home to raising a family, and from finding food to growing old - showcasing their striking intelligence and adaptability.
Highlights include an orb-weaving spider constructing a deceptive "self-portrait" puppet to deter predators; a wood mouse that creates its own signposts; and, an unexpected relationship between a reticulated humming frog and a burrowing tarantula.
Julia's Stepping Stones, Netflix
Throughout her career, pioneering filmmaker Julia Reichert - who died of cancer in 2022 - gave voice to the voiceless.
In a final collaboration with her husband, Steven Bognar, a terminally ill Julia shares the intimate story of her own journey, from her youth as a working-class girl who dreamt of a larger life for herself to her discovery of documentary filmmaking and finding her own voice along the way.
My Brilliant Friend, 9.00pm, Sky Atlantic
Streaming on NOW
Season 4 – this superb series’ final run – comes to an end with another double episode.
When a child disappears from the neighbourhood, suspicion falls on the Solaras, while Lila becomes consumed by her own conspiracies.
Then in the final episode of the series, Elena tries to manage a crisis when Elsa runs away from home. Many years later, Lila manages to surprise her friend yet again.
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