Christmas TV 2023
Christmas time, of course means mistletoe and wine... but it also means the best TV of the year. And there's a lot on! So here's our specially selected list of the most dazzling dozen television programmes between here and New Year's Day.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Mog’s Christmas, Channel 4
Originally written by Judith Kerr in 1976, this simple story is about a cat who feels overwhelmed by the changes Christmas brings to her family. Mog has only just settled into life with the Thomas’ when the festive season begins and she sees a tree coming through the front door, along with all the decorations! Feeling neglected and confused, Mog dashes to the roof where she gets stuck, until she’s eventually tempted down by treats.
‘It was a no-brainer to say yes to narrating this animation as I’m no stranger to Judith’s work,’ says Adjoa Andoh, who narrates the film. ‘It’s smart and funny and was a delight to do!’
Beyond Paradise, BBC1
It’s the lead-up to Christmas in Shipton Abbott, but as everyone gets in the festive mood, DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi) are presented with a series of baffling burglaries. With the station’s fate still under review, reports come in of four break-ins where nothing has been taken. Even more puzzling, ash is discovered at the homes. And as the team digs deeper, they discover the houses were also broken into in Christmas week, 1973…
‘It's very Christmassy. It’s a very famous story that you'll recognise, but with a sort of modern twist on it,’ promises Kris Marshall. ‘It’s heart-warming, funny, and a little bit sad in the middle.’
A Ghost Story For Christmas: Lot No.249, BBC2
It could be described as the ‘mummy’ of all horror stories. A gothic short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, Lot No.249 was published in 1892, and was the first to use a bound Egyptian cadaver as a monstrous presence. And now it’s being brought to TV in Mark Gatiss’ latest A Ghost Story For Christmas. Following a trio of Oxford students in the late 19th century, one of them has recently purchased a certain item from Ancient Egypt and is now using it for nefarious means. The atmospheric 30-minute drama stars Kit Harington, Colin Ryan and Freddie Fox.
‘It was only a four-day shoot and a very small budget,’ says writer and director Mark, ‘but happily I was able to get a great cast. It's a thrilling thing – they wanted to be part of this Christmas tradition… and work with me, which is very, very flattering.’
CHRISTMAS DAY
Tabby McTat, BBC1
Julia Donaldson and Axel Schleffer’s picture book about a busker and his musical cat comes alive in this gorgeous animation, narrated by former Time Lord, Jodie Whittaker. Fred (Rob Brydon) and Tabby McTat (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù,) enjoy life singing on the streets of London, until tragedy strikes one day, and Fred ends up in hospital, separating him from his faithful, feline friend.
‘This is such a beautiful story about embracing change and the transitions in life as well - from childhood to adulthood, and about people going on journeys,’ says Jodie, ‘There’s so much warmth and celebration of family and community, but then there's also real moments of fear and loss, which often turn into a gain.’
Strictly Come Dancing, BBC1
It’s a fun line-up as ever, as a host of fresh celebs compete for the Christmas glitterball. There’s former England and rugby union star Danny Cipriano partnered with Jowita Przystal; history broadcaster Dan Snow and Nadiya Bychkova; BBC Breakfast presenter Sally Nugent and Graziano Di Prima; EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick and Nancy Xu; Tillie Amartey from Moving On and Neil Jones; and former Sugababes singer Keisha Buchanan and Gorka Márquez.
‘It's been so much fun,’ says Danny. ‘In the past, I never thought I would choose to do Strictly, but when I was asked to do this, I was driving with friends, and they were like, “Danny, you love to dance. This is perfect.” So, I thought, why not try and bring some festive cheer to people's screens on Christmas Day?’
Doctor Who, BBC1
For the first time since 2017, the Doctor is materializing on the big day! Even more excitingly, The Church On Ruby Road marks the full-length debut of 15th Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, and Corrie’s Millie Gibson as new companion, Ruby. And who better to lay in the plot of this festive episode than writer and showrunner, Russell T Davies?
‘It’s a return to a proper, good-old fashioned Christmas special,’ he declares. ‘There’s snow, there’s a church, Carol of the Bells is playing, and – 18 years ago – a baby is abandoned on the doorstep. That baby is Ruby Sunday. Today, she’s being dogged by bad luck. Why? Could it be those goblins in the sky? Plus, there’s a TARDIS heading towards Earth…’
Ghosts, BBC1
After 34 episodes, it’s the end of this enchanting sitcom. The plot involves Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) returning home with newborn daughter, Mia.
‘We came up with the name, and it was only way afterwards that I realised, “Oh, it’s a compound of “Mike and Alison”,’ says MathewBaynton, who plays Regency era poet Thomas. ‘If we were cleverer writers, that would have been the reason, but I’m afraid it wasn’t.’
‘We wanted to do something that we all felt was a fitting end,’ he continues. ‘I don’t think we felt any pressure, as such. I hope this doesn’t sound bad, but no-one could love the show more than we do.
Call The Midwife, BBC1
As 1969 draws to a close, Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) is convinced this Christmas will be her last. ‘Sister Julienne is always worried about Nonnatus House, although we're in a pretty good place,’ says Jenny Agutter who plays her.
‘Her only other concern is Sister Monica Joan. Winter is tough and she feels she’s not going to get through it and won’t be there next year. She is very low, very depressed and it is up to Sister Julienne to help her see that there is no reason to believe these dark thoughts and that there is a great deal of vitality in her.’
BOXING DAY
Death In Paradise, BBC1
It may be the season of goodwill, but there’s a killer on the loose for DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little) to track down while his extrovert mum Melanie also visits in the Caribbean crime drama’s festive special.
Digital marketing guru Debbie Clumson (Bronagh Waugh) jets off to Saint Marie to spend a few days with businessman Gerry Stableforth (Geoff Bell) and his family, wife Bella (Patsy Kensit), children Benjamin (Freddy Carter) and Mariana (Amelia Clarkson), and niece Riley (Leila Khan). But when a scream rings out, Gerry’s discovered at the bottom of a ravine by Debbie and Riley, while Benjamin gets help. In his dying breath Gerry utters, ‘It’s behind you.’
‘It’s a great mystery,’ enthuses Ralf.
WEDNESDAY, 27 DECEMBER
Murder Is Easy, BBC1
When he arrives in England for a job in Whitehall, Luke Fitzwilliam finds himself hunting for a serial killer instead, following a chance encounter in a two-part adaptation of Agatha Christie’s whodunit. It’s 1954, and Luke’s left his native Nigeria and is on a train to London, where he meets Miss Pinkerton (Penelope Wilton), an elderly lady who’s also heading to the capital with an urgent mission.
‘She quite quickly charms him,’ explains David Jonsson, who plays Luke. ‘She’s got information about anumber of horrible deaths in her tiny English village – which she thinks were murders but have been brushed off as accidents. ’
But Miss Pinkerton never makes it to Scotland Yard – and when he hears about her death, Luke goes to sleepy Wychwood under Ashe to solve the murders himself.
NEW YEAR’S DAY
The Tourist, BBC1
Launching on New Year’s Day 2022, The Tourist was the most-watched programme across all platforms for that year. It told the story of Elliot Stanley (Jamie Dornan) who suffers a car crash in the Australian Outback and wakes up in hospital with amnesia. Realising that he has people trying to kill him, he teams up with probationary constable Helen Chambers (Danielle MacDonald) to try to piece together the mystery of his past.
The series now returns for a second run, set 14 months after the first and Elliot and Danielle are blissfully in love. ‘I think it’s important that we do see them as a happy unit,’ says Jamie. ‘They’re two people coming from complicated situations. Helen’s breaking away from the restraints of her emotionally abusive partner Ethan, and Elliot has the madness of his past catching up with him, and lots of unanswered questions to deal with…’
Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, ITV1
‘There’s something about postmasters and postmistresses that is, by definition unshowy citizenry,’ says Toby Jones, who plays Alan Bates in this fact-based drama. ‘And when I spoke to Alan he said “Well, you’re going to have a problem because I don’t do emotions!”’
Alan was sacked by the Post Office when it accused him of false accounting. He was one of more than 700 sub-postmasters who were wrongly prosecuted, after they fell prey to a new computer system. He campaigned for almost 20 years to expose the truth about the scandal and get justice for sub-postmasters whose lives it destroyed. This is the story of those events, which are still undergoing a public enquiry as to why the truth was covered up for so long by the Post Office, the government, and computer company Fujtsu.