A very merry Christmas to everyone! It’s that time where I peruse the Radio Times and pick out my top picks of the Christmas TV for 2024.
Did you go through the Radio Times and TV Times when you where younger planning out your festive viewing?
Sadly with era of steaming services, the joy of finding out what’s on TV over the festive period has somewhat diminished. That shared experience is no longer what it once was as everyone seems to be watching something different!
In any case these are my top picks of the Christmas telly in the UK!
Table of Contents
Must See Christmas TV 2024
BBC Christmas Television 2024
| Date | Name | Time | BBC |
| 24/12/24 | White Christmas (1954) Bing Crosby / Danny Kaye | 2:15pm | BBC2 |
| 24/12/24 | Carols from King’s | 6.00pm | BBC2 |
| 24/12/24 | The Repair Shop Christmas Special | 8:15pm | BBC1 |
| 24/12/24 | Strike: The Ink Black Heart (Part 4 of 4) Full series available on iPlayer. | 9:15pm | BBC1 |
| 24/12/24 | A Ghost Story for Christmas: Woman of Stone | 10:15pm | BBC2 |
| 24/12/24 | Beetlejuice (1988) Michael Keaton | 10:45pm | BBC2 |
| 25/12/24 | Some Like It Hot (1959) Comedy Tony Curtis Jack Lemmon Marilyn Monroe | 3:10pm | BBC2 |
| 25/12/24 | North By Northwest (1959) Hitchcock Thriller Cary Grant Eva Marie Saint James Mason | 5:05pm | BBC2 |
| 25/12/24 | Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) | 6:10pm | BBC1 |
| 25/12/24 | Gavin & Stacey: The Finale | 9:00pm | BBC1 |
| 25/12/24 | Mrs Brown’s Boy Christmas Special | 11:05pm | BBC1 |
| 26/12/24 | Casablanca (1942) Humphrey Bogart Ingrid Bergman | 12:45pm | BBC2 |
| 26/12/24 | Paddington (2014) Comedy Hugh Bonneville Emma Watson Ben Wishaw | 1:50pm | BBC1 |
| 26/12/24 | The Magnificent Seven (1960) Western Yul Brynner Steve McQueen | 2:25pm | BBC2 |
| 26/12/24 | The Two Ronnies at Christmas | 5:10pm | BBC2 |
| 26/12/24 | Gladiator (2000) Russell Crowe Joaquin Phoenix | 9:00pm | BBC2 |
| 26/12/24 | Point Break (1991) Action Thriller Keanu Reeves Patrick Swayze | 12:10pm | BBC1 |
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) are probably on most people’s watch list. There are several classic movies to enjoy, such as Casablanca (1942), Some Like It Hot (1959), North By Northwest (1959), Point Break (1991) and Gladiator (2000), which is always nice to see.
I’m also looking forward to the conclusion of Strike: The Ink Black Heart on Christmas Eve. If you missed any of the previous episodes you can watch them on the BBC iPlayer.
ITV Christmas Viewing
| Date | Name | Time | ITV |
| 24/12/24 | It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) James Stewart Donna Reed | 2:30pm | ITV1 |
| 24/12/24 | Dirty Harry (1971) Thriller Clint Eastwood | 9:00pm | ITV4 |
| 25/12/24 | Carry On Matron (1972) | 3:10pm | ITV3 |
| 25/12/24 | Battle Of Britain (1969) WWII Drama Laurence Olivier Michael Caine Robert Shaw | 6:30pm | ITV4 |
| 25/12/24 | Lethal Weapon (1987) Action Thriller Mel Gibson Danny Glover | 9:10pm | ITV4 |
| 26/12/24 | Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) Action Thriller Mel Gibson Danny Glover | 9:00pm | ITV4 |
I rarely watch ITV these days but I did used to dip into ITV3 every Christmas for the Carry On films. Sadly there’s only one on over the three days. Other than a few great movies there little else for me to bother tuning into.
Talking Pictures TV Christmas TV
You can find TPTV on Virgin 445, Freesat 306, Freeview 82 or Sky 328.
| Date | Name | Time |
| 24/12/24 | Christmas Carols from Cambridge (1978) | 12:10pm |
| 24/12/24 | The Christmas Tree (1966) Brian Blessed William Burleigh Anthony Honour Kate Nicholls | 1:20pm |
| 24/12/24 | Vampira (1974) Comedy Horror David Niven | 11:00pm |
| 25/12/24 | Scrooge (1935) Seymour Hicks | 6:50am |
| 25/12/24 | Scrooge (1951) Alastair Sim | 3:00pm |
| 26/12/24 | Oliver Twist (1982) Drama George C Scott Tim Curry Michael Hordern | 3:10pm |
| 26/12/24 | Christmas In The Street (Coronation Street 1968) | 5:15pm |
Talking Pictures TV is probably my favourite channel and they have several interesting picks to keep everyone entertained. Two versions of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol with Scrooge (1935) starring Seymour Hicks and the ultimate version from 1951 starring the great Alastair Sim!
Channel 4 & Others Christmas TV
| Date | Name | Time |
| 24/12/24 | Father Christmas (1991) | 8:20am |
| 24/12/24 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Spieberg’s Sci-fi Drama Richard Dreyfuss Francois Truffaut Teri Garr | 11:25am |
| 24/12/24 | A Christmas Carol (1984) George C Scott | 2:10pm |
| 24/12/24 | The Snowman (1982) | 4:15pm |
| 24/12/24 | The Snowman and the Snowdog (2012) | 5:20pm |
| 24/12/24 | Home Alone (1990) Comedy Macaulay Culkin Joe Pesci | 6:05pm |
| 25/12/24 | The Italian Job (1969) Crime Comedy Michael Caine Noel Coward | 2.45pm |
| 25/12/24 | Miracle On 34th Street (1994) Drama Richard Attenborough | 5:00pm |
| 25/12/24 | Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Adventure Harrison Ford Karen Allen | 8:20pm |
| 26/12/24 | Dad’s Army (1971) Comedy Arthur Lowe John Le Mesurier Clive Dunn John Laurie James Beck Arnold Ridley Ian Lavender | 2:00pm |
| 26/12/24 | Zulu (1963) Drama Stanley Baker Michael Caine | 3:50pm |
| 26/12/24 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Adventure Harrison Ford Kate Capshaw | 6:40pm |
Channel4 and its other channels have a great mix of movies along with the must see, The Snowman from 1982 and 2012’s The Snowman and the Snowdog.
Film 4 Christmas Films
| Date | Name | Time |
| 24/12/24 | Romancing The Stone (1984) Adventure Michael Douglas Kathleen Turner | 6:40pm |
| 24/12/24 | Stand By Me (1986) Drama Wil Wheaton River Phoenix Corey Feldman Jerry O’Connell Kiefer Sutherland | 1:35am |
Channel 5 Christmas TV
| Date | Name | Time |
| 24/12/24 | Catch Me If You Can (2002) Drama Leonardo DiCaprio Tom Hanks Martin Sheen Christopher Walken | 4:35pm |
| 24/12/24 | The Two Ronnies: The Lost Sketches | 10:15pm |
| 25/12/24 | The Railway Children Return (2022) Drama Jenny Agutter Tom Courtenay Sheridan Smith | 3:10pm |
| 26/12/24 | Crocodile Dundee (1986) Comedy Adventure Paul Hogan Linda Kozlowski Mark Blum David Gulpilil Michael Lombard John Meillon | 4:40pm |
There’s not much of interest on Channel 5 but if you are curious what the The Railway Children sequel was like you’re in luck as they have The Railway Children Return (2022), starring Jenny Agutter on Christmas Day at 3:10pm.
That’s TV Christmas 2024
You can find That’s TV on Freeview 56, Sky 171, Freesat 164, Virgin 150 & Freely 42.
Meanwhile That’s TV 2 can be found on, Freeview 65, Sky 181, Freesat 165, Virgin 151 & Freely 45.
There is also That’s TV 3 (Currently That’s Christmas) which has Christmas music all day. This can be found on Freeview 71, Sky 183, Virgin 152 & Freely 46.
| Date | Name | Time | |
| 24/12/24 | Holiday Inn (1942) Muscical Bing Crosby Fred Astaire Marjorie Reynolds Virginia Dale Walter Abel | 8:30am | That’s TV |
| 24/12/24 | It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Drama James Stewart Donna Reed Lionel Barrymore Thomas Mitchell Henry Travers Beulah Bondi Ward Bond Frank Faylen Gloria Grahame | 10:25am | That’s TV |
| 24/12/24 | Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Comedy / Drama Maureen O’Hara John Payne Edmund Gwenn Gene Lockhart Natalie Wood Porter Hall William Frawley Jerome Cowan Philip Tonge | 1:15pm | That’s TV |
| 24/12/24 | 2point4 Children 1992 Christmas Special | 4:10pm | That’s TV 2 |
| 24/12/24 | 2point4 Children 1993 Christmas Special | 4:45pm | That’s TV 2 |
| 24/12/24 | 2point4 Children 1994 Christmas Special | 5:25pm | That’s TV 2 |
| 24/12/24 | 2point4 Children 1995 Christmas Special | 6:00pm | That’s TV 2 |
| 24/12/24 | 2point4 Children 1996 Christmas Special | 6:35pm | That’s TV 2 |
| 24/12/24 | Rising Damp 1975 Christmas Special | 8:30pm | That’s TV |
| 24/12/24 | Just Good Friends 1984 Christmas Special | 10:00pm | That’s TV 2 |
| 24/12/24 | Steptoe and Son 1974 Christmas Special | 10:55pm | That’s TV |
| 25/12/24 | Mr Bean | 5:20pm | That’s TV |
| 25/12/24 | Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em 1974 Christmas Special | 5:35pm | That’s TV 2 |
| 25/12/24 | Scrooge (1951) Alastair Sim | 11:30pm | That’s TV 2 |
| 25/12/24 | Whatever Happen To The Likely Lads No Hiding Place | 11:35pm | That’s TV |
That’s TV has a pretty great line of classic sitcoms showing across, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. I mean who doesn’t enjoy, Mr Bean, Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, Steptoe and Son and Whatever Happen To The Likely Lads.
Rewind TV Christmas Telly
You can find Rewind on Freeview 95, Sky 182 & Freely 150.
| Date | Name | Time |
| 24/12/24 | Flash Gordon | 6:00am |
| 24/12/24 | Watching TV Series Emma Wray Paul Bown Liza Tarbuck Patsy Byrne Perry Fenwick | 10:30am |
| 24/12/24 | Bewitched Sitcom | 6:00pm |
| 24/12/24 | Married with Children Sitcom | 6:30pm |
| 25/12/24 | Watching Sitcom | 10:30am |
| 25/12/24 | Worzel Gummidge Down Under Jon Pertwee Una Stubbs | 5:00pm |
| 25/12/24 | Bewitched Sitcom | 6:00pm |
| 25/12/24 | Married with Children Sitcom | 6:30pm |
| 25/12/24 | Department S TV Series | 7:00pm |
| 25/12/24 | Dick Turpin TV Series 1979-82 Richard O’Sullivan | 8:00pm |
| 25/12/24 | Police Woman TV Series Angie Dickinson | 9:00pm |
| 26/12/24 | Watching Sitcom | 11:00am |
| 26/12/24 | Bewitched Sitcom | 5:30pm |
| 26/12/24 | McLintock! (1963) Western John Wayne Maureen O’Hara | 6:30pm |
| 26/12/24 | Dick Turpin TV Series 1979-82 Richard O’Sullivan | 9:00pm |
| 26/12/24 | Police Woman TV Series Angie Dickinson | 10:00pm |
Rewind TV has not really changed its schedules for Christmas which some will find refreshing. In any case there are plenty of classic television series to enjoy along with the odd movie.
Those are my top picks of this years Christmas telly!
A Very Merry Christmas To Everyone!
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