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Original poster

AIBU to be shocked at how shit Xmas day telly is this year?

161 replies

Upholstery · 20/12/2025 18:49

40 year old films, Xmas specials from half a century ago, bake-off and the bloody McIntyre wheel? That's the best they can come up with? And as for ITV - what kind of self-loathing maniac wants to watch Lorraine on Xmas morning? The only thing that sounds half decent is Amandaland. What are they playing at?

OP posts:
xmasstress12 · 20/12/2025 22:23

@Sesma

It depends what you like.
I love Emily in Paris so that’s on my list as is Stranger Things,The Holdovers. Down Cemetery Road, F1 (Apple), The Roses, (Disney). The dc have quite a long list.

On non streaming I am looking forward to Amandaland, Ghost story, Two doors down, peep show bake off, the Night Manger, Challengers, new Harlan Coban thing

Sesma · 20/12/2025 22:21

Streaming is something you do on your own, I'm not going to sit there on Christmas Day watching some series for hours.

FurForksSake · 20/12/2025 22:17

I think it’s more about watching new, family friendly viewing. Streaming is mostly repeats or quite specific series or films which doesn’t really fit the bill.

It’s fine for people not to watch tv, you do you, but this thread might not be aimed at you.

Sesma · 20/12/2025 22:10

Radio Times is free on PressReader, no need to buy

Clefable · 20/12/2025 22:09

I was going to say YABU as there’s a thread every year complaining about Xmas TV but then I looked and it is utter shit, more so than usual, so YANBU. Won’t even bother with my Radio Times this year!

I don’t think it’s even so much to do with streaming habits, budget possibly; I used to have a list of stuff I wanted to watch on iPlayer, so it wasn’t really the live TV aspect but that there was always a new Agatha Christie, a new G&S, that sort of thing that you could watch on catch-up over the festive season. It’s just slim pickings.

Sesma · 20/12/2025 22:08

xmasstress12 · 20/12/2025 19:26

Terrestrial can’t really compete with the streamers

So what good on those then, not much. I see Netflix offering this week is crappy Emily in Paris

Fupoffyagrasshole · 20/12/2025 22:07

But you could watch Wallace and Gromit / dr who or Alan partridge or any films you like if you want - why does it need to be on live tv?
plus if you stream it there’s no ads

Sesma · 20/12/2025 22:06

Call the Midwife, at least that's new, I doubt there is anything good on Netflix or Disney

PigeonsandSquirrels · 20/12/2025 22:02

I mean who watches TV on Xmas day. You have the whole world of streaming available to you as well.

cardibach · 20/12/2025 20:37

Upholstery · 20/12/2025 19:14

Ok I like Peep show. But bake-off is boring!

I dislike Peep Show. That’s put me right off.

Cando6 · 20/12/2025 20:31

Household of 4 adults here and doesn’t occur to anyone to watch live TV. Not for years now. We’ll probably have Spotify playlist playing all day. Disappear to our rooms to watch what we want. I hate watching live TV. Seems to be 50% filler and repeating itself.

Middlemarch123 · 20/12/2025 20:25

I was listening to Dead Ringers earlier on Radio 4. One of the segments started with ‘Happy Christmas Day, and welcome to ITV, is your internet down?” Yep, would have to be to watch mainstream TV Christmas Day!

Lloki · 20/12/2025 20:24

It's been terrible for years, I miss looking forward to watching a good bit of TV over Christmas.

CheshireCat1 · 20/12/2025 20:21

We tend not to watch TV on Christmas Day, I haven’t even looked at what’s on.

Original poster
Upholstery · 20/12/2025 20:18

Exactly!

OP posts:
SisSuffragette · 20/12/2025 20:02

Call the midwife is on 😁

GreenClock · 20/12/2025 19:50

I think that last year’s Gavin & Stacey success was a rare thing these days due to (as PPs said) so many channels and streaming options.

Original poster
Upholstery · 20/12/2025 19:44

@ponyprincess I'd like to see as you say things that everyone can watch eg Dr Who, Wallace and Gromit. And I miss Xmas top of the pops, which kept going long after the regular programmes, again everyone could watch it, it was all big tunes from the year that you hear on radio even if you're not particularly plugged in to current music.

Also not specifically for Xmas but BBC used to do Dickens adaptations in winter that ran across Xmas, in the early 2000s, they were great, and M R James adaptations.

And they used to have genuinely good recent films, or at least old proper classics golden age of Hollywood type stuff.

But, I guess my Fantasy TV Xmas Special would be Alan Partridge. I would love to see that.

OP posts:
vanillalattes · 20/12/2025 19:31

I don't even remember the last time I watched live TV - and I suspect it's the same for lots of people. Everything is done on streaming these days.

Hufflemuff · 20/12/2025 19:31

Amandaland is literally the only thing that peaked my interest! I understand they might struggle to keep up with streaming, but this year it feels like they just gave up completely.

xmasstress12 · 20/12/2025 19:26

Amandaland is brilliant though.

Goodadvice1980 · 20/12/2025 19:26

Is the Muppets Christmas Carol on 🤔

xmasstress12 · 20/12/2025 19:26

Terrestrial can’t really compete with the streamers

TheaBrandt1 · 20/12/2025 19:25

Forced to watch Strictly due to guests. Just awful. Total filler TV - women with extreme plastic surgery shrieking at each other. And it went on and on and on.

LighthouseLED · 20/12/2025 19:24

YABU to describe Amandaland as half decent. It’s as shite as the rest of the TV.

But Christmas Day TV has been terrible for years.

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