Christmas TV schedule is awful, what shall we watch instead

[Billybagpuss]

BBC is the usual mix of celebrity games shows with very little else to draw me in
ITV has its obligatory Bond film and celebrity games shows.

So in a world where you can pretty much stream anything lets make a mumsnet list of things to watch when the schedules let you down. Not necessarily films, are there any old Christmas specials or anything worth streaming.

I’ll be honest I’m completely out of ideas once we’ve exhausted Die Hard and It’s a wonderful life I’m out.

I love the old Christmas specials and tend to live in the past at Christmas. Favourites are Downton Anbey, The Vicar of Dibley, The Royle Family, Motherland, Dinnerladies, Gavin & Stacey. Last year we rewatched Dickensian. Looking forward to Two Doors Down this year but that's about it. Thank goodness for streaming.

I’ll be watching Call the Midwife. Haven’t looked at the schedules though we mostly stream these days.

It is awful this year. Last year we were looking forward to the new Wallace and Gromit which we’ll have to rewatch. We always watch the Julia Donaldson special but I have to say The Scarecrows Wedding was a really odd choice. Always thought it was a weird book, especially with the cigar smoking scarecrow who sets the other one alight… They should have done The Baddies or Jonty Gentoo, or if they wanted to use an older one first then A Squash and a Squeeze. Sorry, just on my soapbox.

I never got into midwife or 2 doors. They haven’t put much effort in at all.

TBH the Christmas specials of current favourites are usually pretty lame with good ones few and far between so we tend to catch the reruns of old shows (Two Ronnie's, Morecambe And Wise, Victoria Wood etc) and then get out the DVD's of classic series and watch the Christmas specials (Vicer Of Dibley, Dinnerladies, Men Behaving Badly, Watching, Good Life, Midsomer Murders, Poirot, Miranda etc).
Suits us!🎄

Motherland specials
Outnumbered specials
Blackadder’s Christmas Carol
Dibley specials
Waiting for God specials
Royle Family specials
The Good Life specials
Simpsons and Family Guy Christmas episodes

I watch all of these every year!

We binge watched the Cormorant Strike series last Christmas excellent watching for DH and two young teens.

Christmas is for Darts (and football).

I’m disappointed that there doesn’t seem to be a ballet on tv this year.

I really want to know who is actually watching Mrs Browns Boys, because it's on every bloody year despite being absolutely atrocious.

We watched a really cool live-action Grinch play on sky movies for a couple of years. We don’t have sky anymore so can’t watch it again but it’s great for anyone that does have it.

I always have to watch the Gavin and Stacey and Vicar of Dibley specials every year. I'm watching the thread for ideas - we've pretty much given up on TV!

I couldn't agree more that The Scarecrows' Wedding is the worst choice they could have made, by quite some way.

A Squash and a Squeeze or Monkey Puzzle would both have been better choices. Or they could have done a huge Acorn Wood adaptation, which could have been beautiful.

It’s really grim isn’t it . I’m hoping to find something good on Netflix to save for Christmas

I saw the ITV schedule and I thought it was a spoof 😂😂
It looks like something from the 90s.
Indiana Jones. It Will Be Alright On The Night. Bullseye.
(I will be watching Call The Midwife)

Peter Pan Goes Wrong (iplayer) was a huge hit last year, so much so that we are going to London to see The Play that Goes Wrong just after Christmas.

Christmas fishing with Bob and Paul? Though it will of course have been filmed in the middle of summer like always.

Oh I love the good life Christmasses. Must re binge them

To the Manor Born Christmas special is great too

Ask for this for Christmas, or invest for yourself beforehand:

https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/national-theatre-online/

I’m basically an OAP at heart so I’m happy (sorry OP). I will be watching traitors special and all the crime ones

I think there are quite a few on iPlayer from when they did a series in BBC1. The one set in a courtroom (can't remember the actual title) is hilarious.

The soaps
Two doors down christmas special (my fave show)
Love actually

Oh I didn’t know they did this on subscription thank you

👍