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.

It's my aunt, I'm really sorry. We've tried everything.

Don’t think they make it just for your aunt though

The play that goes wrong is brilliant. It's the original and the best of the plays. Enjoy!

It's the worst BBC1 schedule I have seen for years. Last year they really pulled it out of the hat with Wallace and Gromit and Gavin and Stacey. I guess last year was a hard act to follow.

And Mrs Brown's boys - why?

TV is dire now

Ghosts! Youngest DD and I sit down and watch the whole back catalogue, ending with the most recent Christmas special just before Christmas Eve. It's my go-to watch if I'm poorly or depressed or I just have a lot of chocolate to eat and need somewhere for my eyes to point at.

Black Doves on Netflix is excellent and has a bit of a festive vibe too!

All the ghost stories. Tis the season for a pleasing terror, in front of a crackling fire and glass of something warming.

I agree, I even googled to check if I was mistaken and it would be a NEW Indiana jones film. 🤷‍♀️
We would watch Strictly and The wheel and probably Red one or Home alone or Grinch but we don’t watch a lot of movies in run up for Christmas, that leave us space for old ones on Christmas Day.

I realised I was being generous saying "90's".....this could be Christmas Day 1986 😂😂😂😂

I plan on rewatching The Crown over Christmas

I swear that I read every new year that the ratings for MBB were lower than its last outing, so less & less people are viewing it but inexplicably the Beeb still insist on churning it out.

Looking forward to Christmas Seeing Bee (and trying to ignore the fact it was obviously filmed in August) and Two Doors Down but that's all. Will almost certainly watch last year's Gavin and Stacey again.

Jesus. Is that for Christmas day?

We watch all the old Christmas specials here! Vic of dib, only fools, downton, still game, gavin and stacey. I also watch the old Ross kemp christmas carol every year 😳. Dickensian is a good watch at this time of year too.

Yes 😂😂😂

We do
Downton Abbey- watch them all
David Attenborough
Ghosts
Vicar of Dibley
traitors
race across the world
around the world in 80 days
Death in paradise / return to paradise/ beyond paradise

we go old school and watch dvds eg kung fu panda! Wallace and G etc

currently today I found hotel Babylon and have starting watching that from the start.

Nothing ever in the Christmas live tv schedule ever not last year so we have abandoned all hope and do our own!

This is what I normally watch on Bbc or Dave, I've stopped watching Soaps so won't even be watching their Christmas episodes,

There is ballet! @Forgottenmyphone

25 December 2025
Stage: The Nutcracker from the Royal Ballet (BBC Two) 11.25am
Movie: Matilda the Musical (BBC One) 1pm
Movie: White Christmas (BBC Two) 1.05pm

This is mine and Dh's viewing list!

Along with Gavin and Stacey and Men Behaving Badly Christmas episode

We watch every year without fail too. 😊

It’s been many years since anyone in our house watched normal TV so we won’t be watching anything. Steaming services only.

I think Christmas day is probably the only day in the whole year where our telly doesn’t go on 😂😂

I will watch the new two doors down and motherland on Boxing Day, it should be a quiet day!

🤦🤦🤦
FFS ITV! I'll take The 1% Club but that'll be the only time they grace my telly.

If there's no decent 'big movie' on DH and I will play Scrabble.

I was hoping that one of the channels would be showing the Barbie movie. I haven't seen it yet but don't want to enough to pay for it.