Christmas Telly 2026: Twelve Keepers, Three Turkeys and the Remote-Control Truce

As of 7 November 2026, the Christmas schedules are still being tinkered with, but the shape of the festive fortnight is clear enough. BBC One is leaning hard into cosy drama, ITV1 has a couple of shiny-floor bets, Channel 4 is doing its usual mix of warmth and weirdness, and the streamers are pretending they are not worried about the licence fee. We have picked through the press releases, trailers and scheduling gossip so you do not have to. Ratings are out of five. Here is what deserves a spot on your December planner — and what should be quietly moved to 2am.

1. The Saltmarsh Christmas (BBC One) — 5/5

Cosy crime has been done to death, but this one has salt in its veins. A widowed harbourmaster, a missing choir master and a village that closes ranks whenever the tide comes in. It is not revolutionary; it is just properly written, properly acted and confident enough to let a silence do the work. The Christmas Eve climax is the best hour of telly the BBC has lined up this year. Watch live, avoid the group chat.

2. Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing (BBC Two) — 5/5

The least flashy show on this list and the one most likely to make you ring your dad. Bob and Paul in waterproofs, a flask, a river that looks like it is about to freeze over, and jokes that arrive sideways. It is gentle without being dull, which is a harder trick than it sounds. If you need one programme to put on while the sprouts are doing their thing, make it this.

3. The Last Train Home (Channel 4) — 4.5/5

Hidden gem alert. A two-part drama about a late-night service from Leeds to London that gets stuck somewhere outside Peterborough. The premise sounds like a stage play, and it basically is, but the cast is superb and the script has a real edge. It is tense, funny and quietly devastating about the people who keep the country moving on Christmas Eve. Do not read the synopsis; just watch it.

4. The Frost Fair (BBC Four) — 4.5/5

Another hidden gem, and the one your dad will tell you about on Boxing Day as if he discovered it. A documentary about the frozen Thames fairs of the 17th century, padded out with wintery archive and a historian who is genuinely thrilled about ice. Sounds niche. Is niche. Also completely lovely. Put it on after the family row has kicked off and everyone has gone to bed.

5. Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special (BBC One) — 4/5

You know the drill: former winners, a returning contestant with a dodgy knee, and Craig Revel Horwood giving a four to someone in a sparkly snowman outfit. The 2026 line-up is better than usual, and the group number is genuinely charming. It is not appointment telly in the way it once was, but it is perfect background for present-opening chaos.

6. The Great Festive Bake Off (Channel 4) — 4/5

The tent is colder, the bakes are more ridiculous, and someone will make a gingerbread train that collapses on camera. That is the deal. This year's festive special has a stronger batch of contestants than the summer series and one truly unhinged showstopper involving a yule log that looks like a Wetherspoons carpet. Comfort food telly, done properly.

7. Taskmaster's Festive Folly (Channel 4) — 4/5

A one-off special with a decent panel and a task that involves wrapping a present while wearing oven gloves and answering questions about the shipping forecast. Greg Davies is on form, Alex Horne is doing his patient little dance, and the whole thing is over before it outstays its welcome. Ideal for that awkward hour between dinner and the film.

8. The Christmas Switch (Netflix) — 4/5

The streamer entry that could have been a disaster: a body-swap comedy about a disgruntled delivery driver and a department-store Santa. It is daft, it is glossy, and it has no business being as funny as it is. The leads have proper chemistry and the London backdrop is used better than most festive films manage. Not a classic, but a very solid Boxing Day sofa watch.

9. Christmas at the Chippy (ITV1) — 3.5/5

A warm-hearted comedy-drama about a family-run chip shop in Blackpool trying to survive the festive season. The first half is stronger than the second, and the ending is a bit too neat, but the cast is lovely and the chips look incredible. It will do fine between the news and whatever quiz ITV has lined up.

10. The Repair Shop at Christmas (BBC One) — 3.5/5

You know exactly what you are getting: a broken toy, a war medal, a tearful reveal and Jay Blades looking thoughtful. The formula is worn, but it still works when the stories land. This year's standout is a woman bringing in her late mother's sewing machine. Bring tissues, or at least a mince pie to hide behind.

11. The Winter Palace (BBC One) — 4/5

A big frocks-and-frost period drama with a ludicrous plot and a cast clearly having the time of their lives. It is not subtle, and the second episode takes a turn that will divide the family, but it looks stunning and moves at a proper clip. The sort of thing that makes a cold December night feel like an event.

12. Gogglebox Festive Special (Channel 4) — 3/5

The comfort blanket of festive telly. No surprises, no stakes, just people on sofas reacting to the programmes you have already watched. It earns its place because it is genuinely funny, but it is not essential. Stick it on when the board games get too competitive.

The three turkeys

Celebrity Christmas Karaoke Carnage (ITV1) — 1.5/5

A loud, cynical way to fill two hours. The celebrities look bemused, the audience looks cold, and the judges look like they have been told they can leave once the winner is announced. There is a version of this that could be fun. This is not it.

The Big Christmas Quiz of Everything (BBC One) — 2/5

Another panel show in tinsel. The questions are fine, the banter is forced, and the whole thing feels like it was commissioned by someone who hates Christmas and has never met a family. You will forget it while it is still on.

Festive Flog It! (Channel 5) — 1/5

Bargain hunters in Santa hats, a presenter pretending to care about a commemorative plate, and an hour of your life you will not get back. Channel 5 has some decent festive filler, but this is not it. Avoid.

The verdict

Best overall: The Saltmarsh Christmas. Best hidden gem: The Frost Fair. Best thing to put on while doing something else: The Great Festive Bake Off. The one to avoid: Festive Flog It!. If you only have three nights of proper telly, go Saltmarsh, Last Train Home and Mortimer & Whitehouse. The rest is gravy — or, in the case of the turkeys, the bit of gravy that has gone cold at the bottom of the boat.