There is always a smorgasbord of things to watch at Christmas, so I’m going to break down the five best things to watch…
A Christmas Carol (21:00 on Christmas Eve, BBC1)
This will be the conclusion of a new take on the well-loved seasonal staple (you can catch up on the other two episodes with iPlayer). Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders, has produced a much spookier version of the classic Dickens novel. So, if you’re a fan of The Muppets version, then perhaps this one won’t be for you. It’s somewhat surprising that no one has adapted it like this before, with all the hooded phantoms. This could be the perfect slice of darkness to cleanse your palette of some of the jolliness of Christmas.
Credit: Radiotimes
Strictly Come Dancing: Christmas Special (16:40 on Christmas Day, BBC1)
For me, Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the Strictly Christmas Special. We always try to finish Christmas dinner in time to watch it, and we almost always fail. This year, they’ve got a great collection of ghosts of Strictly past: Joe Sugg, Gemma Atkinson, Debbie McGee, Chizzy Akodolu, Richard Arnold and Mark Wright. I think this will be the first time Strictly fans witness some of the couples that the show has created perform again. Gemma and partner Gorka Marquez got together on The Live Tour two years ago, and they now have a baby together. Joe and partner Dianne Buswell say that they got together after the series finished in December 2018, but most of their fans think they actually started dating during the series. Anyway, they’re all kinds of cute on social media. There should be some nimble footwork from Gemma and Gorka and Joe and Dianne, as well as Debbie and Kevin.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B58hsXeB63B/
Gavin & Stacey (20:30 on Christmas Day, BBC1)
The long-awaited return of one of the best-loved British sitcoms in history is finally here! After almost 10 years, the whole gang is back for Christmas. Most of the plot has been shrouded in secrecy, but we do know that the Shipmans are going to Barry for Christmas and that Uncle Bryn is cooking Christmas dinner. I only started watching it this year, but I am still so excited about this. The critics, who have already seen the episode, have said that it does not disappoint. So, get ready to laugh and cry, possibly at the same time.
Doctor Who (18:55 on New Years Day, BBC1)
The last series of Doctor Who was disappointing, to say the least. I think Chris Chibnal wanted to be a gamechanger and show that he had original ideas, but it didn’t work. From the trailer for the new series which starts with this Christmas Special, it looks like they have righted some of the wrongs of the last series. There are some big guest stars in the first episode: Stephen Fry and Lenny Henry. We will see if it all pans out.
Dracula (21:00 on New Years Day, BBC1)
I am a huge fan of CBBC’s Young Dracula, and that has meant that I am very picky about vampire movies and TV shows. I stopped watching Twilight after the vampires sparkled in the sunlight. This adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel could tick a lot of my boxes despite it being much darker than Young Dracula. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat will ensure it is packed with drama and wit.
Featured image via: @BBCOne
