Christmas TV guide: What to watch, from Gavin & Stacey to Dracula

All the best dramas, comedies and reunion specials you should tune into over the festive break

After gorging ourselves on mince pies, drinking too much, pretending to be delighted at rubbish gifts and fighting about Brexit – a lot of us just like to curl up on the sofa and watch television at Christmas.

There are, of course, a lot of repeats, but there are also dozens of dramas, comedies and reunion specials airing over the festive period.

A lot of it is still Not Very Good, though, so here’s our pick of what is genuinely worth watching over Christmas.

Check out our list of the best things on television between 22 December and New Year’s Day, below...

Sunday 22 December

A Christmas Carol, BBC1, 9pm

Guy Pearce, Andy Serkis, Stephen Graham and Charlotte Riley will star in a “unique and original take” on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that promises to be a “haunting, hallucinatory, spine-tingling immersion into Scrooge’s dark night of the soul”.

The Christmas Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, BBC2, 9pm

Romesh Ranganathan is back with a Christmas special of his comedy travel show. This time he’s off to the Sahara desert as he fancied a bit of warm weather after the BBC sent him to the Arctic last year.

Christmas Eve

The Snowman, Channel 4, 3.50pm

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Raymond Briggs's classic story about a young boy who makes a snowman that comes to life – and, of course, a singalong to the film’s famous song “Walking in the Air”.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Channel 4, 7.30pm

Benedict Cumberbatch, Tamsin Greig and David Oyelowo voice a new adaptation of Judith Kerr’s beloved picture book, The Tiger Who Came to Tea. The story follows a tea-guzzling tiger who turns up out of the blue to eat and drink a surprised family out of house and home.

Christmas Day

The Alternative Christmas Message, Channel 4, 2.25pm

Jeremy Corbyn won’t be watching the Queen’s Speech – but he might be able to spare five minutes for The Alternative Christmas Message. We don’t yet know who will be doing the honours this year, but past presenters have included Danny Dyer, the President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whistle-blower Edward Snowden and Katie Piper, to name a few.

The Snail and the Whale, BBC1, 2.30pm

Sally Hawkins and Rob Brydon play the eponymous snail and whale in this new adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s book about a restless young creature who wants to travel the world.

The Great Christmas Bake Off, Channel 4, 7.10pm

Contestants from previous series of the show will compete in festive-themed challenges for the title of Christmas Star Baker. Status Quo will also be in the tent to play “Rockin' All Over the World”.

Gavin & Stacey, BBC1, 8.30pm

Despite being one of America’s biggest late-night talk-show hosts, James Corden found the time to reunite with Ruth Jones to write a festive special of their hit sitcom, Gavin & Stacey. Fans will see Joanna Page, Mathew Horne, Larry Lamb, Julia Davis and the rest of the cast return to Barry where Uncle Bryn (Rob Brydon) is on the verge of a nervous breakdown in his attempts to cook Christmas dinner.

Boxing Day

Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2019, Channel 4, 9pm

What meal did Donald Trump serve a visiting football team at the White House? How did Jennifer Aniston break the internet in 2019?  These are among the questions that will be asked in this year's edition of the Channel 4 quiz.  Jimmy Carr will be on hosting duties, with Maya Jama, Asim Chaudhry and Richard Ayoade among the celebrity contestants.

Would I Lie to You at Christmas?, BBC1, 9.30pm

Liz Bonnin and Stephen Merchant team up with David Mitchell while his rival Lee Mack is joined by Sharon Osbourne and Dr Ranj Singh in this game of deception – and this time around each story has a festive theme.

Sunday 29 December

The Trial of Christine Keeler, BBC1, 9pm

The Trial of Christine Keeler stars Sophie Cookson as the eponymous model and topless showgirl who was at the centre of the Profumo affair of 1963. The drama, which promises to take a “fresh look at one of the biggest political stories of the 20th Century” also features James Norton, Ellie Bamber and Emilia Fox.

New Year’s Day

Doctor Who, BBC1, 6.55pm

Jodie Whittaker will be back alongside Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole for a 12th series of new monsters and guest stars, including Stephen Fry and Lenny Henry.

The Great Festive Bake Off, Channel 4, 7.30pm

The girls of Derry and their wee English fella will be entering the tent to compete for the Star Baker title on New Year’s Day. There will also be a performance from London Community Gospel Choir.

Dracula, BBC1, 9pm

Sherlock creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have reunited to bring Dracula to life in a new three-part drama. The vampire count will be played by Claes Bang – and judging by the trailer it’s set to be a very bloody affair.

Bancroft, ITV, 9pm

The first series of this hit drama was dropped quite suddenly into the schedules last year, after a show about the Hatton Garden heist was pulled at the last minute due to an ongoing court case. Now Bancroft is back for a second run starring Sarah Parish as a battle-hardened detective.