Christmas Day TV: Olivia Colman and the Peep Show gang do Bake Off

3 hours ago 7

The Great Christmas Bake Off 2025

8pm, Channel 4
“I kind of assumed someone would do it for us.” Nope, Olivia Colman. Even Oscar winners have to muck in on Bake Off. This fun special reunites the main cast of Peep Show (minus Robert Webb) to conjure up shortbread, turkey pies and famous scenes from the sitcom rendered in cake. Sadly, barbecued dogs don’t feature, though there are two buns described as “looking like eyeless pigs”. Phil Harrison

The Scarecrows’ Wedding

3.10pm, BBC One

In this sweet adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s children’s story, scarecrows Betty O’Barley (Jessie Buckley) and Harry O’Hay (Domhnall Gleeson) plan a wedding to remember. But Harry’s last-minute trip to pick up something special on the day leads to disaster with villainous scarecrow Reginald Rake (Rob Brydon). Sophie Okonedo narrates. Nicole Vassell

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special

5.30pm, BBC One
A bonus bye from Claudia and Tess, as they return to host the annual special. The celebrities taking a turn on the dancefloor are Scarlett Moffatt, Melanie Blatt, Brian McFadden, Babatunde Aléshé, Nicholas Bailey and Jodie Ounsley (AKA Gladiator Fury). Hollie Richardson

Call the Midwife Christmas Special

8.15pm, BBC One
It’s nuns v Triads in this year’s festive two-parter. Most of the Nonnatus House posse are in Hong Kong: a building collapse calls for an emergency mobilisation but parts of Kowloon are clearly not safe. Meanwhile, back in snowy Poplar, a skeleton team face a series of emergencies. PH

Bullseye Christmas Special

8.15pm, ITV1
Last December, a Bullseye revival hosted by Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff attracted more than 8 million viewers, paving the way for the recent series and this second Christmas special. No Luke Littler this time but Dutch world champion Michael “Mighty Mike” van Gerwen is on hand to try to secure some cash for charity. Graeme Virtue

Amandaland Christmas Special

9.15pm, BBC One

When Amanda and family spend Christmas Day at eccentric Aunt Joan’s country pile (which, according to Felicity, smells of “damp, dogs and desperation”), the stage is set for the spillage of an extraordinary family secret. With Jennifer Saunders playing Joan, it’s the first time she and Joanna Lumley have shared a screen since Absolutely Fabulous. Ali Catterall

Film choice

A Minecraft Movie (Jared Hess, 2025), 7.10am, 6.15pm, Sky Cinema Premiere
Director Jared Hess has a history of extreme silliness (see Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre), so he is a great choice for this flight of fancy based on the popular building-block video game. In a superbly imagined right-angled world that runs on its own surreal logic, siblings Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and Natalie (Emma Myers) – guided by Jason Momoa’s ex-gamer, Garrett, and Jack Black’s salesman, Steve; a double act without a straight man – have to use their construction skills to defeat baddies from the Nether. Catnip for the under-12s. Simon Wardell

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, 2024), 11.40am, BBC One

Sixteen years after our previous peek into the world of wensleydale cheese addict Wallace and his dog (and perennial life-saver) Gromit, the release of this beguiling caper was like a family reunion. Also back in the fold is the big baddie from The Wrong Trousers: the silent but deadly Feathers McGraw, who manipulates Wallace’s latest invention – irritatingly cheerful robot gnome Norbot (Reece Shearsmith) – into carrying out his plan of revenge. And a nod to Ben Whitehead, who takes over seamlessly from Peter Sallis as the voice of Wallace. Simon Wardell

White Christmas (Michael Curtiz, 1954), 1pm, BBC Two
Mulled wine in film form, Bing Crosby’s musical has been a yuletide mainstay for decades. Ostensibly this is about entertainers tasked with saving a failing Vermont inn from closure, but really it’s just an excuse for someone to make a movie out of Irving Berlin’s famous song. The result is a warm, twinkly vehicle for the stars of the day. Danny Kaye steals scenes with his elastic-faced joy, Vera-Ellen dances like she predates gravity, and Technicolor Christmas cheer pours from every frame. Stuart Heritage

The Little Mermaid (Rob Marshall, 2023), 6.30pm, E4
Disney’s insistence on making “live-action” versions of its most beloved cartoons has only been a partial success, but Rob Marshall’s The Little Mermaid from 2023 is one of the better attempts. Halle Bailey’s Ariel is luminous, and possesses a voice that could melt stone; plus she’s matched by an underwater world that’s even more vibrant and alive than the animated version. True, not all of it lands – the world is still not ready for a song performed by a photorealistic fish – but it is sweet and sincere, and more emotionally complex than you might imagine. SH