Christmas telly is serious business in the UK, and for genre fans this year’s line-up is shaping up nicely. There’s a Dickens ghost story, a brand-new trip to Hogwarts, a locked-room puzzle with an actual Poirot in it, and a couple of big sci-fi and fantasy binges to get through before the turkey’s even in the oven. Exact times won’t land until the Christmas listings arrive in early December, but plenty is already confirmed, so it’s a good time to start planning.
Christmas Eve – A Ghost Story for Christmas
Mark Gatiss’s festive ghost stories have become as much a part of Christmas as squabbling over the last purple Quality Street, and this year brings his ninth. The Bride’s Chamber is a genuine Dickens rarity, first published in 1857 and often described as one of his darkest tales. Martin Freeman and Jim Broadbent star in the tale of a spurned suitor who tricks a young woman into marriage to get his hands on her fortune, only for his murderous scheme to trap him in a purgatory of his own making. There’s a mini Sherlock reunion thrown in too, with Watson back working alongside Mycroft. The last two instalments both went out on Christmas Eve on BBC Two, so keeping that night free looks like a safe bet, and it’ll be on BBC iPlayer as well.
Christmas Day – Harry Potter Arrives on HBO Max
The biggest genre event of the season lands on Christmas Day itself. HBO’s Harry Potter series begins with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which feels very fitting for anyone who grew up with a Potter film on the telly every Christmas. The first season runs to eight episodes and promises a more faithful take on the book than the film had room for, with Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Arabella Stanton as Hermione and Alastair Stout as Ron. HBO Max launched in the UK this year and comes free with Sky, so plenty of households will already have it. The full episode schedule hasn’t been confirmed yet, so a Boxing Day binge isn’t guaranteed.
Boxing Day – The Battle for the Remote
Boxing Day falls on a Saturday this year, and the remote is going to be in serious demand. The Premier League has brought back a proper festive programme with seven matches on 26 December, after just one game last year. Aston Villa v Leeds kicks things off at 12:30 on TNT Sports, while Sky Sports has Hull v Liverpool and Newcastle v Manchester City later in the day. Plenty of fans will keep a phone handy for live football betting during the games, with in-play odds moving on every goal and red card.
Two Big Binges to Start Early
Prime Video drops all eight episodes of Blade Runner 2099 on 25 November, which leaves a whole month to get through it before the festive chaos kicks in. Set 50 years after Blade Runner 2049, it stars Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer, with Ridley Scott on board as an executive producer. It’s a limited series, so expect one complete story rather than the start of a long run.
Over on Disney+, Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 3 tackles The Titan’s Curse, with two episodes a week from 20 November and the finale on 11 December. New arrivals include Dafne Keen as Artemis and Kate McKinnon as Aphrodite, and Walker Scobell has teased that this is the darkest season yet.
Ludwig Christmas Special (BBC One)
David Mitchell’s reclusive puzzle setter gets his first-ever festive case, and the casting is a proper treat. Sir David Suchet, who spent 24 years solving murders as Poirot, switches sides to play one of the suspects in a locked-room mystery. Anna Maxwell Martin is back as Lucy, with Jason Flemyng, Joe Wilkinson, Cathy Tyson, Alexandra Roach and Kiell Smith-Bynoe joining the fun. There’s more on the guest line-up in Chortle’s report on the Ludwig Christmas special from when it was announced in September, and a third series is already in production.
Death in Paradise Christmas Special (BBC One and iPlayer)
Saint Marie’s festive outing turns up early, landing on BBC iPlayer on Friday 27 November before a BBC One airing over the holidays. This year the Death in Paradise Christmas mystery sends DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet) and the team to a private island where the wealthy Pendleford family’s patriarch has been bumped off and every relative has a motive. Charlie Higson, Shaun Dooley and Caroline Catz lead the guest cast.
The Notable No-Show
Whovians will spot a TARDIS-shaped hole on Christmas Day. Back in June, the BBC cancelled the planned Doctor Who Christmas special as it looks for new production partners for the show’s future. Russell T Davies, who also confirmed his own exit, was clear that no script was ever written. The Doctor will be back, just not under the tree this year.
Before the Listings Land
The full Christmas schedules should drop in early December, and things can still shuffle around before then. For now, this is a pretty strong starting point, whether the holidays end up being about ghosts, wizards, replicants or simply staying on the sofa until New Year.
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