Our new Christmas TV 2026 guide is live, and it brings every confirmed UK Christmas special, festive streaming release and new Christmas film into one page. Ludwig, Amandaland and a new Ghost Story for Christmas lead the BBC’s line-up so far, and we will keep the guide updated through November and December as the channels announce their schedules.
The BBC Leads the Christmas Line-up So Far
The BBC has announced more Christmas specials than any other channel. David Mitchell returns for an hour-long Ludwig special, a locked-room murder mystery at a snowbound Yorkshire hotel with Sir David Suchet among the suspects. Lucy Punch’s Amanda throws a last-minute Christmas Eve party in the Amandaland special, and Mark Gatiss adapts a Charles Dickens tale for A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Bride’s Chamber, with Martin Freeman and Jim Broadbent.
- Also confirmed on the BBC: Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms, a three-part prequel set in 1939; The Other Bennet Sister’s three-part Christmas special; Greg Davies’s first hour-long The Cleaner special; the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler animation The Baddies; and a Death in Paradise Christmas special
- Strictly Come Dancing: the final is on Saturday 19 December
- UK availability: BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. The BBC has not yet given dates or times for most of the specials
No Doctor Who This Christmas
There is no Doctor Who Christmas special in 2026. The BBC confirmed on 10 June 2026 that the special announced in 2025 would not go ahead while the show goes out to competitive tender. Our Doctor Who watch order shows where to stream every era in the UK in the meantime.
Festive Films on the Streamers and in Cinemas
Netflix starts early with A Dog’s Perfect Christmas on 4 November, followed by Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas, The Christmas Switch, Guarding Stars and In a Holidaze. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Santa in Prime Video’s The Man with the Bag on 2 December, and Apple TV has new Snoopy and Fraggle Rock specials. In cinemas, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint opens on 6 November, Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol on 13 November and Violent Night 2 on 4 December, with Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three arriving just before Christmas.
- Trailers: the guide has eight official trailers you can play on the page, with more to follow as they are released
- Classics: where to stream Love Actually, Elf, Home Alone, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Die Hard, Klaus and more in the UK right now
- UK availability: release dates in the guide are UK dates unless stated; every cinema date is also in our UK Release Calendar
Movieversalfilm Takeaway
Christmas TV schedules with times will not be out until early December, but there is already plenty to plan around. We only list what has been officially announced, label press reports clearly as not confirmed, and add new specials, dates and trailers as soon as they appear. Bookmark the guide and check back.
Which Christmas special are you most looking forward to this year? Tell us below.