Your complete Christmas watchlist for 2025, according to HELLO's TV team

The festive season is always a great time to look at the ghosts of Christmas past — so get ready to journey back to the 18th century for Sky's Amadeus. The new series reimagines Peter Shaffer's award-winning stage play, charting the meteoric rise and fall of Wolfgang "Amadeus" Mozart, played by The White Lotus' Will Sharpe, as well as his volatile rivalry with renowned composer Antonio Salieri (WandaVision's Paul Bettany). As the hedonistic Mozart becomes increasingly successful, the devout Salieri grows more envious and resentful by the day.

Sky Atlantic, Sunday 21 December, 9pm

If you're in the mood for a coastal Christmas, head down to Devon for the Beyond Paradise Christmas Special. This heartwarming episode promises a flurry of crimes to solve, a long-awaited reunion and a very special surprise. With a guest cast including Adrian Edmondson (Alien: Earth), James Lance (Ted Lasso) and Jonny Weldon (One Day), alongside regulars Humphrey (Kris Marshall) and Martha (Sally Bretton), this one is sure to delight.

BBC One, Sunday 21 December, 9pm

Jason Manford takes the reins for a magical night packed with show-stopping performances from Katherine Jenkins, Johannes Radebe, Jessie J and the casts of Les Misérables, Paddington The Musical and the Live Aid musical. Stephen Fry, Tom Davis and Mick Miller are also set to appear. As ever, The Prince and Princess of Wales will attend, marking their sixth time at the event.

ITV1 and ITVX, Sunday 21 December

Taskmaster overseer Greg Davies is joined as always by 'little' Alex Horne to put former Taskmaster winners to the test in this all-star return, including Sam Campbell, John Robins, Andy Zaltzman and Mathew Baynton. Meanwhile, in New Year Treat, five famous names from the entertainment industry will try their hand at the bonkers tasks, including TV chef and rapper Big Zuu, former Lioness Jill Scott MBE, actress and presenter Rose Ayling-Ellis MBE, musician Sam Ryder and lexicographer, etymologist and presenter Susie Dent. 

Channel 4, 22 December; 2 and 3 January

While families everywhere cook up a storm this Christmas, four celebrities step into the MasterChef kitchen to battle for the Golden Whisk trophy. GK Barry, Kola Bokinni, Nikki Fox and Iain Stirling will take on two tough challenges judged by the usual experts – plus last year's winner, Strictly star Vito Coppola.

BBC One and iPlayer, Monday 22 December, 8pm

We're being treated to not one but two hours of Madame Blanc Mysteries as the team heads to France's Musée de Sainte Victoire. When Jean is invited to authenticate a newly acquired treasure, the festive mood turns dark after a ticking bomb is discovered inside. June, Dom, Judith and Jeremy must race to defuse it before Christmas is well and truly ruined.

5, Tuesday 23 December, 8pm

Need a heartwarming, family-friendly treat to enjoy during last-minute present wrapping on Christmas Eve? Channel 4 has got you covered with Finding Father Christmas. Lenny Rush (Am I Being Unreasonable?) stars as 16-year-old Chris, who refuses to believe that Santa isn't real and embarks on a madcap mission to prove his existence. The star-studded cast includes James Buckley, Stephen Fry, Hannah Fry and more. 

Channel 4, Christmas Eve, 7.30pm

For ultimate seasonal comfort, turn to the festive instalment of Channel 5's popular, Yorkshire-set period drama. It's the first post-war Christmas in Darrowby, and with Helen under the weather, it's up to James to helm the Nativity play. Elsewhere, Siegfried is preoccupied with a mischievous goat, while Mrs Hall is hoping to win a turkey in the Drovers' darts competition.

Channel 5, Christmas Eve, 9pm

If you're in the mood for a spooky story over the festive period, then you're in luck. A Ghost Story for Christmas, from Sherlock creator Mark Gatiss, makes its annual return, but this time, Dame Joanna Lumley and Tobias Menzies lead the cast. Based on the short story by E F Benson, originally published in 1912, the TV special sees Roger Winstanley being haunted by an unsettling, recurring dream – an invitation to spend the night in the house of an acquaintance where an unseen terror lurks. But when an invitation to the dreaded "room in the tower" arrives, his nightmare becomes a reality. 

BBC Two and iPlayer, Christmas Eve, 10pm

Nothing says Christmas like watching a bunch of celebrities go head-to-head, Gladiators-style! This year's line-up includes fitness coach and presenter Joe Wicks, TV personality Sam Thompson, former England boxer Nicola Adams and presenter Vogue Williams – all battling it out in the arena for glory.

BBC One, Christmas Day, 3.35pm

The BBC juggernaut is a staple in our Christmas Day viewing schedule, and while the sparkling Yuletide episode never fails to light up our screens with joyous, festive-fuelled cheer, this year's special is tinged with sadness as it marks the final stint for long-running hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Scarlett Moffatt, Melanie Blatt, Jodie Ounsley aka Fury, Nicholas Bailey and Brian McFadden will take to the dance floor in a bid to be crowned the Strictly Christmas Champion.

BBC One and iPlayer, Christmas Day, 5.30pm

The cast of Channel 4's cult classic, Peep Show, reunite this festive period for The Great British Bake Off Christmas Special. David Mitchell, Olivia Colman, Isy Suttie, Matt King and Sophie Winkleman (who starred in the popular comedy series, which ran from 2003 to 2015) will join Bake Off judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, and hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, in the famous white tent as they take on a series of seasonal baking challenges.

Channel 4, Christmas Day, 7.40pm

It wouldn't be Christmas without a visit to Nonnatus House. But this time, fans of the hit BBC period drama can look forward to a two-part special, which will see senior members of staff head to Hong Kong on a mercy mission after tragedy strikes, leaving the younger midwives to hold down the fort in London. After over a decade, the long-running drama never fails to bring us to tears, so make sure you have plenty of tissues at the ready!

BBC One and iPlayer, Christmas Day - 8.15pm, Boxing Day - 8.30pm

Our favourite posh mum Amanda (Lucy Punch) is back in the Motherland spin-off's first Christmas special. The titular try-hard mum-of-two, who was forced to downsize and move to London's South Harlesden (or SoHa) in season one, is spending Christmas at her aunt's country house, where she struggles to recreate the magical Christmases she spent there growing up. The festive episode reunites Absolutely Fabulous stars Joanna Lumley, who plays Amanda's mum Felicity, and Jennifer Saunders, who joins the cast as her Aunt Joan. 

BBC One and iPlayer, Christmas Day, 9:15pm

Netflix's mega-hit draws to an epic conclusion after almost ten years, with the final instalments of the anticipated sci-fi series arriving on Boxing Day and New Year's. With Hawkins still scarred by the opening of the rifts, our heroes unite to find and kill Vecna. Millie Bobby Brown and Winona Ryder star.

Netflix, Boxing Day and New Year's Day

The fan-favourite entertainment show returns with four new mystery celebrities singing their hearts out for the panel. Judges Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Maya Jama and Mo Gilligan are all back – as is host Joel Dommett. Expect wildly creative costumes and festive fun aplenty.

ITV1 and ITVX, Boxing Day, 7.30pm

This highly anticipated series first wowed US viewers on Netflix over the summer, and the Christmas elves have answered our prayers – it's now confirmed to be coming to ITVX. Starring Brittany Snow (The Beast in Me) and Malin Akerman (The Proposal), the eight-part steamy mystery thriller follows a PR executive who starts a new life in East Texas and becomes embroiled with an exclusive and dangerous group of women.

ITVX, Saturday 27 December

The wait is finally over for fans of this beloved detective series, which returns to our screens with its much-anticipated 24th series just in time for the New Year. The first two episodes are titled "The Devil's Work" and "The Book of the Dead", both set to deliver twisty murder cases that will, no doubt, be expertly unravelled by DCI Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) and DS Winter (Nick Hendrix).

ITV1, 29 December, 8.30pm

You're hired to tune into this festive take on Lord Sugar's iconic series. A fresh batch of celebrities will travel to Lapland to create their own gingerbread biscuits for the public – all in aid of Children in Need. Competitors include presenter AJ Odudu, broadcaster Angela Scanlon, Radio 1 DJ Charlie Hedges, comedian Eddie Kadi, barrister Rob Rinder, actor Sarah Hadland and businessman Tom Skinner. But who will win Lord Sugar's approval?

BBC One, Monday 29 December, 9pm; Tuesday 30th December, 9pm

Even at Christmas, there's no rest for Kate Woods (Catherine Tyldesley) and Jack Grayling (Shayne Ward) in Channel 5's murder mystery series. This time, we're in Alicante and a recently sacked jack is lying low in a grimy diver bar. But when a monastery murder draws Kate back into his life, Jack might just have the chance to reignite their romance.

5, Monday 29 December at 9pm

Is it really Christmas without Graham Norton's infamous star-studded red sofa? The host will ring in the New Year with Tom Hiddleston, Laura Dern, Will Arnett, Owen Cooper, Carey Mulligan and Tim Key – plus a musical performance by Alison Limerick, celebrating 35 years of her iconic dance hit 'Where Love Lives'.

BBC One, New Year's Eve, 10.30pm

It's become a New Year's Day tradition to binge-watch Netflix adaptations of Harlan Coben's thrillers, and this year, viewers can look forward to the new gripping, eight-part thriller Run Away to beat the January blues. James Nesbitt (Cold Feet) leads the cast as Simon, a man whose perfect life starts to unravel after his daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange) runs away. The series boasts an impressive cast list, including Gavin & Stacey's Ruth Jones in the role of private investigator Elena Ravenscroft, while Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) and Alfred Enoch (The Couple Next Door) also star. 

Netflix, New Year's Day

Hot on the heels of the celebrity version, The Traitors returns with its original series, which will see 22 participants from across the UK enter into the ultimate game of trust and betrayal at the iconic Scottish castle. Of course, host Claudia Winkleman – and her incredible wardrobe – will be back at the helm to guide the contestants through murders, banishments and epic missions as they attempt to win up to £120k.

BBC One and iPlayer, New Year's Day, 8pm

It's the one we've all been waiting for. After almost a decade, Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as former British intelligence operative Jonathan Pine in the spy thriller's hotly-anticipated second season. This time, Pine is led to a violent encounter with a new player: Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos. Hiddleston is joined by returning stars such as Olivia Colman (The Crown) and Alistair Petrie (Sex Education), while new faces include Camila Morrone (Daisy Jones & The Six), Indira Varma (Doctor Who), Paul Chahidi (Wicked Little Letters) and Hayley Squires (Adult Material).

BBC One and iPlayer, New Year's Day 2026, 9:05pm

When we're curled up on the sofa on New Year's Day, polishing off the remaining chocolates in the selection box and nursing any hangovers, ITV's high-octane thriller Red Eye arrives on our screens to keep us entertained. Jing Lusi (Gangs of London) reprises her role as DS Hana Li for a new high-stakes investigation after a murder occurs inside the US Embassy. She's forced to team up with a former colleague who once screwed her over, Head of Embassy Security, Clay Brody, played by Line of Duty's Martin Compston.

ITV1 and STV on New Year's Day.