Unlike your grand visions of snowman and snowdog perfection, the British Christmas television programming by 2025 is starting to take shape. And they’re bringing the big guns – not just Joanna Lumley, Russell T Davies and Mark Gatiss, but the iconic Pat Butcher – back to Albert Square and The Queen Vic for the first time in a decade (and the second time since he was killed off).
A little more optimistic is Dear Santa Clauswhat do you see 16 years Chris (Lenny Rush) set out to prove that the big, jolly guy in the red costume and flying reindeer is real. No one knows why his father (James Buckley) waited so long to get The Talk, but in his search Chris bumps into academics like Stephen Fry and Hannah Fry who, we pray, don’t take all the fun out of Channel 4’s flagship festive special.
BBC’s Julia Donaldson’s latest adaptation The scarecrow’s wedding It’s shaping up to be the big animated special of the season, starring Jessie Buckley and Domhnall Gleeson as the beloved effigies of Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay, whose wedding plans are derailed by the fast-talking Reginald Rake (Rob Brydon).
As one of the most iconic British television characters of all time, Pat Butcher’s EastEnders The return, although brief, will require some complements, but you can count on Coronation Street to do everything possible in its 65th year. Something tells us Debbie Webster’s (Sue Devaney) white wedding could end in tears.
While it may not have a strictly festive theme, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a doctor who special. These are really difficult times for the series, which will not return until next year, but rather a five-part spin-off. The war between land and sea It sounds like a real breath of fresh air, with Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the lead roles.
There is the small matter of the long-awaited second batch of The night manager too, although that will be closer to the New Year.
Although programs like BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4 only work in the UK, a good VPN will allow you stream the best of British Christmas TV from abroad. Scroll down for a list of confirmed special offers, which we will update as more are announced.
Can I stream British Christmas TV for free?
The vast majority of British Christmas TV specials are available to watch for free courtesy of BBC iPlayer, ITVX, channel 4 and 5.
Traveling outside the UK for Christmas? You can use a VPN to connect for free as if you were at home. NordVPN It’s our best pick of the options.
Use a VPN to stream British Christmas TV from abroad
Why is a VPN a good choice for streaming British Christmas TV from abroad?
If you leave the UK for Christmas, whether for work, holidays or to visit family and friends, geo restrictions will prevent you from watching British Christmas TV.
That’s where a vpn It comes in handy: it not only allows you to access your home streaming services from anywhere, but also protects you from potential online threats.
What devices and platforms are compatible with NordVPN?
Amazon fire stick
Android
Android TV/Google TV
Chromecast
iOS
iPadOS
Nvidia Shield
Raspberry Pi
Web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari)
Although you can’t run NordVPN directly on other devices, such as PlayStation and Xbox consoles, televisions with Apple TV, and various other smart TV systems and virtual reality headsets, a simple solution is to run NordVPN on your smartphone or computer and set up a hotspot.
British Christmas TV 2025
BBC one
Amanda and Alan’s Spanish work
Amandaland Christmas Special
Beyond Paradise Special Christmas
Call The Midwife’s Christmas Special
Celebrity Apprentice
Christmas Special Death in Paradise
DIY SOS Christmas Special
EastEnders
Here we go Christmas special
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel Christmas Special
Mrs. Brown’s Boys
Pudsey and the thread of hope
songs of praise
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
Strictly Come Dancing Finale
filling
The Finish Line Celebrity Christmas Specials
The Great British Sewing Bee’s Christmas Special
The night manager
The Scarecrow’s Wedding
The war between land and sea
Christmas special two doors away
Weakest Link Christmas and New Year Specials
Would I lie to you? at Christmas
bbc two
A Christmas Ghost Story: The Tower Room
Live at the Apollo Christmas Special
Mammoth Christmas Special
Richard Osman’s festive playhouse
BBC four
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
ITV1
Christmas special with unlimited prizes from Ant & Dec
Bullseye Christmas Special
Capital Jingle Bell Dance
Christmas special with celebrity quotes
Christmas competition
Coronation Street
Emmerdale
John and Lisa’s Christmas Cooking
Romesh Ranganathan’s Parents’ Night Out
The Real Arctic Challenge by Steve Backshall
The 1% Club Christmas Special
Chase’s Christmas Special
The Martin Lewis Money Show
Masked Singer Christmas Special
Wheel of Fortune Celebrity Christmas Special
Christmas Special Betting
channel 4
8 out of 10 cats make a Christmas countdown special
A very tough Christmas
Batch from Scratch: Cook for Less Christmas Special
Dear Santa Claus
Foreman Champion of Champions
New Year’s Gift from the Taskmaster
The big quiz of the year
The Last Leg Christmas and New Year Specials
5
All Creatures Great and Small: Behind the Magic
Christmas Special All Creatures Great and Small
The Christmas special of the mysteries of Madame Blanc
Sally Lindsay’s Christmas Quiz
U&W
Christmas special for the sake of the dog
CBeebies
Christmas panto: Cinderella
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Access a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protect your online security and strengthen your online privacy when you are abroad. We do not support or tolerate illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Future Publishing does not endorse or approve the consumption of paid pirated content.
