Contrary to your grand visions of snowman and snowdog perfection, it is British Christmas TV lineup for 2025 is starting to take shape. And they’re bringing in the big guns – not just Joanna Lumley, Russell T Davies and Mark Gatiss, but the iconic Pat Butcher, back at Albert Square and The Queen Vic for the first time in a decade (and the second time since they were killed off).
A little more optimistic is Dear Santa Clauswho see 16 year old Chris (Lenny Rush) set out to prove that the big happy guy with the red costume and flying reindeer is real. Why his dad (James Buckley) waited so long to get The Talk is anyone’s guess, but on his quest Chris bumps into academics including Stephen Fry and Hannah Fry, who, we pray, don’t eat all the fun out of Channel 4’s flagship party special.
The BBC’s latest Julia Donaldson adaptation The wedding of the scarecrows is set to be the big animated special of the season, starring Jessie Buckley and Domhnall Gleeson as beloved pictures Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay, whose wedding plans are derailed by slick Reginald Rake (Rob Brydon).
As one of British television’s most iconic characters of all time, Pat Butcher’s EastEnders return, albeit short, will take some topping, but you can count on it Kroningsgade to pull stops in his 65th year. Something tells us Debbie Webster’s (Sue Devaney) white wedding might end in tears.
While it may not strictly have a festive theme, it wouldn’t be Christmas without one Doctor Who particular. These are truly troubled times for the show, which won’t return until next year, but the five-part spinoff The war between land and sea sounds like a real breath of fresh air, starring Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
There’s the small matter of the long-awaited second series of The night manager too, although it will be closer to the New Year.
Although the likes of BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4 only work in the UK, a good VPN will let you stream the best of UK Christmas TV from abroad. Scroll down to see a list of confirmed offers, which we’ll update as more are announced.
Can I stream UK Christmas TV for free?
The vast majority of UK 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 tune in for free as if you were at home. NordVPN is our top choice of options.
Use a VPN to stream UK Christmas TV from abroad
Why is a VPN a good option for streaming UK Christmas TV from abroad?
If you leave the UK for Christmas, whether for work, a holiday or visiting family and friends, geo-restrictions will prevent you from watching British Christmas TV.
It is here a VPN is convenient – not only does it allow you to access your home streaming services anywhere, but it also protects you from potential online threats.
What devices and platforms are supported by NordVPN?
Amazon Fire Stick
Android
Android TV/Google TV
Chromecast
iOS
iPadOS
Nvidia shield
Raspberry Pi
Web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari)
While you can’t run NordVPN directly on other devices, such as PlayStation and Xbox consoles, TVs running Apple TV and various other smart TV systems, and VR headsets, an easy 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 job
Amandaland Christmas Special
Beyond Paradise Christmas Special
Call Midwife Christmas offer
Celebrity Apprentice
Death in Paradise Christmas Special
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 Final
Filled
The Finish Line Celebrity Christmas Specials
The Great British Sewing Bee Christmas Special
The night manager
The Scarecrow’s Wedding
The war between land and sea
Two Doors Down Christmas Special
The weakest link at Christmas and New Year
Would I lie to you? at Christmas
BBC Two
A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Room in the Tower
Live at the Apollo Christmas Special
Mammoth Christmas Special
Richard Osman’s festive playhouse
BBC Four
Royal Institution’s Christmas lecture
ITV1
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win Christmas Special
Bullseye Christmas Special
Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball
Celebrity Catchphrase Christmas Special
Crafts for Christmas
Kroningsgade
Emmerdale
John & Lisa’s Christmas kitchen
Romesh Ranganathan’s Parents’ Evening
Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge
1% Club Christmas Special
The Chase Christmas Special
The Martin Lewis Money Show
The Masked Singer Christmas Special
Wheel of Fortune Celebrity Christmas Special
You Bet Christmas Special
Channel 4
8 out of 10 cats make the Countdown Christmas Special
A very Taskmaster Christmas
Batch from Scratch: Cooking for Less Christmas Special
Dear Santa Claus
Taskmaster Champion of Champions
Taskmaster New Year’s fun
Big cool quiz of the year
The Last Leg Christmas and New Year specials
5
All creatures great and small: behind the magic
All creatures large and small Christmas special
Madame Blanc Mysteries Christmas Special
Sally Lindsay’s Christmas Quiz
U&W
Christmas special for the dog’s sake
CBeebies
Christmas panto: Cinderella
We test and review VPN services for legitimate recreational use. For example: 1. Accessing a Service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that Service). 2. Protecting your online security and enhancing your online privacy when you are abroad. We do not support or condone illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consumption of paid-for pirated content is neither endorsed nor endorsed by Future Publishing.
