Your Christmas 2020 TV Guide: All the Festive Specials and Episodes Airing This December

After over a decade away from our screens, The Vicar of Dibley is returning. Across three 10-minute miniepisodes, we'll catch up with the nation's favourite vicar as she delivers lockdown sermons to her parishioners via Zoom.

The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown airs at 8.50 p.m. on 7 Dec., 14 Dec., and 21 Dec. on BBC One.

Netflix's will be dropping all eight episodes of its new lavish period drama Bridgerton on Christmas day for those looking for something to binge-watch between opening presents and sitting down for Christmas dinner.

Bridgerton is available to watch on Christmas Day on Netflix.

Set to be one of the BBC's biggest dramas to finish off the year, Black Narcissus follows a young nun, played by Gemma Arterton, who is tasked with establishing a convent in a remote Himalayan palace. The three-part drama will also star Game of Thrones actress Dame Diana Rigg in her final role.

Black Narcissus airs at 9 p.m. from 27-29 Dec. on BBC One.

Starring Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, and Kerry Washington, Netflix's new musical The Prom follows a troupe of hilariously self-obsessed theatre actors as they swarm a conservative Indiana high school to support a girl who wants to take her girlfriend to the prom.

The Prom is available to watch on 11 Dec. on Netflix.

Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, and Matt Lucas are joined by Bake Off: The Professionals host Tom Allen for a double bill of Bake Off fun this year. First up is The Great Christmas Bake Off , which will air in the lead up to Christmas Day, followed by The Great Festive Bake Off on New Year's Day. Both episodes will see some of the show's most memorable contestants return to battle it out for the title of Christmas/Festive Star Baker.

The Great Christmas Bake Off airs at 8 p.m. on Christmas Day, and The Great Festive Bake Off airs at 7.40 p.m. on New Year's Day on Channel 4.

This year's festive Call the Midwife special sees a circus come to Poplar as the ladies of Nonnatus House prepare for Christmas celebrations.

Call the Midwife airs at 7.40 p.m. on Christmas Day on BBC One.

Jamie Oliver invites us into his Essex home in this special two-parter to offer up some handy hints and tips for Christmas this year, including thoughtful present ideas for those we can't meet in person and practical and flexible recipes for cooks of all ages and abilities.

Jamie: Keep Cooking At Christmas airs at 8 p.m. on 6 Dec. and 13 Dec. 13 on Channel 4.

Offering up an interesting take on the Christmas Carol story, the Ghosts Christmas special sees a new arrival in the house force the deceased Julian to confront past wrongdoings and discover the real message of Christmas.

Ghosts airs at 8.30 p.m. on 23 Dec. on BBC One.

Rounding off her new series, Cook, Eat Repeat, this hour-long special will see Nigella Lawson offer up a unique Christmas day menu for anyone wanting to whip up something a little bit different this festive season.

Cook, Eat Repeat Christmas Special airs at 8 p.m. on 18 Dec. on BBC Two.

Start the New Year off right by getting stuck into a new stylish and addictive crime drama The Serpent, which airs on New Years Day. Starring Jenna Coleman, Ellie Bamber, and award-winning French actor Tahar Rahim, the crime drama tells the real-life story of the hunt for one of Interpol's most wanted men.

The Serpent airs at 9 p.m. on New Year's Day on BBC One

Narrated by Helena Bonham-Carter, Quentin Blake's Clown brings to life the adventures of a charming toy clown as he goes on a journey to find a new loving home for himself after being discarded with a bunch of old toys.

Quentin Blake's Clown airs at 7.40 p.m. on Christmas Day on Channel 4.

We may not be getting a traditional Strictly Come Dancing special this year, but Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly will be returning to our screens this Christmas for Strictly: The Christmas Countdown. This adapted show will be a spectacular look back at the show's 16-year history and reveal the top 25 dances of all time, as voted by viewers.

Strictly: The Christmas Countdown airs at 4.45 p.m. on Christmas Day on BBC One.

First Dates Christmas will see Fred and his team swap the bright lights of the city for some of the country's cosiest countryside pubs, as hopeful singletons from across the UK search for some yuletide romance.

First Dates Christmas airs at 8:15 p.m. on Christmas Day on Channel 4.

Britain's Got Talent is back for a sensational Christmas special, featuring some of the biggest acts and winners the show has seen over the past 14 series.

Britain's Got Talent at Christmas airs at 8 p.m. on Christmas Day on ITV1.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary since we were first introduced to Bridget Jones, author Helen Fielding will be joined by Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant to look back at the legacy of one of the most iconic and relatable fictional characters of all time.

Being Bridget airs at 9:00 p.m. on 22 Dec. on BBC Two.

It wouldn't be Christmas without a new festive Doctor Who episode and this year, Jodie Whittaker's Doctor and her companions are (one again) up against the Daleks.

Doctor Who airs at 6:45 p.m. on New Year's Day on BBC One.

Mary Berry Saves Christmas will see the ex-Bake Off judge joined by three famous faces to help self-confessed hapless cooks create delicious, fuss-free festive treats.

Mary Berry Saves Christmas airs at 6:30 p.m. on 23 Dec. on BBC One.

Dawn French, Rob Brydon and Bill Bailey star in this heartwarming tale of two of the greatest children's authors meeting. Inspired by the true story of when a 6-year-old Roald Dahl set off to meet his idol, Beatrix Potter, Roald & Beatrix: The Tail Of The Curious Mouse is perfect for festive family viewing.
Roald & Beatrix: The Tail Of The Curious Mouse airs at 8:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve on Sky One.

Another show that's had to adapt due to travel restrictions brought on by coronavirus, The Christmas Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan sees the comedian head to somewhere a little closer to home for his annual Christmas trip: the Scottish Hebrides.

The Christmas Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan airs at 9:10 p.m. on 13 Dec. on BBC Two.

After three years away from our screens, Tracey, Dorien, and Sharon are back this festive season for a one-off Birds of a Feather Christmas special.

Birds of a Feather airs at 9:15 p.m. on Christmas Eve on ITV1.

Rylan Clark-Neal, Shirley Ballas, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and Nicola Coughlan, among others, will battle it out in the Taskmaster house in the show's first-ever festive special.

Taskmaster's New Year Treat airs at 9:00 p.m. on New Year's Day on Channel 4.

When Sylvie meets aspiring saxophonist, Robert, in her father's record shop in 1950s New York, their love ignites a sweeping romance that transcends changing times, and a changing culture.

Sylvie's Love is available to watch on Dec. 23 on Amazon Prime.

The big, fat, and fiendishly difficult quiz is back for another year. Tune in to watch Jimmy Carr put a panel of top celebrities to the test to see who can remember most about the last 12 months.

Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2020 airs at 9:05 p.m. on Boxing Day on Channel 4.

From The Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson, comes a brand new animated adventure, Zog And The Flying Doctors. Narrated by Lenny Henry, we're confident this 30-minute special will go down a treat amongst young ones on Christmas day.

Zog and the Flying Doctors airs at 2:35 p.m. on Christmas Day on BBC One.

Miranda Hart hosts a new game show full of merriment and mayhem as three celebrity couples join her from the comfort of their own homes to compete in a series of riotous Christmas games.

Miranda's Games with Showbiz Names airs at 9:45 p.m. on Christmas Eve on BBC One.

Agnes and the Brown clan will be back on our screens this year continuing Mrs Brown's Boys' decade-long streak of Christmas specials with not one, but two seasonal episodes.

Mrs Brown's Boys Festive Special airs at 10:05 p.m. on Christmas Day and at 10 p.m. on New Year's Day on BBC One.

Ahead of the third series arriving in 2021, Motherland will return to BBC Two for a Christmas special which sees Amanda throw a seasonal soiree that Julia, Kevin, and Liz gatecrash.

Motherland airs at 9 p.m. on Dec. 23 on BBC Two.

Mackenzie Crook is back as Worzel Gummidge for a one-hour film starring Harry Potter actress Shirley Henderson.

Worzel Gummidge: Saucy Nancy airs at 5:55 p.m. on Christmas Eve on BBC One.

Olympic champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean travel to Alaska on an extraordinary quest to fulfill a lifelong dream of skating in the great outdoors. But luck is against them — in Alaska's hottest year on record there is not a lot of ice to be found, and the Dancing on Ice duo come face to face with the damaging effects of climate change.

Dancing on Thin Ice with Torvill and Dean airs at 8:15 p.m. on Christmas Day on ITV1.

Keith Lemon and his team captains, Emily Atack and Laura Whitmore, are joined by Maya Jama, Paddy McGuinness, Paloma Faith, and Ricky Wilson in this extra juicy edition of the outrageous panel show.

Celebrity Juice Christmas Special airs at 10:00 p.m. on 17 Dec. on ITV2.

Following the announcement of his retirement, beloved comedian Billy Connolly will be returning to TV for one last hurrah. Billy Connolly: It's Been A Pleasure will celebrate the stand-up comedian's illustrious career and will feature the man himself, as well as some of his famous friends.

Billy Connolly: It's Been A Pleasure airs at 9:30 p.m. on 28 Dec. on ITV1.

The Play That Goes Wrong team is back with a new hilarious show this Christmas. Providing their take on the most famous Christmas tale of all, the nativity, expect sidesplitting laughs as the show descends into chaos in the most unexpected ways possible.

The Goes Wrong Show airs at 7:00 p.m. on 22 Dec. on BBC One.

Actress Vicky McClure will team up once again with members of the Dementia Choir for a seasonal TV special, this time bringing on board her Line of Duty costar, Adrian Dunbar to sing with her.

Vicky McClure's Dementia Choir at Christmas airs at 7:40 p.m. on 16 Dec. on BBC One.

This year's Top of the Pops Specials will be hosted by Fearne Cotton and Clara Amfo and features a dazzling line up of exclusive performances from this year's most loved music artists, including AJ Tracey and Aitch, Clean Bandit and Mabel, Ella Henderson, Arlo Parks, and Becky Hill.

Top of the Pops Christmas Special airs at 11:35 a.m. on Christmas Day and Top of the Pops New Year Special airs at 4:20 p.m. on New Year's Eve on BBC One.