Christmas TV 2018

The Beeb has released info about some of it’s Christmas programming:

The Strictly Christmas special - https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/strictly-christmas

And from the makers of the animated adaptation of The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child comes The Snail and The Whale - https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/the-snail-and-the-whale.

With there only being seven weeks today until the big day, it won’t be long until we see the likes of Digiguide listing provisional schedules for channels that have not already confirmed listings. Discussions about provisional schedules and confirmed programmes across all channels can be had in this thread!

Thanks for sharing, James. The "UK Christmas TV" website is a particularly good website for the latest Christmas TV news, including programmes that have already been officially confirmed.

I'm looking forward to seeing what BBC One fill the teatime slot with on Christmas Day, now that we know Doctor Who is going to be shown on New Year's Day instead. It's been a long time since they've shown an early evening Freeview movie premiere on BBC1, I think the last time they did that was Titanic back in 1999.

I think there might be an interesting 'behind the scenes' documentary broadcasting on Christmas Eve (on BBC Two IIRC) from an institution that hasn't allowed documentary cameras inside it for over 20 years.

...but let's wait for that one to be officially announced!

The TVS Archive?

Don't be so silly.



That won't be on BBC Two, it'll be BBC One Christmas Day primetime viewing!

That was in a couple of newspapers, but I don't believe the BBC have confirmed that the reports are accurate?

Fair point, guess we'll have to await formal confirmation from the BBC. I do like Doctor Who but it would be nice to see even a slight shake-up of BBC One's "usual" Christmas Day line-up, which although popular, is now becoming a little stale.

Yeah, the quotes attributed to Chris Chibnall about running out of Christmas ideas are not his.

No Eastenders would be a good start!

I have had an email back this morning from the BBC about the Doctor Who Christmas episode, and they were very non committal on the issue, as you will see below:


"As with the current series, head writer and series showrunner Chris Chibnall has remained tight lipped about what fans of Doctor Who can expect from the current run and this includes not revealing any clues about the eleventh episode. There has been no decision made yet regarding the mooted seasonal episode of Doctor Who and the Christmas and New Year schedules have not as yet been confirmed. Keep an eye out for Christmas schedules which will be available in December."

Although even just a tweak to the Christmas night schedule is long overdue would be ironic considering Doctor Who reportedly only aired last Christmas in order to protect the Christmas Day slot.

Do wonder if Watership Down might air over Christnas Day and Boxing Day - think it is 2 x 90 min.

Pre watershed I seem to recall. There will have been more than a few edits but how on earth did they get round the drawing scene, given how central it is to the plot?