There's lots to look forward to for Christmas this year, and we're only talking about what's on the box. The BBC is going all nostalgic – beloved sitcoms Gavin & Stacey and Outnumbered are back for brand new episodes and there's also a return for Wallace and Gromit (complete with classic '90s rubber-gloved villain Feathers McGraw).
If you want to know what to set your timers for, Digital Spy has collated the very best of the BBC Christmas schedule below.
Gavin and Stacey: The Finale
December 25 (Christmas Day) at 9pm, BBC One
In case you haven't heard, we're returning to Barry Island for what's set to be the very last time.
Following years of rumour, it was confirmed that the creative team behind one of the BBC's most popular comedies would be giving us another Christmas special five years after it left us all on a whopper of a cliffhanger.
What did Smithy say to Nessa's proposal? And will we ever find out what happened on that fishing trip? There's only one way to find out – Gavin and Stacey: The Finale is confirmed to be airing at 9pm on Christmas Day.
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Doctor Who: Joy To The World
December 25 (Christmas Day) at 5.10pm, BBC One
Ncuti Gatwa's charming Fifteenth Doctor will be joined by Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan in Steven Moffat's 'Joy to the World', which will take place "in the far, far future" in a hotel in London during the festive period.
Moffat previously teased that this might be "goodbye" for him when it comes to Doctor Who, but he has also underlined how much he loves to write a Christmas episode.
Call the Midwife
BBC One, December 25 (Christmas Day), 8pm (Part 2 airs on Boxing Day at 7.30pm)
For the first time in the show's history, Call the Midwife will incorporate a cliffhanger into its festive special and split it into a two-parter.
The 2024 Christmas episodes have been described as "Dickensian" in tone, with actor Jenny Agutter going on to explain: "It is quite dark, but in with that is a lot of humour and a lot of humanity, and that's what lightens it."
Death in Paradise
BBC One, December 22, 8.30pm
Marking the first official introduction to Don Gilet's new lead detective after Ralf Little's emotional exit, it wouldn't be Christmas without a sun-drenched visit to Saint Marie for a special feature-length episode.
Happy Valley's Steven Hartley and Supacell's Michael Salami are among the confirmed guest stars, and we've already had a very festive first look.
Beyond Paradise
BBC One, December 27, 9pm
Fans can return to Shipton Abbott for two festive cases this Christmas, ahead of the spin-off's returning third season in 2025.
"I can promise that we'll be making the viewers laugh, cry, laugh a bit more and then baffling them with a series of ingenious puzzles. There will also be a duck," Beyond Paradise boss Tim Key previously said of the new episodes.
Outnumbered Christmas Special
BBC One, December 26 (Boxing Day), 9.40pm
Following on from all those cast reunions, it's time to catch up with the Brockmans as noughties sitcom Outnumbered returns for a Christmas Special.
Eight years since it left our screens, the show's return will follow Hugh Dennis's Pete and Claire Skinner's Sue Brockman in their downsized home, as they grapple with the challenges of parenting kids who are now adults themselves.
The Split: Barcelona
BBC One, Sunday 29 December, 9pm
Abi Morgan's popular legal drama is returning for a two-part special on the BBC this Christmas – and fans are beyond excited. (That's us, we're fans.)
Nicola Walker will of course be back as Hannah Stern, alongside the rest of the Defoe family, who are set for a destination wedding sure to be packed with tension and drama.
SAS Rogue Heroes
BBC One, January 1, 2025, 9pm
Steven Knight's wartime drama will be back for a second helping on the BBC, with the likes of Jack O'Connell and Connor Swindells returning.
The show became the BBC's third-biggest new drama launch of 2022, just behind The Tourist and The Responder, so it's fair to say SAS Rogue Heroes' season two return is hotly anticipated.
Tiddler
BBC One, December 25 (Christmas Day), 2.35pm
There's a new Julia Donaldson adaptation on the way this Christmas, and this time it's her 2007 picture storybook Tiddler – illustrated by long-term collaborator Axel Scheffler. And as fans of the story know well, it's better late than never for the beloved little fish.
Following a young aquatic hero who tells the tallest tales, the impressive voice cast includes Hannah Waddingham as the narrator, Lolly Adefope and Rob Brydon.
Wallace and Gromit
BBC One, December 25 (Christmas Day), 6.10pm
16 years since their last short film, A Matter of Loaf and Death, and 19 years since the last feature-length movie, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, our favourite man-and-dog duo are back.
A direct sequel to The Wrong Trousers, complete with the return of the naughty penguin Feathers McGraw, it's sure to be a nostalgic family hit. We called it a "must-see", so that should be all you need to know.
Strictly Come Dancing: 20 Fabulous Years
BBC One, December 21, 7pm
A celebratory anniversary special, presented by the ballroom's iconic duo Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, that looks back on some of the best moments that the BBC dance show has had to offer over its 20-year run.
The retrospective will include interviews with past contestants, as well as the pros and judges.
The Hairy Bikers: You'll Never Ride Alone
BBC Two, December 23, 9pm
Si King fronts this special programme dedicated to his former Hairy Bikers co-star Dave Myers, who passed away earlier this year.
Antiques Roadshow
BBC One, December 29, 8pm
This special episode dedicates itself to the history of food, with Fiona Bruce welcoming some special guests – such as Mary Berry – to talk about kitchen items through the years.
Ronnie Archer-Morgan also visits one of the longest-running Indian restaurants in Britain.
TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
