[tellyblues]

So, some dates for programmes have been confirmed ahead of the release of the official listings in early December. For a change, Doctor Who will be on BBC1 Christmas Day but you can more or less predict the rest of the schedule. With ITV it's less certain apart from the soaps.

Maybe this thread can be a place for discussion of the 2023 schedules and past Christmas telly?

It'll soon be 30 years since the infamous ITV Xmas Day lineup of back to back films - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Field Of Dreams and DOA. Some have called it the worst schedule ever but I think it's alright. Christmas TV has always been about films for me.

[Brekkie]

A tribute to Caroline Aherne on the BBC on Christmas Day according to Craig Cash.

www.bbc.com 

Gogglebox is a gift Caroline Aherne left me, Craig Cash says - BBC News
Craig Cash says he feels the "presence" of his late friend Caroline Ah…
  Source: www.bbc.com

[iloveTV1]

With Doctor Who back on Christmas Day, it’ll be interesting to see what gets the boot to Christmas Eve.

[Brekkie]

Probably just about room for the usual big hitters with Strictly, Doctor Who, The Wheel, Call the Midwife, EastEnders and Mrs Browns Boys from around 5pm-11pm.

That would be the final episode of Ghosts ousted from Christmas Day, but they usually have a comedy block either Christmas Eve or a couple of days earlier so it might sit there better anyway.

[Neil Jones]

Pretty much granted BBC Two (or maybe One) will wheel out the regular airing of Morecambe & Wise, usually one of the Christmas shows they did, and probably a Christmas special episode of Dad's Army.

Also guaranteed to show the King's Christmas Speech, which may be a bit more run of the mill this year for him as opposed to last year for obvious reasons.

Beyond that as above, it'll be the usual stuff, its not like the schedules are as good as they used to be, probably because the programmes aren't as good as they used to be; the comment above re: the ITV schedule of Christmas 1993, well the article on TV Cream suggests advertisers weren't interested, so ITV didn't really have a lot of choice so they shoved everything in Autumn and left it at that.

[tellyblues]

And it's not as if there was nothing on ITV the rest of the festive period. The worst schedule for me has to be BBC1 1998 with two editions of Eastenders, Changing Rooms and Babe, a kids film at the heart of the schedule.

[JAS84]

Probably just about room for the usual big hitters with Strictly, Doctor Who, The Wheel, Call the Midwife, EastEnders and Mrs Browns Boys from around 5pm-11pm.

That would be the final episode of Ghosts ousted from Christmas Day, but they usually have a comedy block either Christmas Eve or a couple of days earlier so it might sit there better anyway.

I think it's more likely that The Wheel (or Michael McIntyre's other programme Big Show?) will be pushed out to Christmas Eve. Big Show was on a Christmas Eve slot the last time Who was on Christmas Day, in 2017.

[JLav25]

Probably just about room for the usual big hitters with Strictly, Doctor Who, The Wheel, Call the Midwife, EastEnders and Mrs Browns Boys from around 5pm-11pm.

That would be the final episode of Ghosts ousted from Christmas Day, but they usually have a comedy block either Christmas Eve or a couple of days earlier so it might sit there better anyway.

The Wheel probably most likely. I'm guessing they won't have an early evening news bulletin, which could push Strictly earlier depending what the 3:10 movie is (not to go into fantasy listings, but my guess would be Toy Story 4, which at 100 minutes long, would mean Strictly would be at 16:50

[Brekkie]

Masked Singer confirmed for Christmas Day. Should do well if scheduled as an alternative Doctor Who or Call the Midwife.

[Nobby]

It was strange that only pre-recorded Joel Dommett seemed to know that the series would start on Christmas Day. The live continuity announcer and promo simply said coming soon.