List of Christmas television episodes and specials in the United Kingdom facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The following is a list of United Kingdom, Christmas television specials, as well as Christmas-themed episodes of regular television series.

Christmas television plays

From the mid-1950s until the mid-1980s, the British Christmas television play was a popular television programming genre:

Series/Special	Episode(s)/(Special(s))	Year(s)	Description
ITV Playhouse	The Christmas Card - Series 5 Episode 16	1959
The Wednesday Play	The Coming Out Party - Series 1 Episode 3	1965	Directed by Ken Loach
Play for Today	Edward G – Like the Filmstar - Series 3 Episode 25	1973
Play for Today	The Saturday Party - Series 5 Episode 17	1975
Black Christmas		1977	Written by Michael Abbensetts
Wodehouse Playhouse	Big Business - Series 3 Episode 6	1978
Season's Greetings		1986	Written by Alan Ayckbourn
Day To Remember		1986	Written by Jack Rosenthal

General entertainment shows

Series/Special	Episode(s)/(Special(s))	Description
The Gadget Show	Christmas Special	2006–present
The One Show	Holidays Special	2009–present

Cookery Shows

Series/Special	Episode(s)/(Special(s))	Years(s)
The Great British Bake Off	Christmas Special	2012–2016
The Great Christmas Bake Off		2017–present
The Hairy Bakers	Christmas Special	2008–present
Lets do Christmas with Gino & Mel		2011–present
Nigella's Christmas Kitchen		2007
Tom Kerridge Cooks Christmas		2013

Music/Dancing

Series/Special	Episode(s)/(Special(s))	Year(s)	Description
Dancing on Ice at Christmas		2008
Strictly Come Dancing	Christmas Specials	2004–present
Supersonic Christmas Show Special		1975, 1976 & 1983	A Mike Mansfield production.
Top of the Pops	Christmas Specials	1964–present	There has been a Christmas edition of Top of the Pops every year since 1964 and even past the show's cancellation, showing the hits of the current year (sometimes shown in a New Years Special) and a countdown to the Christmas number one single.

Gameshows

Series/Special	Episode(s)/(Special(s))	Year(s)	Description
Celebrity Mastermind	Christmas Special	2004–present
The Chase	Christmas Text Santa	2012
The Cube	Christmas Special	2013
Deal or No Deal	Scrooge vs Santa/ Christmas Star	2007–present
The Generation Game	Christmas Special	1971-1981, 1990-2001
Pointless	Christmas Special	2013–present
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?	Celebrity Special	1998–2013	Since the show first started each year ITV will dedicate a few episodes at Christmas, where celebrities will try to win money for charity.

Children's

BBC One/Two/CBBC

Series	Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
12 Again	Christmas Special	2012
Airmageddon	Dad-mageddon: A Christmas Special	2016
All-Star Record Breakers	Christmas Specials	1974-1982
Blue Peter	Christmas Show	1958–present	Annual Christmas show since 1958.
Copycats	Christmas Special	2016
Dani's Castle	It's A Wonderful Afterlife	2015
Dani's House	Scrooge Tube	2009
Diddy TV	Christmas Special	2016
The Dog Ate My Homework	Christmas Special	2015
Danger Mouse	The Snowman Cometh	2015
Diddy Movies	A Christmas Christmas Movie	2013
Eve	Christmas Eve	2015
Going Live!	Scrooge - A Christmas Sarah	1990
Hank Zipzer	Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe	2016
Horrible Histories	Horrible Christmas	2010
Little Howard's Big Question	Can Father Christmas Star in Our Nativity Play?	2010
Our School	Christmas is Coming	2014
The Pinky and Perky Show	It's Christmaaaas!	2008
Sam & Mark's Big Friday Wind-Up	Sam & Mark's Big Christmas Wind-Up	2014–2016
Sam & Mark's Sport Showdown	The Awesome Foursome v The Ultimates	2014
Sam & Mark's TMI Friday	Christmas Special	2010
Scream Street	The Grumpus	2016
The Secret Show	Secret Santa	2007
Shaun the Sheep	We Wish Ewe A Merry Christmas	2010
So Awkward	All We Want For Christmas	2019
The Story Of Tracy Beaker	Christmas	2003	Was aired in February
Strange Hill High	A Strange Hill Christmas	2014
Zig and Zag's Zogcasts	Christmas	2016

Friday Download

Episode/Special	Year	Description
Christmas Download	2011
Christmas Download (with Olly Murs)	2012
Christmas Download (with Little Mix and Bobby Lockwood	2013
Christmas Download (with Echosmith, Bars and Melody & The Vamps)	2014

Julia Donaldson Adaptations

Shown on BBC One.

Special	Year	Description
The Gruffalo	2009
The Gruffalo's Child	2011
Room on the Broom	2012
The Snail and the Whale	2019
Stick Man	2015
The Highway Rat	2017
Zog	2018

Millie Inbetween

Episode/Special	Year	Description
A Different Christmas	2014
Craig Come Home	2015
Dream Christmas	2016

Norman Hunter Adaptations

Shown on BBC One, sometimes repeated on CBBC.

Special	Year	Description
The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm	2014
Professor Branestawm Returns	2015

The Slammer

Episode/Special	Year	Description
A Slammer Christmas	2010
Slammer Claus	2013

Top Class

Episode/Special	Year	Celebrities
Christmas Celebrity Special 2016	2016	Lindsey Russell, Ricky Martin, Dick & Dom, Nick James, Stacy Liu, Ben Shires & Richard David-Caine
Christmas Celebrity Special 2017	2017	TBA

CBeebies

Series	Episode/Special	Year
3rd & Bird	A Very Squooky Christmas	2009
Big Cook, Little Cook	Father Christmas	2006
Boogie Beebies	I Wish It Would Snow	2005
Charlie and Lola	How Many More Minutes Until Christmas?	2006
Grandpa in My Pocket	The Magic of Christmas	2010
Hey Duggee	The Tinsel Badge	2014
Hey Duggee	The Christmas Badge	2020
Pingu	Pingu's Family Celebrate Christmas	1992
The Roly Mo Show	Too Cold	2004
Tikkabilla	Christmas Special	2002
The Large Family	Mr. Short's Christmas	2009

Balamory

Episode/Special	Year	Description
Panto	2002
Seeking Santa	2005

Bob the Builder

Episode/Special	Year	Description
Bob's White Christmas	1999
A Christmas to Remember	2001
Mr. Bentley's Winter Fair	2004

Fireman Sam

Episode/Special	Year	Description
Snow Business	1988
Let it Snow	2005
The Big Freeze	2005

The Furchester Hotel

Episode/Special	Year	Description
Monster Monster Day	2014
A Furchester Christmas	2016

Justin's House

Episode/Special	Year	Description
All Wrapped Up	2011
Cat's First Christmas	2016

Postman Pat

Episode/Special	Year	Description
Postman Pat's Magic Christmas	2004
Postman Pat's Christmas Eve	2006
The Flying Christmas Stocking	2008
Postman Pat and the Christmas Panto Horse	2013

Sarah and Duck

Episode/Special	Year	Description
Petal Light Picking	2013
Seacow Snow Trail	2014

Teletubbies

Episode/Special	Year	Description
Teletubbies and the Snow	1997
Happy Christmas from the Teletubbies	1997

Tweenies

Episode/Special	Year	Description
The Fallen Star	1999
Christmas Fairy
Santa's Little Helper
Nativity
Christmas Eve
Christmas Morning	2000
White Christmas	2001

CITV

Series	Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
	Max 22 featuring Natalie Miller Gonna Miss Your Love	2000
Art Attack	Xmas specials	1994–1997, 2003
Avenger Penguins	A Christmas Carol	1994
Busted: Christmas for Everyone		2003
Count Duckula	A Christmas Quacker	1990
Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest	Christmas Special	1987
	Barbarella Colour My Love	1999
Jungle Run	Christmas Special	2003	Boy band Triple 8 were the contestants.
Mr. Men	Christmas Letter	1997
My Phone Genie	Sack of Surprises	2013
Smith and Goody	On Ice	1980
Ted's Top Ten	Gone The Days of Sorrow Christmas Joy	2022
The Rubbish World of Dave Spud	Freeze A Jolly Spud Fellow	2019
Tots TV	Snowy Adventure	1996
The Worst Witch	Cinderella in Boots	2000
Watership Down	Christmas on Watership Down	2000
Worzel Gummidge	A Cup o' Tea and a Slice o' Cake	1980
ZZZap!	Christmas Annuals	1996–1997

Horrid Henry

Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
Horrid Henry's Christmas	2006
Horrid Henry and the Cracking Christmas	2009
Horrid Henry and the Early Christmas Present	2011

Mr. Bean (animated TV series)

Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
Young Bean	2003
The Big Freeze	2019

My Parents Are Aliens

Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
First Christmas: Part 1	2000
First Christmas: Part 2	2000
The Naughty List: Part 1	2004
The Naughty List: Part 2	2004
Winter Blunderland	2006

Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends

Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
Thomas' Christmas Party	1984
Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree	1986
Thomas and Percy's Christmas/Mountain Adventure	1992

Thomas and Friends

Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
It's Only Snow	2002
Not So Hasty Puddings	2003
Don't Tell Thomas	2004

Channel 5's Milkshake!

Series	Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
Toby's Travelling Circus	Momo's Christmas	2016
Bob the Builder	A Christmas Fix	2017

Peppa Pig

Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
Peppa's Christmas	2007
Santa's Grotto	2010
Santa's Visit	2010
Mr Potato's Christmas Show	2011
Father Christmas	2017
Christmas at the Hospital	2019
Christmas With Kylie Kangaroo	2021
Grandpa Pig's Christmas Present	2021

Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom

Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
Snow	2009
The North Pole	2009
Ben & Holly's Christmas - Part 1	2012
Ben & Holly's Christmas - Part 2	2012

Fireman Sam

Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
Santa Overboard	2008
Floodlights	2012
Dashing through the Snow	2016

Thomas and Friends

Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
Keeping Up with James	2005
Thomas' Tricky Tree	2006
The Party Surprise	2008
Henry's Magic Box	2010
Surprise, Surprise	2011
Tree Trouble	2011
Salty's Surprise	2012
The Christmas Tree Express	2012
Santa's Little Engine	2013
The Missing Christmas Decorations	2013
Last Train for Christmas	2014
Duncan the Humbug
The Perfect Gift
A Cranky Christmas	2016
Diesel's Ghostly Christmas
Letters to Santa
The Christmas Coffeepot
Over the Hill
The Big Freeze	2017
Terence Breaks the Ice
Daisy's Perfect Christmas

Thomas and Friends: Big World! Big Adventures!

Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
Thomas' Animal Ark	2018
Kangeroo Christmas
Hunt the Truck/Car

S4C

Series	Episode/Special	Year(s)	Description
Llan-ar-goll-en	Ceirw Coll Siôn Corn	2014	Aired on Christmas Eve
Llan-ar-goll-en	Trwyn Coch	2015	Aired on Christmas Eve

Others

Gerry Anderson productions

Sometimes repeated on BBC One, but was originally shown on ITV.

Series	Episode/Special	Year(s)
Joe 90	The Unorthodox Shepherd	1968
Stingray	A Christmas to Remember	1964
Thunderbirds	Give or Take a Million	1966
Terrahawks	A Christmas Miracle	1983

Raymond Briggs Adaptations

Usual shown on Channel 4.

Special	Year(s)	Description
The Bear	1998
Father Christmas	1991
Ivor the Invisible	2001
The Snowman	1982
The Snowman and The Snowdog	2012
The Abominable Snowman Baby	2021

Specials

Ant & Dec Saturday Night Takeaway at Christmas (2005)
Ant & Dec's Christmas Show (2009)
The Funny Side of Christmas (1982)
Greatest Christmas Comedy Moments (2008)
Oz and Hugh Drink to Christmas (2009)
The Real Hustle: The 12 Scams of Christmas (2006)
Ruth Jones Christmas Cracker (2009–present)
The Gadget Man Guide to Christmas (2014)
A Christmas Cracker (2014)

Top Gear

Episode	Year	Notes
Vietnam Special	2008
Bolivia Special	2009
Middle East Special	2010
India Special	2011
Africa Special	2013	A two part special, referred to as a "Christmas special" by the presenters despite it being broadcast in March
Burma Special	2014	A two part special, referred to as a "Christmas special" by the presenters despite it being broadcast in March
Patagonia Special	2014	A two part special
Nepal Special	2019
Driving Home for Christmas	2021

Misc

Channel 4's Alternative Christmas message (1993 – present)
Midnight Mass (1960 – present) – Every year Christmas morning starts on BBC with Midnight Mass for Catholic faiths.
The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (1966 – present). Note: The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures have been going since 1825 but started being broadcast in 1966.
The Royal Christmas Message (1957–1968, 1970 – present). Note: The Royal Christmas message has been read as far back as King George V in 1932 & 1935 over the radio, and then George VI in 1939, 1941–1942, 1945–1946, 1949 and 1951 up until Queen Elizabeth II read it on the radio from 1952 to 1956. It wasn't until 1957 that the event was televised.
Songs of Praise (1961 – present) – Every year songs of Praise celebrates advent Sunday's leading up to Christmas.
Text Santa (2011-2015)
Star Over Bethlehem (1977, 1979, 1981) - A live satellite transmission that featured Christmas music from around the world. USA contributions included remotes from a shopping mall in Columbia, South Carolina and the CBN studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia.