Stickying this to the top and hiding it under a click, click to see the guide! Happy Christmas!
Today is basically Christmas Day for TV nerds (as opposed to actual Xmas Day, which is just a Wednesday) as it’s the day they finalise the schedules for Xmas and New Year. So with thanks to Martin Lewis (and Daniel Hurst who suggested it) let’s take a look at some of the highlights that have come out of the news today, shall we? I don’t actually have the listings to hand to am going by various PR outlets, so this might get amended in the near future.
Sunday 22nd December:
4:55pm: The Chase Celeb Special
6pm: Bullseye (ITV)
7pm: You Bet! (ITV)
Feels interestingly early for a big show like Bullseye although I suppose it’s not far off where it used to go out back in the day and I suppose the early berthing didn’t hurt Gladiators, even if most people watch Glads later the same evening than on live.. It has been pointed out there’s actual darts on later that night so they won’t want to clash. It’s also repeated on Xmas Day at 5:25pm. You Bet is repeated on Xmas Eve at 5:05pm.
Monday 23rd December:
5:30pm: Pictionary (ITV)
6pm: Bob’s Full House (Challenge)
6:40pm: Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game (Challenge)
7pm: Festive House of Games (BBC2)
7pm Would I Lie to You At Christmas (BBC1)
7pm: Junior Taskmaster – The Final (C4)
7:30pm: Celebrity Mastermind (BBC2)
8pm: Only Connect Royal Special (BBC2)
8:30: Christmas University Challenge Warwick vs Durham (BBC2)
9pm: The Big Quiz: Coronation Street vs Emmerdale (ITV1)
Pictionary the show that no-one asked for but I suppose sticking it on at Christmas is culturally relevant – haven’t worked out what the schedule for it is but it seems to be on Boxing Day as well. Unusual in that it’s a 30 minute format (EDIT: Begins 2:30pm weekdays from 6th Jan). Junior Taskmaster moving from traditional Friday here. I’ve never felt the need to watch the big soap quiz but the big news is Sally Lindsay’s hosting after regular host Stephen Mulhern was taken ill recently. Festive House of Games this week has got the best Gladiator i.e. Legend on it. Celebrity Mastermind on BBC2 this year, wonder if that’s got something to do with Clive Myrie’s recent shenanigans.
Tuesday 24th December (Xmas Eve)
6pm: Bob’s Full House (Challenge)
6:40pm: Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game (Challenge)
7:15pm: Festive House of Games (BBC2)
7:45pm: Celebrity Mastermind (BBC2)
7:45pm: The Great British Festive Bake Off (C4)
8:15pm: Only Connect Christmas Special (BBC2)
8:45pm: Christmas University Challenge Worcester College Oxford vs Bristol (BBC2)
Wednesday 25th December (Xmas Day)
3:10pm: The Weakest Link (BBC1)
3:55pm: Strictly Xmas Special (BBC1)
5:10pm: The Piano at Christmas (C4)
6pm: Bob’s Full House (Challenge)
6:40pm: Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game (Challenge)
8pm: The Chase Celeb Special (ITV)
Let’s be honest, BBC1 is absolutely stacked on Xmas Day with general entertainment content, it’s no wonder ITV have given up even more than usual, although perhaps Downton Abbey: A New Era will take your fancy. Edit: it looks like the Xmas Day edition of The Chase is now a new one, not a repeat as originally suggested.
Thursday 26th December (Boxing Day)
5:40pm: Pictionary (ITV)
6pm: Bob’s Full House (Challenge)
6:40pm: Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game (Challenge)
7pm: Festive House of Games (BBC2)
7:30pm: The Masked Singer (ITV)
7:30pm: Celebrity Mastermind (BBC2)
8pm: Only Connect Books Special
8:30pm: Christmas University Challenge Manchester Metropolitan vs Brighton (BBC2)
9pm: Blankety Blank Xmas Special (BBC1)
9pm: The 1% Club Xmas Special (ITV)
9pm: The Festive Pottery Throwdown (C4)
Squid Game Series 2 (Netflix)
Cor that’s a stacked 9pm and no mistake, I had a cheeky tenner on The 1% Club being surprise Xmas Day winner last year, such as the weakness of the Xmas Day schedule. Didn’t come in, alas, but I think it’s quite wise they’ve moved it this year. I think I fancy it over Blankety Blank, especially as that has an EastEnders lead-in, but that ought to be a good battle. It will be extremely interesting to see if Squid Game 2 captures the audience in the same way SG1 did. Seeing as Squid Game: The Challenge did extremely well as a spin-off, you’d have to back it. Xmas 1% Club is getting a repeat on Sunday 29th at 7pm.
Incidentally, Boxing Day is ACTUAL Boxing Day for TV Nerds, because the Xmas Day ratings come in.
Friday 27th December
6pm: Bob’s Full House (Challenge)
6:40pm: Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game (Challenge)
7pm: Festive House of Games (BBC2)
7:30pm: Celebrity Mastermind (BBC2)
8pm: Only Connect BBC Special (BBC2)
8:30pm: Christmas University Challenge Leeds Trinity vs Nottingham (BBC2)
9pm: The Big Fat Quiz of the Year (C4)
Evening: Gladiators (TF1)
Finally we get the answer to the big question, did anyone correctly guess who the mystery Big Fat Quiz person is going to be this year? Also French Glads should be an interesting watch if you are able, I wonder what the reaction to it will be.
Saturday 28th December
6pm: Deal or No Deal Celebrity Special (ITV)
7pm: Wheel of Fortune Christmas Special (ITV)
7:15pm: Schlag den Star (Pro7)
New series starts proper the following week. Can’t remember if they recorded this with the first lot or as part of the second series, hopefully they’ve learnt how to make it a bit more exciting as it goes on. We’ll hopefully be watching SdS in the Discord if you’ve nothing better to do all night.
Sunday 29th December
7pm: Festive House of Games (BBC2)
7:30pm: Celebrity Mastermind (BBC2)
8pm: Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Celeb Special (ITV)
8pm: Only Connect Christmas Special (series 19 repeat) (BBC2)
8:30pm: Christmas University Challenge Southampton vs Churchill, Cambridge (BBC2)
9pm: Taskmaster New Year’s Treat (C4)
Ooh. Ooh? Oh. Doesn’t feel right that but I’m sure it will be fine.
Monday 30th December
7pm: Festive House of Games (BBC2)
7:30pm: Celebrity Mastermind (BBC2)
8pm: Only Connect Transatlantic Special (BBC2)
8:30pm: Christmas University Challenge Emmanuel, Cambridge vs Queens’, Cambridge (BBC2)
Second week of House of Games, doesn’t feature the best Gladiator i.e. Legend.
Tuesday 31st December (New Year’s Eve)
7pm: Festive House of Games (BBC2)
7:30pm: Celebrity Mastermind (BBC2)
8pm: Only Connect Single Special (BBC2)
8:30pm: Christmas University Challenge St Andrews vs LSE (BBC2)
12pm: Fireworks (you’ll be watching BBC1)
Also inevitably some poetry but what can you do.
Wednesday 1st January 2025 (New Year’s Day)
Morning: The Annual “Should Do a Series” Gag when the Fireworks numbers come out
6:00pm: Celeb Gladiators (BBC1)
7pm: Festive House of Games (BBC2)
7:30: Celebrity Mastermind (BBC2)
8pm: The Traitors (BBC1)
8pm: Only Connect Sound Special (BBC2)
8:30pm: Christmas University Challenge Semi 1 (BBC2)
Couldn’t resist. And neither should they! This literally just came out just before I “went to press”, 7pm is going to be a Gavin and Stacey doc. Glads into Traitors would have been perfect, but it looked like EastEnders was going to be the filling but thankfully it’s a Gavin and Stacey doc instead. However! ITV have scheduled the final ever episodes of Vera against the first two episodes of The Traitors – thems fighting words! I think I’d expect The Traitors to do better on the night but Vera to ultimately win in +7. Last year The Traitors opened to 3m overnight and I thought that was a bit disappointing for the build up. New Year’s Day is a massive live watching night and ought to do well. It continues 8pm on Thursday before going back to it’s traditional 9pm slot on Friday, and presumably they’ll put the first eps on iPlayer as usual. Anyway this is Judith Keppel vs the final One Foot In The Grave for the 2020s.
Thursday 2nd January 2025:
7pm: Festive House of Games (BBC2)
7:30pm: Celebrity Mastermind (BBC2)
8pm: The Traitors (BBC1)
8pm: Only Connect Champion of Champions Special (BBC2)
8:30pm: Christmas University Challenge Semi 2 (BBC2)
Friday 3rd January 2025
7pm: Festive House of Games (BBC2)
7:30pm: Celebrity Mastermind (BBC2)
8pm: Only Connect Champion of Champions Special (series 18 repeat) (BBC2)
8:30pm: Have I Got Sport For You (BBC1)
8:30pm: Christmas University Challenge Final (BBC2)
9pm: The Traitors (BBC1)
We used to joke in the 90s referring to panel shows as Have I Got X For You, and thirty years later they’ve done it for real. Bring back They Think It’s All Over, you wimps!
Phew!
There’s WWTBAM Celebrity special as well on December, who are the celebrities taking part in that?
Supposedly two Popmaster TV specials on More4 as well?
Jools Holland , Nina Wadia , Ugo Monye. Fun Fact : This episode is very very old even though it’s NEW, It was recorded nearly three years ago and was changed in the schedules at the time finally they’ve gotten round to showing it.
Does this mean we’ll have twice as many ‘Only Connect’ specials as in previous years?
Just updating this with Celeb Mastermind (demoted to BBC2, seemingly) and adding episodes of The Traitors beyond the first one.
Interestingly doesn’t look like Gladiators launching Jan 4th, so looks like Wheel of Fortune’s going to get at least one free week.
I think New Year’s Day Traitors is going to be huge. The last series ended with viewing parties across the country and became a pop culture phenomenon with big ratings. Viewers will be ready for its return and we could see it move up to Strictly/I’m A Celebrity level.
Bob’s Full House for the first time in 10 years and The 90s revival of The Generation Game starts on Challenge on the 23rd December at 6:40 & 8pm.
Ooh that’s fun, I wonder if they’re the same BFH episodes they acquired a decade ago or if they’ve bought some new ones.
Some remarkably non-trad UK The Krypton Factor from 1988 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPkw6EATYJU – which is a relic of the fact that ITV had a couple of decades of (mostly) sharing the Summer Olympics coverage with the BBC. Fingers crossed that the second special of two emerges also, not least considering the way Gordon Burns trails it at the end.
Yeah that’s really fun, I quite like the way they combined Observation and Intelligence, and I’m intrigued to see how they’d have modified the assault course, if indeed that’s what they did.