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From Morcambe & Wise’s silly sketches to the traditional gloom on Eastenders, television has become as much a part of our Christmas as presents under the tree and family arguments.
Every year the various terrestrial television station chiefs get their thinking caps on to come up with the programmes with the potential to attract millions of viewers and top the ratings.
The golden age of festive telly may be behind us - as the number of repeats in the schedules attests to - but there’s still plenty of choice treats to enjoy while getting tucked into the Chrimbo chocolates.
Here are 14 that caught our eye - and when you can catch them.
1. Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas Special
There will be two festive specials of the somewhat divisive Mrs Brown's Boys starring Brendan O'Carroll on BBC One over the festive season. At 11.05pm on Christmas Day there'll be 'Ding Dong Mamy' where "It’s Christmas in Finglas again, and Agnes is failing to convince the gang she’s not grumpy! Meanwhile, Cathy pulls the Finglas community together in support of a festive good cause, and Buster sources a sustainable tree." Then on New Year's Day at 9.30pm 'B&B Mammy' sees "Agnes turns her spare room into a bed and breakfast, but there’s an escaped dangerous criminal on the loose in Finglas - what could possibly go wrong?" | BBC / BocPIX / Greame Hunter
2. Taskmaster's New Year Treat
The fifth annual edition of Taskmaster's New Year Treat will be on Channel 4 on Sunday, December 29, at 9pm. The celebs being challenged by Alex and Greg will be Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis, the Royle Family's Sue Johnston, former England goalkeeper David James, TV academic Professor Hannah Fry and All Saints star Melanie Blatt. | Channel 4
3. The Masked Singer Christmas Special
Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French are appearing alongside regular judges Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross and Mo Gilligan for The Masked Singer Christmas special on STV at 7.30pm on Boxing Day. They'll be trying to guess who the celebs are singing disguised as a star, a cracker, a turkey and many others. | Bandicoot Television
4. Outnumbered Christmas Special
Set for broadcast on BBC One on Boxing Day at 9.40pm we'll be meeting the Outnumbered kids now they have grown up. "In a moment of adversity, Sue and Pete gather all their offspring, including one grandchild, to try to celebrate a traditional family Christmas. Their new house is smaller, the children are bigger, and within the chaos, an uninvited house guest overstays their welcome. The children, now adults, have their own hurdles to navigate in the real world. Jake attempts to juggle working from home under the reign of an energetic three-year-old, Ben worries his parents by planning a big adventure, and Karen struggles to get by at work, where she is frustrated by the incompetence of her colleagues, and in relationships, where she is frustrated by not wholly satisfactory girlfriends." | BBC/Hat Trick Productions/Adam Lawrence