Christmas TV Guide 2023: The best films, specials and shows to watch this Christmas - when is Home Alone on TV

What are the best films and TV shows on TV this Christmas? Including The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2023 and Home Alone.

What's on TV this Christmas?

Christmas Day is fast approaching and with it is some excellent festive television!

A big Christmas dinner followed by a cheeky Bailey's can often result in us sprawling across the couch with our nearest and dearest and grabbing the remote control as we dive head first into festive TV - it is almost a Christmas tradition!

Films, TV specials, reruns and quiz shows are all showing this December to help us bring in the holiday and, to save you the job of needing to move from your couch, we have put together a list of the best Christmas TV so you don't have to!

From family fun programmes to entertain the kids to romantic comedy films and much loved comedy specials families, take a look at our guide to what you can watch on Christmas Day this year.

Films on TV at Christmas 2023

Saturday 23 December

Kung Fu Panda Holiday - 9.10am ITV2

A Cinderella Story: A Christmas Wish - 10.45am ITV2

How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World - 1.15pm BBC1

Sing - 1.15pm ITV1

Scrooged - 2.35pm Channel 4

Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas - 2.50pm BBC1

How The Grinch Stole Christmas - 3.20pm ITV1

Home Alone 3 - 3.50pm ITV2

It’s a Wonderful Life - 4.30pm Channel 4

Fantastic Beasts - The Crimes of Grindelwold - 5.35pm ITV1

Paddington - 6.45pm BBC1

Men In Black 3 - 7pm Channel 4

Die Hard - 9pm Channel 4

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines - 9pm 4Film

The Shawshank Redemption - 9pm BBC Three

Lost At Christmas - 9.30pm BBC Scotland

A Ghost Story for Christmas: Lot No 249 - 10pm - BBC2

Sunday 24 December

Rocky 3 - 12.35am - ITV4

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - 2.25am - Channel 4

The Secret Life of Pets - 1.05pm - ITV1

White Christmas - 1pm BBC2

It's A Very Merry Muppet's Christmas Movie - 1.40pm ITV2

The Grinch - 2.40pm ITV1

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York - 5.25pm ITV1

Hairspray - 6.45pm ITV2

Rocky 4 - 8pm ITV4

Last Christmas - 9pm BBC Three

There's Something About Mary - 9pm ITV2

The Mummy - 10pm ITV4

Murderville - 10.40pm BBC Three

Monday 25 December

The Gruffalo - 8.50am BBC1

How To Train Your Dragon: Homecoming - 9.15am BBC1

Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave - 10.40am BBC2

The Addams Family 2 - 11.15am BBC1

Ice Ace - 2.15pm ITV2

Deck The Halls - 2.50pm - ITV2

Toy Story 4 - 3.10pm BBC1

The Italian Job - 3.10pm Channel 4

Sing 2 - 4.30pm ITV1

Jumanji - 4.40pm - ITV2

Home Alone - 5.30pm Channel 4

Edward Scissorhands - 7.30pm BBC Three

The Green Mile - 9pm ITV4

Forrest Gump - 9.45pm Channel 4

House Of Gucci - 11pm BBC Three

Pitch Perfect 2 - 11.45pm ITV1

Tuesday 26 December

Yesterday - 12.35am BBC1

The BFG - 1.55pm BBC1

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway - 3.15pm BBC One

The Great Escape - 3.30pm Channel 4

Raiders of the Lost Ark - 6.50pm ITV1

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa - 9pm BBC Three

Click and Collect - 10.30pm BBC Three

Wednesday 27 December

Crazy Rich Asians - 12.25am BBC1

Ghostbusters - 3.50pm BBC1

Nolly - 9pm ITV1

Thursday 28 December

Inside Out - 11.30am BBC1

The Godfather - 11.20pm Channel 4

Friday 29 December

The Godfather Part II - 10.45pm Channel 4

Saturday 30 December

Four Weddings and a Funeral - 10pm Channel 4

Sunday 31 December

No Time to Die - 8.30pm ITV1

TV Specials/Documentary/TV shows

Saturday 23 December

Celebrity Masterchef: Christmas Cook-Off 2023 - 12pm BBC2

The Hairy Bikers: Coming Home For Christmas - 4:45pm BBC2

Christmas With Katherine Jenkins - 7.10pm BBC2

Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special - 8pm BBC Three

Victoria Wood - With All The Trimmings - 8.10pm BBC2

Inside Central Station (Documentary) - 8.30pm BBC Scotland

Sunday 24 December

Nigella: At My Table - 11am BBC2

Nigella's Amsterdam Christmas - 12pm BBC1

The Great Christmas Bake Off - 8.15pm Channel 4

Still Game - 9pm BBC Scotland

Not Going Out Christmas Special - 10pm BBC1

Monday 25 December

QI XL: Christmas Special - 12.15am BBC2

Billy Connolly: Made In Scotland - 2.15am BBC Three

The King's Speech - 3pm BBC1

You've Been Framed: Christmas Crackers - 3.15pm ITV1

Downtown Abbey: Christmas Special - 5.20 ITV3

Doctor Who - 5.55pm BBC1

Michael McIntyre's The Wheel: Christmas Edition - 6.50pm BBC One

Ghosts Christmas Special - 7.45pm BBC1

Call the Midwife - 8.15pm BBC1

Scot Squad: Christmas Special - 9pm BBC Scotland

Ricky Tomlinson Remembers...The Royale Family - 9pm BBC2

The Royale Family Christmas Special - 9.15pm BBC2

Still Game: Christmas Special - 10pm BBC Scotland

Caroline Ahearne: Queen of Comedy - 10.25pm BBC2

Mrs Browns Boys - 10.45pm BBC1

The Fast Show: Christmas Special - 11.35pm BBC2

The Vicar of Dibley: Christmas Special 2004 - 11.40pm BBC1

Tuesday 26 December

The Great British Sewing Bee: Christmas Special - 8am BBC2

The Chase Celebrity Christmas Special - 5pm ITV1

The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2023 - 9pm Channel 4

Death In Paradise: Christmas Special - 9pm BBC1