10 of the very best British Christmas specials and episodes to watch on TV this holiday season

Danny Jones Danny Jones Best British Christmas TV specials of all time

‘Tis the season to sit on your backside and do nothing but gorge on mountains of food and watch TV for hours on end as you make your way through all the Christmas specials and best of British telly you can muster.

Now, there’s nothing worse than when it feels like there’s nothing on you’re stranded in that spot on the sofa that’s too comfy to vacate, so that’s where we come in.

Along with all the usual stuff you’ll find in the TV guide at this time of year, we thought we’d round up some of the very best Christmas specials made here in the UK and Ireland to have ever aired – that way, you’ll have a steady supply of festive viewing and barely need to move an inch.

In no particular order, let’s get stuck into it, shall we?

The best British Christmas TV specials of all time

10. Gavin & Stacey – Christmas Specials (2008, 2019 and 2024)

Where else to start than with the pride of Wales and a series that millions watch from start to finish every year? Gavin & Stacey.

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Still revered as one of the most beloved comedies to ever come out of the UK, their two festive specials are also part and parcel (pardon the pun) of many Brits’ Christmas.

It still feels a bit weird going back and watching Corden as Smithy before the days of American fame, that first Nessa entrance; Uncle Bryn being, well, Bryn – even the soundtrack takes us back – but after the huge success of last year’s Gavin & Stacey finale, we’re ready to cry buckets all over again.

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Viewers find just ONE flaw with ‘perfect’ Gavin and Stacey finale

9. The Office – ‘Christmas Special’ (Part 1 and 2)

Next up is not only this particular telephile’s ultimate Christmas TV event but possibly one of the very best episodes of British telly in history. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant broke new ground with this genre-defining comedy, and while they fine-tuned cringe throughout the series, this was pure heart.

Rom-com juggernaut Richard Curtis dubbed this two-part Christmas special spread across just 96 minutes as the culmination of what he believed to be “one of the great romantic stories of all time” between Tim and Dawn, and the perfect end to a “masterpiece”.

You’ll hear no arguments from us.

Is it the best Christmas special in British TV history?

8. The Royle Family – Christmas Specials (1999, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012)

Another classic not only British but fundamentally Manc comedy, The Royle Family might just be one of the best things Greater Manchester ever produced – and that’s saying something – and perfectly captures the comfortable monotony of sitting in front of the telly for hours on end.

That goes doubly so for the multiple Christmas specials, of which there are many and while they all do a great job of creating that familiar feeling of a Northern front room that the series was so good at throughout its entire run, the 1999 Christmas with the Royle Family special where the late great Caroline Aherne’s water breaks and that tear-jerking scene with Ricky Tomlinson…

It gets us every time.

Set just down the road in Wythenshawe, it still has us weeping just as much now as it did back in the day.

7. Peep Show – ‘Seasonal Beatings’

Cauliflower may or may not be traditional, but one thing we can agree on is that watching Peep Show‘s hilariously miserable, ill-mannered, tense, ever-awkward and bloody brilliant Christmas episode from 2010 is very much part of our annual holiday ritual.

The fifth episode of the seventh season – which many would rightly champion as peak-era Peep Show – may only last less than half an hour, but it feels like an eternity of familiar festive agony and walking on eggshells before the fantastic crescendo that is Mark pouring gravy into a shredder.

‘Merry Chris-Mark!’

If you don’t think Peep Show’s Christmas special/festive episode is one of the best in British TV history, you’re just wrong, sorry.

6. Ted Lasso – ‘Carol of the Bells’

Approaching the halfway mark, and we’re going to be somewhat controversial and introduce not only a very contemporary pick but one that isn’t technically a UK production, but the show is set entirely in England, and if there’s one thing it has tried to be since the start, it’s almost too cookie-cutter British

Now, we’re going to qualify that we have a weird relationship with Ted Lasso; it’s by no means the funniest thing we’ve ever seen, and the broad-strokes American look at football is frustrating at times, but one thing this show does do well is being deeply sincere, and never more so than in its Xmas special.

Plus, you get to hear Hannah Waddingham sing her pipes off – what’s not to like?

Christmas is about reminding your loved ones how much they mean – regardless of what you make of the show, this episode nails that.

5. Extras – Christmas Special (Part 1 and 2)

Our penultimate pick is also our second Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant creation: the Extras Christmas special, which aired back in 2007 and still has some of the funniest gags in the history of British TV as far as we’re concerned.

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Managing to rope in even more big names for this equally cringeworthy and even painful to watch at times conclusion to the show, which also ran for just two series like The Office, the frustrating arc of Gervais’ main character Andy Millman is such a great payoff when all is said and done.

Only an hour and a half in total, well worth sticking on if you’ve never seen it before.

Just look at how many famous faces they managed to rope in for this fantastic two-parter. (Credit: Press Image via BBC)

4. Doctor Who – ‘End of Time’ (Part 1 and 2)

From a David Tennant cameo to him in arguably one of his greatest-ever performances in his final full-time appearance as the space-travelling Time Lord in what we are officially declaring the best Doctor Who Christmas special to date, and some of Russell T. Davies’ very best work.

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 15 whole years since the national treasure said goodbye to the role in the gut-wrenching two-parter, which also saw the return of John Simm as ‘The Master’, but we’re still confident that there hasn’t been a better Xmas/New Year’s Day special pairing than the one below.

Here’s hoping RTD’s recent comeback will see a return to form by the next one in December 2026.

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That delivery of ‘I don’t wanna go’ still makes us well up.

3. Gone Fishing – Christmas specials (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025*)

As we gradually approach the end of our list, we want to give so much deserved love to what we think isn’t just the underdog of British telly but an unsung hero when it comes to spotlighting friendship, positive male relationships and downright fraternal love.

It’s Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Finishing – the festive editions. We know we’re biased, but we really love the one with Paul Heaton. If you’ve ever sat down to watch an episode of this laid-back, laughter-filled show, you’ll know that these two can often achieve that warm, heartfelt and cosy feeling regardless of whether it’s Christmas or not.

It’s also a great antidote to any latent toxic masculinity left on screen, and with some serious emotion being laid bare in these Christmas special episodes, especially for us, this is what reality TV should be. We’re already looking forward to the next instalment at 9pm on Christmas Eve.

2. Click & Collect

Ok, we promise this is the last Merchant mention on this list, as we’re intensely aware of some bias on our end, but this straight-to-TV BBC short film really took us by surprise when we first saw it and is well worth setting aside a nice round hour to enjoy.

Not only does the core premise feel like a very relatable scenario for many parents rushing to sort out everyone’s Christmas presents in time, but it’s a touching tale of family, kindness and sparing that extra bit of patience during what can be a tough time of year for lots of people.

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Trust us, you’ll love it.

Asim Chaudhry is fantastic.

1. Only Fools & Horses – ‘Heroes and Villains’

And finally, what better place to round off this list than with only the series consistently voted the greatest British comedy of all time, but the episode that is widely considered its best-ever Christmas special? It can only be Del Boy and Rodney dressed up as Batman and Robin in ‘Heroes and Villains’.

Now, there is a whopping total of 18 Only Fools Christmas specials, and we’re sure everyone has their own personal favourite, but surely there isn’t a single one more iconic than the first episode of the legendary 1996 festive trilogy.

It also sets up events for ‘Time on Our Hands’, one of the most moving scripts they ever wrote – but it all starts with the much-loved duo plodding through the mist in capes.

It’s still regarded as the best British comedy ever, but where does it rank on the list of all-time greatest Christmas TV specials?

A very Christmas special mention…

Father Ted – ‘A Christmassy Ted’

Not technically British, we know, but the cult Irish hit remains one of the funniest comedies to ever come out of our corner of the world, and if you’ve never seen Ted, Dougal and a bunch of other clergymen get stuck in a women’s lingerie section like it’s a warzone, you’re seriously missing out.

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Mrs Doyle is her typical quick-witted self, and Father Jack can be found making the occasional outburst from his chair as usual and overall, ‘A Christmassy Ted’ is a very funny bit of seasonal telly.

Not strictly British but still one of the best Christmas specials in TV history if you ask us.

Read more:

Come on, you have to agree – we absolutely smashed that.

Some old, some new, some maybe a little bit out of left field, but all absolutely guaranteed to keep you entertained this festive period.

If you think we’ve made the cardinal sin of missing an all-time TV great, then please feel free to give it to us in the comments and educate us on the best British Christmas specials.

In fact, one of our other writers, Emily, has forced me to add a line about The Vicar of Dibley Christmas Specials too… so here’s the line. You can also find her round-up of all the best new bits coming to the box this holiday season down below.

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Five of the best things to watch on TV this Christmas 2025
Happy watching!

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — BBC (press images)

Greater Manchester bin and recycling collection dates for Christmas and New Year 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones Christmas and New Year bin collection dates Greater Manchester 2025

We know it’s a somewhat boring bit of life admin, but anyone who’s been caught out missing the refuse collection dates when the various recycling bins inevitably pile up over Christmas and New Year will know it’s worth knowing ahead of time.

Let’s help you avoid any unnecessary trips to the tip or having to find other ways to get rid of extra rubbish this holiday season.

You can thank us later.

Here are all of the relevant bin collection dates for each of the 10 Greater Manchester boroughs this Christmas 2025 and the first few days of the New Year.

When are the bins being collected this Christmas?

Bolton

Grey bins

  • Wednesday 31 December 2025
  • Wednesday 14 January 2026
  • Wednesday 28 January 2026
  • Wednesday 11 February 2026

Beige bins

  • Wednesday 7 January 2026
  • Wednesday 4 February 2026

Burgundy bins

  • Wednesday 24 December 2025
  • Wednesday 7 January 2026
  • Wednesday 21 January 2026
  • Wednesday 4 February 2026

Green bins

  • Wednesday 7 January 2026
  • Wednesday 1 January 2026
  • Wednesday 4 February 2026
  • Wednesday 18 February 2026

Bury

Brown bin collections will be paused from Monday, 22 December to Sunday, 4 January, while dates for grey, green and blue bins will also change for most households until January.

Bury Council has advised that bins should be put out at the usual collection point by 7am and all waste must fit inside the bins with the lids fully closed.

A full list of revised collection dates:

  • Thursday, 25 December, will change to Wednesday, 24 December
  • Friday, 26 December, will change to Monday, 29 December
  • Tuesday, 30 December (no change)
  • Wednesday, 31 December (no change)
  • Thursday, 1 January 2026, will change to Friday, 2 January
  • Friday, 2 January, will change to Saturday, 3 January

Manchester (central)

  • No change to collections on Monday, 22 December and Monday, 29 December 
  • No change to collections on Tuesday, 23 December and Tuesday, 30 December 
  • No change to collections on Wednesday, 24 December and Wednesday, 31 December 
  • Thursday collections move from Thurs, 25 Dec to Sat, 27 Dec, and 1 January to Fri, 2 January 2026
  • Friday collections move from Fri, 26 Dec to Sun, 28 Dec and from Fri, 2 Jan to Sat, 3 Jan

Oldham

Bins due on Christmas Day (December 25):

  • Blue bins will be collected on Monday, 29 December
  • Grey bins will be collected on Tuesday, 30 December
  • Brown bins will be collected on Wednesday, 31 December
  • Green bins and food caddies to be collected on Thursday, 18 December and Saturday, 3 January

Bins due on Boxing Day (26 December):

  • Blue, grey and brown bins will be collected on Saturday, 20 December
  • Green bins and food caddies to be collected as normal on (Fri, 19 December and 2 Jan 2026)

Bins due Monday, 29 December to Wednesday, 31 December:

  • Blue, grey, and brown bins will be collected as normal
  • Green bin and food caddy a week earlier from 22-24 December and one week later from Jan 5-7.

Bins due on New Year’s Day (Thursday, January 1):

All bins will be collected on Saturday, January 3.

Rochdale

  • Thursday, 25 December 2025 (Christmas Day) – your bin collection will move to Sat, 27 Dec
  • Friday, 26 December 2025 (Boxing Day) – your bin collection will move to Mon, 29 Dec
  • Thursday, 1 January 2026 – your bin collection will move to Sat, 3 Jan 2026

Salford

NO COLLECTIONREPLACEMENT DATE
Thursday 25 December 2025Saturday 20 December 2025
Friday 26 December 2025Saturday 27 December 2025
Thursday 1 January 2026Saturday 3 January 2026

Stockport

  • The next black bin collection will be on Monday, 29 December
  • Blue bins will be collected on Friday, 2 January 2026
  • Brown and green bins will also be collected on Friday, 2 January

Tameside

Thursday 25 December – No Collections

  • If you are due a green (general waste) bin collection, it will be collected on Monday, 29 December
  • If you are due a black (comingled recycling waste) or a blue (paper recycling waste) bin collection,  it will be collected on Wednesday, 31 December

Friday 26 December – No Collections

  • If you are due a green (general waste) bin collection, it will be collected on Tuesday, 30 December
  • If you are due a black (comingled recycling waste) or a blue (paper recycling waste) bin collection,  it will be collected on Friday, 2 January

Thursday 1 January – No Collections

  • If you are due a green (general waste) bin collection, it will be collected on Monday, 5 January
  • If you are due a black (comingled recycling waste) or a blue (paper recycling waste) bin collection,  it will be collected on Tuesday, 6 January

All other green, black and blue bin collections are due to run as normal over the festive period.

Trafford

NORMAL BIN DAYNEW COLLECTION DATE
Monday 22 DecemberNo change
Tuesday 23 DecemberNo change
Wednesday 24 DecemberNo change
Thursday 25 DecemberSaturday 27 December
Friday 26 DecemberSaturday 27 December
Monday 29 DecemberNo change
Tuesday 30 DecemberNo change
Wednesday 31 JanuaryNo change
Thursday 1 JanuaryFriday 2 January
Friday 2 JanuarySaturday 3 January

Green bins and food waste

There will be no green bin collections during Christmas week. Any green bins presented from Monday, 22 to Friday, 26 December will not be collected; the green bin collection service will resume from Monday, 29 December.

Wigan

  • Bin collections, which usually take place on Tuesdays, will be done on Monday, 22 December and Tuesday, 30 December.
  • Those whose rubbish is normally collected on Wednesdays will move to Tuesday, 23 December and Wednesday, 31 December.
  • Thursday bin dates will move to Wednesday, 24 December and Friday, 2 January 2026.
  • Bin collections normally scheduled on Fridays will be carried out on Saturday, 27 December and Saturday, 3 January 2026.
  • Green bin collections will be suspended from Monday, 29 December until 9 January; the normal schedule will then resume starting January 12 or 19 – depending on the area.

We hope you have a wonderful, stress-free Christmas and New Year; as for those of you still looking to buy those last few bits, you might find the list below helpful, too.

Full list of Christmas opening hours at all UK supermarkets 2025

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Royalty-free (via Rawpixel)

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