20 Unmissable Films Airing On TV Over The Christmas Period

We've done the hard work for you, and picked out the must-see movies.

‘Strictly Come Dancing’, ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Call The Midwife’ aren’t the only things that will have us glued to our sofas this Christmas, as there’ll also be a plethora of films on offer to sit down and enjoy.

With enough to think about over the festive season, we’ve done the decent thing and compiled a selection of 20 must-see films airing over the Christmas and New Year period (we’ve even put them in the order they’ll be airing in for you. You’re welcome).

Which will you be tuning in for..?

1. ‘Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone’

Warner Bros

When? Saturday, 23 December at 1.35pm on ITV

Perfect for: the select few who still haven’t seen the rest of the ‘Harry Potter’ series, this will give you a nice easy introduction in the middle of the first day of the Christmas period. If you like what you see, ITV is showing the rest over the next week too.

2. ‘Frozen’

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When? Saturday, 23 December at 2.50pm on BBC One

Perfect for: when you’re not quite ready to break out the proper Christmas films, but you do fancy looking at a nice winter scene. With some singing thrown in.

3. ‘What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?’

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When? Saturday, 23 December at 10.35pm on BBC Two

Perfect for: when Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange in ‘Feud’ has put you in the mood for the real thing (or you just fancy putting the “camp” in “camp as Christmas”).

4. ‘Gone With The Wind’

Selznick/MGM/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

When? Christmas Eve at 9.20am on Channel 5

Perfect for: when you want to sit down on that sofa with a tin of Celebrations and not move for the next four hours.

5. ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’

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When? Christmas Eve at 6.30pm on Channel 4

Perfect for: literally every single living person on earth. Watch it.

6. ‘Singin’ In The Rain’

MGM/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

When? Christmas Day at 1.05pm on Channel 5

Perfect for: when the whole family is finally together and you know an old musical is the perfect thing (to drown out the already-passionate arguments about Brexit that are distracting you while you try and peel those spuds).

7. ‘Home Alone’

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When? Christmas Day at 5.50pm on Channel 4

Perfect for: when you need something everyone will agree on.

8. ‘The Holiday’

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When? Christmas Day at 11.15pm on Channel 4

Perfect for: when you’ve been drinking Bailey’s since about 2 in the afternoon, and what you really need is to do absolutely no thinking and laugh at Jude Law with a napkin on his head.

9. ‘Mary Poppins’

Disney/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

When? Boxing Day at 3.45pm on BBC One

Perfect for: getting your mum a bit misty-eyed with nostalgia.

10. ‘The Little Mermaid’

Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock

When? Boxing Day at 4.20pm on Channel 4

Perfect for: getting yourself a bit misty-eyed with nostalgia.

11. ‘A Royal Night Out’

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When? Boxing Day at 5.15pm on Channel 5

Perfect for: when you’ve been a bit liberal with the advocaat over the past few days, and you feel like reminding yourself that even the Queen is naughty sometimes.

12. ‘About A Boy’

Laurie Sparham/Working Title/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

When? 28 December at 11.05pm on Channel 4

Perfect for: when the festive season is starting to get “a bit much” and you feel like watching something you already know every word to as a bit of a comfort blanket.

13. ‘Footloose’

Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

When? 29 December at 5.10pm on Channel 5

Perfect for: if you feel like burning off a few of those packets of Maltesers with an aerobic routine around the living room.

14. ‘Gone Girl’

Merrick Morton/20th Century Fox/Regency/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

When? 29 December at 9.15pm on BBC One

Perfect for: when you finally snap and need to watch the least Christmassy film possible immediately.

15. ‘Pride And Prejudice’

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When? 30 December at 11.05pm on Channel 4

Perfect for: when you want to tell people you read something over the Christmas period, without actually having to read anything.

16. ‘Bedknobs And Broomsticks’

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When? New Year’s Eve at 1.40pm on BBC One

Perfect for: when ‘Little Women’ has put you on an Angela Lansbury kick, and repeats of ‘Murder She Wrote’ are starting to get a bit predictable.

17. ‘The Lego Movie’

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When? New Year’s Eve at 5pm on Channel 5

Perfect for: when you want one last film with all the family before the end of the year.

18. ‘Maleficent’

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When? New Year’s Day at 5pm on BBC One

Perfect for: when you’re still nursing a bad head from the night before, and you fancy watching someone in an even worse mood than you.

19. ‘Mrs Doubtfire’

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When? New Year’s Day at 5.30pm on Channel 4

Perfect for: anyone who wants to kick 2018 off with a big old laugh-fest.

20. ‘Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull’

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When? New Year’s Day at 11pm on Channel 4

Perfect for: when you’ll watch anything - anything! - to keep your mind off going back to work tomorrow.

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