As Christmas Eve arrives, television schedules offer a perfect blend of festive chills, chaotic fun, and heart-warming tradition. From a spine-tingling ghost story to celebrity sewing mayhem and a reflective midnight mass, here is your essential guide to an evening of standout viewing.
A Sinister Tale for Christmas Eve
For those seeking a traditional chill, BBC Two at 10pm presents A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Room in the Tower. This delightfully creepy adaptation is the work of Mark Gatiss, who brings a short story by E.F. Benson to life. The drama stars Tobias Menzies as Roger Winstanley, a man haunted since childhood by a peculiar recurring dream.
Set during the Blitz, with flashbacks to an earlier era, the story finds Winstanley sharing his troubling vision with a stranger in an air raid shelter. As bombs shake the ground, the line between imagination and grim reality becomes dangerously blurred. The cast also features the esteemed Joanna Lumley, promising a frightfully good performance to haunt your Christmas Eve.
Festive Fun and Uplifting Adventures
Earlier in the evening, BBC One at 7.25pm hosts The Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas Special. Expect delicious chaos as a new batch of hapless celebrities takes on needles and thread. Comedians Lucy Beaumont and Susan Wokoma join new host Sophie Willan, bringing a Taskmaster-style vibe to the workroom.
They are joined by Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke and Gladiators star Tom Wilson, all stepping far out of their comfort zones. For a charming family adventure, turn to Channel 4 at 7.30pm for Finding Father Christmas. It stars BAFTA-winning Lenny Rush as Chris, a 16-year-old who refuses to stop believing.
Despite home truths from his dad, played by James Buckley, Chris embarks on a voyage of discovery. His quest involves consulting the big-brained expertise of space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock, mathematician Professor Hannah Fry, and special forces veteran Jason Fox.
More Unmissable Evening Viewing
For pure, wholesome entertainment, Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse return with Gone Christmas Fishing on BBC Two at 9pm. This year, the duo—accompanied by Ted the dog—are in Devon and Cornwall, heading out to sea where mishaps often await. Back on land, they are joined by comedy legend Dawn French and Dr Anand Patel.
At 10pm on BBC One, the Two Doors Down Christmas Special makes a welcome return. The slow-burn Scottish sitcom sees the Baird family's slightly early tree-trimming signal the start of festivities for the neighbourhood. Arabella Weir stars as Beth, who must host a house full of neighbours debating Fairytale of New York and requesting mince pies.
The evening concludes on a reflective note with Midnight Mass From Our Lady of the English Martyrs, Cambridge, on BBC One at 11.50pm. Live from one of the UK's largest Roman Catholic churches, this traditional first mass of the nativity features Mozart’s Coronation Mass, carols, and the blessing of the crib.
Film Highlights for Christmas Eve
Streaming services and terrestrial TV also offer cinematic gems. On Netflix, Kate Winslet’s directorial debut Goodbye June (2025) is a tear-stained family drama set in the lead-up to Christmas. It boasts a stellar cast including Helen Mirren, Timothy Spall, Toni Collette, and Winslet herself.
For classic film lovers, BBC Two at 9am screens Orson Welles's masterpiece Citizen Kane (1941), a tragic tale of power and loss. Later, ITV1 at 1.35pm offers the timeless family favourite ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Steven Spielberg's heart-warming story of a boy and his alien friend remains a stone-cold classic capable of reducing viewers to emotional puddles.
