For the first time since 2019 BC (Before Covid), Christmas is starting to look like Christmas again. Employees will humiliate themselves at festive work parties. Families will guiltlessly gather around the dinner table. For a few years now, these traditions have been out of reach, but the thing that’s been a constant, and is back again this year, is Christmas TV. Whether it’s worth watching, though, is less of a sure thing.
As a festive gift from us to you, we’ve watched a selection of some of the biggest shows that are on the way, so we can help you choose what to prioritise between glasses of sherry and naps on the couch. From the return of Happy Valley after a six-year hiatus and the arrival of new drama Without Sin, to the court-case-inspired comedy Vardy v Rooney, here’s what you can expect on your screens this Christmas…
I Hate Suzie Too
On Sky Atlantic and NOW on 20 December
The actual truth is that no one hates Suzie. Because Billie Piper and Lucy Prebble’s Bafta-nominated series about the post-divorce adult life of child star Suzie Pickles is wonderful. Happily, a second series is arriving in time for Christmas and it’s just as good as the first one. OK, the fact it starts with Suzie self-administering a home abortion isn’t massively festive, but her quest for redemption on a celeb TV dance show is a hoot. It’s kaleidoscopic, smart, and still full of excellent fluffy jumpers. Jessie Thompson
Detectorists
On BBC Two and iPlayer on Boxing Day
Mackenzie Crook’s eminently endearing sitcom, about the lives of two metal detectorists who comb the English countryside for treasure, returns for a one-off Christmas special on BBC Two. Eschewing a festive backdrop for a more evergreen approach, the episode sees Lance (Toby Jones) and Andy (Crook) stumble upon a find of potential archaeological significance. Rachael Stirling, meanwhile, turns in a reliably winning performance as Andy’s wife, Becky. Diehard fans may be left pining for more, but the gentle, off-beat humour that defined the first three seasons of Detectorists is neatly decanted into this 75-minute-long swansong. Louis Chilton
Riches
On ITVX on 22 December
For many, Christmas often comes with a healthy side serving of family quarrelling. Riches provides the fictional kind in droves. With a wealthy, fragmented clan at its centre, this six-part drama from Inventing Anna screenwriter Abby Ajayi introduces the Richards family, who are rocked by the sudden death of patriarch Stephen (Hugh Quarshie). As the CEO of family-run Black haircare business Flair and Glory, Stephen’s demise sets off a battle royale for control over the company. From Dynasty to Succession, we’ve seen rich relatives go toe-to-toe in the boardroom many times over. Riches isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel, but it could be just the ticket if you’re after some light, soapy silliness. Nicole Vassell
Happy Valley
On BBC One and iPlayer on New Year’s Day
Any fear that Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) had lost any of her pithy bite in the six years she’s been off the screen are dispelled mere seconds into episode one of the third and final series of Happy Valley. The show, written by Sally Wainwright, is back at long last – and, we’re thankful to report, is as watchable as ever. It’s equally as tense, too, with the series exploring Tommy Lee Royce’s (James Norton) tightening hold over his now-teenage son, Catherine’s grandson Ryan, played by Rhys Connah. If this really is Happy Valley’s final hurrah, it seems it’ll be going out on a high. Jacob Stolworthy
Without Sin
Wayne Rooney (Dion Lloyd) and Coleen Rooney (Chanel Cresswell) in ‘Vardy v Rooney’
On ITVX on 28 December
If you can get past Vicky McClure’s very distracting silvery wig, Without Sin might be one of the most gripping things you watch this Christmas. But it’s not very Christmassy at all. A mesmerising McClure stars as a grieving mother who, as part of a restorative justice scheme, comes face to face with the man convicted of her teenage daughter’s murder (McClure’s This is England co-star Johnny Harris). But there’s a twist. He’s not looking for forgiveness; he’s looking for the truth. Expect sad sex, missing children and howling on motorway bridges. Someone pass the sherry. Ellie Harrison
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
On BBC One and iPlayer on Christmas Eve
Wholesome viewing: ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’
Martin Compston in ‘The Rig’
