Christmas TV Guide 2022: Our pick of the Christmas TV listings
Dec 17 | 14 min readWrapped all the presents? Bought all the food for the big day? Well now it’s time to relax.
Enjoy a calm and cosy festive film treat with the whole family with our pick of the best children’s Christmas movies and TV shows for this holiday season.
Plus, don't miss our round up of the 5 best family films on Netflix for Christmas 2022.
1. The Smeds and The Smoos
BBC / Magic Light
The Smeds and The Smoos is the next animated adventure from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler to be adapted for the BBC for its now traditional Christmas Day schedule.
The alien love story boasts a voice cast including Oscar-nominee Sally Hawkins as the Narrator, as well as Adjoa Andoh, Bill Bailey, Meera Syal and Rob Brydon.
The plot follows a young Smed and Smoo who fall in love, which their families strongly disapprove of, with the childrens' film having a powerful message of love and acceptance.
The Smeds and The Smoos will air on BBC One on December 25, Christmas Day, at 2.30pm.
2. Little Red Riding Hood: After Ever After
David Walliams returns to Christmas TV with another installment of After Ever After, this time based on Little Red Riding Hood, starring Britain's Got Talent comedian Jack Carroll (above on set).
Fifty years after the events of the classic fairy-tale, a grown-up Red Riding Hood has established a fearsome reputation within the village of Wolferton as a deadly Wolf Buster, hunting down wolves with her Wolf Blaster and ridding them from the forest forever.
Previous After Ever After TV specials - which look at what happens after the classic fairy tales end - have included Hansel & Gretel, Jack And The Beanstalk and Cinderella.
Little Red Riding Hood: After Ever After will air on Sky Max and NOW on Friday 23 December at 8pm.
3. Christmas on Mistletoe Farm
Netflix
From the makers of Nativity! comes Christmas on Mistletoe Farm, a festive family flick about love, animals and friendship - and finding the Christmas spirit in the unlikeliest places.
After inheriting a farm at Christmastime, a widowed father makes a bumpy adjustment to village life while his kids hatch a plan to stay there forever.
Scott Garnham, Scott Paige, Celia Imrie and Ashley Jensen - who starred alongside Martin Freeman in the original Nativity! film - lead the cast of this feel-good Christmas movie.
Christmas on Mistletoe Farm premieres November 23 on Netflix.
4. The Amazing Maurice
This Sky Original family film - based on Terry Pratchett's book - follows Maurice, a streetwise ginger cat who comes up with a money-making scam by befriending a group of self-taught talking rats.
When Maurice and the rodents reach the stricken town of Bad Blintz, they meet a bookworm called Malicia and their little con soon goes down the drain.
The Amazing Maurice boasts a voice cast including Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, Himesh Patel, Joe Sugg, Gemma Arterton, David Tennant, Hugh Bonneville and Ariyon Bakare.
The Amazing Maurice is available to watch on Sky Cinema and NOW from December 16.
5. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Based on the best-selling book series by Bernard Waber, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a live-action/CGI musical comedy that brings this beloved character to a new, global audience.
When the Primm family moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his life, until he discovers Lyle - a singing crocodile (Shawn Mendes) - in his attic.
But when Lyle’s existence is threatened by evil neighbor Mr. Grumps, the Primms must band together with Lyle’s charismatic owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem), to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is available to pre-order on Prime Video to buy from November 28.
It will also be available on the BT Store at a date to be confirmed.
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6. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
BBC Media Centre
Charlie Mackesy’s internationally bestselling illustrated book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse will captivate young audiences on the BBC this Christmas.
The short film brings to life the magic of the original book – with Charlie Mackesy’s distinctive illustrations reimagined in full colour with hand-drawn traditional animation.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse takes audiences of all ages on an extraordinary, poignant and heartfelt journey this festive season, following the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse as they journey together in the boy’s search for home.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse will air on BBC One on December 24, Christmas Eve, at 4.55pm.
7. Gangsta Granny Strikes Again!
An adaptation of the hugely popular 2021 children’s book written by David Walliams, Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! follows Ben as he is stunned to learn of another spate of thefts - with all the clues pointing to The Black Cat, better known to Ben as Granny!
Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! features a stellar cast which includes David himself as Dad, Sheridan Smith (Four Lives, Cleaning Up) as Mum, and young Archie Yates (Jojo Rabbit, Home Sweet Home Alone) as grandson Ben.
The comedy drama is the sequel to the 2013 BBC One movie Gangsta Granny.
Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! will premiere on CBBC on Friday 16 December at 5.30pm.
It's repeated on BBC One on Monday 19 December at 4.15pm.
8. The CBeebies Christmas Panto: Dick Whittington and His Cat
BBC / CBeebies
CBeebies is once again taking to the stage for Christmas 2022, with a unique adaptation of Dick Whittington and His Cat.
Recorded in front of a live audience at Eastbourne’s Congress Theatre, the show will be bursting with catchy songs, festive fun, and a host of CBeebies stars, making it a theatrical treat for the whole family.
The audience will join our heroes as they travel to London for the Lord Mayor’s Christmas parade, only to discover a trio of cheeky rats are intent on ruining everyone’s fun. Can Dick and his cat save the parade with the help of all their CBeebies Friends?
The CBeebies Christmas Panto: Dick Whittington and His Cat will premiere on CBeebies on Saturday 17 December at 9am.
CBeebies Panto is also in cinemas across the UK from Friday 2 December.
9. Dodger Christmas Special
CBBC
Family drama Dodger - based on Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist - is set to return for fun-filled adventures, including a Christmas special.
After its successful first series run, Billy Jenkins (Peaky Blinders, The Crown) returns as Dodger, alongside Fagin, played by Christopher Eccleston (The A Word, The Leftovers).
The Christmas special will take viewers on a festive adventure, as Dodger embarks on a secret rescue mission and the gang organise a festive hijack of 200 turkeys, whilst also unwittingly crashing a Christmas party at none other than No. 10 Downing Street.
Dodger Christmas Special will air on CBBC on Sunday 4 December at 5.35pm.
10. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
The third film in the Fantastic Beasts franchise follows Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), who knows that the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world.
Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s legion of followers.
But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is available to watch on Sky Cinema and NOW from Christmas Day, December 25.
