The festive season brings a tidal wave of new television and cinema releases, which can often feel more exhausting than exciting. To help you navigate the deluge, we've curated the essential highlights from this year's Christmas and New Year schedule, ensuring you spend your downtime with the best on offer.
Blockbuster Cinema and Streaming Events
This Christmas, major streaming services and cinemas are pulling out all the stops. Netflix aims to dominate the holiday once again with Wake Up Dead Man, the third chapter in the popular Knives Out mystery series. While it may not reach the dizzying heights of the 2019 original, Daniel Craig's return as the flamboyant detective Benoit Blanc promises a star-studded, stylish whodunnit. He investigates the murder of a tyrannical priest played by Josh Brolin, with suspects including Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, and Andrew Scott.
In cinemas, James Cameron's epic Avatar: Fire and Ash continues the saga of Pandora. Though critical reception has cooled slightly since The Way of Water, the visual spectacle remains undeniable. The story follows grieving parents Jake and Neytiri, played by Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña, as they face a new threat from a villainess portrayed by Oona Chaplin.
For high-octane entertainment, Apple TV+ strategically releases its summer blockbuster F1 for the festive period. Starring Brad Pitt as a veteran driver mentoring a young team led by Damson Idris, this Jerry Bruckheimer-produced film is a pure, adrenaline-fuelled throwback.
Festive Specials and British Comedy
British screens will be filled with homegrown humour and heartwarming tales. The BBC's Amandaland Christmas special on Christmas Day at 9.15pm delivers a treat for comedy fans, featuring the first scripted reunion of Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley since Absolutely Fabulous.
Channel 4 offers a unique blend of nostalgia and baking with The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off on Christmas Day at 8pm. Most of the original cast, including Olivia Colman and David Mitchell, reunite in the tent for the first time in a decade, though Robert Webb will be absent.
For a touching family drama, Netflix presents Goodbye June from Christmas Eve. This marks Kate Winslet's directorial debut, featuring a script by her son, Joe Anders. The film stars Winslet, Andrea Riseborough, and Toni Collette as siblings gathering around their dying mother, played by Helen Mirren.
Another Channel 4 highlight is Finding Father Christmas on Christmas Eve at 7.30pm. Bafta-winner Lenny Rush stars as a teenager who still believes in Santa, with James Buckley as his father trying to break the news, supported by a cast including Greg Davies and Stephen Fry.
Post-Christmas Binges and New Year Thrills
The period between Christmas and New Year is packed with major releases. Netflix drops the second volume of Stranger Things Season 5 on Boxing Day, building towards the series finale on New Year's Day. This marks the end of the era for the global phenomenon.
Cinema-goers can choose between highbrow and lowbrow with two releases from 26 December. Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie, is a thrilling sports comedy starring Timothée Chalamet as an obsessive ping-pong prodigy, featuring a notable return to acting for Gwyneth Paltrow. On the other end of the spectrum, the comedy reboot Anaconda stars Paul Rudd and Jack Black in what promises to be a knowingly silly creature feature.
New Year's Day on the BBC is particularly strong. At 6.30pm, Sir David Attenborough presents the special one-off Wild London, a personal exploration of the city's wildlife filmed during his centennial year. This is followed at 8pm by the highly anticipated return of The Traitors with a new cast of civilian players. The evening concludes at 9.05pm with the long-awaited second season of The Night Manager, seeing Tom Hiddleston's Jonathan Pine drawn back into a dangerous world of espionage.
Other notable picks include the musical Christmas Karma starring Kunal Nayyar, the festive comedy Tinsel Town with Kiefer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson, and the return of the brilliant family sitcom Here We Go for a New Year's Eve special on BBC One.
