The broadcasts that set the clock
Some programmes are less shows than national rituals. In the United Kingdom, the monarch's Christmas message at 3pm has structured the afternoon since George V spoke on the radio in 1932; Elizabeth II gave the first televised address in 1957. In Sweden, families gather at the same hour on Christmas Eve for Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul, Disney's 1958 compilation From All of Us to All of You, which SVT has shown every year since 1960. Germany has its own odd tradition at the other end of the holidays: Dinner for One, a short British sketch recorded in 1963 by the broadcaster NDR, is screened every New Year's Eve, and "the same procedure as every year" is quoted across the country.
The great British Christmas special
British comedy treated Christmas Day as its cup final. The Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show of 1977 is still quoted as one of the most watched broadcasts in British history. The Only Fools and Horses episode "Time on Our Hands", broadcast in 1996, in which the Trotters finally become millionaires, drew an audience widely reported at over 24 million. Later decades brought The Vicar of Dibley, the long-awaited Gavin & Stacey special of 2019 and, from 2005, an annual run of Doctor Who Christmas episodes beginning with "The Christmas Invasion".
Rowan Atkinson's "Merry Christmas Mr. Bean" (1992), with its turkey-on-the-head scene, has become a family favourite thanks to its near-silent comedy, which crosses languages and generations with ease.
American sitcom Christmases
American series built the holiday episode into the rhythm of every season. The Simpsons began life as a full series with "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", broadcast on 17 December 1989. Seinfeld's "The Strike" (1997) gave the world Festivus, "a Festivus for the rest of us", complete with aluminium pole and the Airing of Grievances. Friends offered "The One with the Holiday Armadillo" (2000), and the American The Office staged its "Christmas Party" in 2005 with a disastrous Yankee Swap. Community went further with "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" (2010), animated entirely in stop-motion as a tribute to Rankin/Bass.
Oddities and one-offs
Not every special became a treasure. The Star Wars Holiday Special aired once on CBS in November 1978 and was never officially repeated, which only made it more legendary. Far happier was the 1977 broadcast of Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, in which Crosby and David Bowie sang "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" together, a duet that later became a hit record and a festive radio staple.
Making TV part of your programme
Episodes are ideal for nights when a full film feels like too much. Pair two sitcom episodes for an hour of comfort, or build a "Christmas Day schedule" evening, with a short, a special and a classic film, in the spirit of the old listings magazines. Many specials circulate on streaming services in December, though availability changes by country and year, so check before promising anyone their favourite.