TV schedule and listings for Boxing Day, 26th December
Outnumbered is back after eight years off our screens, but that's not the only festive TV treat this Boxing Day.
Christmas Day may be over, but the festivities continue on Boxing Day this year, with plenty of Christmas specials and films to sink your teeth into.
The main event for many will be the return of Outnumbered after eight years off our screens, with the Brockman family all returning for a one-off Christmas reunion of the parenting comedy.
Meanwhile, Call the Midwife fans will no doubt be desperate for the resolution to the two-part Christmas special which started last night – thankfully, they don't have to wait long, with part 2 airing at 7:30pm today.
There are also a host of entertainment show specials on the schedule, from Blankety Blank to The Masked Singer and The 1% Club.
If you're looking for something a bit different, then Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical is having its TV premiere on BBC One today, airing at 5:45pm.
Read on for our full list of highlights from the 2024 Boxing Day TV schedule.
TV schedule and listings for 26th December
Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical – 5:45pm, BBC One
This 2022 film adapts Tim Minchin's musical take on Roald Dahl's classic book, Matilda, and stars Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough.
Alisha Weir plays Matilda Wormwood, a little girl with a vivid imagination and the worst parents in the world, who spends her time losing herself in books. When she starts attending Crunchem Hall, she finds it is an oppressive institution led by the villainous Miss Trunchbull, leading Matilda to take a stand for what is right and teach Trunchbull a lesson she won’t forget.
Call the Midwife Christmas special part 2 – 7:30pm, BBC One
This second part of the Call the Midwife Christmas special will pick up right where part 1 left off, with fans desperate to the cliffhanger's resolution.
All we know so far about the second part of the special is that it will see Shelagh helping a family battle against appalling poverty, while Rosalind comes face to face with an escaped convict, and romance is on the cards for Nancy. The show's creator Heidi Thomas has said this year's two-part special "felt like a lovely opportunity to give people more of something they love" – so fans can expect all the usual mix of warmth, sadness and joy that the show provides.
The Masked Singer Christmas special – 7:30pm, ITV1
This festive special of the hit celebrity singing contest/gameshow is once again hosted Joel Dommett, with panellists Jonathan Ross and Mo Gilligan returning. They are joined for this episode by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, as four celebrities compete undercover in Christmas-inspired costumes.
The masked singers battling it out in this special include Christmas Cracker, Star, Turkey Crown and Nutcracker, but only one of them will be crowned as champion, as the panel of detectives try to unwrap their festive faces.
Blankety Blank Christmas special – 9pm, BBC One
Bradley Walsh hosts this Christmas edition of the popular BBC One gameshow, and is joined by a new set of celebrities to join in the fun.
Those taking part in this special include Loose Women's Jane McDonald, Strictly Come Dancing's Oti Mabuse, The Masked Singer's Joel Dommett, broadcaster Jonathan Ross, comedian Sara Pascoe and RuPaul's Drag Race UK's The Vivienne, as they help contestants in their aims of taking home some incredible prizes.
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The 1% Club Christmas special – 9pm, ITV1
This festive edition of the hit quiz show follows on from another recent set of new episodes, and will of course see Lee Mack return as host.
As usual, the special instalment will see contestants hoping to take home the Prize Pot and earn themselves a place in The 1% Club – answering a question that only one per cent of the population and can, and becoming part of an elite group of people who can honestly say they’re smarter than 99% of the population.
Outnumbered Christmas special – 9:40pm, BBC One
Eight years after the last Christmas special aired, Hugh Dennis, Claire Skinner, Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche and Ramona Marquez return for a new outing of the beloved parenting comedy.
The special sees Sue and Pete gathering all their children, and one grandchild, to try to celebrate a traditional family Christmas in their new, smaller house.
While the parents are dealing with an uninvited house guest who is overstaying their welcome, Jake is trying to juggle working from home while raising an energetic three-year-old, Ben is planning a big adventure, and Karen is frustrated in both her professional and personal life.
Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
