Christmas offers a diverse range of television dramas this year, including new productions and traditional Christmas specials. Noteworthy among them are Sky’s reinterpretation of Mozart’s life and the much-anticipated finale of Stranger Things, reports BritPanorama.
The festive schedule also features a double bill of Call the Midwife, a holiday visit to James Herriot’s Yorkshire in All Creatures Great and Small, and a sunny episode in Saint Marie on Death in Paradise.
Significantly, the return of the 2016 drama The Night Manager has generated considerable excitement, with Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman reprising their original roles.
Here’s a closer look at the dramas airing this Christmas:
Amadeus
Sunday 21 December, 9pm, Sky Atlantic
Peter Shaffer’s celebrated play depicting the rivalry between musical prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Will Sharpe) and the lesser-known Antonio Salieri (Paul Bettany) is now adapted for television. The story opens with Mozart’s arrival in Vienna, determined to shake up the classical music scene, much to the chagrin of the devout Salieri, who plots to undermine him.
Beyond Paradise
Sunday 21 December, 9pm, BBC One
This Christmas, the detectives of Shipton Abbott confront a perplexing case when Esther (Zahra Ahmadi) finds a man suffering from amnesia on the police station steps, clutching a photograph linked to DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall). Meanwhile, Martha (Sally Bretton) has a secret plan in motion, alongside PC Kelby Hartford (Dylan Llewellyn), who helps a person trapped in a snowman costume.
The Madame Blanc Mysteries
Tuesday 23rd December, 8pm, 5
Sally Lindsay returns as Jean, the antique dealer turned sleuth in Sainte Victoire. This Christmas, her festivities take an unexpected turn when she is invited to authenticate a historically significant box belonging to Marie Antoinette, only to discover a ticking bomb inside it. Jean must race against time to defuse the explosive.
All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special
Christmas Eve, 9pm, 5
This adaptation of James Herriot’s memoirs reaches the festive period of Christmas 1945, marking the first celebration after World War II. However, complications ensue: Christmas dinner supplies are limited, Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) forgets the Christmas tree, and with Helen (Rachel Shenton) unwell, James (Nicholas Ralph) takes charge of organizing the Nativity play, setting the stage for a chaotic holiday.
A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Room in the Tower
Christmas Eve, 10pm, BBC Two
Mark Gatiss presents his latest ghost tale, featuring acclaimed actors Dame Joanna Lumley and The Crown’s Tobias Menzies. The adaptation follows a man haunted by recurring nightmares, ultimately leading to an ominous invitation to stay in a tower where the nightmare may become reality.
Call the Midwife
Christmas Day, 8.15pm and Boxing Day, 8.30pm
This year’s festive episodes of Call the Midwife bring a significant twist, as one episode unfolds in Hong Kong amidst a crisis, requiring the midwives of Nonnatus House to assist displaced orphans and mothers. Meanwhile, back in Poplar, Christmas festivities include a parade, where Trixie and her team are dressed as angels on a float.
