On Christmas Day, millions of families will settle down together, with a tipple or two, to digest the turkey, sprouts and pigs in blankets and enjoy the delights of this year’s festive TV.
It might not quite be on the scale of days gone by, but it’s still the highlight for many of us.
So we thought we’d count down our top 10 all-time favourite Christmas television.
With only 10 on the list, we’ve obviously had to make some pretty tough decisions about which ones to leave out.
Sadly, there is no place for Downton Abbey, Call The Midwife or the classic Morecambe & Wise shows which really set the bar for everything that followed.
We also couldn’t quite squeeze in Mrs Brown’s Boys with the matriarch’s annual tribulations with mechanical Christmas trees, The Simpsons, EastEnders’ Dirty Den handing Angie Watts her divorce papers or any of the Doctor Who festive specials.
So, without further ado, pour yourself a sherry, grab a mince pie and enjoy this stroll through the TV of Christmas past.
10) The Snowman
Ever since Channel 4 aired this dialogue-free, half-hour animation in 1982, it has become a staple at Christmastime.
It later spawned a sequel, The Snowman and the Snowdog. The original is of course best remembered for the choral classic Walking in the Air.
And as we all know by now, Aled Jones isn’t the kid singing. It’s a St Paul’s choirboy named Peter Auty.
9) Blackadder’s Christmas Carol
This is the first of two appearances by Rowan Atkinson in this countdown, appearing as Ebenezer Blackadder, the nicest man in all of Victorian England, in a Charles Dickens parody.
Robbie Coltrane’s Spirit of Christmas takes him on the traditional journey through time, only for it to backfire and Ebenezer to realise he could be all-powerful if he wasn’t so generous and selfless.
8) Only Fools and Horses
The most cherished Christmas episode has to be Time on our Hands, where Del and Rodney finally become millionaires.
The scene where Delboy faints on hearing the starting value of their priceless watch at auction is worth it in itself.
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