http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/med...as/bbcone.html

Absolutely Fabulous (2 episodes)
BBC Sports Personality Of The Year 2011
The Borrowers
The Christmas Big Sing
Doctor Who Christmas Special
EastEnders
Equestrian: Olympia – Puissance
Fern Britton Meets ... Brian Blessed
Frozen Planet Christmas Special
Great Expectations (3 episodes)
The Gruffalo's Child
Lost Christmas
Merlin (2 episodes)
Midnight Mass
Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas Special
Strictly Come Dancing – Final
Strictly Come Dancing – Results
Young Herriot (3 episodes)

I'm not sure if some 'extended' descriptions have been held back, but not everything is listed there on the main PI page.

thanks for posting

ITV must be giving Mama Mia an airing at Christmas, after it's 6m rating one Saturday in April. Could do ok.

Quantum of Solace could get another showing perhaps too.

Any Harry Potter premieres imminent for ITV ? (and yes, I know they are not likely to feature at Christmas)

BBC have commissioned Series 3 of Mrs Brown's Boys before Series 2 has even aired.

Worried to see The Christmas Big Sing in the highlights!

They'd better not air it on Sunday 25th at 5pm, like it did on the corresponding Sunday last year (Boxing Day). No later than noon on the big day, please...

Surprised that all 3 episodes of Great Expectations and Young Herriot are slated to air in the 17-31st fortnight.

Makes me think both those shows are going to start on Sunday 18th - but presumably not if Downton ends up on that day.

I have to say Joanna Lumley looks rather hot on that press pack photo in her leather outfit.

She's 65, same age as my dad...

I see the special is described as ep1/7, so it is clearly the opener for the new series - which means two eps of MBB over Christmas.

I'd go for late night Christmas Day, New Year's Day and thereafter on Saturdays at 10pm before MOTD.

What about Sun 25th, Mon 26th, Tue 27th for GE?

Deleted (double post)

Bit heavy for Christmas Night?

And a likely Downton clash...

I see it getting the similiar slots to Upstairs Downstairs last year, which were, Mon 27th, Tue 28th, Wed 29th. Maybe starting Boxing Day if going off day, not date.

Where's your gung-ho spirit Robbie?

I can see Mon 19th, Boxing Day and Bank Holiday Monday 2nd at 9pm.

Granted that would only mean 2 eps airing in the 17-31st window.

In addition to these I spotted several new mentions.

Sue Johnston stars in a new heart warming Christmas comedy, Lapland. No mention of The Royle Family though. Michael McIntyre Christmas Special to look forward to and Christmas editions of Mrs Brown’s Boys, Rev., Outnumbered, John Bishop’s Britain, Have I Got News For You and The Graham Norton Show. Christmas edition of Holby City, Film premiers on BBC One include Tropic Thunder, Monsters Vs Aliens, Ratatouille, Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa.

The One will celebrate the careers of three comedy legends - Jasper Carrott, Griff Rhys Jones and Lenny Henry. Each will be the focus of their own special show featuring a mix of old and new characters, great sketches and big name guest stars. On top of this there will be a Question of Sport Special as well as a Winter Wipeout and Top Of The Pops Christmas Special which will be packed with performances from the brightest pop stars from 2011. There will also be a special screening of Take That’s recent Progress Live tour, which was recorded earlier this year at the City of Manchester Stadium.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/christmas/

The last time Christmas Day fell on a Sunday (2005) Songs Of Praise was shown at 11am on BBC1 with a repeat at 5.45pm on BBC2. The Big Sing may well get similar treatment.

Thanks a lot rzt.

The Chase continues to do well in that slot, with the week off not really affecting it. YBF is doing OK but I don't think there's a massive overlap between the audiences of it and The Chase, so starting after Strictly is probably denting it a bit.

rzt you wouldn't happen to know how Masterchef Australia rates on Watch by any chance? I'm always interested in how these digital channels do, considering it did very well I believe with there Dynamo series...?

As others have noted, if The Gadget Show presenters are going to faff around Morocco, people aren't going to tune in. If you do an episode where they try and get the best value gadgets on a £150 - £200 budget, over a million watch. Lesson learned hopefully.

A disastrous night for the Manchester clubs in the Champions League. Basel play Manchester United on December 7th (a potential very big audience on ITV1), and defeat for United will likely see them dumped from the Champions League in the group stages! Manchester City are at home to Bayern Munich on the same night, but their fate is out of their hands, as they are relying from help elsewhere.
So the prospect is there for the Europa League on Thursday nights to get some unexpected big names.

It fluctuates around 200k most days.

Is that good for the channel?

Yeah. Apart from Dynamo, it usually gets the highest ratings for the channel every week and dominates their Top 10 per week

A bit of festive fantasy scheduling. Can't be bothered doing the whole lot, but here's a few thoughts on the key days:

Xmas Eve

4.40 BBC News
5.00 CBBC: The Lost Christmas
6.30 Merlin (13/13)
7.15 Lapland
8.45 EastEnders
9.15 The One... Jasper Carrott
10.15 Absolutely Fabulous (1/2) [hook them in on Christmas Eve whilst ITV has its telethon and the BBC is cleaning up, before 2/2 tomorrow night]
10.45 National Lottery Draws
11.00 BBC News
11.20 Midnight Mass

Xmas Day

[assumes ITV go 7.0 Em, 8.0 CS, 9.0 DA]

3.10 Film: Monsters vs Aliens
4.40 Frozen Planet Highlights [penguins, snow, family, alcohol, post lunch stupor, new HD telly - ideal viewing]
5.40 News
5.50 The Gruffalo's Child
6.20 EastEnders
7.00 Doctor Who
8.00 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
9.00 EastEnders
9.40 The Royal Bodyguard (1/6)
10.10 Absolutely Fabulous (2/2)
10.40 BBC News
10.50 Mrs Brown's Boys (1/7)
11.20 Michael Macintyre's Christmas Comedy Roadshow
12.05 Christmas Reflection
12.10 late film

Boxing Day

3.30 Film: Ratatouille
5.10 News
5.30 Winter Wipeout
6.30 The Borrowers
8.00 EastEnders
8.30 A Question of Sport Christmas Special
9.00 Great Expectations (2/3)
10.00 Outnumbered
10.45 News
11.00 MOTD

[Tues-Fri omitted, but Young Herriott could air at 9pm on Tuesdays 20th, 27th and 3rd; a film on the Wednesday, The One...Griff Rhys Jones on Thursday, and John Bishop's Christmas and Live at the Apollo on the Friday]

NYE

4.50 News
5.10 Film: Shrek the Third
6.40 Jim'll Fix it
7.10 Total Wipeout
8.10 The One...Lenny Henry
9.10 National Lottery Draws
9.20 BBC News
9.35 MOTD
10.55 The Graham Norton New Year's Eve Show
11.45 New Year Live

NYD

6.10 News
6.30 Countryfile Special
7.30 EastEnders
8.00 The Royal Bodyguard (2/6) [and subsequent Sundays]
8.30 Sherlock (1/3) [and subsequent Sundays]
10.00 Mrs Brown's Boys (2/7) [moving to 10pm Saturdays thereafter]
10.30 BBC News

Might do a big fantasy schedule sometime but I think Young James Herriot will go Sun 18th/Mon 19th/Tue 20th or a day later depending on Downton. Great Expectations I think will be Boxing Day/Tues 27th/Wed 28th.

Is Lost Christmas CBBC?

You missed EastEnders On New Years eve and the usual Double Episode New years day which are going to be massive with

I don't think 3 part stripped dramas work, not at Christmas anyway when folk are in and out. Fine for a week of stripped drama in June or November. I do think Upstairs Downstairs would have done even better last year if it hadn't aired in one lump over 3 days.

I think Herriot would match up nicely with Holby, and Great Expectations on the Mondays could exploit 3 (possibly) weak Monday 9pm slots for ITV1.

The BBC press pack says The Lost Christmas is a CBBC commission, and is set on Christmas Eve, so I'm assuming it will air at teatime. Perhaps, like Just William, it might air at lunchtime....