The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse – Christmas Eve, BBC One, 4:55pm
This is beautiful. An animated adaptation of the children’s book by Charles Mackesy, it follows a lonely little boy who befriends a kindly mole in the snowy British countryside. They’re kindred spirits. “I think everyone feels a bit lost sometimes,” mutters the mole. “I know I do.” They meet a tethered fox, who would normally devour the mole under different circumstances, and a majestic white horse. “Life is difficult,” says the horse to his newfound friends, “but you are loved.” Mackesy’s treatise on loneliness and anxiety is told with poetic child-friendly sensitivity. It’s preceded on BBC Two at 3:55pm by Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, The Horse, and Me, a charming profile of the author/illustrator.
A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story – Christmas Day, BBC Four, 7pm
Mark Gatiss, that ghost of Christmas ever-present, is the brains behind this filmed stage adaptation of the Dickens classic. It’s beautifully done, a fine production. You know the story inside out, but Gatiss and co deliver their own little twists and tweaks. An immortal text, it will always be retold by people who understand its innate power. Gatiss was born to retell it. One gets the impression that he’s been working towards this moment throughout his entire life and career. If you have children in the house on Christmas Day, children who know nothing of Scrooge and his various iterations, then I daresay they’ll be bewitched. Sure, it’s no The Muppet Christmas Carol, but nothing beats that.
Ghosts – Christmas Day, BBC One, 7:25pm
I’m surprised it’s taken this long for Ghosts to take its rightful place in our Christmas Day schedules, as it quite obviously belongs there. A family-friendly sweet-treat. Still, here it finally is, so let’s all sing Hosanna (if you like). The ghosts decide to show their eternal thanks to Alison and Mike by performing a panto. As always, a few hiccups aside, the extended family band together. It all turns out fine in the end. The appeal of Ghosts lies in its seemingly effortless ability to fuse silliness, irony and earned emotion. Prepare yourselves, this year, for a certain ghost being reminded of their last Christmas as a corporeal entity. The pathos isn’t overcooked, it’s lovely.
Call the Midwife – Christmas Day, BBC One, 7:55pm
At the risk of sounding like a comforting ‘80s BBC continuity announcer, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a visit to Poplar. 1967 is almost at an end. The Summer of Love passed them by, they’re still recovering from a tragic train crash. But life goes on. The midwives swiftly move into a new maternity ward; there are babies, mothers, fathers and families in need. I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: you can always tell when someone who’s never actually watched Call the Midwife dismisses it as sentimental fluff. Blandness personified. Nah, it fuses that fluff with a certain amount of grit and a whole heap of empathy. Some good things are deservedly successful.
Doc Martin – Christmas Day, STV, 9:05pm
The end is nigh for this fondly regarded comedy-drama starring Martin Clunes as a lovably taciturn country medic. It’s been running on and off for eighteen years, a massive hit for ITV. But nothing lasts forever, not even comfortable ratings-winners. In this final episode, our lugubrious antihero closes down the village grotto when he begins to suspect that ‘Santa’ might be spreading a contagion. Cue much consternation and gnashing of teeth. This being Doc Martin, of course, everything comes up roses. We wouldn’t have it any other way. At 8:30pm on Thursday, fans can also enjoy ITV’s Farewell Doc Martin, a retrospective celebrating the whole merry shebang. It’ll live forever on ITVX and suchlike.
Detectorists – Boxing Day, BBC Two, 9pm
Writer/director Mackenzie Crook’s Detectorists is one of the best British sitcoms of recent years. It ended perfectly in 2017, but now it’s back for one final episode. Preview copies weren’t available, alas, but I trust Crook to deliver the goods. He wouldn’t unearth this cherished gemstone, this self-evident labour of love, if he didn’t feel it deserved to see the light of day. The Danebury Metal Detecting Club is in dire straits. Property developers are sniffing around its soil. Disaster beckons until Lance (Toby Jones) secures permission to search ten acres of undetected land. Can he reverse the fortunes of the DMDC? Is that expedition worth the effort if it irreversibly threatens his friendship with Andy (Crook)?
Mayflies – Tuesday and Wednesday, BBC Scotland, 10pm/Wednesday and Thursday, BBC One, 9pm
A two-part adaptation of Andrew O’Hagan’s acclaimed novel, this for me is one of the obvious festive TV highlights. The synopsis doesn’t sound very Christmassy, I know: Jimmy (Martin Compston) is a successful Ayrshire-born author based in London. One day, out of the blue, Tully (Tony Curran), his best friend since adolescence, calls him back home. Tully has terminal cancer and refuses treatment. He wants to go out his way. Tully asks Jimmy to help him put his final affairs in order. First step: Tully marries his girlfriend (Ashley Jensen). Mayflies is being shown at this time of year because it’s a touching, witty, warm and authentic meditation on enduring friendship and love. It reminds us of what’s important.
