Christmas TV Comedy Guide 2012
Christmas is fast approaching. Here's a guide to some of the comedy that'll be on TV over the festive period. It's not looking like a golden year for new shows if we're honest, but there are still a few potential treats in store, and some great repeats like Morecambe & Wise.
At the time of writing, the latter part of the schedule hasn't been officially confirmed and timings may slightly shift next week. We'll endeavour to update this page if so.
Friday 21st December 2012
A Christmas special of the panel show. Paul Merton and Ian Hislop are joined by guest host Daniel Radcliffe and guest panellists including Andy Hamilton.
Sarah Millican, Danny Baker and Phill Jupitus join Stephen Fry and Alan Davies for a Christmas themed episode of the brainy quiz show. This episode is titled 'Jingle Bells'.
A Christmas themed episode of Graham Norton's comic chat show. Hollywood star Dustin Hoffman and Billy Connolly will be talking about their new movie Quartet; Ab Fab queen Jennifer Saunders chats about new Spice Girls musical Viva Forever; and Time Lord Matt Smith tells Graham about the Christmas Day Doctor Who. With music from Amy Macdonald.
An episode of the panel show on ITV1, as part of the channel's Text Santa night. Joining the panel are Davina McCall, Olympic medallist and Strictly Come Dancing favourite Louis Smith, JLS star Aston Merrygold, Stacey Solomon and the inspiration behind 'Steve McDonald had a farm', Coronation Street favourite Simon Gregson. There are also special Christmas highlights shows, A Celebrity Juicemas Carol, on the 13th and 20th - see our guide for details.
Also on Friday 21st: a new episode of Spy; Omid Djalili hosts Live At The Apollo; Miranda Hart appears on Alan Carr: Chatty Man; and highlights from the latest series of A League Of Their Own. Repeats include Grumpy Guide To Christmas and the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special.
Saturday 22nd December
Jonathan Ross welcomes Michael McIntyre, Sheridan Smith, Sienna Miller and sportsmen Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock for a festive special of his show. Chef Jamie Oliver will be cooking a festive feast in the studio, whilst Charlotte Church will be singing.
Repeats include the Christmas special of classic sitcom Porridge, in which Fletcher plans to add a bit of Christmas spirit to Slade Prison.
Sunday 23rd December
Hugh Bonneville, David Walliams, Sheridan Smith and Johnny Vegas star in a one-off family friendly comedy based on the best-selling book about a tramp, written by David Walliams. Men Behaving Badly's Simon Nye has co-written the TV script.
A special of the Sky Living comedy drama. Pauline wishes Charlie wasn't there, Lisa's not happy with her present from Dan and there's a disaster at Bianca's... will it be a Christmas to remember?
Scruffy BBC Three sitcom Him & Her is an unlikely show to deliver a Christmas special, but here is one. It's Christmas in the flat, which in the case of Steve and Becky means a dodgily-cooked turkey and a family gathering... by webcam.
Jeremy, desperate to avoid living with Superhans, sparks up an old relationship with Mark's sister Sara in the first of two episodes scheduled over the festive period. The next episode, the final of the series, follows 24 hours later on Christmas Eve.
The Sarah Millican Television Programme
To celebrate the festive season Sarah Millican is joined by Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville and EastEnders star Shane Richie. Following this Christmas special, the second series of the show will begin in January.
Also today: It wouldn't be the festive period without it... a repeat of The Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show. Other repeats include Victoria Wood With All The Trimmings, and ITV2's all-star Aladdin panto.
Christmas Eve
Lots of Christmas-themed questions and a sprinkling of tinsel, as 8 Out Of 10 Cats celebrates the season of good will in true festive style. Guests up for yuletide fun include Sarah Millican, Stephen Mangan and Joe Wilkinson.
A special Christmas episode of Sky's supermarket sitcom. It's Christmas Eve and mayhem ensues when the turkey delivery fails to arrive; but there's a big party to look forward to where a certain butcher takes on the role of Santa.
This Christmas, the Brockman family have decided to foster a sense of community by throwing a party for their neighbours. Festivities do not go as smoothly as planned. Gran springs a surprise visit on Pete and the family whilst Jake seems to have fallen in with the wrong crowd.
Sky Atlantic's festive offering. Steve Coogan narrates this dark and cautionary animated Christmas tale about love, greed and a giant crab. Uncle Wormsley is a grey, decaying old man with cobweb-like hair and rotten fingernails.
The ratings blockbuster sitcom is back for not one but two new Christmas specials (the second is on Boxing Day). Agnes Brown finds herself facing her busiest Christmas yet. Spiritual son Trevor is visiting from the missions, grandson Bono is sleeping over on Christmas Eve, and there are three new faces to feed on Christmas Day now that Agnes's youngest son Dermot is the father of triplets.
A Christmas special of Robert Popper's sitcom. The boys are delighted that Grandma is coming round, but horrified that Martin's mother - 'Horrible Grandma' - is coming too. Weird Jim also manages to get himself involved in the festive fun.
Also today: there's more from Morecambe & Wise, and BBC Two devotes a night to The Two Ronnies, including a new Ronnie Barker documentary and the 1975 Porridge Christmas special.
Christmas Day
Channel 4 have given Alan Carr a real prime-time spot on Christmas Day this year. Chart toppers JLS join him on the sofa along with ex-Dragons' Den star Hilary Devey. David Walliams who drops by too, and music comes from McFly.
This special was supposed to have been on TV last year, but it wasn't ready in time. In a flash of seasonal entrepreneurial spirit, Dave reveals the idea he intends to pitch to Dragons' Den. Will it take off and make them rich?
And that's it for new comedy on Christmas Day. Quite disappointing. Luckily there are some heart-warming repeats, including back-to-back Carry On films on ITV2. Also watch out for The Vicar Of Dibley, Blackadder's Christmas Carol and the countdown of Channel 4's 30 Greatest Comedy Shows.
Boxing Day
The codename for the Christmas special of Sky1's family-friendly comedy is 'Show Stopper'. While Marcus's Christmas party plans spark a strike among his friends, Portis is more than peeved when he finds out about Tim's feelings for Caitlin. A making-of special follows immediately after.
A Christmas themed episode (not a special!) kicks of the much-anticipated new series of this hit sitcom from Miranda Hart, which has now moved to the BBC's flagship channel. Penny is threatening to cancel Miranda's Christmas if she doesn't sort her life out.
Also: the second of the Mrs. Brown's Boys specials is broadcast. Repeats include more wonderful Morecambe & Wise, and repeats of various Little Crackers. Switch over to ITV2, meanwhile, and it's Carry On films back-to-back again.
Thursday 27th December
A one-off comedy drama about life behind the scenes at a local theatre's Christmas pantomime production. This show has been created by John Bishop, and is partly based on his real-life experiences. The cast also includes Sheridan Smith, Samantha Spiro, Mark Benton and... Chesney Hawkes.
A festive special of the stand-up panel show. Dara O Briain, Hugh Dennis, Andy Parsons, Chris Addison and guests inject some festive cheer by suggesting some unlikely things to hear at Christmas.
Also on the 27th: A Young Doctor's Notebook continues; and a re-run of multiple episodes of Jack Whitehall's Bad Education sitcom.
Friday 28th & Saturday 29th December
Sadly, there's little of note on these two days between Christmas and New Year. There's another QI, out-takes from A League Of Their Own and a TV broadcast of Andy Parsons Gruntled Live. Repeats include back-to-back Cuckoo and another chance to catch various of the above shows.
Sunday 30th December
This panel show format, which looks back at the year just gone, has been running since 2004 now. Jonathan Ross, Russell Howard, Jack Whitehall and James Corden will be amongst this year's guests.
New Year's Eve
A Funny Old Year is ITV1's replacement for The Comedy Annual format, seen in the past two years. Jason Manford will be joined by an all-star cast of stand-up comics giving their unique views on subjects ranging from the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee to Gangnam Style.
Alan Carr's New Year Specstacular
The countdown to 2013 is a battle of the chat shows. Following the success of last year's New Year Specstacular, Alan Carr has attracted a strong line-up for another two hour special. Guests include Jonathan Ross, Jack Whitehall and Jimmy Carr.
Numb: Simon Amstell Live At The BBC
Recorded earlier in the Autumn, this stand-up show was recorded in front of a live audience at BBC Television Centre - and it's right back to basics. Harking back to the bare studio walls of TW3, the hour-long show is stripped right down, with no set whatsoever save a small, semi-circular stage upon which Amstell perfroms.
Meanwhile, Graham Norton leads the BBC towards the new year with some big Hollywood stars. Tom Cruise, Hugh Jackman, Billy Crystal and John Bishop are amongst those sitting on his sofa just before Big Ben chimes.
Repeats include Russell Howard's Good News and, just after the fireworks on BBC One, a repeat of John Bishop: The Sunshine Tour welcomes in 2013 with a laugh.
New Year's Day
What better way to start 2013 than with a bit of a misanthropic look back at the crappy year just finished? We love this format from Charlie Brooker. He will, once again, be dissecting the past 12 months in the way only he can.
New Year's Day also sees the continuation of the new series of Miranda and Mrs. Brown's Boys. Other hangover cures on offer include repeats of QI, Hebburn and Twenty Twelve.
Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd January
It'll probably be time to get back to work about now, but quite a few of the specials listed above are repeated again in this period to help those that missed them first time around.
Friday 4th January
Channel 4 once again mixes up its schedules, giving comedians a chance to take over other shows. Angelos Epithemiou, Olivia Lee, Pete Firman and Stan Boardman are on Come Dine With Me (pictured); Alan Carr hosts a special edition of The Million Pound Drop; and the 8 Out Of 10 Cats team play Deal Or No Deal. Last time Jimmy Carr was on that show he lost a lot of money, but now he's in charge...
It's back-to-business for BBC One, as it kicks off with another series of Room 101. It's the new format again, with Frank Skinner welcoming three guests an episode to the show.
The final episode in the series of Live At The Apollo also goes out, and it's a good one. Three great comedians appearing in fact. Greg Davies hosts, and he's joined by two of our favourite stand-ups: two men who should be much bigger stars than they currently are. Perhaps this TV exposure will help. They're Hal Cruttenden and Simon Evans.
Also on this Friday is another QI, and various repeats. Then we're into 2013 proper. Want a hint of what's coming up next year? Check out our New Comedy For 2013 List