‘The Great British Bake Off’ will be returning to screens via the BBC, for a final two festive episodes ahead of its move to Channel 4.
It will be business as usual in the tent. Mel and Sue will host, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood will be on judging duty, and some favourite faces from the series will be returning too, including popular Howard Middleton, and series three contestant Cathryn Dresser, who brought us the timeless bon mot “fridge and pray!”
A total of eight bakers will return across the two special episodes, with one finally being crowned festive Bake Off champion.
Also saying goodbye this year is ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ judge Len Goodman, and he’ll be getting a dedicated send-off programme, in addition to the regular Strictly Christmas special.
Other highlights from the BBC festive schedule include the long-awaited return of ‘Sherlock’, this time facing a villain played by Toby Jones. The first episode of the fourth series will debut on New Year’s Day.
‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ - a previous Christmas TV chart-topper - will return for two festive specials, as will ‘Last Tango in Halifax’. Alan Davies will head up another spooky investigation as Jonathan Creek, while the nurses of Poplar will head to South Africa for ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas special.
‘Doctor Who’ will see the return of Peter Capaldi and his Tardis after a year off screen, while Agatha Christie fans who revealed in last year’s ‘And Then There Were None’ will be delighted to see another adaptation from the Queen of Crime. ‘The Witness for the Prosecution’ will star Kim Cattrall, Toby Jones and Andrea Riseborough.
For more off-beat fans, ‘Inside No 9: The Devil At Christmas’ will reunite Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, with guest stars Rula Lenska and Jessica Raine.
For children, there’s ‘Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes’ and an animated version of Raymond Briggs’ ‘Ethel and Ernest’.