Round Up of This Year’s BBC Christmas Specials 2009

One of my favorite British Christmas traditions are the excellent Christmas specials aired every year. It’s a chance to show off their best TV shows in a completely new light. This year is fixing to be better than the last with many exciting and entertaining options – perfect for curling up on the couch after the holiday festivities.

Here’s the official Anglotopia breakdown of this year’s BBC Christmas Specials for 2009.

By far the biggest highlight this year is the final outing of David Tennant as Doctor Who in his final farewell in a two-part special of Doctor Who called The End Of Time. The Doctor’s oldest enemy – the Master (John Simm) – returns alongside former companion Donna (Catherine Tate) and old favourite Wilf (Bernard Cribbins), as the entire human race faces its last ever Christmas – unless the Doctor can save the day.

There’s plenty of laughter in store with a raft of comedies on BBC One, including a special episode of The Catherine Tate Show, as Nan experiences Christmases past, present and future, Gavin And Stacey,The Royle Family – The Golden Egg Cup, which sees all the Royles celebrating a special day for Jim and Barbara, and Victoria Wood’s Mid-Life Christmas, plus seasonal sequins in the Strictly Come Dancing final and Christmas special.

There’s drama galore on BBC One, with an adaptation of Henry James’s classic ghost story, The Turn Of The Screw, starring Sue Johnstonand Michelle Dockery, while Dame Judi Dench reprises her role in two Christmas helpings of Cranford. It’s a year since the small Cheshire market town celebrated the marriage of Sophy Hutton to Dr. Harrison and Miss Matty lost her beloved sister. Fans can switch over to BBC Four after the show for a peek behind the scenes in Corsets, Carriages And Christmas At Cranford.

BBC Two features the Royal Shakespeare Company‘s award-winning production of Hamlet, starring David Tennant, and CBeebies fans will be mesmerised by all their favourite faces in The CBeebies Christmas Pantomime.

Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer and Steve Coogan chart Steve’s rise to fame in spoof documentary Steve Coogan: The Inside Story and the cast of Not The 9 O’ Clock News reminisce about their experiences making the show in a one-off documentary for BBC Two.

This Christmas also sees a number of festive one-offs, includingOutnumbered, My Family, Not Going Out, Celebrity Total Wipeout,and Top Of The Pops, with Christmas karaoke on BBC Red Button, and Celebrity Mastermind on BBC One, plus Mock The Week,Top Of The Pops 2 and Never Mind The Buzzcocks on BBC Two.

Meanwhile, Top Gear celebrates Christmas with a special episode from Bolivia and James May’s Toy Stories completes its run.

I can’t wait!