Not everyone wants wall-to-wall tinsel, turkey and twinkly nonsense on the telly. If festive specials make you reach for the remote, consider this your escape route.
From sci-fi thrillers and cult classics to action, comedy and edge-of-your-seat dramas, these alternative picks prove there’s plenty to enjoy over the holidays without a single sleigh bell in sight. Perfect for anyone who likes their Christmas viewing a little less cosy and a lot more compelling.
The War Between the Land and the Sea
Watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
If festive fun leaves you feeling all at sea, The War Between the Land and the Sea is a perfect alternative. Set in the ever-shifting universe of Doctor Who, this high-stakes drama dives beneath the waves as an ancient sea-dwelling species rises from the depths and tensions flare between land and ocean. With humanity caught in the middle, secrets surface and loyalties are tested in a conflict that could change the planet forever.
Led by the ever-watchable Russell Tovey.
Watch the final episode on BBC One, Sunday 21st December at 8:05pm or catch up on the series so far on BBC iPlayer.
Taskmaster: Champion of Champions
Watch on Channel 4
Swap mince pies for mind games with Taskmaster: Champion of Champions - a festive alternative that serves up laughs aplenty. This special brings together past Taskmaster winners for one glorious showdown, as they tackle brand new baffling challenges in a bid to be crowned the ultimate champion. Presiding over the chaos are Greg Davies, revelling in his tyrannical best, and Alex Horne, quietly pulling the strings with his trademark mischief.
Expect ridiculous tasks, competitive chaos and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments as the very best go head-to-head. It is the perfect pick if you prefer your seasonal viewing sharp, silly and packed with brilliant British comedy.
Watch this special all-star episode on Channel 4, Monday 22nd December at 9pm
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Watch on ITV2
When the Christmas schedule starts to feel a little too soft around the edges, The Dark Knight Rises offers a darker alternative. Christopher Nolan’s epic finale sees a broken Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) forced out of the shadows as Gotham faces its most fearsome threat yet in the form of the brutal, mask-wearing Bane (Tom Hardy). With the city pushed to breaking point and hope in short supply, Batman must rise for one final stand.
Big, brooding and packed with scale, this is a blockbuster that swaps seasonal cheer for high-stakes heroics and moral grit. Ideal if you like your holiday viewing dark, intense and seriously explosive.
Bat-signals at the ready on ITV2, Tuesday 23rd December at 9pm
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
If Christmas telly has you stuck in a bit of a web, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse spins a brilliantly bold alternative. This dazzling sequel throws Miles Morales back into the multiverse, where every Spider-Person imaginable collides and the rules of heroism are turned upside down. With worlds at stake and friendships under strain, Miles has to decide what kind of Spider-Man he really wants to be.
Visually jaw-dropping and bursting with energy, humour and heart, this is a superhero film that swings big and lands every beat. Perfect if you like your holiday viewing fast, inventive and packed with multiverse madness!
Ditch the channel hopping and let your finger do the web-slinging straight to watch this on BBC One, Wednesday 24th December at 2:55pm
Billy Connolly: 30 Funniest Moments
Watch on Channel 5
If Christmas viewing has you laughing on the wrong side of your face, Billy Connolly: 30 Funniest Moments is the perfect antidote. This celebratory countdown dives into the wild, warm and wonderfully irreverent career of the Big Yin, rounding up the routines, stories and off-the-cuff moments that made him a national treasure. From razor-sharp observations to gloriously rambling tales, it is a reminder of just how effortlessly Connolly can fill a room with laughter.
Big-hearted, brilliantly daft and laugh-out-loud funny, this is comfort viewing of a very different kind. Ideal if you fancy swapping seasonal schmaltz for proper belly laughs.
Bring on the Big Yin on Channel 5, Thursday 25th December at 10.45pm
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Watch on Film4
When avoiding festive favourites feels like an impossible mission, Ethan Hunt is ready to accept it. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One sees Tom Cruise back in full throttle mode, racing against time to stop a rogue AI that could tip the world into chaos. From death-defying stunts to globe-trotting showdowns, the stakes are sky-high as old allies return and new enemies close in.
Slick, relentless and spectacular, this is blockbuster entertainment that swaps seasonal calm for pulse-pounding action and jaw-dropping set pieces. Perfect if you like your holiday viewing loud, fast and fuelled by pure adrenaline!
Strap in on Film4, Friday 26th December at 10.45pm
The Hunting Wives
Watch on ITV1 and ITVX
Ready to take down the tree and shoot a little sharper? The Hunting Wives is a target worth lining up, and it is one we have been waiting for. This slick, sultry thriller drops a newcomer into an exclusive Texas social circle where power, privilege and obsession collide. Malin Akerman leads the pack with cool menace, alongside Brittany Snow as a woman drawn into a world that is far more dangerous than it first appears.
Glossy, tense and packed with secrets, this is a slow-burn drama where smiles hide knives and nothing stays buried for long. A perfect pick if you like your holiday viewing dark, addictive and laced with scandal!
Watch the first two episode on ITV1, Saturday 27 December from 9:30pm or binge the whole series on ITVX!
And a final not-so-festive wildcard…
The Traitors
Watch on BBC iPlayer
Bah humbug to goodwill and glad tidings, The Traitors is the festive alternative that thrives on suspicion and sabotage. Hosted by national treasure Claudia Winkleman, this addictive reality juggernaut drops contestants into a remote castle where trust is a rare commodity and betrayal is always on the cards. Faithfuls, Traitors and plenty of raised eyebrows make for seriously compulsive viewing.
You can binge all three series now, plus The Celebrity Traitors, before series four arrives on New Year’s Day. And if you want to go even deeper into the Traitors universe, BBC iPlayer also has The Traitors US, The Traitors Australia and The Traitors NZ all ready to stream right now!
If you're enjoying our recommendations, why not read the best new shows coming this month!
