By Daniel Furn

Published: Sunday, 26 December 2021 at 12:00 am

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It’s Boxing Day, so if you’re in need of some entertainment while you snack on leftovers and turkey sandwiches then we have just the selection of the best Christmas TV for you.

Fittingly for a Sunday it seems to be period drama day, with both Around the World in 80 Days and A Very British Scandal starting on BBC One.

However there’s plenty of good old Christmas entertainment also, with All Star Musicals making a festive return while the legendary Billy Connolly poignantly looks back on his career in a brand new TV special.

Here are all the Boxing Day 2021 picks.

Beauty and the Beast – 2:20pm, BBC One

Disney films always make for magical Christmas viewing, and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast is one of the studio’s better live-action remakes. Emma Watson is perfectly cast as book-loving Belle, who helps Dan Stevens’ Beast to love again after he is cursed by an enchantress.

A spin-off TV series is heading to Disney Plus soon, which will see Luke Evans and Josh Gad reprise their roles of Gaston and Le Feu respectively.

Saturday Night Takeaway Presents: Double Trouble – 4:15pm, ITV

Another chance to see Ant and Dec’s Double Trouble skit, which was previously shown throughout the last series of Saturday Night Takeaway – but this time all at once. Yes, some of the jokes border on corny, but that’s half the fun – and the special is absolutely stuffed with celebrity cameos including Rob Brydon, Prue Leith, Bill Bailey, Bear Grylls and many more.

Around the World in 80 Days – 5:50pm, BBC One

For a fun-filled globetrotting romp, look no further than this latest reimagining of Around the World in 80 Days. Starring David Tennant as Phileas Fogg, the series – which is fittingly an international co-production – sees gentleman adventurer Fogg take on an ill-advised bet to circle the globe and return by Christmas, with this first episode seeing him stop first at Paris.

Along with Christian Lundberg, legendary composer Hans Zimmer worked on the soundtrack – so listen out for that!

Death in Paradise – 8:30pm, BBC One

Death in Paradise usually has a winter air date to help us escape from the seasonal blues, but for the first time ever the show is getting the Christmas special treatment. The plot – which sees Neville have to investigate the murder of a shipping company boss on the big day itself – may not sound particularly Christmassy, but the show’s light-hearted and good-natured tone makes the special a surprisingly good fit in the festive schedules.

As something of a Christmas present, this feature-length episode also sees the return of Danny John-Jules as beloved officer Dwayne Myers – at the expense of Florence who is away on holiday.

All Star Musicals at Christmas – 8pm, ITV

John Barrowman returns for a two-part special which will see six celebrities take on the unenviable task of performing musical theatre numbers to West End stars. Professor T actor Ben Miller, Corrie’s Catherine Tyldesley, broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, sport reporter Radzi Chinyanganya, as well as presenters Anita Rani and Fern Britton are the contestants taking part in this first episode, with six more unknown celebrities having a go in early 2022.

My Fair Lady and Cats are among the songs featured in this Boxing Day special – a bold move with Elaine Page on the judging panel!

A Very British Scandal – 9pm, BBC One

The Crown‘s Claire Foy and WandaVision‘s Paul Bettany headline this buzzy three-part drama from writer Sarah Phelps, who previously worked on The Pale Horse and Dublin Murders. This series focuses on Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, from the start of her affair with Ian Campbell to their notorious 1963 divorce case which made headlines for evidence including salacious photographs and scandalous testimonies.

Episodes air nightly until Tuesday 28th December, while the entire box set will be available on BBC iPlayer after the first episode.

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing – 9pm, BBC 2

Fishing is perhaps not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Christmas, but the ever-entertaining Bob Mortimer and Paul Mortimer manage to make salmon-fishing in Cumbria and Northumberland quite the festive treat. However there are plenty of the more usual Christmas special festivities also, including special guests, food, end-of-the-year awards and live music.

Billy Connolly: My Absolute Pleasure – 9:30pm, ITV

This special works much the same way as last year’s Billy Connolly: It’s Been A Pleasure (no bad thing!) which marked Connolly’s decision to step back from stand-up after an incredible 50 years. As the Big Yin prepares to launch his autobiography, this freshly filmed special sees the comedian give a glimpse of his life in the Florida Keys, reflect on his career and pick some of his favourite routines from his many, many live tours – including a few that have never been shown on TV before.

Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.

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