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Best films on TV over Christmas, 2019

By Ella Kemp on 20/12/2019

Where to begin? It's the season for giving, receiving, eating and laughing, but more than ever, Christmas is the season for watching. On every channel, TV specials are interspersed with classic films – and we've picked out the best of the bunch.
It's worth noting that terrestrial TV loves both the Madagascar and Indiana Jones franchises, so if ever in doubt, you'll know where to go. But for the CW edit, we've chosen films to suit every occasion: animated classics to watch with the kids; true stories to discover with your older relatives; and romantic staples to entertain at even the earliest hours and the quietest nights.
In chronological order, here are the best films to watch over the festive period, without even leaving the sofa. A merry Christmas indeed.

Shrek, ITV

Although the film is nearly 20 years old, the appeal of Mike Myers' big friendly green monster stays strong. The first in the franchise, Shrek introduces the eponymous ogre and finds the best (voice) roles of Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz's careers.

WHEN

21 December 2018, 4:50PM

WHERE

ITV

Swallows and Amazons, BBC Two

Arthur Ransome's beloved children's novel gets a star-studded screen adaption with Andrew Scott, Rafe Spall, Kelly Macdonald and Jessica Hynes. The story follows the Walker children as they make their own adventures on holiday in the Lake District, and find they are not the only young adventurers around.

WHEN

21 December, 5:15PM

WHERE

BBC Two

Casino Royale, ITV

Ahead of next year's No Time To Die, arguably one of the best Bonds of the franchise dusts off the tux for another outing this Christmas. We loved the Secret Cinema experience dedicated to the film – but if you missed out, a festive catch-up with Casino Royale is still quite the evening.

WHEN

21 December, 8:10PM

WHERE

ITV

The Holiday, ITV 2

Two women are having a difficult festive season, and decide to do something about it. A tale of cross-continental heartbreak and festive happy coincidences, The Holiday is one of Nancy Meyers' crowning moments. Forget the plot, enjoy the unashamedly soft performances of Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Jude Law for a holiday escape to remember.

WHEN

21 December, 8:10PM

WHERE

ITV 2

Father of the Bride, Channel 5

Steve Martin stars as the eponymous grumpy old man, approaching his daughter's wedding with trepidation with a testy relationship with his son-in-law. The remake of the 1950 film of the same name stars Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams and Martin Short – and always deserves a revisit.

WHEN

22 December, 12:50PM

WHERE

Channel 5

Elf, ITV

Of all the times Will Ferrell has made us laugh, one of the most memorable has to be with his spaghetti breakfast as Buddy Hobbs, the human who has lived his life as one of Santa's elves. Jon Favreau's comedy is endlessly quotable and Zooey Deschanel cements her likability as Jovie, an unfestive elf trapped in the all too familiar world of retail.

WHEN

22 December, 5:10PM; 24 December, 5:15PM (ITV)

WHERE

ITV 2/ITV

The BFG, BBC One

One of Roald Dahl's most cherished stories gets the live-action treatment courtesy of Steven Spielberg. Mark Rylance (!) stars as the titular giant, as the world springs to life with wide-eyed wonder around him.

WHEN

22 December, 5:15PM

WHERE

BBC One

Paddington, Channel 4

'If you're kind and polite, the world will be right'. It's not a Christmas proverb but it may as well be. The catchphrase belongs to the marmalade-loving bear Paddington, who could teach everyone a lesson or two about generosity and seeing the brighter side of love this festive season.

WHEN

22 December, 7:15PM

WHERE

Channel 4

Love Actually, ITV 2

Whether your day has been filled with joy or if you just want to forget it ever happened, Love Actually will be there to catch you as you fall (asleep) both before and after Christmas this year.

WHEN

22 December, 9PM; 27 December, 10:10PM (ITV)

Toy Story 2, BBC One

Although we thought Toy Story 4 was, unexpectedly, the best in the franchise, there's little debate on the matter: Toy Story 2 is a perfect movie. 'When She Loved Me' might be one of the most heartbreaking songs ever written.

WHEN

23 December, 1:25PM

WHERE

BBC One

How The Grinch Stole Christmas, ITV 2

There's an animated remake in existence as of last year, but you just can't beat the original. Jim Carrey's Christmas-hating green monster fills the screen with glee in a film for the whole family to enjoy.

WHEN

23 December, 4:10PM; 24 December, 12:40PM (ITV)

Murder on the Orient Express, BBC Two

Kenneth Branagh remade Murder on the Orient Express in 2017, and in 2020 he's coming back with a new take on Death on the Nile. Take the time this Christmas Eve to go back in time and see what Branagh first fell in love with.

WHEN

24 December, 11:40AM

WHERE

BBC Two

Toy Story 3, BBC One

Despite what we might think about Toy Story 2 and 4, the third instalment also has merit – the threat, at the time, that this would be the gang's last outing, imbues the film with a melancholy it's hard to stay impartial to.

WHEN

24 December, 1:25PM

WHERE

BBC One

My Fair Lady, Channel 5

While Audrey Hepburn might be most fondly remembered for Breakfast at Tiffany's and Roman Holiday, her grace in My Fair Lady as Eliza Doolittle cannot be underestimated. Ironically, her co-star Rex Harrison went on to play Doctor Dolittle just three years later in Richard Fleischer's adaptation.

WHEN

24 December, 2:55PM

WHERE

Channel 5

Peter Pan, ITV 2

Long before the current trend of live-action remakes began, a tangible version of JM Barrie's enchanting story of the boy who wouldn't grow up found magic on the big screen in Peter Pan. A real 'where are they now of a cast' – Jeremy Sumpter as Peter and Rachel Hurd-Wood as Wendy Darling, in a perfect gift of festive good will.

WHEN

24 December, 3PM; 25 December, 10:50AM

WHERE

ITV 2

Frozen, BBC One

The sequel is now in cinemas, but it's not too late to catch up on the phenomenon that set the world on fire (or froze it?). Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad voice some of this generation's favourite new heroes.

WHEN

24 December, 3PM

WHERE

BBC One

Home Alone, Channel 4

Does it still need an introduction? It wouldn't be Christmas without it, and while other films come and go, there's always a place in our hearts for Home Alone. Another victory we owe John Hughes for, there's nothing quite like the moment Kevin McCallister realises the freedom he has.

WHEN

24 December, 5:30PM

WHERE

Channel 4

Beauty and the Beast, BBC One

It's a tale as old as time, but the design on Bill Condon's re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast is certainly brand new. Emma Watson leads proceedings as Belle, while Dan Stevens emerges from under the Beast's fur and Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson voice Lumiere, Cogsworth and Mrs Potts respectively.

WHEN

24 December, 5:30PM

WHERE

BBC One

Back to the Future, BBC One

We are now beyond the future that Back to the Future visits – so why not take a trip to the past with a rewatch? Confusing chronology aside, the sci-fi comedy feels like one of a few remaining classics that hasn't had a remake yet. Savour it while it lasts...

WHEN

25 December, 2:35PM

WHERE

BBC One

Finding Dory, BBC One

The Christmas Day post-lunch slot is a tricky one to fill – but you can always count on Pixar to deliver. When first announced, Finding Dory seemed like the kind of impossible sequel to make after the perfection of Finding Nemo, but its resilience and bittersweet comedy hit the spot wonderfully.

WHEN

25 December, 3:10PM

WHERE

BBC One

Ratatouille, Channel 4

A perfect screen companion during the season made for eating and drinking, Pixar's Ratatouille made it impossible to look at cheese and strawberries without thinking: what if... both? Plus, it's all you need to get thinking about a New Year trip to the city of light.

WHEN

26 December, 5PM

WHERE

Channel 4

Men in Black 3, Channel 4

Although the revamped Men in Black: International suffered from tepid reviews when it reached audiences earlier this year, the appetite for those secret agents is clearly still there – plus, Nicole Scherzinger stars in this one.

WHEN

26 December, 7:10PM

WHERE

Channel 4

Paddington 2, BBC One

Is it possible for a sequel to be even better than the original, when the character in the original is as perfect as an animated bear voiced by Ben Whishaw can be? Luckily, this Christmas, with screenings of both Paddington films on different days, it's time to find out.

WHEN

26 December, 7:20PM

WHERE

BBC One

The Shawshank Redemption, Sky One

Often argued as the single greatest film of all time, The Shawshank Redemption certainly masters storytelling on an epic scale, framing banker Andy Dufresne's time in prison despite claiming innocence. Morgan Freeman co-stars in the devastating drama based on Stephen King's 1982 novella.

WHEN

26 December, 9PM

WHERE

Sky One

The Wolf of Wall Street, Channel 4

Tucked into the fold of late-night programming, Martin Scorsese's raucous retelling of Wall Street antihero Jordan Belfort comes to the small screen with a bang, not a whimper, on Boxing Day. Leonardo DiCaprio stars in what truly should have been his Oscar-winning moment.

WHEN

26 December, 11:05PM

WHERE

Channel 4

Zootropolis, BBC One

It's a dog-eat-dog world, but this metaphor extends to every kind of animal in Zootropolis. Disney strike again with a mature understanding of a diverse environment; making room for the usual fun as well as some unexpectedly wise anthropology.

WHEN

27 December, 3:15PM

WHERE

BBC One

Emma, BBC Two

With a new take on Jane Austen's hubristic coming-of-ager on the way in 2020, a date with Gwyneth Paltrow and Toni Collette in Douglas McGrath's 1996 period comedy – also starring Ewan McGregor.

WHEN

27 December, 4:05PM

WHERE

BBC Two

Babe, Channel 5

There was Paddington, there was Dumbo, this year there's Cats... but through it all, there's Babe. The touching story of the young pig in the big city hasn't lost its charm. It's puzzling how George Miller, he of Mad Max fame, has a producing credit – but this only increases the film's offbeat appeal.

WHEN

28 December, 11:35AM

WHERE

Channel 5

Inside Out, BBC One

Joy, anger, sadness, disgust and fear – emotions came to life in Inside Out, which maps an existential understanding of our most important feelings, told in wonderful simplicity by the masterminds at Pixar. Amy Poehler, Mindy Kalling and Bill Hader feature in the voice cast of one of the most intelligent kids' films in years.

WHEN

28 December, 3PM

WHERE

BBC One

Mamma Mia!, Channel 5

Will this ever get old? The stage musical keeps selling out, and the sequel no one wanted most definitely won us over – but Mamma Mia! captured a specific sense of glee that brings sunny warmth to even the coldest winter nights. Christmas will already seem like a distant memory with this one.

WHEN

28 December, 8PM

WHERE

Channel 5

Saving Mr Banks, BBC Two

Away from sequels and remakes, Saving Mr Banks gave audiences a slice of Disney history by recounting the genesis of Mary Poppins, namely through the story of her protective author PL Travers. Watching Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson together is a delight.

WHEN

29 December, 3PM

WHERE

BBC Two

The Apartment, BBC Two

If The Apartment isn't in your rotation of Christmas films already, now's the time to change. This festive romance will put a swing in your step easier than spaghetti is strained over a tennis racket.

WHEN

30 December, 1PM

WHERE

BBC Two

Edward Scissorhands, Channel 4

There's simply nothing like it – Tim Burton's eerie portrait of a misfit has a kind of magical, hypnotic quality to it. Johnny Depp plays the titular character and Winona Ryder stars in an eerie but fully enrapturing Christmas film.

WHEN

30 December, 12:20PM

WHERE

Channel 4

Billy Elliot, BBC Two

Jamie Bell has certainly come a long way, but have many films matched the spirit of Billy Elliot? The story of a Northern lad who wanted to be a dancer still charms and thrills, plus Julie Walters isn't so bad either.

WHEN

31 December, 9PM

WHERE

BBC Two

Bridesmaids, ITV 2

Paul Feig's loose and fun female-fronted comedy was one of the first of its kind in 2011, but the legacy of Bridesmaids has lived on. Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and Rose Byrne lead the cast of women getting ready for one very big day.

WHEN

31 December, 9PM

WHERE

ITV 2

The Sound of Music, BBC One

There are some things you just can't beat. The dulcet tones of Julie Andrews still ring true all these years later, as one of or very best movie musicals graces the small screen to kick off the new year.

WHEN

1 January, 2:30PM

WHERE

BBC One

Bridget Jones' Diary, Channel 5

Got a hangover to nurse? Holiday blues to cure? This is what Bridget is here for. Our national treasure, the contemporary dream girl, she's back again in the new year to tell us her story.

WHEN

1 January, 9PM

WHERE

Channel 5

Best films on TV over Christmas, 2019

Shrek, ITV

Swallows and Amazons, BBC Two

Casino Royale, ITV

The Holiday, ITV 2

Father of the Bride, Channel 5

Elf, ITV

The BFG, BBC One

Paddington, Channel 4

Love Actually, ITV 2

Toy Story 2, BBC One

How The Grinch Stole Christmas, ITV 2

Murder on the Orient Express, BBC Two

Toy Story 3, BBC One

My Fair Lady, Channel 5

Peter Pan, ITV 2

Frozen, BBC One

Home Alone, Channel 4

Beauty and the Beast, BBC One

Back to the Future, BBC One

Finding Dory, BBC One

Ratatouille, Channel 4

Men in Black 3, Channel 4

Paddington 2, BBC One

The Shawshank Redemption, Sky One

The Wolf of Wall Street, Channel 4

Zootropolis, BBC One

Emma, BBC Two

Babe, Channel 5

Inside Out, BBC One

Mamma Mia!, Channel 5

Saving Mr Banks, BBC Two

The Apartment, BBC Two

Edward Scissorhands, Channel 4

Billy Elliot, BBC Two

Bridesmaids, ITV 2

The Sound of Music, BBC One

Bridget Jones' Diary, Channel 5

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