Christmas is undoubtedly the best time of the year for telly. Your Mam goes out and buys an actual physical copy TV magazine the size of an encyclopedia, filled with festive treats that are basically the same as the normal versions but better, plus the three greatest words in the English language: World's. Strongest. Man.
World's Strongest Man is on Channel 5, by the way, but let's not dwell too long on the specials that will be airing on UK TV. Since we get their channels too, it's worth pointing out that there's festive editions of Mrs Brown's Boys - why do Irish mammies find a bloke in bad drag pretending to be an Irish mammy so funny? - and Bake Off, in case you want to spend 15 hours cooking and then watch a show about people cooking.
Right, that's out the way, here's the good stuff. Now, if you're anything like me, you'll love Christmas music and schlocky homeliness at this time of the year, which brings us onto the Nathan Carter Christmas Special. The world's premier Scouse-Country hybrid will be doing a special live from Mansion House in Dublin and it will undoubtedly be amazing: he's doing duets with Mary Black, The Dubliners' John Sheahan and Paddy Casey, as well as giving away a prize that involves him being your wedding singer. I would actually get married if I thought our Nathan would sing at the event, preferably using the appearance as a surprise to set him up with Lisa McHugh (again) and give Ireland the celebrity couple it deserves. December 23rd on RTE1 is the time and place.
We've mentioned it before, but there's a follow-up to Angela's Christmas due to drop on the big day itself, and we are unbelievably excited about it. Angela's Christmas Wish features all the same cast as the original - think Lucy O'Connell as Angela, with Ruth Negga, Moe Dunford and Jared Harris - and is guaranteed to pull every heartstring you have. It's on Christmas Day on RTE 1, and I could give you the exact, but instead I'll describe it: it's after dinner, so you'll be just locked enough to really enjoy it, but also early enough that it'll do for any kids that sitting about.
This list wouldn't be complete without a little bit of meta-content: enter The Big Christmas Rewind. You know the format: let's get a load of celebrities to watch old Christmas TV and make new Christmas TV out of it. It should be crap, but it's actually brilliant. Last year's edition had Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Dylan Llewellyn from Derry Girls, Eilish O'Carroll and Fiona O'Carroll from Mrs Browns Boys and the lads from Young Offenders. It's cutesy, funny and wholesome. We'll be there on the 22nd December on RTE 1 enjoy it all.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Ireland