Christmas TV specials 2023: Yorkshire locals share TV shows they are most excited to watch this Christmas season including the two most rated All Creatures Great and Small and Call the Midwife

Christmas celebrations often include opening presents, feasting on a turkey, pulling crackers, telling jokes and of course the big finale - watching your favourite Christmas film on TV with a festive drink.

This year, however, there aren’t just films to enjoy, there are plenty of TV shows either airing new Christmas specials or airing reruns of some popular festive classics.

It’s not always easy to decide which TV shows to watch as there are so many, so we’ve put together a list for you to choose from with the help of Yorkshire Post readers.

Yorkshire locals share TV shows they are most excited to watch this Christmas

One reader commented: “Ghosts. It’s ace. Just Introduced our 11 year old to it and he’s hooked. Worryingly, Julian is his favourite character.”

Below is a list of TV shows picked by readers starting from the most popular and ending with the series with the least votes.

1 – All Creatures Great and Small

It was announced in November that there will be another Christmas special for the extremely popular Channel 5 series, although this year it is set to be extra special as the show crosses with The Yorkshire Vet.

The one-off hour-long special will see cast members from both shows meet as Yorkshire will be celebrated in a magical way by bringing together two much-loved shows.

This episode will see Yorkshire Vets Peter Wright and Shona Searson visit the fictional village of Darrowby with exclusive behind-the-scenes previews into the filming of the All Creatures Great and Small Christmas episode, with actors Nicholas Ralph (James Herriot) and Rachel Shenton (Helen Herriot). Peter will also be making a cameo appearance on the special episode.

The filming is set to bring back many memories for Peter as he reconnects with actors and characters he has personally known in the beginning of his career as a vet, including James Herriot and Donald Sinclair (Seigfried Farnon) themselves.

Later in the show, Samuel West (Siegfried) and Anna Madeley (Mrs Hall), will also enter the world of The Yorkshire Vet where they will explore real people behind their characters. Visits will include well-known ‘haunted pub’ such as the real Drovers Arms.

Yorkshire Post readers took to social media to express their excitement about All Creatures Great and Small - a total of 34 people chose the show as their favourite.

2 – Call the Midwife

The Christmas episode will be set in December 1968 with the launch of Apollo 8’s moon mission.

Sadly, Sister Monica Joan does not expect to live to see man walk on the moon as she is convinced this could be her last Christmas.

Meanwhile, as Shelagh and Dr Turner navigate family life, they are unsettled when a parcel arrives from May’s mother in Hong Kong.

Sister Julienne makes a generous offer to allow Colette to move into Nonnatus House for the foreseeable future. Nancy is excited to be able to spend every day with Colette and be more present in her upbringing. The episode is set to air on Christmas Day.

The BBC episode was very popular with Yorkshire Post readers as a total of 24 people chose it as their favourite TV show.

3 – Ghosts

BBC surprised Ghosts fans with its announcement of a Christmas special episode set to be wrapping up the five-season show.

The team posted on social media in October: “The final series of Ghosts starts on Friday… but there might be one last present under the Christmas tree this year.”

Last year’s Christmas special was viewed by 5.9 million people, making it the biggest comedy of the year.

The series was picked by seven Yorkshire Post readers on their ‘one-to-watch’ list.

4 – Morecambe and Wise

The 1968 series reruns are often aired during the Christmas period.

The comedy sketch show was originally broadcast by BBC Two and presented comedy duo Eric Morecambe (John Eric Batholomew) and Ernie Wise, from Lancashire and Bramley, West Yorkshire respectively.

Its popularity prompted its move to BBC One, with its Christmas specials attracting prime-time audiences in excess of 20 million, said to be some of the largest in British television history.

Seven Yorkshire Post readers picked this show as their favourite to watch around Christmas.

5 – Doctor Who

With a few famous faces making an appearance in the episode, Doctor Who has become progressively popular since original writer Russell T Davies returned.

The Fifteenth Doctor will be played by Ncuti Gatwa who will take over the TARDIS for his first adventure. He will be joined by Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson, who will make her first debut as the Doctor’s companion.

Davina McCall will be playing herself as she joins the cast alongside Yorkshire-born actor Michelle Greenidge, who will portray Ruby’s mum Carla, Angela Wynter as Ruby’s grandmother Cherry and Eastenders legend Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood.

The plot: The Church on Ruby Road sees the Doctor come face-to-face with the mythical and mysterious goblins as his life collides with Ruby Sunday. Little is known about Ruby as she was abandoned on Christmas Eve as a baby. Now living with her mum, Carla and grandmother, Cherry, her world is about to be turned upside down when she comes across the Doctor and the two set off on their first adventure together.

Six Yorkshire Post readers have chosen Doctor Who as their favourite.

6 – Vera

The new feature-length episode, which will air on Boxing Day on ITV1 and ITVX, takes DCI Vera Stanhope on a chilling investigation as she finds herself enticed by the enchanting tidal island of Lindisfarne, where a group of lifelong friends reunite every five years to celebrate their everlasting bond.

What started off as a happy tradition turns tragic when one of the friends is discovered dead. The death takes a disturbing turn when Vera discovers that the victim had recently been fired amidst allegations of misconduct.

Determined to find out the truth, Vera delves into the past, questioning the events that unfolded during their first reunion on Holy Island.

This show was picked by five Yorkshire Post readers.