BBC’s Christmas schedule is slammed by viewers

The BBC have unveiled their Christmas schedule for BBC One.

On Tuesday, the channel revealed the festive treats they had in store for viewers from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, but disappointed many when they realised a third of the schedule was packed with repeats and game shows. 

License fee payers were notably unhappy with what was on offer during the Christmas period, and flocked to Twitter to share their discontent as many criticised the ‘tired formula’ that the BBC have used.

Deja view! BBC One unveiled their Christmas schedule on Tuesday but it was slammed by viewers for its ‘tired formula’ as it was revealed a THIRD of line-up is repeats and game shows

The schedule, indeed, features several repeats from the likes of 2019’s Gavin And Stacey Christmas special to classic comedy The Two Ronnies Sketchbook on Christmas Eve.

Miranda’s Games With Showbiz Names will air on Christmas Eve, while game shows Michael McIntyre’s Christmas Wheel and the Blankety Blank festive special have been placed in prime evening slots on Christmas Day.  

Strictly Come Dancing’s Christmas Special is set to look back on the last 16 years of the show, and will see co-hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman name the programme’s most iconic routines of all time.

New content: A Call The Midwife special is set to air for a mammoth 90 minutes from 7.40PM

New content: A Call The Midwife special is set to air for a mammoth 90 minutes from 7.40PM

Entertaining? Game shows like Michael McIntyre's Christmas Wheel and the Blankety Blank festive special have been placed in prime evening slots on Christmas Day

Entertaining? Game shows like Michael McIntyre’s Christmas Wheel and the Blankety Blank festive special have been placed in prime evening slots on Christmas Day

Very familiar: License fee payers were notably unhappy with what was on offer during the Christmas period, as many criticised the 'tired formula' that the BBC have used

Very familiar: License fee payers were notably unhappy with what was on offer during the Christmas period, as many criticised the ‘tired formula’ that the BBC have used

Same old, same old: The schedule, indeed, features several repeats from the likes of 2019's Gavin And Stacey Christmas special to classic comedy The Two Ronnies Sketchbook

Specials: There will be a Christmas special of The Repair Shop as well as The Great British Sewing Bee on Boxing Day

Same old, same old: The schedule, indeed, features several repeats from the likes of 2019’s Gavin And Stacey Christmas special to classic comedy The Two Ronnies Sketchbook

A Call The Midwife special is set to air for a mammoth 90 minutes from 7.40PM before being followed by the annual gloom-fest that is the EastEnders Christmas Day edition, coming in at just under an hour long.

The evening’s festivities will end with a Mrs Browns Boys Christmas Special, another annual occurrence, which is scheduled in at 10.05PM.

Earlier in the day, the festive line-up is packed with animated films to entertain the kids including The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, Zog and its sequel Zog And The Flying Doctors.

Copy and paste? The annual gloom-fest that is the EastEnders Christmas Day edition, coming in at just under an hour-long

Copy and paste? The annual gloom-fest that is the EastEnders Christmas Day edition, coming in at just under an hour-long

Expected: The evening's festivities will end with a Mrs Browns Boys Christmas Special, another annual occurrence, which is scheduled in at 10.05PM

Expected: The evening’s festivities will end with a Mrs Browns Boys Christmas Special, another annual occurrence, which is scheduled in at 10.05PM

The Queen will make her speech at 3PM, followed shortly by Coco which is a film that would seem more at home over Halloween given its inspired by Mexico’s Day Of The Dead.

Boxing Day is not much more festive, as there will be a Christmas special of The Repair Shop as well as The Great British Sewing Bee, while the night will be rounded off with the dramatic World War II epic Dunkirk.

Twitter was awash with comments from the public responding to the December 25 line-up, criticising the shows that were on offer. 

Reflecting: Strictly Come Dancing's Christmas Special is set to look back on the last 16 years of the show

Reflecting: Strictly Come Dancing’s Christmas Special is set to look back on the last 16 years of the show

Coco will also air on Christmwhich is a film that would seem more at home over Halloween given its inspired by Mexico's Day Of The Dead.

Fun for the family: Christmas Day is packed with animated films for kids, including Coco, which seems more at home during Halloween as its inspired by Mexico’s Day Of The Dead

One person criticised: ‘Wish they would stop relying on the tired “call the midwife, Eastenders, and Mrs. Brown’s boys’ formula haven’t we gone through enough these past ten years. (sic)’ 

While another added: ‘Overall hard no from me, I know there is less new material this year but even the repeats could be better?’

One slammed the network for airing the usual shows, as they wrote: ‘Is this a joke? It looks like Christmas 1978’, while another asked: ‘Is this groundhog Day????’ 

Unhappy: Twitter was awash with comments from the public responding to the December 25 line-up, criticising the shows that were on offer

Unhappy: Twitter was awash with comments from the public responding to the December 25 line-up, criticising the shows that were on offer

Hitting out at the lack of festive films during the holidays, another viewer hit out: ‘What? Christmas Eve, Day and Boxing Day and all the films shown are…not Christmas films??!?! 

‘Why aren’t you showing Christmas films at Christmas? Home Alone, Grinch, Christmas Carol, Wonderful Life, Die Hard, to name a few (sic).’

And others claimed they would be using other networks and streaming services to get their Christmas Day fix, as one person wrote: ‘Other than The Queen’s usual broadcast, it all looks extremely boring. Netflix and YouTube for me.’

Tradition: The Queen will make her speech at 3PM

Tradition: The Queen will make her speech at 3PM

Not very Christmas-y: Boxing Day is not much more festive, as the night will be rounded off with the dramatic World War II epic Dunkirk

Not very Christmas-y: Boxing Day is not much more festive, as the night will be rounded off with the dramatic World War II epic Dunkirk