Danny Cohen, Director of Television, said: “Brilliant Christmas telly across Drama, Factual, Comedy, Entertainment and Religion is something licence-fee payers rightly expect from the BBC and this year's holiday schedule delivers that.

"We have massive events such as the Doctor Who re-generation and the incredible return of Sherlock, as well as festive specials from hit shows including Strictly Come Dancing, Mrs Brown's Boys, Call The Midwife, Bad Education, and the Great British Bake Off.

"And of course there are brand-new treats such as David Walliams' Gangsta Granny and we'll be showing a wide range of religious programming, including a live broadcast of The First Eucharist of Christmas from Westminster Abbey.”

In Albert Square, Danny Dyer arrives as new landlord of the Queen Vic, whilst Janine’s thoughts turn to murder. In another part of the East End, Jenny, Chummy and Sister Julienne confront a new enemy in Call The Midwife, before peace and love are restored. In The Time Of The Doctor, Clara and The Doctor must go to a quiet backwater planet in order to learn what some strange signals mean for his very existence, and it’s wedding day in Halifax for love struck Alan and Celia as their big day dawns. And the year’s biggest television mystery will at long last be answered – just how did Sherlock fake his own death?

Fans of spooky tales are in for a treat with a double helping of Mark Gatiss. First up is his dramatization of ghost story The Tractate Middoth, followed by a documentary looking at the work of its writer, MR James.

Shocking revelations and deadly peril face our trio in epic fantasy family drama Atlantis this Christmas. Screened as a two-parter over the festive period, the series finale stars Mark Addy, Jack Donnelly, Robert Emms and Sarah Parish.

Following the huge success of last year’s Mr Stink, David Walliams’ next story, Gangsta Granny, will be sure to unite the family around the television, and for the little ones there is A Christmas Carol from CBeebies and a The Dumping Ground Special on CBBC.

On Christmas Eve, BBC One will broadcast The First Eucharist of Christmas live from Westminster Abbey celebrated by the Dean of Westminster, in addition to Carols from King’s on BBC Two. The Christmas Day Sung Eucharist will also come live from Westminster Abbey, and on New Year’s Day, The Archbishop’s New Year Message will be the first to be delivered by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood share their tips for a stress-free Christmas, as they help viewers prepare for the festive baking season in The Great British Bake Off Christmas Special. Mary reveals more culinary tips in Food & Drink as she whips up a Yuletide feast with a little help from cooking legend Michel Roux Jnr, award-winning drinks expert Kate Goodman and Michelin starred chef Glynn Purnell.

Going head to head once again are the semi-finalists of The Great British Sewing Bee as they make and sew Christmas in this one-off festive edition.

Nev Wilshire rallies his Call Centre staff together for a sing song, forging the Call Centre Christmas Choir, whilst Gareth Malone takes his own three work forces to the roots of choral singing in The Choir: Sing While You Work and Dr Alison Woollard asks the biggest and most profound questions about life and science in this year’s Royal Institute Christmas Lectures.

James May, in a motorbike and side car made of Meccano, takes on his own 37 mile race around the Isle of Man in James May’s Toy Stories: Motorcycle Diary, whilst Jeremy Clarkson tells the tale of the Arctic Convoys of the Second World War, with first-hand accounts from the men who served on these convoys, and who trod treacherous paths to deliver vital war supplies via the Arctic to the Soviet Union.

Sir Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly add some Christmas sparkle as they bring the ballroom to the living rooms of the nation, in the highly anticipated final of Strictly Come Dancing. The ball continues with the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, as Bruce and Tess are joined on the dance floor by a host of special guests, including Sara Cox and Rufus Hound.

Mark Radcliffe takes us through decades of festive pop favourites in Top of the Pops 2 Christmas Special, whilst Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates bring us up to date with the top songs of 2013 in Top of the Pops Christmas and party into 2014 in Top of the Pops New Year’s Eve.

We find out who is in the running for ‘Most Irritating Christmas Song’ and other coveted gongs in The Matt Lucas Awards Christmas Special, and Sarah Millican’s on the sofa with Phillip Schofield and Call The Midwife’s Judy Parfitt in her very own The Sarah Millican Television Programme.

The festive fun continues with a Christmas special of pop quiz favourite Never Mind The Buzzcocks, in which guest host Johnny Vegas and team captains Noel Fielding and Phill Jupitus are joined by ex-Westlife singer Brian McFadden, actress Jessica Hynes, DJ Locksmith from Rudimental and comedian Sara Pascoe. There’s more panel show Christmas comedy from Dara O Briain and his teams of top comic talent in Mock The Week, Stephen Fry has some Christmassy questions for his guests, including Jo Brand and Brendan O’Carroll, in QI, and John Humphrys quizzes more famous faces as he and his famous black chair return for another series of Celebrity Mastermind.

Viewers will be able to have a peek behind the curtains at how some of the nation’s favourite comedic families celebrate their own Christmases, from the Pearsons in Hebburn and the Browns in Ireland to the Khans in Birmingham. In Bad Education, Alfie must put on the Christmas play, but how successful will his production of Robocracker be? Lee invites Lucy’s parents to join them for Christmas in Not Going Out; further from home, the soldiers of Bluestone 42 experience Christmas with the Taliban; and Granville will once more serve behind the till in Still Open All Hours.

Film premieres include Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom, Gnomeo and Juliet, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Little Fockers and Megamind. BBC Four will be showing classic Ealing comedies, such as Titfield Thunderbolt, Whisky Galore and Kind Hearts And Coronets, as well as Scott Of The Antarctic, Papillon and The Fir Tree, a biography of a Christmas Tree based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen

Pictures available from bbcpictures.com

Notes to Editors

More information on programmes airing in BBC weeks 52 and 53 is available by clicking on the following links:

Final schedule details are available here for

Week 52 (﻿21-27 December)

Week 53 (28 December - 3 January)

BBC Publicity