Doctor Who and Little Britain headline BBC Christmas schedule

by Sam Matthews, Brand Republic 22-Nov-05, 09:00

LONDON - 'Doctor Who', starring new doctor David Tennant, and 'Little Britain' specials are headlining the BBC's Christmas Line-up.

The 'Doctor Who' special will see 'Casanova' star Tennant, who took over as the 10th Time Lord at the end of the last series, make his mark in an episode called 'Christmas Invasion'. Billie Piper is also back as his assistant Rose Tyler.

Comedy duo Matt Lucas and David Walliams pick out their favourite episodes from across the three series of 'Little Britain' and reveal the secrets behind the creation of their favourite characters in a one-off special. Last week, 'Little Britain' racked up an audience of 9.5m on its move to BBC One.

Other Christmas specials on offer include comedian Catherine Tate, 'Strictly Come Dancing' and 'Green Green Grass'. 'EastEnders' star Shane Richie will host a one-off musical called 'Celebrate Oliver'.

Other highlights for the season include 'Sweeney Todd', a new adaptation of the Victorian horror drama, and a 'Rolf on Art' special in which a new portrait of the Queen will be unveiled. The last ever appearance of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett together will be shown in a 'The Two Ronnies' special, which was recorded weeks before Barker's death in October.

Elsewhere, repeats of classic shows such as 'The Goodies' and and Christmas staples such as 'French and Saunders' and 'EastEnders' will complete the comedy and drama line-up.

In addition, BBC One will screen 'The Snow Queen', a new adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale featuring a mix of live action and animation.

Films on offer over Christmas include 'Toy Story 2', 'Chicago', 'Minority Report', 'Signs' and 'Nowhere in Africa'.

BBC Three will offer a mix of drama and comedy including 'Casanova', 'Doctor Who', 'Ideal' and 'Little Britain'.

BBC Four highlights range from an Arthur Conan Doyle season, a live performance of 'The Barber of Seville', 'A Bach Christmas' and a complete rerun of the critically acclaimed 'Bleak House'.

Jana Bennett, BBC director of television, said: "Christmas is one of the biggest times of the year for shared viewing. With this in mind we have put together a line-up that we believe everyone can enjoy together."

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