Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Emma Gill

Children's TV and family films to watch this Christmas 2022 - our day-by-day guide

When it comes to getting in the Christmas spirit nothing quite beats a bit of festive TV.

But in the midst of all the chaos it can be all too easy to miss the best family films and shows on the box.

That's why we've put together this simple guide to make it easy to see what's showing between now and January 2.

From the classics such as The Snowman to the much-anticipated The Smeds and the Smoos, airing on Christmas Day, there are so many films and shows to keep kids of all ages entertained.

READ MORE: The ultimate guide to Christmas events for kids in Manchester

Whether watching the programmes live, or setting the record button so the kids can watch them again - and again, and again - here's our mammoth list of the best movies and shows to keep them happy over the festive season.

Wednesday, December 21

11.30am - Dr Dolittle, ITV2

2.45pm - Beauty and the Beast, BBC1

2.45pm - Back to the Future Part III, ITV1

4.10pm - Smallfoot, ITV2

5.10pm - Night at the Museum 2, Channel 5

6.15pm - The Amazing Spider-Man 2, ITV2

Thursday, December 22

7am - The Rugrats Movie, Channel 4

3pm - How The Grinch Stole Christmas, ITV1

3.15pm - Paddington, BBC1

4.15pm - Hook, Channel 5

7.05pm - The Addams Family, Film4

8pm - Skyfall, ITV1

Friday, December 23

6.40am - Rugrats in Paris, Channel 4

9.55am - Shaun the Sheep Movie, BBC1

10.20am - The Addams Family, ITV2

12.05pm - The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, ITV2

12.45pm - Shrek, Film4

1.45pm - Trolls World Tour, BBC1, iPlayer

3.10pm - Stick Man, BBC1

3.35pm - Paddington 2, BBC1

3.50pm - The Grinch, ITV1

4pm - Peter Pan, ITV2

4.30pm - The Chronicles of Narnia, Film4

4.50pm - Edward Scissorhands, BBC2

6.40pm - Mrs Doubtfire, Film4

Christmas Eve

6.05am - Rugrats Go Wild, Channel 4

7.25am - The Snowman, Channel 4

7.50am - The Snowman and the Snowdog, Channel 4

8.25am - Father Christmas, Channel 4

9am - Terry Pratchett's The Abominable Snow Baby, Channel 4

10am - Shrek the Halls, Channel 4

10.05am - A Cinderella Story, ITV2

11.30am - How to Train Your Dragon, Channel 4

11.30am - Scrooge, Channel 5

11.55am - Nativity Rocks! ITV2

12.45pm - Arthur Christmas, ITV1

1.05pm - Shaun the Sheep - The Flight before Christmas, BBC1

1.40pm - The Secret Life of Pets 2, BBC1

2.30pm - Penguins of Madagascar, ITV2

2.35pm - Santa Claus - the Movie, ITV1

3pm - Pokemon Detective Pikachu, BBC1

4.55pm - The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse, BBC1

5.15pm - Ice Age, ITV2

5.25pm - Home Alone, C4

5.25pm - The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, BBC1

7pm - The Grinch, ITV2

Terry Pratchett’s The Abominable Snow Baby (Channel 4)

Christmas Day

7.40am - The Rise of the Guardians, Channel 4

8am - Beethoven's Christmas, ITV2

9am - The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse, BBC1

9.30am - Superworm, BBC1

9.35am - Kung Fu Panda 2, Channel 4

9.50am - Merry Madagascar, ITV2

10am - Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave, BBC2

10.25am - Trolls Holiday, ITV2

10.35am - The Wrong Trousers, BBC2

10.50am - It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, ITV2

11.25am - The Snowman, Channel 4

11.35am - Abominable, BBC1

11.55am - The Snowman and the Snowdog, Channel 4

12.30pm - Kindergarten Cop, E4

12.35pm - Kung Fu Panda Holiday, ITV2

1pm - Farmageddon, BBC1

1.10pm - Peter Pan, ITV2

2.30pm - The Smeds and the Smoos, BBC1

2.40pm - Shrek the Halls, E4

3.10pm - Aladdin, BBC1

3.15pm - Father Christmas, E4

3.25pm - ET, ITV2

3.55pm - The Tiger Who Came to Tea, E4

4.25pm - We're Going On A Bear Hunt, E4

5pm - Terry Pratchett's The Abominable Snow Baby, E4

5.30pm - Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Channel 4

5.45pm - Back to the Future, ITV2

6pm - The Snowman, E4

6.40pm - The Snowman and the Snowdog, E4

6.45pm - Grease, Film4

Boxing Day

6.35am - Terry Pratchett's The Abominable Snow Baby, E4

7.35am - Hotel for Dogs, Channel 4

8.20am - Cats & Dogs, ITV2

9am - The Smeds and the Smoos, BBC1

9.30am - The Snail and the Whale, BBC1

9.55am - The Gruffalo's Child, BBC1

10am - Stuart Little, ITV2

10.25am - Big Hero 6, BBC1

12.25pm - Frozen, BBC1

12.50pm - Ice Age: the Meltdown, ITV2

2pm - The Gruffalo, BBC1

2.25pm - Mary Poppins, BBC1

2.40pm - Matilda, ITV2

3.30pm - The Mitchells vs the Machines, ITV1

4.40pm - Ghost Busters, BBC1

4.45pm - Madagascar, ITV2

5.55pm - Peter Rabbit, Channel 4

6.20pm - The Karate Kid, E4

6.30pm - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, ITV2

7.10pm - Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, BBC3

7.40pm - The Secret Life of Pets 2, BBC3

Tuesday, December 27

6.10am - We're Going on a Bear Hunt, E4

6.35am - The Tiger Who Came to Tea, E4

9am - Ella Enchanted, ITV2

9.25am - Over the Hedge, ITV1

9.35am - The Adventures of Robin Hood, BBC2

10.55am - Annie, ITV2

11am - Rio, ITV1

11.30am - The NeverEnding Story, BBC1

11.50am - Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Channel 4

1.25pm - Trolls Holiday in Harmony, BBC1

1.30pm - ET, ITV1

1.45pm - How to Train Your Dragon: the Hidden World, BBC1

1.55pm - Hook, Channel 5

2pm - The Karate Kid, E4

3.20pm - Hotel Transylvania 3, ITV2

3.30pm - How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, BBC1

3.45pm - Ghostbusters II, BBC1

4pm - The Snowman, Channel 4

4.50pm - The Goonies, Channel 5

5.15pm - The Amazing Spider-Man 2, ITV2

7pm - Trolls World Tour, BBC3

8pm - Aquaman, ITV2

8.20pm - Trolls Holiday in Harmony, BBC3

Wednesday, December 28

9.45am - A Cinderella Story, Channel 5

10am - A Dog's Journey, BBC1

10.10am - Doctor Dolittle, ITV2

11.40am - Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, BBC1

11.55am - Garfield, ITV2

1.55pm - Zog and the Flying Doctors, BBC1

2pm - The Karate Kid Part II, E4

2.20pm - Finding Dory, BBC1

2.45pm - Hotel Transylvania, ITV1

3.50pm - Moana, BBC1

4.40pm - Penguins of Madagascar, ITV2

6.25pm - Shazam! ITV2

6.50pm - Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Channel 4

7pm - Ghost Busters, BBC3

8.40pm - Edward Scissorhands, BBC3

Moana (Manchester Evening News)

Thursday, December 29

8.55am - Ever After: a Cinderella Story, Channel 5

9.35am - Dr Dolittle 2, ITV2

10am - Planes, BBC1

11.20am - Matilda, ITV2

11.25am - Cars 3, BBC1

1.30pm - The Highway Rat, BBC1

1.55pm - Zootropolis, BBC1

2pm - The Karate Kid III, E4

3.35pm - The BFG, BBC1

4.30pm - Ice Age, ITV2

6.10pm - Wonder Woman, ITV2

6.45pm - Instant Family, Film4

7pm - Ghost Busters II, BBC3

The BFG (DreamWorks)

Friday, December 30

9.45am - The Good Dinosaur, BBC1

10.15am - The Lego Movie 2: the Second Part, ITV2

11.15am - Kung Fu Panda 3, BBC1

12.20pm - Ella Enchanted, ITV2

12.30pm - Bend It like Beckham, Channel 4

12.35pm - Room on the Broom, BBC1

1pm - Superman, Channel 5

1.35pm - The Smeds and the Smoos, BBC1

2pm - The Next Karate Kid, E4

2.05pm - Alice through the Looking Glass, BBC1

2.55pm - Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, ITV1

3.50pm - Maleficent, BBC1

4.45pm - Sonic the Hedgehog, Channel 4

6.45pm - Back to the Future, ITV2

7pm - Missing Link, BBC3

8pm - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Channel 4

8pm - Spectre, ITV1

New Year's Eve

10.35am - Annie, ITV2

12.50pm - Annie, Channel 4

1.15pm - Coco, BBC1

2pm - Stuart Little, ITV2

2.50pm - Inside Out, BBC1

3.20pm - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, ITV1

3.45pm - The Karate Kid, E4

6.15pm - Hulk, ITV4

6.40pm - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Channel 4

7.20pm - Yesterday, BBC1

8pm - Aquaman, ITV2

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Popperfoto via Getty Images)

New Year's Day

9.30am - Terry Pratchett's The Abominable Snow Baby, E4

10am - Early Man, BBC1

10am - Stuart Little 2, ITV2

10.05am - The Tiger Who Came to Tea, E4

10.35am - The Snowman, E4

11.05am - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Channel 5

11.10am - The Snowman and the Snowdog, E4

11.20am - Pete's Dragon, BBC1

11.45am - Madagascar, ITV2

11.45am - Kindergarten Cop, E4

1.30pm - Ice Age: the Meltdown, ITV2

1.50pm - Cinderella, BBC1

2pm - Spider-Man: into the Spider-Verse, E4

3.15pm - ET, ITV2

3.30pm - The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, BBC1

3.50pm - Penguins of Madagascar, ITV1

4pm - Mary Poppins Returns, BBC1

5.15pm - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Channel 4

5.35pm - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, ITV2

5.40pm - Dirty Dancing, Channel 5

8pm - The Maze Runner, BBC3

9pm - Gremlins, 5 Star

Monday, January 2

2.05pm - Ice Age 4: Continental Drift, Channel 5

2.30pm - Twins, ITV4

2.45pm - Space Jam, ITV2

3.50pm - The Goonies, Channel 5

4.30pm - The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists, ITV2

4.35pm - Uncle Buck, ITV4

4.45pm - Eddie the Eagle, Film4

6.20pm - Shazam! ITV2

7pm - The Greatest Showman, Channel 4

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.