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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Adam White

‘Haven’t we suffered enough?’: BBC under fire over ‘worst Christmas TV line-up ever’

Photograph: BBC

The BBC’s Christmas TV schedule has been branded the “worst ever” by disgruntled viewers.

Among the highlights of the BBC’s festive line-up are Christmas specials of Mrs Brown’s Boys, Call the Midwife and Blankety Blank.

Other programmes to be broadcast across Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day include Would I Lie to You? at Christmas, The Wall Versus Celebrities and Michael McIntyre’s Christmas Wheel.

Primetime on Christmas Eve has also been filled with a repeat of a Gavin & Stacey Christmas special.

Viewers were quick to condemn the line-up, with one viewer tweeting: “Jesus Christ as if we haven’t suffered enough this year.”

Another called the line-up “the worst Christmas TV scheduling I have ever seen”.

“Man alive,” tweeted someone else. “Paddington 2, Worzel Gummidge & Repair Shop aside… that’s complete & utter s***e.”

Another viewer thought the BBC may have pulled a festive prank, writing: “Is that a joke? That isn’t the real schedule is it?”

The BBC had its defenders, however, with one viewer arguing that the Covid-19 pandemic would have probably impacted the number of available options for the channel’s schedulers.

“You may have not realised, but there’s been a massive pandemic this year making it difficult to film anything,” the viewer tweeted.

For a full list of Christmas programming across the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, click here.

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