christmas tv

Tom Hollander and Idris Elba to star in The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

The animation will be hand-drawn in full colour and will take audiences of all ages on a heartfelt journey as the boy’s unlikely friends join him on his search for home.

Tom Hollander will star as ‘the mole’, Idris Elba as ‘the fox’, Gabriel Byrne as ‘the horse’ and newcomer Jude Coward Nicoll as ‘the boy’.

On adapting his book for the screen, creator Charlie Mackesy said: “The journey of making the film of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse with my ridiculously talented and kind animation team has been a magical one.

Comfort Classic: The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show

Credit: BBC

In those far-off days, when colour TV was still something of a novelty and viewers were restricted to a trio of TV channels, the two funniest people on the box were, without question, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. 

Not for nothing was Morecambe voted the funniest person of the 20th century, ahead of such other greats as Tommy Cooper and John Cleese, in an internet poll taken in 1999. 

Channel 4 celebrates Christmas with festive factual shows

(Credit: Channel 4)

World’s Most Extraordinary Christmas Dinners will look at the lengths people go to make Christmas Day special.

The one-off programme follows people from very different backgrounds, including astronauts in space and a submarine crew, as they prepare Christmas dinner. 

The channel has also promised seasonal episodes of familiar shows.

First Dates Christmas will not only see new blind dates, but will also feature the return of some of the show's previous happy couples.