BBC Viewers Rage As ‘Ruinous’ 2025 Christmas TV Schedule Is Unveiled — Including One VERY Controversial Show That Has Fans Saying “What a Letdown!”
The BBC has released its 2025 Christmas schedule – which includes an Amandaland special
Upset BBC viewers have erupted in frustration after the broadcaster revealed its 2025 Christmas TV schedule, with many blasting it online as a major disappointment. Despite featuring festive editions of several beloved programmes, the lineup appears to have fallen flat for a large portion of the audience — and some are calling it “the weakest Christmas run in years.”
Tom Hiddleston is returning to lead the cast of The Night Manager
The BBC had hoped to build excitement with seasonal specials across its biggest titles, but when the schedule hit social media, X users wasted no time expressing their displeasure.
Irish sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys has received mixed reviews in its many years on air
One of the most divisive additions is Mrs Brown’s Boys, a long-running BBC favourite since its 2011 debut. The sitcom — starring creator Brendan O’Carroll as foul-mouthed matriarch Agnes Brown — will air two Christmas specials, a decision that immediately sparked online uproar.
Dublin-born comic Brendan O’Carroll created Mrs Brown’s Boys and plays lead character Agnes Brown
Other major titles making the festive list include The Night Manager, Amandaland, Death in Paradise, and Here We Go.
Tom Hiddleston returns to lead the cast of the highly anticipated Night Manager instalment, while Amandaland continues its growing popularity.
Additional programming across BBC One also includes The Traitors, EastEnders, Beyond Paradise, Call The Midwife, Strictly Come Dancing, and more.
BBC Two viewers can expect Gone Christmas Fishing, Christmas University Challenge and Mammooth.
But despite the variety, many viewers say the lineup simply misses the mark.
One unimpressed viewer wrote: “Genuinely not one thing that stands out! What a letdown.”
Another added: “Well, that’s a whole lot of nothing special!”
A third begged: “Please don’t ruin Christmas with Mrs Browns Boys!”
Others bluntly mocked the schedule:
“My expectations after last year’s lineup were low… but holy.”
Mrs Brown’s Boys has long been a “marmite” show among British audiences, with extreme opinions on both sides. When the series returned last August, one viewer described it as “the worst programme in human history… it should never have been commissioned.”
Another wrote: “I don’t know anyone who will admit to liking this show.”
Here We Go began in 2022 starring Ghosts’ Jim Howick, The IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson and Gavin and Stacey’s Alison Steadman
Yet loyal fans remain defiant.
One supporter said: “Love love love Mrs Brown’s Boys.”
Another defended the special: “If the humour isn’t for you, don’t watch it. It’s been on long enough — people know what to expect.”
Creator Brendan O’Carroll, who plays Agnes Brown, continues to stand by the show despite fluctuating ratings. The 2024 Christmas special drew just 2.2 million viewers, a steep decline from its 2013 peak of 11.5 million, with critics claiming last year’s episode “ruined their holiday spirit.”
Meanwhile on BBC One, other programmes soared in comparison. Gavin and Stacey: The Finale became the most-watched show of the festive season with 12.5 million viewers, while Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl attracted 9.5 million.
Still, with many viewers complaining that the BBC’s 2025 Christmas schedule lacks festive spark — and accusing the broadcaster of “destroying tradition” — the question now is whether audiences will tune in at all.
