Specials And Nostalgia Key To BBC’s Festive Programming

Specials and old favourites will be key to the BBC keeping its viewing figures up during the festive season.

The Corporation will screen special editions of Doctor Who, Little Britain, This Life and The Vicar of Dibley, whilst EastEnders will see the “dramatic” exit of one of the soap’s original characters, Pauline Fowler.

Little Britain star Matt Lucas will also appear as Toad alongside Bob Hoskins as Badger in a new big-budget adaptation of The Wind In The Willows, whilst Billie Piper and Julie Walters star in an adaptation of Philip Pullman’s The Ruby In The Smoke.

Influential drama This Life will return to BBC Two in a one-off 90-minute special, a decade on from the cast’s last appearance. In a similarly nostalgic vein, Noel Edmonds will be reunited with Keith Chegwin, Maggie Philbin and John Craven for a one-off edition of Swap Shop to trawl through 30 years of Saturday morning children’s television.

As well as a Christmas Day edition of Doctor Who, executive producer Russell T Davies has written a spinoff story for CBBC called The Sarah Jane Adventures, starring one of the Doctor’s most famous companions.

Jana Bennett, the director of BBC Vision, said: “I’m so proud of our Christmas schedule this year, not least because it boasts an abundance of original British talent … there really is something for everyone on the BBC this holiday.”

The BBC’s viewing figures have declined in recent years, with BBC One last year seeing its share of viewing fall from 42% to 32%, while ITV1’s declined from 32% to 20%.

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