Christmas movies (not horror) on air in the UK this year

After a particularly downbeat Christmas in 2020, everyone was optimisting that this year would be a perfect one. However, in light of the increasing amount of bad news with high cases and changes in restrictions, it seems like we’re not out of the woods yet.

As a result, and rather uncharacterically for Love Horror, we thought we would put together a list of the general films (not just horror) that are available to watch in the UK either via terrestrial TV or popular streaming channels this Christmas. The films might not scare you, but they will hopefully cheer you up and give you something to watch while you wrap pressies, open pressies and no doubt eat and drink far more than you should!

Don’t forget, if you are looking for a Christmas-themed horror film, check out our top 10 Christmas horror films list.

Films to watch/stream for Christmas 2021

BBC One

Saving Mr Banks – December 21, 2.45pm
Pete’s Dragon – December 22, 3.05pm
Crazy Rich Asians – December 22, 10.35pm
Cinderella (2015) – December 23, 3.15pm
Brave – December 24, 11.40am
Frozen – December 24, 1.30pm
Abominable – December 24, 3pm
Dolittle (2020) – December 24, 4.30pm
The Secret Life of Pets 2 – December 25, 1.10pm and December 31, 10.55am
Mary Poppins Returns – December 25, 3.10pm
Shaun the Sheep Movie – December 26, 10.10am
Trolls – December 25, 11.30am
Beauty and the Beast (2017) – December 26, 2.20pm
Paddington – December 26, 4.20pm
Finding Dory – December 27, 1.30pm
Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans – December 27, 3pm
Paddington 2 – December 27, 5.55pm
When Harry Met Sally – December 27, 12.15am
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – December 28, 1.55pm
The BFG (2016) – December 28, 3.25pm
Monsters University – December 29, 9.05am
Big Hero 6 – December 29, 10.40am
Inside Out – December 29, 1.40pm
A Star is Born (2018) – December 29, 9pm
Zootropolis – December 30, 1.45pm
The Jungle Book (2016) – December 30, 3.35pm
Ready Player One – December 30, 10.35pm
Coco – December 31, 2.40pm
I Give It a Year – December 31, 12.40am

BBC Two

Doctor Zhivago – December 21, 1.50pm
Guys and Dolls – December 22, 3.40pm
Last Christmas – December 23, 9pm
North by Northwest – December 24, 3.20pm
Casablanca – December 25, 11.10am
Singin’ in the Rain – December 26, 12.40pm
Some Like It Hot – December 26, 2.20pm
A Star is Born (1954) – December 27, 10.05am
West Side Story (1961) – December 27, 4.35pm
Blade Runner 2049 – December 27, 9pm
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie – December 29, 12.55am
Judy – December 30, 9pm

ITV

Shrek – December 21, 1.45pm
Shaun of the Dead – December 21, 11.40pm
ET: The Extra-Terrestrial – December 22, 11.30am
Shrek 2 – December 22, 2.15pm
Die Hard – December 22, 10.45pm
Sing – December 23, 1.50pm
The Holiday – December 23, 11pm
Nativity Rocks! – December 24, 11am
Santa Clause: The Movie – December 25, 3.10pm
Love Actually – December 25, 10.40pm
Hotel Transylvania – December 27, 11.45am
Despicable Me – December 28, 12.30pm
Despicable Me 2 – December 29, 12.30pm
Hot Fuzz – December 29, 10.20pm
Despicable Me 3 – December 30, 12.30pm
Smallfoot – December 31, 12.30pm
Spectre – December 31, 9pm

ITV2

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – December 21, 6.45pm and December 25, 8pm
Love Actually – December 21, 9pm
School of Rock – December 22, 4.05pm
The Amazing Spider-Man – December 22, 6.20pm and December 28, 5.15pm
The Addams Family – December 23, 4.10pm and December 28, 9.30am
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – December 23, 6.15pm and December 29, 6.15pm
The Secret Life of Pets – December 24, 12.55pm and December 30, 4.50pm
Uncle Buck – December 24, 6pm
The Holiday – December 24, 8pm
Chicken Run – December 25, 3.50pm and December 27, 4.35pm
Ice Age – December 26, 2.10pm and December 30, 3.10pm
ET: The Extra-Terrestrial – December 26, 3.50pm
Shrek – December 26, 6.10pm
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw – December 26, 8pm and December 29, 9pm
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown – December 27, 2.45pm
Wonder Woman – December 27, 6.15pm
Bridesmaids – December 27, 9pm
Back to the Future – December 28, 2.55pm
Skyfall – December 28, 8pm
Back to the Future Part II – December 29, 4.05pm
Back to the Future Part III – December 30, 6.35pm
Mean Girls – December 30, 9pm
Space Jam – December 31, 10.05am
New Year’s Eve – December 31, 4.05pm
Snow White & the Huntsman – December 31, 6.35pm
Pitch Perfect 2 – December 31, 9pm

Channel 4

Mr & Mrs Smith – December 21, 12am
Office Christmas Party – December 23, 11pm
It’s a Wonderful Life – December 24, 2pm
Home Alone – December 24, 6pm
How to Train Your Dragon – December 25, 11am
White Christmas – December 25, 12.55pm
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – December 25, 5.15pm
Slumdog Millionaire – December 25, 12.20am
Crocodile Dundee – December 26, 4pm
Murder on the Orient Express (2017) – December 28, 9pm
Misery – December 28, 11.15pm
Deep Impact – December 30, 3.10pm
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events – December 31, 11.20am
The Great Escape – December 31, 3.15pm

Channel 5

Gnomeo & Juliet – December 21, 11.50am
Meet the Parents – December 21, 10pm
Matilda – December 23, 5.10pm and December 28, 9.40am
Scrooge – December 24, 11.55am
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – December 25, 3.10pm and December 31, 9.45am
Calendar Girls – December 26, 12.45pm
The Proposal – December 26, 3pm
Sister Act – December 26, 5.10pm
Dirty Dancing – December 26, 8pm
My Fair Lady – December 27, 1.10pm
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit – December 27, 4.50pm
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – December 27, 8pm
The Mask of Zorro – December 28, 11.45am
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) – December 28, 2.30pm
Planes, Trains and Automobiles – December 28, 5.10pm
The Meg – December 28, 9pm
Jumanji – December 31, 12.40pm
Hook – December 31, 2.50pm
Night at the Museum – December 31, 5.35pm

Sky Cinema and NOW TV

How the Grinch Stole Christmas – available to watch now
ELF – available to watch now
Bad Santa – available to watch now
Germins – available to watch now
Arthur Christmas – available to watch now
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – available to watch now
A Boy Called Christmas – available to watch now
A Christmas Number One – available to watch now
A Boy Called Christmas – available to watch now
Godzilla vs Kong – available to watch now
8-Bit Christmas – available to watch now
A Christmas Number One – available to watch now
Another Round – available to watch now
Christmas at Cattle Hill – available to watch now
In the Heights – available to watch now
Last Train to Christmas – available to watch now
Peter Rabbit 2 – December 25

Netflix

The Christmas Chronicles
The Princess Switch
Jingle Jangle: a Christmas Journey
Let It Snow
Klaus
The Holiday
Krampus
Love Actually
Last Christmas
Nativity 1 & 2
Deck the Halls
Bad Santa 2
Jack Frost
Holidate
Operation Christmas Drop
Trolls Holiday
Angela’s Christmas
Click & Collect
A California Christmas
A California Christmas – City Lights

Disney +

Disney’s Frozen – Available now
Disney’s A Christmas Carol – Available now
The Santa Clause 1,2,3 – Available now
The Nightmare Before Christmas – Available now
Die Hard 1 & 2 – Available now
Santa Paws 1 & 2 – Available now
Home Sweet Home Alone – Available now
Home Alone 1, 2 , 3, 4 – Available now
Ice Age (Various) – Available now
Mickeys Christmas Carol – Available now
A Christmas Carol – Available now
Star Wars Holiday Special – Available now
Disney Once Upon A Snowman – Available now
Santa Buddies – – Available now
The Muppets Christmas Carol – Available now
The Last Duel – available to watch now
Diary of a Wimpy Kid – available to watch now
Ron’s Gone Wrong – available to watch now
Encanto – December 24
Paddington – December 31
Paddington 2 – December 31

Amazon Prime

Love Actually – available to watch now
The Holiday – available to watch now
The Night Before – available to watch now
Office Christmas Party – available to watch now
Nativity 1, 2 and 3 – available to watch now
Deck The Halls – available to watch now
Christmas with the Kranks – available to watch now
Scrooge (1935) – available to watch now
A Christmas Carol (1970) – available to watch now
Encounter – available to watch now
Wrath of Man – available to watch now
Being the Ricardos– December 21
The Protégé – December 31

Merry Christmas from Love Horror!