BBC Scotland unwraps yuletide package of comedy, drama, music, and entertainment

A bumper delivery of festive programming across radio and television from BBC Scotland is set to bring seasonal cheer to audiences throughout Christmas and New Year.

The broadcaster has released highlights of its festive schedules that will serve up top comedy, compelling documentaries, and drama, alongside a helping of nostalgia and rousing musical entertainment.

Among the festive offerings is a fascinating two-part documentary into the life and career of football legend, Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex features accounts from a host of former players and adversaries, while exploring the origins of his will-to-win. Both episodes are available on BBC iPlayer from Boxing Day and will also air on the BBC Scotland channel on January 1 and 2 and on BBC One later in the month. An accompanying podcast will also be released on Boxing Day on BBC Sounds.

Amy Irons makes her debut as host for Hogmanay 2024, the shiny entertainment show on BBC One Scotland that takes the audience through the bells with guests including legendary Scottish singer Marti Pellow, traditional folk band Skipinnish, and Scottish country folk artist Rianne Downey. Over on the BBC Scotland channel, comedian and broadcaster Des Clarke will present the Not Quite End of Year Show as the countdown to the bells begins.

Also on Hogmanay, Rikki celebrates an icon of Hogmanays past and a Scottish comedy hero on BBC One Scotland. It’s 100 years since Robert Kerr ‘Rikki’ Fulton was born in the East End of Glasgow and twenty since he passed. Narrated by Ashley Jensen and featuring archive interviews from the man himself, the documentary tells the story of Rikki Fulton’s extraordinary life.

Queen of the New Year is back to bring the big laughs to Hogmanay on BBC One Scotland as Greg Hemphill and Robert Florence are again joined by the best of Scottish comedy talent. The sketch show takes on 2024 – making us smile and reminisce as we speed towards the bells.

There’s also the series finale of comedy Only Child on BBC Scotland. Greg McHugh’s Richard struggles to find the right time to tell Ken, played by Gregor Fisher, his big news as father and son spend a special day together.

The festivities begin reflectively with Christmas Celebration 2024, which airs on BBC One Scotland just before midnight on Christmas Eve. It comes from Holy Trinity Church in St Andrews and includes performances from St Salvator’s Chapel Choir, Senior Organ Scholar Michael Chamberlain, and children from StAMP Children’s Choir.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the story of sprinter Eric Liddell, which inspired the film ‘Chariots of Fire’, the programme features an interview with his daughter, Patrica Liddell Russell.

In the River City Christmas episode, an unexpected dinner guest brings chaos for Mikey; Caitlin is stunned by Sam’s festive gift; and Mulvaney and Bob come together to bring yuletide peace for Scarlett. The series reaches an unmissable finale in the Hogmanay edition – Harry orchestrates a showdown to finally reveal the rat and Mikey is on tenterhooks at the hospital waiting for Jonathon to wake-up.

Wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan takes an epic journey across the Gobi Desert on one of the world’s most iconic, yet least understood animals – camels. My Epic Camel Adventure with Gordon Buchanan on BBC Two and BBC Scotland chronicles a remarkable adventure which begins in the west of Mongolia.

The BBC Scotland series Craft Christmas at Beechgrove, presented by Jean Johansson, is counting down to the big day with some great ideas for things the family can make, do and eat, to ensure a memorable festive period.

And five festive ho-ho-homes are all hoping to be gifted the title of Scotland’s Christmas Home of the Year 2024 in a seasonal special of the popular series on BBC Scotland.

Musical treats from BBC Scotland which are available on the iPlayer across the festivities include Simple Minds: Everything is Possible, the story of how a group of working-class kids became one of the most iconic Scottish bands in history, and Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands, a feature- length documentary highlighting the trailblazing groups who challenged a male-dominated industry.

There’s cracking stand-up comedy across the BBC Scotland festive schedules including solo shows from top drawer comics such as Kevin Bridges, Danny Bhoy and Mark Nelson, and performances from a host of stars in a screening of Scotland Stands Up.

And the Breaking The News team is back on the BBC Scotland channel with their annual review of the last 12 months. Des Clarke, and special guests, Kaye Adams, Iain Stirling, Susie McCabe, and Christopher MacArthur-Boyd take a wry look back at the biggest stories in a festive special that will also air on BBC Radio Scotland.

BBC Radio Scotland highlights include Who’s that Girl?, marking the 70th birthday of Annie Lennox on Christmas Day. Grant Stott explores her back catalogue, featuring music from The Tourists, Eurythmics and her solo records, plus archive interviews.

In Christmas with Cathy and Tony on Christmas Eve, Cathy MacDonald and Tony Kearney share festive reflections on the theme of Christmas Through the Ages. It’s followed in the evening by a Christmas Service which takes listeners into Christmas morning with reflections, choral music and carols from Douglas Academy in Milngavie, Glasgow.

The Quay Sessions presents Del Amitri in Concert features the band’s show, recorded live at Glasgow’s Barrowland, as part of their 2024 winter tour. Introduced by Roddy Hart, the set will feature hits from a career that spans over 30 years.

Billy Differ plays the biggest songs from the musicals in A Night at the Musicals: All Singing, All Dancing. From classics to current favourites – expect the tunes everyone knows and loves. Special guests include Alan Cumming and Bonnie Langford.

In Capercaillie at 40, Gary Innes interviews band members about their memories and highlights from the last four decades, finding out why they are still so beloved across the world.

Michelle McManus hosts Radio Scotland’s Christmas Concert, an hour packed with festive songs and cheer. Michelle’s joined by both The Glasgow Youth Choir and Rock Choir for some of the season’s favourite songs.

The festivities will stay upbeat with the best sounds from special editions of Get it On with Bryan Burnett, Grant Stott’s Vinyl Collective and Your Requests with Gary Innes. There are also two other festive traditions – Christmas Classics and BBC SSO at the Movies with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performing seasonal songs and orchestral favourites.

And there’s an invitation to start off 2025 in the sparkling company of Greg Hemphill and Julie Wilson Nimmo in Jules and Greg’s New Year. They’ll share stories of New Years past, and who they’ve met along the way, as well as playing their favourite music.

BBC ALBA is set to bring together some of trad music’s biggest names to celebrate Hogmanay 2024 for the annual live event, Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Ùire. Scottish supergroup, Mànran, along with other well-known trad music acts including Royal National Mòd 2024 gold-medallist, Alice MacMillan, have been announced in the line-up at this year’s event, broadcasting from Nairn Community and Arts Centre in the Highlands.

The iconic Hogmanay show will be broadcast live on BBC ALBA and worldwide on Radio nan Gàidheal, with Cathy MacDonald and Niall Iain Macdonald hosting the cèilidh.

Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning at BBC Scotland, says: “Our programme makers have delivered a line-up that’s packed with delights for our audiences. We hope they’ll enjoy the wide range of treats in our schedules across the festivities and join us again in big numbers as we celebrate 2024’s finale and welcome in the New Year.”

JG