Summer is here and so too is the ABC’s sizzling summer line-up, promising to keep audiences entertained over the holiday period with Christmas specials, premieres and events throughout December and January.
Immerse yourself in festive spirit as the ABC unwraps a bundle of Christmas specials. Kicking off the Yuletide season is The Book Club: 5 of the Best. As the series comes to an end, it’s time to celebrate a year of great reads and look back at eleven years of banter and reviews. Costa and the Gardening Australia team celebrate the festive season with two one-hour specials, and famous Australians discuss what Christmas means to them in Tinsel, Tears and Turkeys: An Aussie Christmas Unwrapped. Join host Sandi Toksvig for the QI Christmas Special.
DoctorWho fans will witness Peter Capaldi’s final magical journey in DoctorWho: Twice Upon A Time and then Rove McManus hosts a special Whovians panel straight afterwards to say goodbye to the Twelfth Doctor and hello to the very first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. ABC drama favourite returns with Call the Midwife: Christmas Special (2016), and young ones will be delighted with the Guess How Much I Love You Christmas Special, Peppa ** * Pig Christmas*** special and a Sesame Street Christmas special.
Charlie Pickering returns with Tom Gleeson, Kitty Flanagan and Adam Briggs to rip open the year that was 2017 in The Yearly with Charlie Pickering. News buffs can get their fix with Summer Drum, hosted weeknights by Adam Spencer and Offsiders: Summer Edition with host Kelli Underwood. Foreign Correspondent continues to air on Monday nights at 8.30pm, through December and January.
Cancel your plans for NYE and spend it with MC Charlie Pickering as he celebrates the final hours of the year with Countdown Live NYE 2017. Presented live (AEDT) from Sydney Opera House and jam packed full of family friendly entertainment, the evening features performances from Jimmy Barnes, Phil Jamieson, Marcia Hines John Paul Young, Montaigne, Casey Donovan, Ngaiire, Kate Ceberano, Isaiah Firebrace, Colin Hay, Mahalia Barnes and Prinnie Stevens, as well as full coverage of the Family Fireworks at 9pm, followed by the world-famous Sydney Midnight Fireworks.
ABC COMEDY will keep you laughing throughout summer, whatever the weather, wherever you are. Binge from bed or the beach with Australian comedy greats in the iview ABC COMEDY Binge. Highlights include A Moody Christmas, Get Krack n, Rosehaven, The Ex-PM, and When TV Was Awesome. And the laughs continue on ABC COMEDY and iview with The Best of Fresh Blood hosted by Wil Anderson, new seasons of fan favourites Red Dwarf and Episodes, as well as brand new programs Asian Provocateur and Ill Behaviour. ABC COMEDY will also encore A Very Sexy Christmas with Steven Oliver which premieres on the ABC Indigenous Facebook page.
The hits keep coming in January with the world premiere of the complete series of TheNewLegendsofMonkey on the ABC ME app and iview, as well as the return of TheCheckout,Catalyst and ShaunMicallef’sMad As Hell. Celebrate exceptional Australians with the **Australian of the Year on January 25 and on Australia Day follow the Flag Raising and Citizenship Ceremony 2018. Enjoy the new hour-long format of Gardening Australia in its new timeslot Fridays at 7.30pm, followed by a special one hour of Back Roads.
Sunday 24 December
7:30pm Joanna Lumley’s India Rpt Final
8:20pm Midsomer Murders Rpt
9:50pm Call The Midwife: Christmas Special Rpt
11:05pm The Code
Monday 25 December
7:20pm The Queen’s Christmas Message
7:30pm Royal Variety Performance 2017
9:30pm Movie: A Royal Night Out Rpt
11:05pm No Offence Final
Tuesday 26 December
7:30pm Doctor Who: Twice Upon A Time
8:30pm Harry Potter: A History of Magic
9:30pm Outnumbered Christmas Special
10:15pm The Yearly With Charlie Pickering Rpt
11:15pm QI Christmas Special Rpt
Wednesday 27 December
7:30pm Call The Midwife: Christmas Special
9:00pm The Agony Of Christmas
9:30pm Adam Hills: The Last Leg
10:10pm Walliams And Friend: Miranda Richardson
10:45pm Big Ted’s Excellent Adventure: 50 Years Of Play School
11:45pm Adam Hills: The Last Leg
Thursday 28 December
7:30pm Would I Lie To You?: Danny Dyer, Jon Richardson, Joe Lycett, Moira Stuart
8:20pm TBA
8:30pm Call The Midwife Rpt
9:30pm Delicious Rpt
10:25pm The Halcyon Rpt
11:10pm TBA
11:40pm QI Christmas Special
Friday 29 December
7:30pm Gardening Australia: New Year’s Family Special
8:30pm Endeavour: Coda
10:05pm Griff’s Great Britain: South Downs
10:30pm Basketball: NBL: Round 12 - Adelaide v New Zealand
Saturday 30 December
7:30pm Grantchester
8:20pm Father Brown: The Rod Of Asclepius
9:05pm Broadchurch
9:55pm Silent Witness: After The Fall (Part 1)
10:55pm Adam Hills: The Last Leg
Sunday 31 December
7:35pm Making Muriel
8:35pm New Year’s Eve: Family Spectacular
9:00pm New Year’s Eve: Family Fireworks
9:10pm New Year’s Eve with Charlie Pickering
9:30pm New Year’s Eve: Countdown Live
12:00am New Year’s Eve: Midnight Fireworks
12:15am rage: New Year’s Special
Monday 1 January
7:30pm 7.30
8:00pm Back Roads: Robe
8:30pm The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
10:00pm The Real Mary Poppins
11:00pm Man Up
Tuesday 2 January
8:00pm Brian Cox: Life Of A Universe
8:55pm Tanna
Set in the South Pacific, Wawa, a young girl from one of the last traditional tribes, falls in
love with her chief’s grandson, Dain. When an inter-tribal war escalates, Wawa is unknowingly betrothed as part of a peace deal.
10:35pm Man Up
11:35pm Doctor Who: Smith And Jones
Wednesday 3 January
8:00pm QI: Oceans
8:30pm War On Waste Rpt
9:30pm Jonathan Creek: Daemons’ Roost
11:00pm Man Up Final
12:00am Doctor Who: The Shakespeare Code
Thursday 4 January
8:00pm TBA
8:30pm Call The Midwife
9:30pm Delicious
10:20pm The Halcyon
11:05pm TBA
11:40pm The Letdown - Full season of 7 episodes
Friday 5 January
7:30pm Arthur And George
8:15pm Vera: On Harbour Street
9:50pm Griff’s Great Britain: Estuaries
10:10pm Basketball: NBL: Round 13 - Cairns v Brisbane
Saturday 6 January
7:30pm Grantchester
8:20pm Father Brown: The Missing Man
9:05pm Broadchurch
9:55pm Silent Witness: After The Fall (Part 2)
10:55pm Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: Murder Most Scandalous
Sunday 7 January
7:40pm David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef: Builders
8:40pm Midsomer Murders: Last Man Out
10:10pm Diana: Seven Days That Shook The World
11:00pm QI: Imbroglio
11:30pm The Code
Monday 8 January
8:00pm Back Roads: Canowindra
8:30pm Foreign Correspondent
9:00pm TBA
10:00pm Stephen Fry In Central America: Mexico
10:50pm Golf: PGA TOUR Highlights: Kapalua, Hawaii
11:40pm Doctor Who: Evolution Of The Daleks
Tuesday 9 January
8:00pm How To Stay Young New Series
9:00pm Fake Or Fortune?: Constable New Series
10:00pm Michael Mosley’s Secrets Of Your Food: We Are What We Eat
11:00pm How To Stay Young
Wednesday 10 January
8:00pm QI
8:30pm War On Waste
9:30pm Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
11:05pm The Secret River
Thursday 11 January
8:00pm TBA
8:30pm Call The Midwife
9:30pm Delicious Final
10:20pm The Halcyon
11:05pm TBA
11:40pm Doctor Who: Human Nature
Friday 12 January
7:30pm Arthur And George
8:15pm Vera: Protected
9:50pm Griff’s Great Britain: Highlands
10:15pm Basketball: NBL: Round 14 - Perth v Melbourne
11:55pm rage
Saturday 13 January
7:30pm Grantchester
8:20pm Father Brown: The Resurrectionists
9:05pm Broadchurch
9:55pm Silent Witness: Flight (Part 1)
11:50pm rage
Sunday 14 January
7:40pm David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef: Visitors
8:40pm Midsomer Murders: Red In Tooth And Claw
10:10pm Diana: Seven Days That Shook The World Final
11:00pm QI: Invertebrates
11:30pm The Code
Monday 15 January
8:00pm Back Roads: Pine Creek
8:30pm Foreign Correspondent
9:00pm David Stratton’s Stories Of Australian Cinema: Game Changers
10:00pm Stephen Fry In Central America: Belize To Guatemala
10:50pm Golf: PGA TOUR Highlights: Honolulu, Hawaii
11:45pm Doctor Who: Blink
Tuesday 16 January
8:00pm How To Stay Young
9:00pm Fake Or Fortune?: Tom Roberts
10:00pm Michael Mosley’s Secrets Of Your Food: A Matter Of Taste
11:00pm How To Stay Young
Wednesday 17 January
8:00pm QI
8:30pm War On Waste
9:30pm Maigret: Maigret Sets A Trap
11:00pm The Secret River
Thursday 18 January
8:00pm TBA
8:30pm Call The Midwife
9:30pm The Good Karma Hospital
10:20pm The Halcyon
11:10pm TBA
11:40pm Doctor Who: Last Of The Time Lords
Friday 19 January
7:30pm Arthur And George
8:20pm Vera: The Deer Hunters
9:50pm Griff’s Great Britain: Moors
10:15pm Basketball: NBL: Round 15 - Perth v Sydney
Saturday 20 January
7:30pm Grantchester
8:20pm Father Brown: The Sins Of The Father
9:05pm Broadchurch
9:55pm Silent Witness: Flight (Part 2)
10:55pm Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: Dead Man’s Chest
11:50pm rage
The sun-soaked, popular whodunit series DEATH IN PARADISE returns, as DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) hopes to find love on the idyllic island of Saint Marie.
This series finds DI Humphrey Goodman eagerly awaiting the return of Martha (Sally Bretton), an old acquaintance from London. But as soon as she arrives on the island, their burgeoning romance is put to the test by an untimely murder…
DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert) becomes emotionally involved in a case when an old schoolmate is found dead, and she realises the only way to right a past wrong is to find justice for her friend in the present. Meanwhile, a surprise encounter rakes up long-buried memories for Dwayne (Danny John-Jules), and JP (Tobi Bakare) is struggling with the realities of married life.
From a cricket club president murdered in the middle of the pitch, to a scientist found dead halfway up a volcano, there are more fiendishly difficult puzzles for the team to tackle in this eight-part series. And a seemingly unsolvable case takes Humphry and the team to London, in a special two-part story.
At the end of the Gardening Australia Christmas Special last night, host Costa said that the show is returning to our screens in 2018, but in a new timeslot. He said it will air on Friday nights, at 7.30pm, as one-hour-long episodes, starting on the 26th of January.
Looks like ABC is having somewhat of a relaunch. New slogan “Yours”. A long ident featuring plenty of personalities aired just before the NYE coverage.
