It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas TV: But is this the best we can do?

If watching Gemma Collins build a snowman sounds like entertainment to you, you’ll be overjoyed at this year’s Christmas TV schedule.  

The Only Way Is Essex star, 41, will feature in Channel 4’s The Greatest Snowman, where she will compete with other ‘celebs’ to build snow and ice sculptures in the snowy climes of Austria. 

The show, presented by Sue Perkins, is one of the many making up Britain’s Christmas TV guide this year, which is beginning to take shape after broadcasters announced their ‘world-class’ offerings today. 

It will join a Strictly Come Dancing special with Anton Du Beke on the BBC, and yet more Ant and Dec on ITV, as the Geordie duo launch the first Christmas edition of their new gameshow Limitless Win. 

A Strictly Come Dancing special with Anton Du Beke (pictured) and the rest of the judging panel will feature on the BBC this Christmas 

Other predictable specials on the Beeb includes The Graham Norton Show, EastEnders, Antiques Roadshow and Call The Midwife. 

Elsewhere, ITV Daytime is treating the public to more Loose Women and This Morning, which will both air for the first time between December 28 and 30, along with Good Morning Britain and Lorraine. 

But there will also be festive one-offs for big hits, including BBC’s Motherland and two Sir David Attenborough shows; Dynasties II and Frozen Planet II. 

There will also be game show specials of Blankety Blank, The Weakest Link, House Of Games, The Hit List, Question Of Sport, Pointless, The Wheel, University Challenge, Would I Lie To You and QI. 

Meanwhile the BBC will award viewers with not one, but two festive specials of Mrs Brown’s Boys.

One viewer joked on Twitter that he was hoping for power cuts during the specials, while another said: ‘There are two things that are unavoidable in life… death and Mrs Browns Boys on Christmas Day BBC 1.’ 

Another jibed on Facebook: ‘Mrs Browns Boys? Has the nation not suffered enough?’

A third compared the BBC’s schedule to ‘some very thin gruel’, while another complained: ‘As always the BBC reveal what’s on at Christmas and as has been for so many years there’s nothing I fancy, there isn’t even a Dr Who!’ 

But the BBC was quick to defend its line-up. 

Charlotte Moore, BBC ‘s Chief Content Officer said: ‘Nothing brings people across the UK together like Christmas on the BBC and this year we’ve got a world-class line-up like no other. 

‘Get ready to escape and be entertained with an incredible range of new festive shows across every genre, live or on demand, there’s something for everyone.’

Part of that ‘world-class’ lineup is The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special, which will see some familiar faces attempt to transform unwanted materials into something suitably festive. 

And Cliff Richard fans can rejoice, as the King of Christmas is to perform a one-hour special on BBC Two. 

Cliff At Christmas will see the 82-year-old some of his classics at a church in east London – as well as some of his new material. 

There will be yet more Ant and Dec on ITV this Christmas, as the Geordie duo launch the first Christmas edition of their new Limitless Win gameshow

Top Gun: Maverick will stream on Paramount+ this Christmas (Pictured: Tom Cruise in the sequel) 

There will also be festive one-offs for big hits, including BBC’s Motherland (cast pictured) and two Sir David Attenborough shows; Dynasties II and Frozen Planet II

‘Thank God for Amazon and Netflix,’ another Twitter user joked after reading the schedules. 

Another branded the list of programming a ‘horror story.’ 

Others were excited for the schedule, as one declared: ‘Finally some great Christmas specials from the BBC this year! Looking forward to this.’  

‘Thank God for Amazon and Netflix’: Viewers react to announcement of Christmas TV schedule 

Meanwhile on Channel 4, comedian Nish Kumar will host Celebrity Legomasters At Christmas, which will see three celebrity teams compete in the ultimate Lego-building contest. 

Much like the last few years, the broadcaster will also show a festive celebrity edition of Bake Off. 

Perhaps its most original offering will be Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama. 

The series sees Michael Sheen dramatise the now infamous Wagatha Christie trial – aka the ‘libel trial of the century’ – between WAGs Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy, which captured the nation’s imagination this year.