What's on TV tonight: Tuesday, December 23 picks include The Madame Blanc Mysteries Christmas special
Jean gets a nasty surprise in the festive cosy crime favouriteChristmas TV highlights for Tuesday December 23 include The Madame Blanc Mysteries and Inside the Christmas Factory.
It’s a great Christmas for Madame Blanc fans as they’re getting their first-ever feature-length festive special starring Sally Lindsay and Steve Edge.
Plus, Paddy McGuinness and Cherry Healey investigate seasonal treats in Inside the Christmas Factory and there’s a Lapland adventure in comedy Stuffed.
Don’t forget we have guides to the best BBC Christmas TV shows and the best ITV Christmas shows where you can find everything on over the festive period.
Now, here is what’s on TV tonight for you to look forward to…
The Madame Blanc Mysteries Christmas Special (Channel 5, 8pm)
Despite being set on Christmas Eve, 5 has for some reason decided not to show The Madame Blanc Mysteries Christmas Special then!
Jean (Sally Lindsay) and her fiancé Dom (Steve Edge) receive an invitation to an exclusive Christmas Eve event at the Musée de Sainte Victoire. Joining them are their friends Judith (Sue Holderness) and Jeremy (Robin Askwith).
But poor Jean discovers that a rare French jewellery box she’s authenticating – once owned by Marie Antoinette – contains a bomb!
So, Jean and the gang have just 90 minutes to defuse the device before it explodes. And the only way to do that is for Jean to solve a strange riddle.
You can expect plenty of surprises. Guest stars include Cold Feet’s John Thomson and Grantchester’s Kacey Ainsworth.
Furthermore, Sally Lindsay has taken over 5’s Tuesday schedule as following Madame Blanc she hosts a Christmas quiz! Sally tests the teams on classic Christmas TV, music and film. Among those taking part are Lesley Joseph, Christopher Biggins and Debbie McGee.
Read more about The Madame Blanc Mysteries Christmas Special here.
Inside the Christmas Factory (BBC One, 8pm)
If you reckon you’ve got a lot of cooking to do, think of the factory that has to make 100,000 spiced biscuits for Christmas! Paddy McGuinness and Cherry Healey head to the Original Biscuit Bakers factory in Shropshire to discover its secrets.
As the factory is making gingerbread biscuits, the staff wait anxiously for the ground ginger to be delivered. With their lovely hairnets on, Paddy and Cherry head to the mixing area to see how they’re made.
Cherry discovers that Santa’s body requires a special food colouring called Christmas Red. Finally, Paddy watches happily as workers load a truck with 100,000 gingerbread figures to fill up stockings.
Elsewhere, Cherry discovers how they make snow indoors at a ski centre in Milton Keynes.
What’s on TV tonight: Stuffed (BBC One, 9pm)
Arslan (Guz Khan) is delighted to be given an £8,000 work bonus for Christmas, in this festive comedy special. He decides to treat his wife Hannah (Morgana Robinson) and kids to a holiday of a lifetime to Lapland. But there’s one major problem, his Christmas bonus was a mistake! His angry boss tells him he must pay the money back at once.
So Arslan cooks up a mad scheme to try and win a talent show to pay for the holiday. Plus he has to keep his money woes secret from Hannah who’s not recovered from the loss of her mum. Sue Johnston guest stars as Hannah’s holiday friend Lily. It’s all delightfully silly.
A Very British Christmas: Kensington Palace (Channel 4, 8pm)
Designers Adrian Lillie and Charlotte Lloyd Webber have their biggest challenge ever as they take on their first royal residence.
So, their goal is to transform Kensington Palace in West London, with the theme being Queen Victoria’s 1835 Yuletide seaside visit to Ramsgate. We’re guessing that’s why one of the decorations used is a gold lobster! It’s fair to say Kensington Palace ends up looking absolutely amazing.
The pair use a mix of flowers and special decorations to evoke the era. Meanwhile, they’re also dressing London’s Chiswick House for Christmas although they’re banned from using glitter.
What’s on TV tonight: First Dates at Christmas (Channel 4, 9pm)
Fred Sirieix gets the mistletoe ready, expecting that there will be some festive smooching taking place. Retired nurse Linda hasn’t been on a date for 16 years and is hoping that furniture maker Harry might prove a catch. We also meet Essex barber Wes, who reveals he has a softer side behind all the chat. Also hoping to find love is former University Challenge contestant Bobby Seagull. And he seems to have the perfect date because they are also into quizzes.
Meanwhile, Cindy and Elan who met on the show and then went on to get married in 2021 make a welcome return. Plus, they have some great news for Fred. So, there’s lots to smile about on this festive First Dates!
Read more: Everything you need to know about the Death in Paradise Christmas Special 2025
