It’s New Year’s Eve and the telly knows exactly what we need: comfort, nostalgia, and enough booze-friendly viewing to get us through to midnight. The BBC has gone full retro with Ronan Keating and Jools Holland, while Channel 4 wheels out The Last Leg for one final roast of 2025. Not a bad send-off.
Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best
- Here We Go – BBC One, 8pm – Series finale of the best sitcom you might not be watching
- Jaws – BBC Four, 9pm – The original summer blockbuster (yes, on New Year’s Eve)
- Graham Norton – BBC One, 10:30pm – Tom Hiddleston, Carey Mulligan, absolute A-list
- Jools’ Hootenanny – BBC Two, 11:30pm – The only way to ring in the new year
Afternoon Viewing
Kiss Me, Kate – BBC Two, 3:35pm
Adrian Dunbar singing Cole Porter. I’ll let that sink in. The Line of Duty star plays a preening actor-director in this Barbican production of the classic musical about a theatrical troupe staging The Taming of the Shrew. He’s thoroughly outshone by Stephanie J Block, but their bickering chemistry is genuinely fun. Just don’t expect to hear him serenade Vicky McClure any time soon.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On – BBC One, 9:35am
If you missed this 2021 gem, here’s your chance. A sentient shell (voiced by Jenny Slate) searches for his missing family with his grandmother (Isabella Rossellini, obviously). It’s far more moving than it has any right to be. Director Dean Fleischer Camp went on to make Disney’s Lilo & Stitch remake off the back of this.
Early Evening
Top of the Pops Review of the Year – BBC Two, 6pm
Using the TOTP brand for what’s essentially a live music compilation feels a bit hollow – like a band touring without any original members. But Clara Amfo guides us through the BBC’s musical highlights of 2025: Sam Fender at Big Weekend, Lewis Capaldi at Glastonbury, and yes, the Oasis comeback. There’s also a look at Britpop’s unlikely resurgence. Pulp came back too, remember.
The Weakest Link Party Special – BBC One, 6:40pm
Romesh Ranganathan fires questions at Patsy Palmer, Charlotte Crosby, Keith Brymer Jones and Fatiha El-Ghorri. Perfect for absorbing while checking your phone.
Prime Time
Here We Go – BBC One, 8pm ⭐
This is genuinely one of the best sitcoms on telly and I will not hear otherwise. Katherine Parkinson and Jim Howick as Rachel and Paul Jessop have created something properly special – a family comedy that’s both painfully relatable and actually funny.
In tonight’s series finale, Rachel wants to throw a big New Year’s party at home. Paul, naturally, has other ideas – he’s booked a holiday cottage to celebrate 2026 in style. The suburban semi he’s actually secured looks suspiciously like their own house. Car troubles and a giant boil on Paul’s face are just the start of their problems.
If you haven’t caught up on the previous three series, they’re all on iPlayer. Do yourself a favour.
Jaws – BBC Four, 9pm
Yes, they’re showing Jaws on New Year’s Eve. No, it doesn’t make sense. But Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster remains an absolute masterpiece – 50 years old and still more terrifying than anything made since. Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss stuck on a boat hunting a shark. That’s it. That’s the film. Perfect.
Celia Imrie dives into the BBC archives beforehand (8:15pm) to tell the story of how it got made. Worth catching.
The Last Leg of the Year – Channel 4, 9pm
Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker say goodbye to 2025 with a guest list that’s… eclectic. Sir Lenny Henry brings gravitas, Phil Wang brings jokes, Maisie Adam brings energy, Dani Dyer brings… well, Dani Dyer. And Pete Doherty is there too, presumably because someone lost a bet. Should be chaotic.
The Countdown to Midnight
Graham Norton – BBC One, 10:30pm
The traditional warm-up to midnight, and Norton’s assembled an absolute belter of a lineup. Tom Hiddleston’s here to talk about The Night Manager’s return (starts tomorrow on BBC One). Laura Dern and Will Arnett are promoting their new John Bishop comedy film. Carey Mulligan and Tim Key complete the sofa, plus Owen Cooper from Adolescence – the breakout star of 2025.
Ronan Keating’s New Year’s Eve – BBC One, 11:30pm
You’d be forgiven for thinking the BBC had stepped back to the year 2000. Ronan Keating is performing his millennium hits – When You Say Nothing at All, Life Is a Rollercoaster – plus covers of George Michael and Van Morrison. The fireworks cut in at midnight for 15 minutes, then he’s back. It’s exactly what it sounds like.
Jools’ Annual Hootenanny – BBC Two, 11:30pm
The alternative is Jools, as ever. This year’s lineup is pleasingly retro: Ronnie Wood, Lulu, Craig David, Heather Small and the Kooks. Jessie J and Olivia Dean represent the younger generation, though even Dean’s doing a 1975 cover. The Hootenanny remains the only civilised way to see in the new year from your sofa.
The Viewing Schedule
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 9:35am | BBC One | Marcel the Shell with Shoes On |
| 3:35pm | BBC Two | Kiss Me, Kate |
| 6:00pm | BBC Two | Top of the Pops Review of the Year |
| 6:40pm | BBC One | The Weakest Link Party Special |
| 8:00pm | BBC One | Here We Go |
| 8:15pm | BBC Four | Talking Pictures |
| 9:00pm | BBC Four | Jaws |
| 9:00pm | Channel 4 | The Last Leg of the Year |
| 10:30pm | BBC One | The Graham Norton Show |
| 11:30pm | BBC One | Ronan Keating’s New Year’s Eve |
| 11:30pm | BBC Two | Jools’ Annual Hootenanny |
Frequently Asked Questions
What time are the New Year’s Eve fireworks on TV?
The London fireworks are shown at midnight on BBC One, with a 15-minute interval during Ronan Keating’s show.
What time is Jools Holland’s Hootenanny on?
Jools’ Annual Hootenanny is on BBC Two at 11:30pm tonight (New Year’s Eve 2025).
What’s on BBC One for New Year’s Eve?
BBC One’s lineup includes Here We Go at 8pm, Graham Norton at 10:30pm, and Ronan Keating’s New Year’s Eve party from 11:30pm with the fireworks at midnight.
What guests are on Graham Norton tonight?
Tom Hiddleston, Laura Dern, Will Arnett, Carey Mulligan, Tim Key and Owen Cooper from Adolescence.
What channel is The Last Leg on?
The Last Leg of the Year is on Channel 4 at 9pm with guests including Sir Lenny Henry, Phil Wang and Pete Doherty.
Final Verdict
Here We Go is genuinely the one to catch – it’s the series finale and the Jessops deserve a proper send-off. Graham Norton’s lineup is stellar, and if you’re staying up, you’ve got a choice between Ronan Keating’s millennium nostalgia trip or Jools doing what Jools does best. Both are perfectly acceptable ways to toast 2026. Happy New Year.
