BBC iPlayer announces Christmas plans for record number of boxsets

The BBC has announced that Christmas will see a record number of boxsets and films available on iPlayer, with more than 1,000 titles including favourites such as Line Of Duty, Doctor Who and Julia Donaldson's adaptations.

As well as access to some of the broadcaster's most popular back catalogue, there will also be new content available that is scheduled to air over the festive season and also stream on iPlayer.

Read more: BBC announces Christmas TV highlights

BBC chief content officer Charlotte Moore said: “For many of us, those precious days over the Christmas break are all about being curled up on the sofa with a box set. And this is a truly outstanding part of the BBC’s festive season.

"We’ve got over a thousand box sets ready to stream – more than ever before. So always something to watch, whoever you are and whatever you’re into.”

New series for Christmas will include dramas such as A Very British Scandal, starring Claire Foy and Paul Bettany as the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, psychological thriller The Girl Before, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and David Oyelowo, about a woman who moves into a strange house designed by an enigmatic architect, and a new version of Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days which stars David Tennant, all due to air on the BBC over the Christmas period.

In the new year, iPlayer will have mystery thriller The Tourist with Jamie Dornan as a man searching for his identity through the vast and unforgiving Australian outback, which is also new for Christmas.

Other content includes festive specials from Doctor Who, Call the Midwife, Death in Paradise and Ghosts, and hit drama boxsets with Vigil, Time, Line Of Duty, Peaky Blinders, Killing Eve, Luther, Happy Valley, I May Destroy You, and Normal People

Comedy boxsets will include Back to Life, What We Do in the Shadows, The Outlaws, The Cleaner, The Office and Keeping Up Appearances.

Kids' favourites will feature Julia Donaldson adaptations - the 2021 Christmas feature Superworm, as well as her previous adapted stories The Gruffalo, The Snail and the Whale, and Zog and the Flying Doctors.

There'll also be a new series of Enid Blyton adaptation Malory Towers and a selection of classics from David Walliams including Mr Stink, The Boy in the Dress, and Gangsta Granny.

Documentaries to get into over Christmas will include boxsets of The Earshot Prize and The Mating Game, while films to be made available feature Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: Homecoming, A Star is Born, Crazy Rich Asians, Judy, Mary Poppins Returns, live-action versions of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, The BFG, and The Jungle Book, and animated favourites Moana, Frozen, Trolls, Coco, Monsters University, and Brave.

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