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Boxing Day TV listings: The shows, specials and films to watch on the BBC, ITV and more

Just because Christmas Day has been and gone, the festive fun doesn't have to stop. And by fun, we mean great television.

After the jam-packed schedule of 25 December, Boxing Day is admittedly a little quieter on the TV front but there are still plenty of family favourites to tune in for.

Whether you need something to watch with the kids or a two-hour break from all things festive, there's a show or film for you.

Here are our top picks for what to watch on Boxing Day...

The Good Dinosaur - 9am, BBC One

A-team: Butch, Spot, Arlo and Ramsey (Disney Pixar)
A-team: Butch, Spot, Arlo and Ramsey (Disney Pixar)

Best for: Entertaining the children while you make breakfast

Ah, leftovers. As you make the first turkey sandwiches of the week - and finish any washing up left over from Christmas Day - the kids can enjoy The Good Dinosaur.

The feel-good Pixar favourite sees Arlo, a young Apatosaurus, separated from his family. As he searches for them, he meets Spot, a human kid who helps his track down his relatives.

The Boss Baby - 1.10pm, BBC One

Best for: Some afternoon laughs

The Oscar-nominated (yes, really) Boss Baby will most likely be instantly recognisable to parents, who have likely endured the movie before.

The hit film airs just after lunchtime and sees Alec Baldwin voice the corporate giant who joins forces with his older brother to defeat an evil businessman.

The Jungle Book - 3.45pm, BBC One

Live action: The 2016 Disney remake received positive reviews
Live action: The 2016 Disney remake received positive reviews

Best for: A musical moment

The BBC will be airing the Idris Elba live-action remake, which sees the Luther star voice Shere Khan.

The Jon Favreau-directed adaptation also counts Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong’o, Christopher Walken and Scarlett Johannson as part of its all-star cast.

Ratatouille - 5pm, Channel 4

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Best for: Fun for the whole family

Continuing the family favourites film theme, everyone’s favourite rodent (sorry, Stuart Little) is aiming for the stars with his bid to become the best chef in France.

If your own culinary skills have been lacking a little over Christmas, then who knows, it might even prove to be weirdly inspiring.

Cool Runnings - 5.15pm, Channel 5

Success: the team in 1993's Cool Runnings film (YouTube)
Success: the team in 1993's Cool Runnings film (YouTube)

Best for: Impressing your younger relatives

Cool Runnings is an undeniable classic and compulsory Christmas viewing. If you haven’t seen it yet - how? - then we promise you’re in for a treat.

The movie tells the true story of Jamaica's first ever bobsleigh team who fight the odds (and the heat at their training sessions) to head off to the Winter Olympics.

Worzel Gummidge - 6.20pm, BBC One

Mackenzie Crook stars as much loved scarecrow who brings trouble to Scatterbrook Farm (BBC/Leopard Pictures/Matt Burlem)
Mackenzie Crook stars as much loved scarecrow who brings trouble to Scatterbrook Farm (BBC/Leopard Pictures/Matt Burlem)

Best for: A fresh twist on a nostalgia-filled classic

Almost 40 years after the original aired, The Office’s Mackenzie Crook is breathing new life into the iconic, errm, scarecrow and plenty of other aspects of the show have been given an update too.

Crook also penned the script so expect plenty of laughs as well and if you like what you see, a second part airs the following day (Friday December 27) at 7pm.

Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs - 6pm, ITV

Paul O'Grady returns to Battersea to show the pooches some much-needed love (ITV)
Paul O'Grady returns to Battersea to show the pooches some much-needed love (ITV)

Best for: Animal lovers

The much-loved TV star is back with at Battersea Cats and Dogs Home for a festive episode of the tearjerker programme.

O’Grady will meet a series of (incredibly cute) pups looking for their forever homes, including the appropriately-named Sprout and Berry, an Atika dog who has been abandoned by her owners.

Big Fat Quiz of the Year - 9pm, Channel 4

Quizmas: Jimmy Carr hosts the chaotic annual extravaganza (Channel 4)
Quizmas: Jimmy Carr hosts the chaotic annual extravaganza (Channel 4)

Best for: Watching with your most competitive friends

Quizmaster Jimmy Carr is reprising his role as host of the most chaotic end of year round-up on television.

This year’s panellists include regulars Richard Ayoade, Noel Fielding and Dara Ó Briain, who will be joined by Roisin Conaty and Maya Jama. As always, the questions will also be set by a host of celebs - but don’t expect too much on the general election which has rounded off the year, as the episode was filmed before it took place.

Hugh Grant: a Life on Screen - 10pm, BBC Two

Actor Hugh Grant has hit headlines for his politics but he's taking viewers back to where it all began (PA)
Actor Hugh Grant has hit headlines for his politics but he's taking viewers back to where it all began (PA)

Best for: Rom-com fans

This one-off special will be debuted on Monday December 23, but we think it’s best saved for a lazy Boxing day evening. Grant will take you on a tour of his career’s greatest movies, from his big break in the 1987 film Maurice to his many Richard Curtis- directed romantic comedies and the Golden Globe-nominated Florence Foster Jenkins - which is helpfully airing straight after.

The Wolf of Wall Street - 11pm, Channel 4

Wolf of Wall Street: Leonardo DiCaprio plays the lead role in the film (Mary Cybulski)
Wolf of Wall Street: Leonardo DiCaprio plays the lead role in the film (Mary Cybulski)

Best for: Scrooges

Sick of festive cheer? In dire need of a movie that is the antithesis of goodwill and glad tidings? Channel 4 is airing the Oscar-winning Martin Scorsese drama, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie, which is sure to banish any festive feelings from even the happiest of souls.