From EastEnders to Coronation Street: Which soap star has racked up the most appearances?
Who comes up trumps as we kick off 2026, and who could move further up the top 10?
With a collective 188 years on air, and a whopping 36,181 episodes, it's no surprise that the soap stars of Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders and Hollyoaks have become household names. Let's face it, the shows air that frequently that we probably spend more time in the characters' company each week than that of our friends. It goes without saying that Corrie legend William Roache, who has played Ken Barlow since episode one on 9th December 1960 should definitely be up there with the most appearances across the board. But given the ITV soap didn't introduce a third weekly episode until 29 years later 1989, how does he compare with the EastEnders titans, who added their third episode just 9 years into the serial's run? And how do the actors compare with their co-stars? Luckily, RadioTimes.com has done some digging and has all the details. Coronation Street characters episode count With 11,771 episodes to its name, Coronation Street is the longest-running television soap opera in the world. In 2020, Roache was recognised as being the actor to have appeared the longest in one continuous role. But given his episode count has dwindled in recent years, could another character eventually pip Ken to the post? 1. William Roache as Ken Barlow, 4924 episodes since 1960 2. Helen Worth as Gail Chadwick, 4606 episodes between 1974 and 2025 3. Barbara Knox as Rita Tanner, 3983 episodes since 1964 4. Sally Dynevor as Sally Metcalfe, 3934 episodes since 1986 5. Simon Gregson as Steve McDonald, 3828 episodes since 1989 6. Michael Le Vell as Kevin Webster, 3867 episodes since 1983 7. Sue Nicholls as Audrey Roberts, 3456 episodes since 1979 8. Anne Kirkbride as Deirdre Barlow, 3346 episodes between 1972 and 2014 9. Eileen Derbyshire as Emily Bishop, 3303 episodes between 1961 and 2019 10. Thomas Ormson and Jack P Shepherd as David Platt, 3194 episodes since 1990 (Ormson - 364 episodes, Shepherd - 2820 episodes) Emmerdale characters episode count While Chris Chittell has played Pollard for almost 40 years, Dingle fever has dominated the Dales since the '90s and as a result, six members of the unruly clan make Emmerdale's top 10 and push him out of the top spot. The serial started out as a daytime farming drama on the 16th October 1972, following the Sugden family on their homestead. Despite that, only one member of the family appears in the line-up. It should also be noted that characters Cain and Paddy Dingle are just 10 episodes apart from one another. There have been 10,487 episodes to date. 1. Mark Charnock as Marlon Dingle, 3956 episodes since 1996 2. Lucy Pargeter as Chas Dingle, 3521 episodes since 2002 3. Chris Chittell as Eric Pollard, 3473 episodes since 1986 4. Jeff Hordley as Cain Dingle, 3320 episodes since 2000 5. Dominic Brunt as Paddy Dingle, 3310 episodes since 1997 6. Emma Atkins as Charity Dingle, 3145 episodes since 2000 7. Tony Audenshaw as Bob Hope, 3051 episodes since 2000 8. Elizabeth Estensen as Diane Sugden, 3025 episodes between 1999 and 2022 9. Steve Halliwell as Zak Dingle, 2930 episodes between 1994 and 2023 10. Nicola Wheeler as Nicola King, 2854 episodes since 2001 EastEnders characters episode count EastEnders is fortunate to have three characters – four, if you include Tracey the barmaid – still in the cast from the show's first episode, which was broadcast on 19th February 1985. Steve McFadden, who has played Phil Mitchell since 1990, is just 11 episodes behind longest-running star Adam Woodyatt as Ian Beale. Some names who didn't make the list are Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), who appeared in just eight less than Wendy Richard's Pauline Fowler when she departed last year, and Lacey Turner's Stacey Slater, who is 20 episodes behind Sonia. There have been 7,258 episodes to date. 1. Adam Woodyatt as Ian Beale, 3684 episodes since 1985 2. Steve McFadden as Phil Mitchell, 3673 episodes since 1990 3. Letitia Dean as Sharon Watts, 2720 episodes since 1985 4. Gillian Taylforth as Kathy Beale, 2283 episodes since 1985 5. June Brown as Dot Branning, 2278 episodes between 1985 and 2020 6. Perry Fenwick as Billy Mitchell, 2250 episodes since 1998 7. Pam St Clement as Pat Evans, 2189 episodes between 1986 and 2025 8. Jon Peyton-Price, James Alexandrou and James Bye as Martin Fowler, 2087 episodes between 1985 and 2025 (Peyton-Price - 308 episodes, Alexandrou - 755 episodes, Bye - 1033 episodes) 9. Jessie Wallace as Kat Moon, 1998 episodes since 2000 10. Wendy Richard as Pauline Fowler, 1949 episodes between 1985 and 2007 Hollyoaks characters episode count Hollyoaks, which began on 23rd October 1995, celebrated its 30th Anniversary last year. Along the way there have been countless spin-offs, so while the main show has totalled 6,665 episodes to date, we've also included character appearances in these 'soap bubbles' as part of their running total. It's no surprise that the iconic Tony Hutchinson tops the list, but how do the other Chester residents compare? 1. Nick Pickard as Tony Hutchinson, 2601 appearances since 1995 2. Adam Booth and Ashley Taylor-Dawson as Darren Osborne, 2046 episodes since 1996 (Booth - 14 episodes, Taylor Dawson - 2032 episodes) 3. Jennifer Metcalfe as Mercedes McQueen, 1768 episodes since 2006 4. Kieron Richardson as Ste Hay, 1710 episodes since 2006 5. Jessica Fox as Nancy Osborne, 1694 episodes since 2005 6. Laura Crossley and Stephanie Waring as Cindy Cunningham, 1522 episodes between 1995 and 2024 (Crossley - 17 episodes, Waring - 1505 episodes) 7. Jimmy McKenna as Jack Osborne, 1458 episodes since 1996 8. Sarah Jayne Dunn as Mandy Richardson, 1346 episodes between 1996 and 2021 9. Anna Passey as Sienna Blake, 1242 episodes since 2012 10. Jamie Lomas as Warren Fox, 1108 episodes since 2006 How does everyone compare? When we compile the above data and look at the top 10 from all four British soaps, unfortunately none of the Hollyoaks cast make the list. Interestingly, Marlon Dingle is less than 30 episodes behind Rita Tanner, and Sally Metcalfe is 22 episodes behind him. Meanwhile, Kevin Webster is just six episodes behind Phil Mitchell. Let the battle commence... 1. William Roache as Ken Barlow, 4924 episodes since 1960 2. Helen Worth as Gail Chadwick, 4606 episodes between 1974 and 2025 3. Barbara Knox as Rita Tanner, 3983 episodes since 1964 4. Mark Charnock as Marlon Dingle, 3956 episodes since 1996 5. Sally Dynevor as Sally Metcalfe, 3934 episodes since 1986 6. Simon Gregson as Steve McDonald, 3828 episodes since 1989 7. Adam Woodyatt as Ian Beale, 3684 episodes since 1985 8. Steve McFadden as Phil Mitchell, 3673 episodes since 1990 9. Michael Le Vell as Kevin Webster, 3867 episodes since 1983 10. Lucy Pargeter as Chas Dingle, 3521 episodes since 2002 Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
46 best Christmas films to stream this holiday season
Your ultimate guide to what-to-watch this Christmas on the top three streaming giants.
The countdown to Christmas is on, and what better way to get into the spirit than with a festive film? There’s every chance you’ve already revisited a handful of feel-good favourites, but if you’re looking to expand your seasonal watchlist, the good news is that the major streamers are positively overflowing with Christmas cheer in 2025. Netflix leads the charge each year, serving up everything from delightfully cheesy romcoms like The Holiday and Love Actually to modern classics such as Klaus. Arguably, Disney+ boasts the strongest collection of Yuletide favourites, from Home Alone to The Muppet Christmas Carol and both versions of Miracle on 34th Street. Meanwhile, Prime Video mixes timeless classics like It’s a Wonderful Life with charming hidden gems such as Merry Little Batman. So, whether you’re in the mood for cosy comforts or a new discovery, RadioTimes.com has pulled together the very best Christmas films across Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video to keep you thoroughly entertained this festive season. 23 best Christmas movies to watch on Netflix 1) The Holdovers Having recently been added to the streamer, The Holdovers was released last year in the UK to sweeping critical acclaim. Starring Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham, a curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school, Paul remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school's head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War. The film is both hilarious and extremely touching, offering a bit more of a melancholic Christmas film experience than some other festive films but is nonetheless, an excellent pick. Watch The Holdovers now on Netflix 2) That Christmas Richard Curtis made one of the most enduring Christmas films of the 21st century in Love Actually, and now his series of festive children's books have served as the basis for this new animated film on Netflix. Similarly to Love Actually, it tells the interlocking stories of various families and friends in the run-up to Christmas Day, with an A-list cast of British actors providing the voices. It's also a lot more suitable for children than his earlier film – a sweet and charming tale suitable for the whole family. Watch That Christmas now on Netflix 3) Nativity! This 2009 film ended up spawning a whole franchise – with three sequels having followed in the 10 years since the original, each introducing a new major actor to the cast. The first entry is the only one streaming on Netflix and sees Martin Freeman starring as primary school teacher Paul Maddens, who is tasked with directing the annual Nativity play A spirited film perfect for younger audiences, the cast of children more than match the big names in the cast. Watch Nativity! now on Netflix 4) Jingle Bell Heist This brand new festive release for 2025 sees Connor Swindells and Olivia Holt star as Nick and Sophia, two cash-strapped strangers who team up to rob a London department store on Christmas Eve. Whilst their major focus is on not getting caught and getting revenge on the store's owner, there may also be some blossoming romance round the corner. Watch Jingle Bell Heist now on Netflix 5) Hot Frosty Arguably the pick of Netflix's 2024 slate of festive originals, Hot Frosty stars Hallmark movie stalwart Lacey Chabert as a recently widowed woman who finds love in an unexpected way – by falling for a handsome snowman who magically comes to life. Unabashedly silly but also rather sweet, it taps into many of the tropes of the cheesy Christmas movie – but with a game cast and some great jokes it manages to stand out from the crowd. Watch Hot Frosty now on Netflix 6) Last Christmas This sentimental festive romcom – which was written by Emma Thompson and directed by Paul Feig – takes its name from the hit Wham! song of the same name, and features many hits from George Michael's career on its soundtrack. Focusing on the romance between an employee at a Christmas-themed shop (Emilia Clarke) and a man who seems too good to be true (Henry Golding), it's certainly an imperfect film. It's a little twee, rife with clichés. and a late twist received a certain amount of ridicule at the time of the film's release in 2019. But if you're looking for a slice of festive cheese, it will go down well with a glass of mulled wine. Watch Last Christmas now on Netflix 7) Violent Night This film is essentially like Die Hard meets Home Alone, with Stranger Things star David Harbour playing a rather crude version of Santa Claus, who must regain his mojo to take action when mercenaries gatecrash the celebrations of a wealthy family. What follows is an entertaining bloodbath that might not necessarily bring festive cheer for all audiences, but Harbour’s big, bold and ultimately heartwarming performance anchors the film and provides plenty of laughs along the way. Watch Violent Night now on Netflix 8) Our Little Secret <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/11/OLS2024021205538R-5635f87.jpg" width="7200" height="4800" alt="Ian Harding as Logan, Dan Bucatinsky as Leonard, Kristin Chenoweth as Erica and Lindsay Lohan as Avery in Our Little Secret in a kitchen at Christmas" title="Ian Harding as Logan, Dan Bucatinsky as Leonard, Kristin Chenoweth as Erica and Lindsay Lohan as Avery in Our Little Secret" /> Lindsay Lohan’s second festive film for Netflix is more grounded than her previous offering, Falling for Christmas. She stars as Avery, who finds herself unexpectedly shacked up alongside her ex-boyfriend Logan (Ian Harding) years after splitting up. They’ve each found new partners, but it turns out those partners are siblings — which leads to an awkward festive holiday that sees Avery and Logan desperately trying to keep their history a secret from the new family. The contrived set-up is mined for some amusing gags, ensuring this is a cut above most made-for-streaming seasonal fare. Watch Our Little Secret now on Netflix 9) Klaus The first Netflix original film to be nominated for the Best Animated Feature award at the Oscars, Klaus is a charming, heartwarming film that serves as an alternative origin story for Santa Claus, who is voiced by JK Simmons as part of a star-studded voice cast that also includes Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones and Joan Cusack. Schwartzman plays Jesper, a hapless student postman who is stationed in the miserable, selfish Arctic town of Smeerensburg as a punishment for being the worst person at his Academy, with his life changing when he comes across a brilliant but reclusive toymaker known as Klaus. Watch Klaus now on Netflix 10) The Christmas Chronicles There have been a lot of great on-screen Santas over the years – from Richard Attenborough to Tim Allen – and the idea to cast Kurt Russell as Jolly Old Saint Nick (alongside Goldie Hawn as Mrs Claus) was a stroke of genius from the creative team behind this Netflix original family flick from 2018. It follows a pair of siblings whose plan to capture Santa Claus on camera one Christmas Eve goes horribly awry – leading them to form an alliance with the big man and his elves in order to save Christmas. It was followed by a sequel on 2020, which is also worth a watch. Watch The Christmas Chronicles now on Netflix 11) Robin Robin Aardman Animations has plenty of Wallace & Gromits on offer – but if you're looking for something more explicitly festive, you can check out the studio's 2021 musical short Robin Robin, which follows a stop-motion bird attempting a heist. The robin in question has been raised by a family of mice, and has only recently become aware that she is rather different from her relatives, so she sets out on a daring adventure to steal a star and prove that she, too, can be a good mouse. The impressive voice cast includes Richard E Grant, Gillian Anderson and Adeel Akhtar. Watch Robin Robin now on Netflix 12) Single All the Way When it comes to Christmas movies generally, you can somewhat guess the plotline and unfortunately, the genre lacks diversity in all areas. But this recent Netflix movie seeks to rectify some gaping representation holes and is the streaming giant's first gay festive romcom. Single All the Way follows bachelor Peter (Michael Urie), whose plans to bring his boyfriend home for Christmas are derailed when he discovers that his new man is actually someone else’s husband. When Peter convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to accompany him instead, his family soon hatch a plan to make a real relationship happen between the pair. But, of course, like any good romantic film, the pair are left to contemplate their own relationship and ask themselves how much they really mean to each other. Watch Single All the Way now on Netflix 13) Falling for Christmas In Falling for Christmas, Lindsay Lohan returns to the big screen as Sierra Belmont, a newly engaged heiress who has a skiing accident in the days leading up to Christmas. After she is diagnosed with amnesia, she finds herself in the care of handsome cabin owner Jake (Chord Overstreet) and his daughter. Queue a will-they-won't-they storyline to keep you guessing and a fair share of heartwarming romance. While the premise is far from ordinary, the film has quickly ticked many viewers' boxes on what they want in a festive film: an easy watch, quietly comedic and somewhat predictable. Watch Falling for Christmas now on Netflix 14) Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey If you're looking for the kind of festive musical that has an important life message at its centre, look no further than this 2020 film. In Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, we follow the story of Jeronicus Jangle, an eccentric inventor who loses his passion for life after a personal tragedy. It takes a visit from his granddaughter, a creative young girl called Journey, to once again spark his enthusiasm – but it might be too late to thwart a dastardly scheme by his former apprentice-turned-rival. Watch Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey now on Netflix 15) Love Hard There's just something about romcoms and Christmas that seem to go hand in hand, and this 2021 Netflix release fits the bill perfectly. Starring The Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev, this film takes everything we know and love about the genre and upends it with a modern twist. Dating apps and catfishing plague this LA writer's fledging romance and when Natalie (Dobrev) finds out that she's been speaking to an entirely different person than she thought – after having travelled 3,000 miles to surprise him for the holidays – hope is almost lost. She soon finds out that actually, she's been catfished by her dream man's childhood friend Josh (Jimmy O Yang) who is equally as unlucky in love. Essentially, this is a lighthearted romantic comedy that chronicles Natalie's attempts to reel in love, all with varying results. Watch Love Hard now on Netflix 16) The Noel Diary The best kinds of Christmas films are those that somehow end up in a whirlwind of events that you least expect. With The Noel Diary, we follow Justin Hartley as Jacob Turner, a best-selling author who returns home at Christmas to settle his mother's estate upon her death. Instead, he discovers a diary that holds secrets to the past and also to Rachel (Barrett Doss) – an intriguing young woman on a mission of her own. Together, they embark on a journey to confront their pasts and discover a future that's totally unexpected. Watch The Noel Diary now on Netflix 17) The Princess Switch A Netflix Christmas film list can't be complete without a mention of The Princess Switch. Now onto its third movie, the franchise has won over viewers with how charming it is, not to mention the sheer amount of joyful escapism the three films provide. The identity-swapping premise is rather simple but it doesn't mean it gets any less interesting to watch. In the first film, we follow Margaret, Duchess of Montenaro, who, one week prior to Christmas, switches places with Stacy, a Chicago 'commoner' who looks exactly like her. With the assistance of a magical Santa's helper, Margaret falls in love with Stacy's handsome co-worker while Stacy falls in love with Margaret's fiancé, the dashing Prince. As for the other two movies, there's ascensions to the throne, romance and fun in store, which is the perfect kind of film trilogy to get stuck into at Christmas time. Watch The Princess Switch now on Netflix 18) Christmas with You Pair any good Christmas film with a catchy soundtrack and you basically have a festive hit. In this Christmas movie, pop star Angelina (Aimee Garcia) escapes to grant a young fan's wish in small town New York even though she's suffering with career burnout. She not only finds the inspiration to revitalise her career, but also a shot at true love. Watch Christmas with You now on Netflix 19) I Believe in Santa If you're looking for the kind of film that will most likely leave you with a smile on your face and believing a little more in the magic of Christmas, look no further than this Netflix release. The film follows Lisa (Christina Moore) and her new romantic flame Tom (John Ducey). All is going well in their blissful five months of dating until Lisa learns that Tom is actually obsessed with her least favourite holiday of the year. The big question of the film is, though: is it time to give Christmas another chance? Watch I Believe in Santa now on Netflix 20) Scrooge: A Christmas Carol Netflix has taken to adapting a Charles Dickens classic and this version is a glorious animation. A Christmas Carol has seen iterations as a Muppet-filled affair, a 1901 silent film and a 2009 computer animated feature film, also. This time round, though, this newly released Netflix film updates the famous 1970 Leslie Bricusse-composed musical with reimagined songs. And when we tell you that this is a star-studded voicing affair, we mean it. Not only do we have Luke Evans as Adult Scrooge, we also have Olivia Colman as 'Past', the Ghost of Christmas Past, Jessie Buckley as Isabel Fezziwig and Johnny Flynn as Bob Cratchit. Rounding out the cast is Fra Fee as Harry Huffam, Giles Terera as Tom Jenkins, Trevor Dion Nicholas as 'Present', James Cosmo as Mr Fezziwig and Jonathan Pryce as Jacob Marley. Watch Scrooge: A Christmas Carol now on Netflix 21) Holidate 'Feel-good' is the term that springs to mind when describing this festive number, and it's clear to see why. Holidate follows two strangers who, fed up with being single over the holidays, agree to be one another's dates to their respective holiday gatherings while they remain single. We follow them as they go from being platonic plus-ones to fighting their very real (and growing) feelings towards each other. Not only does it have a touch of raunch to it, the film also includes a good slate of festive songs that will leave you humming along long after watching. Watch Holidate now on Netflix 22) A Castle for Christmas This movie may be a little bit silly, but it's all part of the festive charm that makes it such an easy watch. To escape a scandal, a best-selling author journeys to Scotland where she falls in love with a castle – and faces off with the grumpy duke who owns it. A Castle for Christmas stars Brooke Shields as protagonist Sophie Brown, while Cary Elwes plays Duke Myles. There's also even a cameo from Drew Barrymore. Watch A Castle for Christmas now on Netflix 23) Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker This documentary film is a welcome change from the usual comedic fare that populates Netflix's Christmas movie lists usually. In this Shonda Rhimes docufilm, we learn more about Debbie Allen's (Grey's Anatomy) career and follow her group of dance students as they prepare for Allen's annual Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. It's a behind-the-scenes look at Allen's own dancing school, but also provides crucial insight into a career and dance style that is usually vastly underrepresented. 12 best Christmas movies to watch on Disney+ 1) Home Alone More than 30 years on from the film's release, Macaulay Culkin's turn as Kevin McAllister remains one of the most revered child performances of all time. As you'll no doubt be aware, the film sees 8-year-old Kevin – who has inadvertently been left behind when his family go off on holiday – laying all manner of violent booby traps in a bid to stave off the threat of two opportunistic burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) on Christmas Eve. The film has spawned a number of sequels over the years, which are also all available to view on Disney Plus, although in our opinion only the most immediate of those follow-ups, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, is especially worth your time. Watch Home Alone now on Disney+ 2) Die Hard While not everyone considers this classic 1988 action flick to be a Christmas movie – it had its original release in July, after all – it's undoubtedly become a seasonal staple for millions of film fans around the world, thanks to its Christmas Eve setting, festive soundtrack and perhaps the best use of Ho Ho Ho ever seen on film. Of course, the film stars Bruce Willis as John McClane, a New York detective who unexpectedly finds himself up against an army of terrorists while visiting his wife's Christmas Eve party in an LA skyscraper. Willis's central performance – which includes a string of memorable lines – has gone down in action movie history, while few villains are more iconic than Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber. Watch Die Hard now on Disney+ 3) The Muppet Christmas Carol There have been countless adaptations of Charles Dickens's classic Yuletide yarn over the years, and yet few of them can boast anything like the fandom of this delightful version starring The Muppets. Narrated by Gonzo (as Dickens himself) and Rizzo the Rat, it finds key roles for the majority of the beloved characters, while Michael Caine is on superb form as Ebenezer Scrooge – playing it completely straight against his non-human co-stars. This fresh, brilliantly chaotic take on the iconic tale coupled with an assortment of terrific original songs – including Thankful Heart and It Feels Like Christmas – make this perhaps the definitive film version of the novella, a movie that can't fail to put you in a great festive mood. Watch The Muppet Christmas Carol now on Disney+ 4) A Christmas Carol If the Muppets aren't for you (what is wrong with you??), then you might be more at home with this 2009 adaptation of the tale. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and originally designed to be watched in 3D, it saw the filmmaker use the same motion-capture animation techniques he'd used in his earlier Christmas film Polar Express – which gives the film a rather unique visual style. Jim Carrey stars in multiple roles as Ebenezer Scrooge and all three of the visiting spirits, while there are also key roles for Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins and Robin Wright, among others. How much it works for you will largely depend on how keen you are on the technology used, but the story itself is performed well and told faithfully. Watch A Christmas Carol now on Disney+ 5) The Nightmare Before Christmas Is Tim Burton and Henry Selick's macabre animated feature a Christmas film or a Halloween one? That's a question thats invariably asked every year, and perhaps the most appropriate answer is that it's actually both at once. The stop-motion musical fantasy tells of Jack Skellington, the disillusioned Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, who one day stumbles upon a portal to Christmas Town and becomes devoted to bringing Yuletide to his own home, even kidnapping Santa Claus (or Sandy Claws). Although it leans into its Halloweeny themes, there are more than enough Christmassy images and ideas to qualify it for a festive watch. Watch The Nightmare Before Christmas now on Disney+ 6) Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas This animated anthology starring Mickey and his pals was released straight to video back in 1999 and is a great option for younger viewers looking for a bit of festive fun, It consists of three short films – Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas, A Very Goofy Christmas and Mickey and Minnie's Gift of the Magi – and if that's not enough for you, you can find a further five stories in the 2004 follow-up Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas. Watch Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas now on Disney+ 7) The Santa Clause This Christmas comedy from 1994 sees Tim Allen – in his first leading film role – playing a divorced and somewhat curmudgeonly father who finds himself unexpectedly landing a gig as the next Santa Claus after he inadvertently kills the previous Saint Nick. Although initially startled at the prospect, he slowly grows into his new role and rediscovers a Christmas spirt that he'd long been missing. It was followed by two sequels – The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause – in 2002 and 2006, which are also both streaming on Disney+. Watch The Santa Clause now on Disney+ 8) How the Grinch Stole Christmas After Scrooge, there's no doubting the second most famous Christmas-hater – Dr Seuss's infamous green creation The Grinch. Although there was a more recent animated movie adaptation in 2018, this 2000 film starring Jim Carrey is undoubtedly the definitive movie version. It follows the infamous grouch as he does his worst to ruin the festive period for the Christmas-loving residents of Whoville, who he despises. However he is soon befriended by a 6-year-old local girl named Cindy Lou (Taylor Momsen ) who tries to get him to change course. How the Grinch stole Christmas is also available to stream on Netflix. Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas now on Disney+ 9) Miracle on 34th Street Another classic Christmas story, there are actually two versions of this film available on Disney+. The 1947 original stars Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle, with Richard Attenborough playing the same role in the popular 1994 remake – which also features Matilda child star Mara Wilson. Both films are set in New York City and see Kris Kringle – who had been working as a department store Santa – put on trial due after doubts are raised as to whether he could possibly be the real Santa Claus, much to the distress of the young girl he has befriended. Watch Miracle on 34th Street now on Disney+ 10) Noelle This 2019 Disney+ original stars Anna Kendrick as Santa Claus's daughter Noelle, who is forced to take over the family business when her father decides that the time has come to retire and her older brother goes mysteriously missing. The starry supporting cast also includes Bill Hader, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Billy Eichner, Julie Hagerty and Shirley MacLaine. Watch Noelle now on Disney+ 11) The Family Stone The late Diane Keaton leads an ensemble cast that also includes the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams and more. The film follows Parker's Meredith, who has grown up with conservative values, discovering that she's a bit of a misfit at her boyfriend's family's Christmas celebrations. While their relationship seems to be going swimmingly when in the city, when they visit family in a small New England town, that's when things start to go awry. The Family Stone is also available to stream on Netflix. Watch The Family Stone now on Disney+ 12) Le Pupille This Oscar-nominated Italian short film from La Chimera director Alice Rohrwacher is an under-the-radar gem in Disney+'s Christmas library – and is well worth a watch if you're after something a little different from the usual festive fare. Set at Christmastime during the Second World War, it follows Serafina, a young outcast at a strict Catholic orphanage who is always getting in trouble, and is soon excited by the delivery of a large cake. Watch Le Pupille now on Disney+ 11 best Christmas movies to watch on Prime Video 1) It's a Wonderful Life A popular choice for the best Christmas film of all time – and simply one of the greatest films ever made full stop – Frank Capra's tremendous festive fable will reduce just about anyone who watches it to tears. The film stars Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, a frustrated businessman who is rescued from his suicidal state by a guardian angel, who shows him just how many people his life has touched and just how valued he is, despite his own thwarted ambitions for his life and career. Although the film was considered something of a bomb on its original release, it gradually built up a devoted following when it began airing regularly on TV and is now rightly regarded as a true masterpiece: a heartwarming Christmas tale about the importance of family, friendship and community that avoids falling into overtly cheesy sentimentality. Watch It's a Wonderful Life now on Prime Video 2) Scrooge Few tales have been adapted for the screen on more occasions than Charles Dickens's yuletide yarn A Christmas Carol – from the landmark 1951 film starring Alasdair Sim to the beloved Muppet version to this year's intriguing new take Christmas Karma – and this version from 1970 is currently streaming on Prime. A musical version starring Albert Finney in the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge – with Alec Guinness and Roy Kinnear among the other big names in the cast – its reviews are perhaps fairly middling compared to some of the very best adaptations of this story, but it's still well worth watching if you're looking for another take on the source material. Watch Scrooge now on Prime Video 3) Love Actually More than 20 years on from its release back in 2003, Love Actually remains a must-watch for many at this time of the year. With an all-star cast that includes Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and more, the film follows eight couples from all walks of life in the days leading up to Christmas. There's heartbreak, blossoming romance and plenty of festive feels – but we'd expect no less from the mind of Richard Curtis, who is otherwise known for Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and the more recent That Christmas. Love Actually is also available to stream on Netflix Watch Love Actually now on Prime Video 4) The Bishop's Wife Cary Grant and David Niven star in this festive-themed fantasy romcom from 1947, which is adapted from a novel of the same name It sees an angel named Dudley (Grant) visit a bishop (Niven) who is suffering from a number of problems in the run-up to Christmas – including both in his family life and trying to find funds to build a new cathedral. Interestingly, there was a remake of the film in 1996 titled The Preacher's Wife, with Denzel Washington in the role of Dudley and parts for Courtney B Vance and Whitney Houston as the preacher and his wife. Watch The Bishop's Wife now on Prime Video 5) The Holiday Love Actually is probably still the most beloved star-studded mid-2000s Christmas romcom – but Nancy Meyers's 2006 film can give it a good run for its money, and is now firmly established as a festive favourite. The film sees Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz star as two women living in England and the US respectively who swap homes for the festive period in a bid to cast aside their relationship woes – only to each find themselves falling for local guys played by Jack Black and Jude Law. The Holiday is also available to stream on Netflix and Disney+. Watch The Holiday now on Prime Video 6) The Amazing Mr Blunden This film from Lionel Jeffries – which came two years after his classic family favourite The Railway Children – is adapted from a 1969 novel by Antonia Barber (titled The Ghosts) and follows two young children after they move with their mother to a new mansion and soon encounter a series of unusual goings on. They soon realise that the wealthy benefactor who had allowed them to move to this property – the titular Mr Blunden (Laurence Naismith) – has actually been dead for decades, and afterwards find themselves introduced to two friendly ghost children who enlist them on a mission that requires them to travel back in time. It's a classic Christmas ghost story that's suitable for the whole family. Watch The Amazing Mr Blunden now on Prime Video 7) The Man Who Invented Christmas As mentioned above, A Christmas Carol has been adapted for the screen on countless occasions, but this film from 2017 is to date the only major release to tell the story of how the classic tale came about. It stars Dan Stevens as Charles Dickens, following the then-struggling novelist as he sets about writing the story while being inspired by Victorian London and his own painful past. Rather than serving as a no-nonsense biopic, the film also has an element of fantasy to it as Dickens interacts with imagined versions of his new creations, with Christopher Plummer starring as Scrooge and even some appearances from the various ghosts. Watch The Man Who Invented Christmas now on Prime Video 8) Silent Night, Deadly Night This 1980s slasher got a brand new remake this year – so it's a good time to check out the original. Highly controversial upon its release, the film follows a young boy who is scarred by a traumatic encounter that involves a man wearing a Santa costume brutally murdering his parents. Following that horrifying incident, he is sent to be raised by nuns – including an extremely strict Mother Superior – in an orphanage, and experiences more traumatic experiences around the festive period which ultimately lead him to don a Santa suit and embark on a murderous rampage. If you're looking for something with a little less festive cheer and goodwill than your average Christmas film, this could be the one for you. Watch Silent Night, Deadly Night now on Prime Video 9) Small Things Like These This great 2024 movie might not automatically seem like a Christmas movie – but it definitely has a claim to belonging to the genre, and not just because of its festive setting. Based on Claire Keegan's novella of the same name, it's built around a superb performance from Cillian Murphy as Bill Furlong, a kind but taciturn coal merchant in County Wexford who is faced with a tough choice in the run up to Christmas after he encounters a traumatised young girl locked in the coal shed at a local convent. The film has a Dickensian quality to it, and its focus on themes of redemption, generosity and family – combined with the wintry backdrop – make it undeniably worthy of Christmas film status. Watch Small Things Like These now on Prime Video 10) A Christmas Story A Christmas classic in the US that has never quite managed to become a seasonal staple on this side of the Atlantic, this 1983 film follows Ralphie, a nine-year-old boy who becomes obsessed with the idea of being gifted a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas – and desperately tries to convince his parents that he should get it. Very different in tone from director Bob Clark's other Christmas movie – the festive slasher Black Christmas – the somewhat episodic narrative includes many images that have become iconic for American viewers, including Ralphie's tongue getting stuck to a frozen flagpole. Watch A Christmas Story now on Prime Video 11) Merry Little Batman This feature-length animation was released to little fanfare in 2023, but is a fun option if you're looking for an alternative to the usual festive fare. It follows Bruce Wayne's son Damian (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) when he's left home alone on Christmas Eve and takes it upon himself to become 'Little Batman'' in order to protect Gotham City from a bunch of supervillains – including the Joker – who are intent on ruining the Christmas spirit. Watch Merry Little Batman now on Prime Video Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
TV's most devastating scenes: Grey's Anatomy, One Day, Stranger Things and more heartbreaking moments
Silent farewells, heroic sacrifices, and unforgettable grief – TV at its most emotionally shattering.
Every so often, television hits us right in the gut. A moment so powerful, so perfectly played, that it leaves us staring at the screen in disbelief, certain we’ll never be able to watch it again. These are the scenes that remind us just how deeply TV can get under our skin: the sudden deaths, the quiet goodbyes, and the losses we never saw coming. Here at Radio Times, we know the pain all too well. So we gathered our writers to relive – reluctantly – the most devastating moments they’ve ever seen on screen, from Stranger Things and Doctor Who to EastEnders and Futurama. Even the hardiest among us were reduced to emotional rubble. If you’re ready to experience the heartache, read on – but don’t say we didn’t warn you. TV's 15 saddest scenes ever 1. Sons of Anarchy: Season 5, episode 3 – Laying Pipe Opie’s Silent Sacrifice View oEmbed on the source website Some deaths are shocking. Some are heartbreaking. And then there’s Opie Winston’s in Sons of Anarchy, a moment that lingers long after the screen goes dark. After the SAMCRO club is thrown into prison, Damon Pope demands a life in retribution for the death of his daughter. When the moment comes, Opie steps forward without a word, sealing his fate. He turns to Jax and gives him a single, wordless look, a devastating exchange that speaks of brotherhood and inevitability. It's not just a glance, it's a lifetime of loyalty compressed into a silent goodbye. Moments later, Opie is forced into a cage fight and beaten to death with pipes as Jax, Tig and Chibs watch, powerless. The sound of steel meeting flesh fades beneath the grief on Jax’s face, pure, broken disbelief. Opie’s sacrifice becomes the show’s emotional core, a turning point that shatters Jax’s soul. It’s a devastating reminder that loyalty and love can’t save anyone in the violent world of SAMCRO, making this one of television’s most heartbreaking scenes. Ifra Khan 2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 5, episode 16 – The Body Buffy finds her mother dead at home View oEmbed on the source website After five years spent fighting demons and saving the world, Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) encounters something she can’t fight when she comes home to find her mother lying dead on the sofa. It’s not the result of a supernatural attack, but something far more distressingly real: a brain aneurism. “Mom?” Buffy says as she approaches the sofa. “Mommy?” The power of this episode comes both from its heartbreaking performances (Gellar in particular) and its pared-back production. There’s no musical score. No demonic “Big Bad” to conquer. Just long, unbroken camera takes that root us in Buffy’s grief — the episode’s opening four-minute single take is genuinely upsetting in its authenticity, as Buffy tries and fails to revive her mother. “I really give credit to the whole crew because that was a team effort,” Gellar said of this remarkably adult and unforgettably sad piece of television. Josh Winning 3. This Is Us: Season 2, episode 24 – Super Bowl Sunday Jack dies saving his family in a house fire There are not many episodes of Dan Fogelman’s This Is Us that haven't made me cry, but this one, detailing how Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) dies, had me in floods of tears. You know he’s died, leaving behind his wife Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and their children Kevin, Kate and Randall, ever since season 1, but it’s not exactly clear how until this moment. What’s even worse is that it could have been prevented. In an awful scene of foreshadowing, two episodes prior to this one, Rebecca asks Jack to remind her to pick up batteries for their smoke detector, but they both forget. When a faulty slow cooker causes a house fire, the Pearsons aren’t alerted as quickly as they would have been, but Jack leaps into action, making sure Rebecca, Kate and Randall are all safe (Kevin wasn’t at home at the time), before going back into the blaze to retrieve their dog. They all go to the hospital, where Jack suffers a cardiac arrest. When Rebecca is told, she munches into a chocolate bar, completely in denial and refusing to believe it until she sees his lifeless body in the hospital bed – with a heartbreaking performance from Moore. Jack’s devastating loss is felt until the sixth and final season – through flashbacks, his friends’ and family’s grief, and in his flawed, but honourable legacy. Laura Rutkowski 4. EastEnders: 2nd April 2009 A mother-daughter reunion cut short View oEmbed on the source website I will never forget the sound of Samantha Womack’s wailing as Ronnie Mitchell was finally reunited with her long-lost daughter, Danielle Jones, only to have her snatched away cruelly, thanks to a speeding Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks). Fans had got to know Ronnie’s tragic backstory over the last two years, and recent months were in on the secret that the child she believed dead and had been forced to give up for adoption was actually living on Albert Square and attempting to get to know Ronnie before revealing her identity. An explosive reveal saw Ronnie convinced Danielle was delusional until the evidence of a locket that she had given her baby before she was taken away saw all confirmed. This long-running storyline had tugged at the heartstrings, but this moment solidified Ronnie as the peak tragic heroine of EastEnders' history and drew out sobs from teenage me at the time as she finally got to be addressed by the word “Mum”. Lewis Knight 5. The Sandman: Season 2, episode 6 – Family Blood The fate of Orpheus View oEmbed on the source website Love can make one do crazy things – like ignoring all warnings from your dad and aunt and deciding to become immortal in exchange for a one-way ticket to Hell to rescue your dead wife. After failing to save his wife Eurydice from the Underworld, Orpheus – son of Morpheus also known as Dream – literally loses his head. Desperately wanting to join his beloved, he seeks out the Maenads to end his life but instead is forced to live as a talking, singing head. Unable to face this new reality, he begs Dream to end his misery, a dream (see what I did there?) his father is unwilling to grant. After a few centuries apart, Dream accepts his son will never find happiness on Earth again and grants him reprieve, finally ending years of suffering. Their story proves to be one riddled with both tragedy and redemption – a father-son bond bound by anger, love, regret and ultimately peace, found in the most heartbreaking way possible. Taina Popoola 6. 24: Season 5, episode 12 – Day 5: 6:00pm–7:00pm Edgar Styles's tragic end View oEmbed on the source website There is no time for sentimentality in 24, proven by the cruel death of Edgar Styles during the fifth season, regarded as one of the show's finest hours (or days). Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) is struck by a terrorist attack. Specifically, nerve gas is inhaled by the air conditioning system and breathed around the building. Jack Bauer and friends make it to a sealed glass safe room – hooray! But not everyone is safe. Cue an ethereal choir as we spot the beloved-if-bumbling CTU analyst Styles jogging through an empty office. He locks eyes with 24 icon, Chloe O'Brian: "Chloe," he utters. That's the clincher, the piercing moment. His shell-shocked colleague can only mouth his name. A single tear rolls down her cheek, before he collapses into a fit. The famous "silent clock" is used 14 times in the history of the show, all but one instance is accompanied by other noises. Edgar's death is the exception, marked by total, stunning silence. Michael Potts 7. One Day: Episode 14 Emma's death shatters the Mayhews Even if you’ve read the book or seen the 2011 film, nothing can prepare you for this. After 12 frustrating (but excellent) episodes, our protagonists finally sort themselves out and get together. We then get one episode to see the happy couple, only for one of them to die at the end of it. But it’s the aftermath of Emma’s death that is the most heartbreaking part, as Dexter and his father try and navigate their painful new realities without their wives. The once welcoming Mayhew family home is grey and cold without Emma’s wit and Alison’s warmth, and flashbacks to the cosy Christmas scenes from a decade before highlight the men’s inescapable grief and debilitating emptiness. Although some comfort could be found in the father and son’s shared experience, Emma being snatched away from Dexter feels somehow more cruel here, and the scene of him crying in bed is a puncture to the heart. Alex Berry 8. Grey's Anatomy: Season 2, episode 7 – Losing My Religion Izzie and Denny’s final moments together View oEmbed on the source website At the end of the second season of veteran medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, Izzie (Katherine Heigl) has fallen hard for a patient, Denny Duquette Jr (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who requires a heart transplant. The operation is apparently successful, and an equally smitten Denny successfully proposes to Izzie. But as she prepares for a prom, Denny has an unexpected stroke and dies on his own. In a truly emotional scene, the rest of the team go to Denny’s room, where they find Izzie, in her pink prom dress, lying next to Denny’s body, and refusing to leave. As they try to work out what to do, and to the strains of Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars, Alex (Justin Chambers) reminds Izzie that this isn’t Denny any more, and gently lifts her off the bed, cradling her as she collapses in tears. Floods all round. Gill Crawford 9. Stranger Things: Season 2, episode 8 - Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer Bob Newby's death View oEmbed on the source website Stranger Things has delivered more than a few gut-punching, soul-crushing moments (with many more anticipated in its final season) but none have hit harder than the death of dear, sweet Bob Newby. Sean Astin’s character arrived in season 2 as Joyce’s new boyfriend and made a sparkling first impression that endured, right up until the bitter end. Whatever the ask, nothing was too much for Bob. He’d fix whatever tech problems you were having, help you with your Halloween costume and listen to your problems (without an ounce of judgement) in a single breath. He was the partner Joyce had long deserved, and the dad Will and Jonathan had never had. So when he met a brutal end at the jaws of a demodog while selflessly helping the gang in Hawkins Lab (and right in front of Joyce, I should add), I cursed the Duffer brothers for inflicting yet more heartbreak. But while I’ve long moved on from the others, I’m not quite ready to forgive this one. Abby Robinson 10. Twin Peaks: Season 3, episode 15 – There’s Some Fear in Letting Go Margaret Lanterman's last scene David Lynch and Mark Frost’s 2017 return to Twin Peaks resisted easy fan service and trapped its hero, Kyle MacLachlan’s FBI agent Dale Cooper, in a bizarre and frustrating limbo for most of its 18 episodes. Ingeniously for a high-profile reboot, the series’ key theme was that time is irreversible. You simply can’t go back. Enter Catherine E Coulson, who had known Lynch since the 1970s and played the quirky Margaret Lanterman – known as the “Log Lady” – in Twin Peaks’ original, early-90s run. Her reappearance in The Return is positively funereal: Coulson was dying of cancer when her scenes were shot at her home, her hair short and thin, an oxygen cannula in her nose, yet beautifully framed and made-up for her final performance. In episode 15, Margaret, her telephone hand trembling, tells Deputy Hawk (Michael Horse) that she’s dying and offers the vital statement, “There’s some fear in letting go.” The simplicity of this brief, quiet scene, with its calm, nocturnal tone, is profoundly affecting. Calum Baker 11. The Royle Family: 2006 special - The Queen of Sheba A quiet goodbye in The Royle Family As one of the North West’s great chroniclers, writer Caroline Aherne was seemingly able to peer in at working class front rooms across the region, observing all the faults and failures within, while also finding affection and loyalty. And never was that gift more evident than in The Queen of Sheba, a 2006 special for The Royle Family that focused on the decline of the show’s emotional anchor – Liz Smith’s Nana. In the episode’s key scene, comedy and tragedy overlap as Barbara (Sue Johnston) styles the white cloud of her mum’s hair in curlers, each saying goodbye to the other without uttering the actual words while Que Sera, Sera plays on the radio. In a series that usually mined humour from mundanity, this interaction feels quietly profound, as daughter and mother appear to switch roles, the former becoming caregiver to the latter to preserve her dignity at life’s end. David Brown 12. Futurama: Season 4, episode 7 – Jurassic Bark Fry’s dog waits forever View oEmbed on the source website Sometimes the impact of a particular storyline depends on timing as much as execution. Such was the case when, as a 19-year-old living hundreds of miles from home for the first time, I fatefully stuck on Futurama’s gut-punch episode Jurassic Bark. The plot revolves around man-out-of-time Fry (Billy West) discovering the fossilised remains of Seymour; his pet dog from the 20th century. Having accidentally frozen himself and woken up a millennium later, it leads him to ponder what might have happened to this affectionate stray that he had once taken under his wing. Fry comfortingly assumes that Seymour would have found a new owner to adore, and lived a full and happy life – but we, for our sins, know otherwise. In a sadistic twist, we find out that a lovesick Seymour waited in the cold and rain outside of Fry’s pizza parlour until his death years later; forever hoping for his master’s return. My own childhood dog looked a bit like Seymour and (according to my parents) had been spotted lingering around my own vacant bedroom after I moved away. Is it any surprise, then, that this scene broke me? Futurama’s (shameful!) writers reframe Seymour’s fate favourably in later storyline Bender’s Big Score, which goes some way to healing the hurt. Nevertheless, Jurassic Bark remains an episode I generally skirt past on every rewatch. David Craig 13. Doctor Who: Season 19 - Earthshock The Death of Adric View oEmbed on the source website Such was Delia Derbyshire’s genius that as ominous as the Doctor Who theme tune sounded at the beginning of an episode, it was solace at the end. When Adric died at the end of Earthshock, there was no solace. Not the first of the Doctor’s companions to die but such was the enormity of the loss, the end credits rolled in silence. It’s not like I didn’t know about death before March 16, 1982 - I vaguely remember John Lennon being shot – but I’d never gone to a fancy dress party as the Beatle. For all the peril of Doctor Who, it’s very rare for companions to die - and even those that do, don’t. While I’d never watch it again, I'm grateful for Adric’s death because the moral of the story – not everyone gets a happy ending – meant I was prepared when real life started schooling me with the same lesson. Gareth McLean 14. The West Wing: Season 2, episode 21/22 – 8th and Potomac/Two Cathedrals Delores Landingham dies in a car crash View oEmbed on the source website Over seven, era-defining seasons between 1999 and 2006, Aaron Sorkin wrote many memorable scenes, as viewers followed the politics and personal lives of Democrat US President Bartlett and his staff. But the off-screen death of Bartlett’s longtime PA, Delores Landingham (Kathryn Joosten), still holds as an epic heartbreaker. She had established herself as a no-nonsense mother-figure and conscience for the president, as well as a fierce gatekeeper to his office. It’s not a surprise when he persuades her to buy a new car, but the bombshell for him and us is when she is killed in a crash on her way home from the showroom. During the following episode (the season finale) the president recalls occasions in his past with her while deciding about standing for re-election and going public with his MS. It’s one of The West Wing's best episodes and has been lauded as one of the greatest television episodes of all time – and it all hangs on a blunt, humble woman and her ill-fated car journey. Tom Folley 15. Angel: Season 1, episode 9 – Hero Doyle's final act View oEmbed on the source website Angel episode Hero sees half-demon loner Doyle (Glenn Quinn) make the ultimate sacrifice in one of the series’ most memorable and emotional moments. Throughout the show’s early episodes, Doyle serves as Angel’s (David Boreanaz) unlikely ally and moral compass, a flawed but good-hearted messenger burdened with painful visions from the Powers That Be. When a group of human-demon hybrids faces extermination, Angel prepares to give up his own life to save them – but Doyle intervenes, revealing his true courage by taking Angel’s place, a selfless act which redeems his past mistakes and cements his legacy as a true hero. In the heartbreaking aftermath, Angel and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) watch a light-hearted commercial Doyle had filmed for their detective agency, his final line – “Is that it? Am I done?” – now carrying tragic weight. Glenn Quinn’s real-life death in 2002, aged just 32, renders the episode even more poignant. Morgan Jeffery Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
10 Doctor Who Easter eggs even die-hard fans might have missed
Across its six-decade history, Doctor Who has brought us Easter eggs galore. There's nothing quite like spotting a hidden detail or a cheeky reference in your favourite show, and Doctor Who fans are the best for the job. Whether it's homages to the first ever episode, references to other sci-fi classics, or just the writers having a joke with fans, here are some of our favourite hidden details and Easter eggs. How many did you catch the first time round? 1. Hidden homages to An Unearthly Child – The Day of the Doctor (2013) <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/05/c001-susan-dancing-doctor-who-unearthly-child-whobackwhen.v1-9fb73ac.jpg" width="4056" height="2701" alt="A black and white image from Doctor Who featuring Susan, a young woman with short hair, holding a transistor radio to her ear, her expression thoughtful. In the softly focused background, a couple, Ian and Barbara, stands close together." title="c001-susan-dancing-doctor-who-unearthly-child-whobackwhen.v1" /> The 50th anniversary special, starring David Tennant and Matt Smith, is filled with loving nods to the show’s origins, including Totter’s Lane, Ian Chesterton’s name on a school sign, and the original broadcast time and date etched into a wall. Totter’s Lane – The iconic junkyard where the Doctor’s story began reappears, quietly grounding the 50th anniversary special in the series’ original setting. Ian Chesterton on the school sign – A subtle tribute to the Doctor’s very first companion, now listed as chairman of the school board at Coal Hill. “23 November 1963, 5:15pm” scratched on a wall – The exact date and time Doctor Who first aired, immortalised as a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it piece of graffiti. Headmaster Coburn – A nod to Anthony Coburn, writer of the very first episode, whose name appears as the school’s headmaster. These little references connect the modern era of the show to its very first episode, rewarding long-time viewers but not getting in the way for newer fans – proving that even after 50 years, Doctor Who never forgets where it came from. 2. Doctor Who existing in Doctor Who - Remembrance of the Daleks (1988) View oEmbed on the source website One of the most meta moments in Doctor Who history arrived in 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, in which we hear a continuity announcer introducing "a new adventure in the science-fiction series Doc...". The scene cuts before the full title can be announced. The idea that a TV show called Doctor Who might actually exist in Doctor Who has been played with a few times across the show's history - with the Fifteenth Doctor actually meeting some "fans" in Lux, by stepping out of the TV. While this doesn't have any major impact on the story, it's a fun blink-and-you'll-miss-it detail, and an intriguing little joke from the writers. 3. The Cloisters of Gallifrey – Hell Bent (2015) Doctor Who fans got a stark reminder of the terror of the Doctor's enemies in Hell Bent, showing a hidden chamber filled with motionless remnants of past enemies – including a Cyberman, a Weeping Angel, a Mire helmet, a Scarecrow, and the severed head of an Ood. As the Doctor and Clara pass through the Cloisters of Gallifrey, these creatures are not alive but serve as frozen echoes of the Doctor’s long and troubled history, haunting the digital landscape of Time Lord memories. The ultimate sci-fi rogues' gallery... 4. Clara’s mother death date – The Rings of Akhaten (2013) Clara’s mother’s gravestone in The Rings of Akhaten shows she died on 5th March 2005 – the same day the Nestene Consciousness attacked London in Rose, the revived series’ first episode. While the rest of the episode mainly explores alien worlds – and of course features that fantastic speech from Eleven – this poignant moment links Clara’s backstory to the wider Doctor Who mythos and the show's modern rebirth. 5. John Smith's parents - Human Nature/Family of Blood (2007) In the devastating two-parter Human Nature/Family of Blood, the Doctor creates an entire human identity for himself, calling himself by his alias, John Smith, to hide from the Family of Blood. At one point, John Smith reveals his parents names are Verity and Sydney, a sweet tribute to Doctor Who's creators. The sci-fi was originally created by a team including the BBC's head of drama Sydney Newman and Verity Lambert, who was the first female producer at the BBC, and who was instrumental in bringing the show to screens. It's a tiny detail from one of the show's most popular stories that ties it beautifully to its origins. 6. A Slade soundtrack across time – Merry Xmas Everybody in multiple episodes Slade’s 1973 classic Merry Xmas Everybody plays quietly in several episodes, including The Christmas Invasion, The Runaway Bride, Turn Left and The Power of Three. The song is often heard faintly on radios or in shops, making Christmas on Earth feel very familiar in the Doctor Who universe – monsters might attack, but Slade still fills the airwaves every December! 7. A DeLorean in disguise – Face the Raven (2015) The Doctor and Clara enter the hidden trap street, a secret refuge filled with strange architecture, and coded signage. The set includes subtle background details and sly visual jokes, with one nod in particular being picked up on by sci-fi fans. During an emotionally charged scene, a poster of a flux capacitor (a reference to Back to the Future) is accompanied by text in Aurebesh (Star Wars script) that translates to “DeLorean”, referencing the time-travelling car from Back to the Future. Maybe an epic Doctor Who, Star Wars and Back to the Future crossover isn't out of the question after all..? 8. Billboard nostalgia and Susan – The Devil’s Chord (2024) The Doctor explicitly mentions his granddaughter Susan Foreman while in 1963 Shoreditch, connecting to An Unearthly Child. A rooftop billboard also advertises “Chris Waites & the Carollers”, the band Susan listened to in the first episode. Of course, this would all lead up to Carole Ann Ford's long-awaited return to the show in The Interstellar Song Contest. It was a huge talking point for fans young and old, as new viewers went back through the Doctor Who archives to learn about Susan's time in the TARDIS. 9. Richard E Grant in Rogue (2024) It's not often an Easter egg can change the canon of the entire show, but Richard E Grant's appearance in Rogue, alongside an homage to all the past Doctors, did exactly that. Grant played the Doctor in a 2003 animated web series Scream of the Shalka, which was previously thought to be non-canonical. However, his inclusion in the episode completely shatters the canon. Doctor Who's canon has been changed and messed with, for better or for worse, quite a few times over the course of the show. But never quite like this! 10. The Doctor's library card - Vampires of Venice (2010) There have been plenty of homages to the late, great William Hartnell but one of the sneakiest came in Vampires of Venice, when Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor shows his psychic paper as a library card – only for it to display a picture of Hartnell's First Doctor. During the episode, the Doctor's attempt to show the library card backfires, as he realises he hasn't renewed it since his first incarnation. It's a small moment but beautifully pays tribute to Hartnell, the man who first brought the Doctor to life. Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.