Lovelorn ghosts, punch-ups involving roast meat and a holiday armadillo. Festive television doesn’t get better than these absolute classics …

It’s the most wonderful time. We refer, of course, to eagerly opening the bumper festive TV listings and realising there’s not much you want to watch. Bah humbug! Don’t despair. Simply fill the gaps with some judicious archive rummaging and revisit the best Christmas specials of the past. From tinsel-draped drama to cracker-pulling comedy, from snow-blanketed animation to fairylit entertainment, there is something to thaw the heart of any small-screen Scrooge. Here’s our advent selection of the 25 all-time best – and where to stream them …