The reassuring thing about Christmas telly is that it is defiantly familiar, some might even say predictable – just the ticket at the end of the turbulent times of 2020. The important programmes are all thankfully in their proper place. Pope Francis’ Christmas Message will be broadcast by the BBC from St Peter’s Square on Christmas Day at 11 a.m.; Midnight Mass is this year live from Croydon Minster and led by the Revd Dr Andrew Bishop (11.40 p.m. BBC1); Christmas Day Mass from St Joseph’s Catholic church in Bradford, is celebrated by Bishop of Leeds Marcus Stock (10 a.m., BBC1); Carols from King’s, from Cambridge, is on Christmas Eve (5 p.m., BBC2).

Celebrity (in the nicest possible way) choirmaster Gareth Malone joins up with gospel choir conductor Karen Gibson in Britain’s Christmas Story which looks at the history of the way we celebrate (BBC1 15 and 22 December). There is more singing in Meet the Street at Christmas, a series broadcast earlier this month and now available on iPlayer: gospel choir leader Mark De-Lisser meets choristers and songsters around the country and takes off where Malone first led the way by trying to energise communities into meeting their neighbours and celebrating Christmas with singing. And Malone himself reappears to galvanise staff at Watford General Hospital into putting on a choral concert (Christmas Eve, BBC2).